On most days when I arrive at Sweeten Alumni House in the early morning hours, it is serenely quiet and peaceful on campus. I can spend some time appreciating the fact that I work on this beautiful college campus in the middle of a major urban city. The merry squirrels dart dangerously close around my feet, having grown accustomed to a life of hand-feeding by kind, unsuspecting humans. Sometimes all I can hear at that hour are my own footsteps on Locust Walk. That is, when I wear my super-loud boots.
But most mornings are not Spring Fling ticket-distribution day.
My colleagues and I have seen signs, banners and sidewalk chalk for a few weeks advertising “Tiesto,” and by our powers combined, we deduced that he/she/they/it was/were for Spring Fling. I like to think that working at a college keeps me young and hip, but this is a dirty lie. (Do the kids still say “spaz?”) I have no clue who or what Tiesto is. It makes me feel even older knowning that a couple of years ago when Snoop Dogg was the Spring Fling headliner, it was the students who didn’t know who he was. After all, the incoming students of the Class of 2016 were born after “What’s My Name?” was released.
So thanks to the sleuthing of one N. Elizabeth Pinnie, we have learned that Tiesto is a Dutch trance DJ, and Penn students are willing to camp out on a weeknight for the chance to see him perform live, even sleep on the steps of Sweeten as my fellow Sweeteners are forced to step on their blankets and bags of Doritos just to make it through the front door.
Unfortunately for the students, they’ll have to wait until April 13th for their Tiesto dreams to become reality. You, on the other hand, can enjoy his jams right now!
In my short time here at Sweeten, I have come to see the skill and passion with which my colleagues do their jobs. However, one of my favorite aspects of said colleagues (beyond the fact that they bring in chocolate for everyone to share) is learning about the many fascinating things they do when they leave our doors. As I began research for this article I realized that there was too much information for just one blog post, so today we’ll focus on half of our impressive third floor in Part One of…The Secret Lives of Sweeten Staff.
First off, we have our multi-talented Director of Multi-Cultural Outreach, Nicole Maloy. A few years ago, she happened to walk by a Shotokan Karate Dojo, went inside, and discovered a new passion. Nicole says that Karate has increased her awareness and has taught her how “to relax and focus completely- both mentally and physically- on one thing at one moment in time.” Today, Nicole is a black belt in Karate, and though she knows she can crush any opponent, Nicole appreciates that Shotokan teaches one to end a conflict rather than start one. Beyond her Shotokan black belt, Nicole is also a fantastic high jumper and a champion salsa dancer- but more on that later!
Love our Twitter feed? Use our website? If so, you have Sweeten’s own Internet guru, Lisa Marie Patzer, to thank. As Assistant Director of Communications at Sweeten, Lisa Marie is constantly keeping us up-to-date with the ever changing technology of the web and social media. This interest continues and expands once she leaves work. As a new media artist, Lisa Marie spends time and her artistic talents looking at the effects of new media in our world and how it relates to the human experience. In this capacity, she enjoys “exploring the political, social and interpersonal implications of new media technologies.” Lisa Marie’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and can next be seen in the collaborative piece she is creating for her MFA from Temple in Film and Media Arts, where she “investigates the performance of identity in online and off-line social communities.”
Another treasure tucked away on the third floor is the quiet and unassuming Jason Strohl. By day, Jason is our Assistant Director of Communications, and my personal food truck knowledge source. By night, he takes to the stage as bassist of Wigwam’s, one of Philly’s favorite post-punk bands. If you go to check out his band at one of the local venues you might not recognize Sweeten’s very own Clark Kent; Jason is far too active onstage to wear his glasses. When Jason’s not performing or working, you can find him in the back bays of New Jersey, where he likes to sit for hours drinking soda and fishing for bass. In fact, he typically arranges an annual Fishing Derby (which sounds like just about the best way to spend a spring Sunday). If you’re in the fishing mood, make sure you pick up a bag of Sea Life Gummies for your trip (a Strohl good luck charm) and if you’re in the mood for post punk, check out Wigwam’s at Johnny Brenda’s on April 6.
Impressed? You should be! And guess what- I’m not even half way through our staff. Among others, we’ve still got a hidden DJ, two published authors, a marathoner, two bridal show models, a civil engineer, and a cheerleader to go! Can you guess who’s who?! Stay tuned for next month’s Part Two of…..The Secret Lives of Sweeten Staff [insert dramatic music here].
On Monday, February 13, a very special gift arrived at the Sweeten Alumni House – an ebony satin, Boston Performance Edition, baby grand Steinway piano. It’s no coincidence that it arrived just in time for Valentine’s Day because the piano was a gift in honor of Penn Trustee and past Penn Alumni, President Paul C. Williams, W ’67, given with love by his sweetheart, Leslie Berger. There is a special story behind this gift – Sweeten is a “home” at Penn for Paul and a love for piano has great significance in Paul and Leslie’s relationship.
