Category Archives: Student Perspective

November 19, 2012 · 12:43 pm

Running in Philly

Author:  Rebecca Eckart, GEd’13

Philadelphia and Penn have a lot of great places and opportunities for runners.   Running on the Schuylkill River Trail has been especially beautiful this month, as the reds and golds of the autumn leaves cascade over the trail and reflect in the river.  As many runners can probably attest, some days are harder than others to get out and go.  But right now, with the lovely fall colors and the cool, crisp autumn air, it’s easy.

My morning view of the Schuylkill River Trail.

Over the summer, as I was saying goodbye to friends and preparing to move to Philly, I really hoped I’d be able to find a good running group at Penn.  I started running about four years ago, and the reason I was able to keep running was that I had a close friend who ran and entered races with me.  Thankfully, when I got to Penn, finding a group wasn’t hard at all!

The second Saturday I was on campus, the Graduate Student Center (GSC), in response to student requests, held a casual run.  There was a good turnout, with close to twenty students attending, a mix of returning and first-year grad students.  We ran from the GSC down to the Schuylkill River Trail, and once there, split up according to distance and pace.  I met some other women with similar pacing and distance goals that day, and we’ve been running together on weekends since.

We’ve also entered races together at Penn and in Philly.  In October, we ran in the Penn Park Homecoming 5k.  The race was a lot of fun and we got official Homecoming 5K shirts.  For me, half the fun of running in races is collecting shirts!

With me friends…That’s me as #43.

Just yesterday, several of us ran in the Philadelphia half-marathon.  My running group and I are all first year grad students, so it was a real challenge to train for a half-marathon while trying to balance our academic, work, and personal schedules.  Some of my friends had time goals for this race, but my goal was just to finish (which I did!).

Running has been an important part of my life at Penn.  It has encouraged me to set new goals and enabled me to make friends outside of my graduate school. After our big race this Sunday, my group is planning to go out for Philly cheesesteaks, and I’m sure we will look for more events in the area to join.

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Filed under Athletics, Campus Life, Homecoming Weekend featuring arts and culture, Philadelphia, Rebecca E., Student Perspective

November 12, 2012 · 8:51 am

The Civic War

Author: Dan Bernick, C’14

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” began Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. In it, Lincoln spoke of the never-ending duty citizens have to strengthen our democracy. That civil war has found new life in the civic war being waged on Penn’s campus.

Enter the War Room.

This year, I had the privilege of being a volunteer for Penn Leads the Vote, a student-led, non-partisan voter mobilization organization at Penn. For months, Penn Leads the Vote helped students register to vote and encouraged all students – regardless of party – to cast a ballot.  On Tuesday, all of those efforts culminated in one final push.

More than two-dozen students spent the entire day of the election in Fox Leadership Hall; calling students and asking them if they voted. If a student had not yet voted, we made sure they knew where their polling location was. We fielded questions from confused voters, and worked to ensure every Penn student had an opportunity to have their voice heard.

Photo Credit: Ari Cohen’s Facebook page

Food was everywhere on the table, phones were out, computers were charging, the group leader was shouting names from the projector at the front of the room, and students were making calls over all the noise. It was a gory battle, but Penn won the Civic War–more than 3,500 students turned out to vote on Penn’s campus.  You can read more about it in the DP here.

Unlike some people who grew tired of the rhetoric, I cannot wait until the next election. Though I will have graduated from Penn by then, my experience with this organization has inspired me to remain an active and engaged citizen.

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November 2, 2012 · 12:41 pm

Penn Rocks Out

Author:  Rebecca Eckart, GEd’13

As a new student at Penn, I found the enthusiasm of Penn alums and students during Homecoming Weekend  featuring arts & culture to be contagious.  And seeing the campus covered with red and blue—balloons, flags, and of course students, alums, faculty, and staff decked out in school colors—brought a truly festive air to campus despite the gray, pre-Sandy weather.

