Category Archives: The Penn Fund

Celebrating Feb Club – 20 Years Later with Penn 1993

By Kiera Reilly, C’93  @KieraReilly

As Penn’s Class of 1993 gears up for our 20th reunion in May (that’s right, we graduated last century), we’re re-connecting with each other and making plans to reunite on campus via Email, Facebook and Twitter, things that didn’t exist when we were students! Our class Facebook page sees the most interaction, as classmates post stories and memories from our time on campus:

Princeton at Penn Men’s Basketball – now this is what my friend Chris Lehmann called “Pandemonium at the Palestra”

Penn Six singing “It Ain’t Easy Being Conrad Bain” from their 1993 album “Jacket Off” album. Jason Downie, C’93 – lead singer, Ed Matz, C’93 – lyrics

Brian Keys leading Penn Football past Lafayette – one of our first Penn football games!

“The Simpson’s” writer Matt Selman, C’93, sneaking Penn into an episode.

A recent story in The DP* highlighted the Feb Club, a tradition that our class started, thanks to our then-class president Michael “Scoops” Rosenband, C’93. Scoops sent along a page from the Friars directory highlighting his – and our class’ – contribution to fun times in February.

Class President Michael "Scoops" Rosenband credited with bringing Feb Club to our class in the Friars directory.

Class President Michael “Scoops” Rosenband credited with bringing Feb Club to our class in the Friars directory.

Alyssa Newman, C’93,  shared this photo of the Feb Club t-shirt – the rules were that if you attended 10 out of the 11 events, you received a Feb Club t-shirt (this year’s seniors are offering an event each day). Back in the day, a free t-shirt was nothing to scoff at, nor was an excuse to go out and have fun with classmates during dreary February.

The back of the original Feb Club - a tradition started by the Class of 1993!

The back of the original Feb Club t-shirt – a tradition started by the Class of 1993!

If you can’t see, here’s the list of activities:

Feb 1 – Cavanaugh’s

Feb 3 – Metropolis

Feb 7 – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off at the Eric 3

Feb 9 – Smoke’s

Feb 12 – Penn Basketball vs. Columbia

Feb 16 – Cavanaugh’s

Feb 18 – Chasers

Feb 20 – Boccie

Feb 23 – Murph’s

Feb 25 – Ice Skating at the Class of 1923 Rink

Feb 28 – Smoke’s

My personal favorites were watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and ice skating at the Class of 1923 Ice Rink – something I had never done before.

Julie Berliner Bell, C’93, saved her Feb Club shirt too – it’s part of a quilt of other favorite t-shirts.

 Feb Club quiltFeb Club pillow

Our class is looking forward to May when we’ll reconnect, remember and reminisce about the fun times we had while students at Penn. We have a great group of classmates helping to plan our reunion and raise funds for Dear Old Penn – see our class reunion page for the full list.

If you’re a member of our class, be sure to join our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.

If you’re planning to attend the reunion, be sure to add your name to the hundreds of classmates already listed on our “We’re coming!” page by emailing reunion co-chairs Lisa Nass Grabelle, C’93, L’96, or Chrissy Bass Hofbeck, C’93.

And, don’t forget to contribute to our Class Gift! We’re hoping to increase the number of participants that donate to Penn – please make your gift today!

Hurrah, Hurrah,

Penn Class of 1993!

We can’t wait to see you back on campus in May!

*The DP states the tradition started in 1997 in this article, and was recently re-instituted in 2004. We respectfully beg to differ with their account.
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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Weekend, Class of 1993, Historical, Kiera R., Memories of Penn, Penn Basketball, Photos, Reunions, Social Networking, The Penn Fund, Traditions

T-Minus One Month!

Author: Amanda D’Amico

There’s less than one month to go until the close of Making History: the Campaign for Penn!

Making History is the most ambitious campaign in the University of Pennsylvania’s history, spanning every school and center and enabling Penn to enrich and strengthen programs to lead across disciplines. The comprehensive campaign sought to raise $3.5 billion while simultaneously strengthening the connection between alumni and the University.

Since its public launch in 2008, the Campaign has had great success. Alumni engagement has increased exponentially each year with more alumni attending Homecoming and Alumni Weekend than ever before. And, in September 2011, Penn reached is $3.5 billion overall goal.

While the overall dollar goal has been met, there is still more work to be done within the Campaign’s priorities, which include faculty support, undergraduate scholarships, graduate and professional student aid, buildings and renovations, programs and research, and unrestricted support. Help the University meet all of its goals by making your gift before December 31, 2012!

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Take Part in Giving Tuesday

Author: Kelly Graf

#Giving Tuesday is the newest addition to the flurry of daily activity throughout the Thanksgiving weekend. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday lead you to the best deals, Giving Tuesday leads you toward philanthropy during this giving season! The Penn Fund has partnered with this effort to encourage our alumni to embrace a new tradition this fall.

Today – Giving Tuesday – is your opportunity to honor your Penn education by making your annual philanthropic commitment to The Penn Fund.

Your support will directly and immediately impact current and future undergraduate students at Penn. Make your gift today online or by calling 800.237.2655.

Thank you for celebrating #GivingTuesday with us!

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Happy New Year!

Author: Kelly Graf

While most of us celebrate the new year with Auld Lang Syne and champagne in January, The Penn Fund toasts a new beginning every July 1 as a part of our new fiscal year. June 30 completed our year long annual campaign for fiscal year 2012 with record numbers for dollars and truly impressive results from our proud Penn alumni donors. Thank you to those of you who made fiscal year 2012 a success. We look forward to reporting more numbers this month.

A new year brings new opportunities! For those of you who have not made your commitment to The Penn Fund, this year you can commence that tradition with a gift in support of undergraduate education. Visit The Penn Fund website to learn more.