Paul was awarded Penn’s greatest honor in November, the Alumni Award of Merit. Here are a few details about Paul’s passion for Penn:
You have said that Penn’s alumni should “expect a lifetime of engagement and enrichment from their alma mater” – and you have made it your personal mission to make good on that promise. It is hard to find a corner of the Penn community you have not touched with your inspiring engagement.
Beginning as a Penn student, you embraced a commitment to giving back to the community. You were the campus coordinator for the Neighborhood Youth Corps, a tutorial project in the neighborhoods surrounding Penn and you served on the board of the Community Involvement Council. Your impulse to help others has only intensified over time and Penn has been the fortunate focus of your generosity of spirit.
You reconnected with Penn around your 25th reunion, becoming a member of the Board of Overseers for our School of Arts and Sciences in 1994 and a member of Penn’s Board of Trustees (as an Alumni Trustee) in 2000. In 2003, after you were named to the board’s Executive Committee, you participated in the Presidential Search Committee that selected President Amy Gutmann. The same year, you were elected president of Penn Alumni, representing over 290,000 Penn alumni around the world, a key leadership position you held for five years.
You have been described as someone who knows how to bring people together and to help them be their best. That is good news for all the Penn alumni who have benefited from your cheerful team building, tireless advocacy, and legendary commitment to your many volunteer roles. You have served on a long list of committees, including Academic Policy, Development, Honorary Degrees & Awards, and Neighborhood Initiatives. You have invested countless hours meeting with the leadership of Penn’s alumni diversity groups, attending their events and supporting their mission to make Penn a supportive, nurturing and academically exciting place for one and all.
Off campus, you were Penn’s ambassador in Chicago during the many years you lived there. You founded the regional advisory board, hosted and attended events, and graciously welcomed administrators, faculty and staff visiting the Windy City. You played an instrumental role in garnering support for initiatives such as the Chicago Regional Endowed Scholarship.
Your personal philanthropy is evident everywhere on campus – from your support for undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships and building projects, to your funding of faculty term chairs, undergraduate research grants and special projects in Kelly Writers House. You underwrote the purchase of a piano for one of the residence halls. In response to a presentation made to the Trustees by members of the Provost’s staff, you provided the funding to expand Penn’s efforts to address the problem of underage drinking on campus. A practice room in the newly renovated Music Building bears your name.
Your friends in Alumni Relations know you as the strategic thinker who identifies needs and finds ways to meet them. As a thoughtful colleague, you always remember to send birthday greetings. As a quiet deliberator, your sense of humor is both subtle and nuanced. As a good natured Penn Alumni president, you were thrilled to receive a Penn blazer with your nickname embroidered on the inside pocket, P-Dubs. In recognition of the significant contributions you have made to this University over many years, Penn is delighted to present you with the 2011 Alumni Award of Merit.
Penn will forever be indebted to Paul for his leadership and to Leslie for her unwavering support. Thank you for this extraordinary gift, a daily reminder of what is important in this world.
Watch this short video of the first person to play the piano (she found out about it through our Twitter feed!):
It’s that time of year again! That time when you say, “I can’t work out on the elliptical machine today because I ate too many cupcakes. And I brought some cupcakes home so I’m going to eat more cupcakes.” Or, “It’s too cold to walk the one block to the gym. I’m going to drink some eggnog instead.” Or, “I’m not going to have my usual Houston Hall salad for lunch since there is a giant pile of cookies, cakes and tortilla chips right behind my desk.”
You probably already experienced the Freshman Fifteen in college. This is what causes the Sweeten Fifteen.
This is the culture of Sweeten during December and it doesn’t change much throughout the year. There is a constant influx of food infiltrating our 2nd floor counter – an endless barrage of party leftovers and gifts from kind, generous, good-looking alumni – and it ultimately ends up on our collective spare tires (but, so worth it, kind and generous alumni!). It is a mere three feet away from our desks, and it catches our eyes, destroys any shred of willpower we have, and asks us to stop staring and just give in. We’re still a couple of months away from our annual exercise competition (which Emily S. and Cecilia R. smoked in 2011), and if you are anything like us – you know, normal(ish) – you are probably experiencing a similar struggle with holiday eating, so we put our heads together and came up with a few exercises you can do in the office during a break to ward off that extra holiday poundage!
*Disclaimer: The illustrations below are a rendering of Leigh Ann P. and Leigh Ann P. only. Any resemblance to any other person living or dead is merely coincidental. Unless that person is Kate Middleton, in which case, wow, THANK YOU!