Homecoming Weekend this year had a lot of great events.  With academic, sporting, cultural, diversity alliance, and other events, there were plenty of opportunities for everyone to find something that spoke to them.  One new event this year was the Blutt Band Slam, made possible by the generosity of Mitchell Blutt, C’78, M’82, WG’87.  It featured six student groups/performers and two alumni groups, with a wide range of styles—rap, indie, rock, folk, classical, a cappella, and more.

The Band Slam was held on College Green, just in front of Van Pelt, and a lot of people passing through on their way back from the football game (which Penn won—go Quakers!) or heading to their next event stopped to listen.  All of the performers delivered outstanding performances—I was truly impressed by the breadth of talent and creativity of all the musicians.

I’m glad I wasn’t a judge—I can only imagine the difficulty they had in choosing just three winners!

Wars and Whores took the Alumni Prize of $250.  Wars and Whores, members Jeff Barg, C’02, GCP’10, Tamara MacKay Kimler, C’02, Byron Kho, C’05, and Miriam White, SPP’09, met as undergrads in the Underground Shakespeare Company.  They performed two songs from their original folk musical adaptation of Henry IV Part I.

Wars & Whores

The Hippocrates Trio, comprised of Rena Zheng, C ’07, M’15, Alex Pantelyat, C’04, and James Choi, D’14, took the Student Prize of $500. They’re a classical piano trio who formed this past summer, and participate in the Penn Med Music on Call student organization.  They perform for University of Pennsylvania Health System patients and families.

Hippocrates Trio

Finally, the overall winner was sophomore Sarah Lindstedt, who took home the $1,000 Overall Grand Prize!  Sarah writes and plays her own music, in addition to cover songs.  After the awards, the audience was treated to an encore performance by Sarah.

First prize winner, Sarah Lindstedt

I think all who attended would agree, the Blutt Band Slam showcased a lot of Penn talent and we hope to see it featured at many more Homecomings!

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Filed under Homecoming Weekend featuring arts and culture, Student Perspective, The Arts, The Arts at Penn

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October 31, 2012 · 5:49 pm

The Hurric-ation

Author: John Mosley, C’14

As many of you may already know, the University of Pennsylvania closed down operations this past Monday and Tuesday due to the impending Hurricane Sandy. I think that everybody ought to keep checking the skies to make sure there are no pigs flying around up there.

Over the course of the past few days, I remained hunkered-down in my suburban New Jersey home with plenty of junk food, DVDs, my guitar, and, of course, my never-ending supply of homework.  Over the last several days as the devastation unfolded on news forecasts and online reports, my thoughts were (and remain) with those who truly felt the disastrous effects of the hurricane, but, fortunately, my area was largely untouched and I simply received a free, long weekend, which I unknowingly and completely took for granted..  That is, until I arrived at the Sweeten Alumni House this morning and Nicole Maloy, W’95, and director of Multicultural Outreach, helped me to appreciate just how rare the closing of the University really is. She told me of the great “Ice Storm” of 1993 and another in 1995, both of which closed down the University, and I remember a great snow storm a few years ago during which the University closed down operations, but it truly is not an event that occurs often. It really takes a big storm to close this place down!

Luckily, Sandy left campus and the city of Philadelphia relatively unharmed, and the University has reopened just in time for Halloween. Alas, the long weekend for students and employees has come to an end, and I believe it bears repeating:  don’t take days off for granted!

Image Courtesy of Dueling Tampons.

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October 25, 2012 · 12:59 pm

Discs of Glory: My Experience on an Intramural Frisbee Team

Author: Jonathan Cousins, SEAS’14

Being on an intramural sports team at Penn is a unique experience. Last semester, I played intramural basketball, and while it was fun, we lost most of our games. It was also stressful to be the captain, and be responsible for a $100 performance bond if your team decided to not show up one day (this almost happened).  But this fall I found a new group and a new sport – Ultimate Frisbee.

Ultimate Frisbee is interesting in its own right. There are no referees, and the game is completely self-policed by the two teams. The only outside intervention is from a Penn Rec employee calling out the end of each half. The objective is simple – catch the Frisbee in the end zone. But as the game plays out the intricacies present themselves – making a quick step to get open, diving to knock away a Frisbee and defending one side of the person throwing the Frisbee all become clear.