Have a wonderful, healthy and happy fiscal year 2013!

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The Year Isn’t Over Yet…

Author: Kelly Graf

This is what I, and many of my annual fund colleagues, can be heard saying throughout the month of June. With the excitement of Alumni Weekend and Commencement a month behind us, many believe the “year” is done and we are now just waiting for another reunion cycle and another freshman class to start things up again.

Alas, the fiscal year goes straight through to June 30. For Penn Funders like myself, this means we still have 22 days to reach our donor and dollar goals! These goals are not just arbitrary numbers we strive to reach but rather milestones that make a difference for students and alumni. The dollars directly support our undergraduate students – their financial aid, residences, campus, and classrooms. The donors represent the strength of our alumni support and are used to help determine rankings in national publications.

This year, our goal is 27,000 donors to The Penn Fund. Join us today and help us to reach this impressive goal! Your gift before June 30 will help to demonstrate the power of Proud Penn Alumni.

The year isn’t over yet – commemorate your time at Penn today!

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Alumni Weekend 2012: From the Best View

Author: Kelly Graf.

The Penn Fund had a table at the Penn Fair this past Alumni Weekend. It proved to be the best view in the house (er, Green?). We had front row seats to the Alumni Parade and watched as hundreds of alumni strode past so proud to don their red and blue. First, the Old Guard made their way down Locust Walk indicating the start of the parade.

As the parade picked up, the 25th reunion tent opened and beckoned in the Class of 1987.

Proud Penn Alumni gathered to celebrate and commemorate the special day.

The Class of 1972 followed in their footsteps with hair photos and tie dye.

Overall, it was a festive day with reunion and non-reunion classes alike celebrating in festivities and celebrating their alma mater. On Pennsylvania!

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Filed under Alumni Programming, Alumni Weekend, Kelly G., The Penn Fund

Egg-citing Video

Author: Aimee LaBrie

A couple of weeks ago, I went with two of my colleagues to see The Happy Show exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Among the many cool and thought-provoking pieces was a stop animation video of eggs. Like all good art, the show got us thinking about how we might create a similar video to inspire alumni and friends to return for Alumni Weekend, starting tomorrow. Hence, the “48 Hours to Go” video below. I hope you enjoy it, and that you’ll think about coming back to campus this weekend for what promises to be the best Alumni Weekend ever.

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Filed under Alumni Programming, Alumni Weekend, The Penn Fund, Traditions

International Pay it Forward Day

Author: C. Hennessy, The Penn Fund

Hey, Penn community, did you know that today, April 26, is International Pay it Forward Day? In celebration of this philanthropic holiday, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 20,000 alumni donors who have already given back to The Penn Fund this fiscal year. Your gifts help to fund the core priorities of a Penn undergraduate experience and make this campus one of the most vibrant and beloved in the Ivy League. Thank You!

Did you know that even the current senior class, the great Class of 2012, is paying it forward? With over 1,600 seniors giving back to date, the Class of 2012 is well positioned to be the first class in history to hit 1740 senior class donors. So today, on International Pay it Forward Day; join with us in supporting Penn. Your gift will directly fuel the fires of creativity, imagination, and innovation that make our students the best and brightest in the land.

Watch this quick video to learn more about what motivates the Class of 2012 to give back.

Make today – International Pay it Forward Day – the day you help to make a difference in the lives of undergraduates all across our Red and Blue campus.

On Pennsylvania!

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A Rockin’ Saturday Night at Penn

Author: Colin Hennessy

Are you looking for something to do this Saturday evening? If so, join me at the Penn Symphony Orchestra Concert at 8:00 PM in Irvine Auditorium. This free concert, for those with a Penn Card or $5 general admission, will feature a program including works by Liszt and Brahms.

Founded in 1878, the Penn Orchestra is an ensemble made up of musicians from throughout the University community, primarily non-music majors. The Orchestra rehearses for four hours each week and performs a diverse array of repertoire drawn from the Classic Period through the Twentieth Century.

This particular concert will feature the 2011 winner of Penn’s Hilda Nitzsche Concerto Competition, Ellen Hahm. Hahm, who grew up in Seoul, South Korea, is a senior Philosophy, Politics, and Economics major and began playing the piano at age 4. In addition to her studies in her major, she has spent the last 18 months studying the piano with Michael Sheadel, a College House Music Fellow in the Department of Music. She also spent the summer of 2010 honing her musical skills at the acclaimed Aspen Music Festival and School. On Saturday evening, she will perform the 80-minute Piano Concerto No. 1 by Franz Liszt. The epic Fourth Symphony by Johannes Brahms will conclude the concert.

I hope to see you this Saturday at Irvine!

Penn Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, 25 February 2012,  8:00 PM 

Irvine Auditorium

Liszt: Concerto for Piano no 1 in E flat major, S 124

Artist: Ellen Hahm (Piano)

Brahms: Symphony no 4 in E minor, Op. 98

Conductor: Brad Smith

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Filed under Colin H., Events, The Arts, The Arts at Penn, The Penn Fund

Penn Student Video

Author: Colin Hennessy

The significance of giving is not lost on Penn students. Every day, they pass the growing buildings, the new technology and stunning campus that are all made possible by the generosity of alumni giving. Most importantly, a large majority of Penn undergraduate students are on campus because of the student financial aid provided by gifts to The Penn Fund and undergraduate scholarship funds.

As a student worker for The Penn Fund, En Hao, C’13, knows a lot about the impact of annual alumni giving. That knowledge led him to create a Thank You video for all fiscal year 2012 donors to The Penn Fund. Sent earlier this month, En’s video is a delightful look at the appreciation that Penn students feel towards those who came before them and continue to give back.

Learn more about En.
Make your calendar year end gift to The Penn Fund.


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