Try sitting on a large exercise ball instead of a regular office chair! This is fantastic for your core. Leigh Ann P. tried this at work a few years ago and the ball put her just slightly too low for her desk. But – if you have an extremely long torso, this may be just the solution for you!
You could simultaneously balance a common office supply, such as a stapler, on your head while walking backwards up and down your office stairs. Jillian Michaels would be so proud of you for multitasking with your different muscle groups. What could possibly go wrong?
Marge T. suggested dropping a box of paper clips on the floor and forcing yourself to pick them up one by one.
What do you do to stay in shape during the holidays? Do you have any other office-related workout suggestions? Let us know in the comments!
Surely you all read my previous post about party culture at the Sweeten House. If not, I’ll wait.
Finished? I’m sure you were wildly entertained! Did you leave a comment?
Last week our fearless Frankly Penn blog founder, Aimee LaBrie, hosted a fabulous soiree (can it be a soiree if it’s at 4 PM?) honoring all of us blog contributors – both of the frequent kind and of the once-in-a-lifetime kind. Aimee created awards for each and every blogger and presented them at the event along with personalized gifts. Everyone is so excited about their awards, and a few people around Sweeten have displayed them proudly in their workspaces.
Nicole is so excited about her award, she has it displayed right beneath her office nameplate!
Can you spot Lynn’s award among all of her daughter’s artwork?
Lisa V. doesn’t ever want to spin her chair around and NOT see her Frankly Penny.
Mine is covering up my William + Kate tea towel. Am I finally tired of them?
Jason’s only regret is that the certificate is too small for the frame he had picked out for it.
Hoopes’s award is displayed proudly on his credenza, along with his blogger pride pencil! No wonder he’s proud: who else has an award featuring a cat climbing a ladder?
This is the best award Cecilia has ever received!
Have you ever received an award for anything? Let us know in the comments! If you want to be awarded next year with a Frankly Penny, you could be! All you have to do is contribute to the Frankly Penn blog. Contact Aimee LaBrie at alabrie@upenn.edu for more information.
I started working at the Sweeten Alumni House a little over two years ago, and shortly after I started, I remember Marge Tinsley (she of Global Alumni Network fame) telling me: “This isn’t an office, this is a house, and we’re a family.” I found this so touching and it has really stuck with me!
We are a relatively small group of about 30 people, which combined with the open layout of the heart of our office, makes it really easy to get to know everyone personally – even if you don’t ever get the opportunity to collaborate with them professionally. But we always get to collaborate when it comes to party time!
You are probably familiar with the office party. Farewells, babies, weddings and holidays allow us to come together on these special occasions and give us an excuse to decorate our conference room and generally pig out. Of course, our idea of “decorating on a dime” involves taping up photoshopped images of the honoree throughout the building. Dwight Shrute provides a good example below of how not to decorate for an office party:
It’s always a creative challenge to come up with a theme, but these men and women are committed to imaginative partying. In the past, we’ve had parties centered around “Glee,” karaoke, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Island-Meets-Arctic (I guess you had to be there), or most recently, traditional Jewish food!
It will be fun to see what our colleagues come up with for our holiday party next month. What does your workplace like to do to celebrate special occasions?
When a University starts pushing 300 years old, inevitably a large amount of physical ephemera starts building up in the basements and attics around campus. Such is the case with Penn, and, here at Sweeten, we are lucky to have a small collection of pamphlets, yearbooks, objects of all shapes and sizes, and even what I think is supposed to be a large stuffed orange egg wearing a “U of P” shirt. Through the curatorial stewardship of Susan Todres, CW’75 WG’77, University Archives has placed these objects on display at the Alumni House for all who visit to admire.
For those of you who are unable to make the trip to Philadelphia, I took a few pictures of some of the more interesting objects. Enjoy.
Cast iron painted ashtray, replica of Franklin Field and Weightman Hall, circa 1920.
Franklin Field illustrated program from Penn-Cornell Thanksgiving Day football game (November 25, 1948)
Football-shaped mug illustrated by F. Earl Christy, 1905.
Cloth "Humpty Dumpty" doll adorned with freshman beanie, emits squeaking sound when squeezed.
Brass-covered dance card book for party held at Hotel Rittenhouse, Sigma Phi Sigma Fraternity (April 16, 1920)
As students, I’m sure that you have strolled along this major pedestrian thoroughfare at one point on another. Now, the walkway is under construction starting with the 3600 block this summer and will continue to the 3800 and 3900 blocks this fall.