But this is not professional Frisbee, in fact far from it. We are a group of friends trying to have some fun. This attitude produces some memorable moments. Like the time we were winning by five points, and my roommate Surya called a time-out to set up a victory celebration. When we next scored, our team lined up like bowling pins and I “bowled” the Frisbee and knocked everyone down. Even the other team thought it was funny. We also have a pre-game chant involving group circle and much loud chanting of the word “WORK!” and our team name’s acronym (Discs of Glory – so DOG).

While much of the game is fun, there is a lot of intensity also. We have had multiple last-second catches to end either a half or the game, lots of diving, and even some more serious collisions.  Last week, Surya and another teammate slid to the ground in the corner where there was dirt and came up bloody. A few weeks prior, Surya was hit with a shoulder the head on a contested catch that looked like a football highlight hit (he was ok).

Through all of this, we have had a great time and have grown closer as friends. We have out last regular season game on Tuesday, and then it is off to the playoffs. The season has been full of ups and downs so far, and I am sure that will continue. The game on Monday is a rematch against the only team we have lost to so far, and it is sure to be another close one. The first time we played this particular team, they won on a last-second catch in the end zone, and neither of us has lost since.

It seems only fitting that I end this piece the same way we end our pre-game chants. No matter what happens, at the end of the day, DOGS WORK!

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October 15, 2012 · 7:42 pm

Last Flowers

Author: Sabrina Shyn, C’13

As the leaves start to change on campus, I decided to walk around and capture them in their last bloom. Here are some last remaining flowers as we move into the fall season.

And because fall is also beautiful here…

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October 9, 2012 · 2:39 pm

Welcome Back

Author: Dan Bernick, C’14

When the first textbook arrives in the mail, I know school is starting (and I groan). When Quakers head en masse to the football field, I know school is starting.  And when I see my friends back from summer break, I know school is starting.

But my school year does not officially begin until President Gutmann says so.

Every year, President Gutmann hosts a welcome back picnic for the sophomores and juniors. It is a great opportunity for all of us to catch up and see friends we may not have run into yet. The Class Board is always excited to see us, and President Gutmann gives us advice to make the most of our junior year.

Most importantly for a student on a budget – free food!

This year, it was better than ever with a “back-to-grade-school” theme.  Students could pack their own lunch bag full of PB&J sandwiches (crust removed!), a Mott’s apple juice box, and vegetable dippers. And, as usual, students collected Penn gear in the form of a red Penn Traditions shirt (bringing my number of Penn t-shirts to 8,665,932,441).

The only problem is my teachers. I tell them time and again I cannot do homework until school “officially” begins, but they don’t believe me…

Me with Penn President Amy Gutmann and Class Board 2014 President, Spencer Penn.
Credit: President’s Media

 

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October 8, 2012 · 7:53 pm

Engaging International Students

Author:  Rebecca Eckart, GEd’13

Last week, Dr. Altamirano, Director of International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) at Penn, was a guest speaker in one of my classes at the Graduate School of Education (GSE).  He spoke to my class about the services his office provides for international students, and how hard he has worked to make connections with offices throughout the university to make it easier to support international students.

In the discussion following his presentation, a classmate raised an interesting question.   She noted that many international students often tend to socialize with others from their own country, and that American students also tend to socialize with other Americans.

My class tried to understand why this is the case.  We talked about a number of potential factors: lack of confidence in language ability, hesitancy to step out of comfort zones, and possible misunderstandings about gestures or customs of unfamiliar cultures.  We also discussed how difficult it can be to speak with a person of another culture as an individual, rather than as a representative.  When we meet someone from another country, we’re interested in the customs and culture of their homeland, so we ask about those things.  But it’s important to keep in mind that people are individuals, and to make a relationship with someone, we need to be interested in that person’s life and interests, not just his or her culture.

Participating in part of a spring festival in Japan, 2011.