Locust Walk is the place to go to bump into other students and peers. It is more than a walkway; it serves as a social and interactive path between college houses (a.k.a. dorms) and classrooms. Each and every time during my senior spring semester I would run from my house on Sansom and hop on the Walk to get to my either my Linguistics or Business Italian class in Williams Hall, I would see several of my classmates and friends. We would catch up on last week’s cast party or make plans for that weekend, and I would be inevitably late for class. Yet, my Penn classmates and I weren’t the only things traveling along the walk. The renovation includes the replacement of underground utilities and the paved surface. In addition to the thousands of students, faculty and staff that traverse the 20 and ½ foot wide Walk, electricity, gas, water, telecommunications, and sewage all passed under our feet. This infrastructure will be improved during the renovations as well.
For now, though, the intensity of the work in a confined space requires that students, faculty and staff to be re-routed from the work area. The temporary walkways provided by the contractor for safety, will have to serve as the major social conduit through campus.
For more articles about the Locust Walk Renovation, visit:
Imagine thirty stationary exercise bikes lined up inside a health club studio. “Riders” are on each bike, spinning the pedals as fast as they can. The lights are turned down, loud, pumping music fills the air and an instructor with a headset sits atop a lead bike, and is barking out commands.
The Spinning Room
“Climb out of the saddle,” she barks at the class. “Big hill coming! This is a big, steep climb – about 7 ½ minutes. Grind it out!” The riders rise as one, pedals spinning harder as we grimace with exertion, sweat dripping off our bodies to the deep, bass beats of the Beatles “Come Together.” A fifteen second recovery is next as we all gulp down liquids from the water bottle we are required to have on our bikes. We then get back into the saddle for a 4 minute sprint to The Jackson Five’s “Dancing Machine.”
Ready to Spin
What I am describing to you is a spinning class. What does this have to do with my role as Executive Director of Alumni Relations at Penn? Everything! While I am spinning my wheels, my mind is just as active spinning with thoughts. I get some of my best work done on that bike!
On the Bike
Sitting on that spin bike, I have thought through the process of launching our new Shared Interest Group initiative – groups of alumni who share common interests arising from their Penn co-curricular activities or professional career experience and desire to affiliate with each other as a subgroup of Penn Alumni. Look for it in the fall!
Made it Through
I have imagined and executed in my mind new events for students as part of our “Penn Traditions: Building Our Community” program designed to keep our students connected to Penn for their lifetime. Last night, I spent my 60 spin minutes willing it to be 74 degrees and sunny from Alumni Weekend Friday through Monday’s Commencement ceremony. Alumni Weekend 2011 is going to be the best ever! You see – I am doing very important things on that bike. So, you will have me to (at least partially) thank for the glorious next few days just ahead! One final thought. . .
1986 was a very special year, and not simply because it was when this blogger celebrated her 5th year of being alive (the most noteworthy occasion of an otherwise fabulous year for yours truly, of course). A wonderful class of 1986 Penn graduates emerged from Commencement as Penn Alumni, and this weekend they will celebrate their 25th reunion during Alumni Weekend May 13-16 with nearly 600 in attendance.
I considered doing a reflection of world events in 1986 for this post, but who really wants to read about Chernobyl or the Challenger? Not you, and certainly not me. Let’s talk about pop culture!
When the Class of 1986 graduated, the box office rankings looked like this. I am tickled that Steve Guttenberg makes multiple appearances on this list, but the fact that any Police Academy film ever outranked Pretty in Pink is just criminal.
Short Circuit
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling
Fire with Fire
Blue City
The Money Pit
Dangerously Close
Legend
Wise Guys
Critters
Gung Ho
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
Pretty in Pink
Now, if there’s anything I love more than the early ‘90s pop musical oeuvre, it’s the mid-‘80s. Dare say you, what could possibly be more audibly enjoyable than Color Me Badd? I know. I know. I give you: Whitney Houston times two with a splash of “Walk Like an Egyptian.” Let’s take a look back at the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 1986!
1. “That’s What Friends Are For”…..Dionne & Friends
2. “Walk Like An Egyptian”…..Bangles
3. “On My Own”…..Patti Labelle & Michael McDonald
4. “The Way It Is”…..Bruce Hornsby & The Range
5. “You Give Love A Bad Name”…..Bon Jovi
6. “Greatest Love Of All”…..Whitney Houston
7. “There’ll Be Sad Songs”…..Billy Ocean
8. “How Will I Know”…..Whitney Houston
9. “Kyrie”…..Mr. Mister
10. “Kiss”…..Prince & The Revolution
And lastly, who was People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1986? Hellooooo, Mark Harmon!!!
Congratulations to the Class of 1986 and to all of the Penn alumni celebrating their reunions this weekend!
Frankly Penn 