Dr. Altamirano encouraged all of us to take time to speak with international students, invite them out for a cup of coffee, and make a genuine effort to get to know them.  I completely agree with him.  I lived in Japan for five years, so I felt that I could understand well some of the things we talked about.  There were other Americans who lived near me, and it was much easier to spend time with them than to try to make Japanese friends.  Initially, I was uncomfortable with Japanese and there were so many customs that I didn’t understand.  But eventually I did make some Japanese friends, because people reached out to me.  They invited me to participate in community events, attend festivals, stay at their house, or go out to try a new food.  Because so many people were welcoming and friendly to me, I gained a perspective on a culture that was totally foreign to me.

Now that I’m back in the States, I feel the need to reach out to international students, to try to give back some of the kindness that was extended to me.  Penn is a great place to do that.  Penn has a large international student population—in the Graduate School of Education, about 29% of the student body.  There are plenty of opportunities to interact with international students at Penn, through language chats, volunteering as a language exchange partner with English Language Programs, and other avenues that I haven’t yet explored, but hope to.  But the best way, I think, is just to reach out as an individual, and strike up a conversation with someone you see in class, your dorm, or at a social event.

In closing, I’d just like to encourage you to take a chance and start talking with international students you don’t know well, even if you’re worried about a possible language barrier.  As Dr. Altamirano told my class, there is a lot we can learn from international students if we take the time to get to know them, and international students will be glad to feel included.  For those of you who are still students at Penn, take advantage of all the opportunities here to engage with international students!

Outside the Osaka Castle with the junior high school principal who generously invited me to travel to see it with him and his family.

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October 1, 2012 · 5:50 pm

Senioritis

Kayleigh Smoot, C’13

I’d be the first to tell you I am definitely a professional procrastinator. I try to play it off as “I just work really well under pressure” and that’s true to some extent, but sometimes, I am just straight up lazy when it comes to time management.

After three years at Penn, however, I definitely have fallen victim to a plight worse than plain procrastination: senioritis.

As I entered my senior year at Penn, I was prepared to conquer it all: a five class workload, an executive board position, my work study job, and a rigorous job search for after graduation. It turns out this is a LOT to handle, especially the job search.

Career fairs, late night info sessions, networking, resume drop deadlines – it’s overwhelming. Thankfully, I have support through my friends here at Penn. I realized going to college meant making new friends that would become study buddies, coffee pals, people to walk to class with, but I never truly realized how important they would become during times of stress, like finals week, or now during the most stressful time of senior year.

They also aid me in my procrastinating ways (clearly rewatching old Gilmore Girls episodes with your best friend on a Tuesday night is more productive than doing reading for your world music and cultures class).

So, even though I’ve been procrastinating sending those emails, searching for jobs, and putting off that last reading, I definitely get by with a little help from my friends.

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September 28, 2012 · 4:42 pm

The Right Audit-tude

Author: John Mosley, C’13

This time last year, I was taking a class called Modern Political Thought. The class included a group of about 8 or 9 seniors auditing the course, which was a new concept to me. Throughout the semester, the auditors posed some of the most fascinating discussion questions to the professor which often led to a deeper understanding (for me at least) of the texts and documents being studied. Since that class, I have hoped to see many more of these senior auditors as I progress in my studies. Last spring, no seniors appeared in any of my classes, but this fall, I was glad to see a senior auditor seated in the front row.

I immediately sat down next to him  and began telling him what to expect from the class. The auditor was very polite and eager to begin. However, when the professor facilitated the first open discussion of the semester, the auditor seemed reluctant to participate, citing the fact that, as an auditor, his role was simply there to “take it all in.” I was disappointed. The auditor refused to participate for the entire class and, unfortunately, has not appeared for a class since.

From what I can see as a student, the senior auditing program is a wonderful way for members of older generations to impart new wisdom and new points of view to undergraduates. The Modern Political Thought class was one of my favorite experiences at Penn thus far, and that is primarily due to the auditors, who applied their combined years of experience and studies to the subject matter and in doing so added a new dimension to the class, which was lauded by the professor. I guess my message is this: to any applicable alumni reading, PLEASE AUDIT CLASSES!

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