Category Archives: Traditions

April 27, 2012 · 2:44 pm

Student Perspective on Hey Day, 2012

Author: Kayleigh Smoot, C’13

It’s hard to believe after all the study sessions, club meetings,  rehearsals, midterms, papers, parties, dinners out in Center City, and everything in between that I’ve become a SENIOR here at Penn. This past Wednesday, I  donned my red shirt and hat, grabbed my cane, and headed to Hey Day with the rest of the class of 2013 to celebrate becoming seniors. It  felt incredibly special to partake in a Penn Tradition that has been around since 1916. As I frolicked around with my friends at the  picnic, taking pictures and eating delicious food (and each other’s  hats!), I couldn’t help but start to feel nostalgic. It finally hit me that three of my Penn undergraduate years had  passed me by. This bittersweet feeling continued throughout the day as  my classmates and I boisterously walked down Locust to head to College  Green. There, our class board and Penn’s wonderful, beloved President,  Dr. Amy Gutmann greeted us. After a brief “test” from Dr. Gutmann, she  pronounced us seniors, and we all joined in singing a rousing chorus of  “The Red & Blue.”

Me and my friends--I'm the one of the far right.

The school spirit was at an all time high and I’ve  never felt prouder to be a part of this University. After the  celebration died down, I started to reflect on how I only have one more year left at Penn and I fully intend on making it the best
yet. There are so many Penn Traditions I can’t wait to take part in  next year: Feb Club, Final Toast, Commencement. But at the same time,  I’m hoping the days go by slowly and I enjoy every moment.

You can view more photos of Hey Day here.

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April 2, 2012 · 12:56 pm

Continuing Education for Alumni: Tiesto…?

Author: Leigh Ann P.

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!

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March 8, 2012 · 1:59 pm

I Remember…Working for Penn

Author: Elizabeth Kimmelman Schwartz, C’04

No, your eyes aren’t failing you and I didn’t suddenly develop poor grammar, I remember working for Penn because it is now something that is part of my past.  Way back on November 18, 2011, I left Penn to work at Bryn Mawr College, a small all-women’s liberal arts college, where I am running their reunion programs. This new job was a great opportunity for me to grow and move on to a new stage of my career, and I’m very happy in my new position. However, leaving a place and starting over is never easy, especially leaving a school where you spent over 6 years of your life between being a student and an employee.

So, loyal Frankly Penn followers, I can no longer write from the perspective of a former Penn student who is now an employee.  I can, however, still talk about my memories, and I can look at Penn as compared to another, very different school, which is what I will do here.

I know that Penn alums have healthy egos and a fair amount of pride in their school. And, let’s face it, it’s warranted. Penn is an awesome school – Ivy League, top 10 in the rankings, etc.  So, yeah, Penn’s great, but it’s not – gasp – perfect. And, in my couple months at a smaller school, I’ve seen some really wonderful things that I think Penn alums can take to heart.

First, the alums I’ve met here are some of the most dedicated, passionate alumni I have ever seen.  Their small classes mean that Mawrters (aka a Bryn Mawr alum) know everyone and that almost every Bryn Mawr student and alumna/e truly feels like part of the college community.

Second, Bryn Mawr has a lot of very important, longstanding traditions that every graduate, from what we would call the “Old Guard” to current students, take very seriously.  For instance, they have this really beautiful night called “Step Sing” where the students all sit around a set of important steps and sing songs to each other. I know this description sounds strange to some of you – could you ever picture all 9500 Penn students sitting around and singing?  But it’s really cool, I promise. We do an alumnae Step Sing on Friday night of Reunion Weekend, where all of the classes celebrating reunions sit around the same set of stairs and sing to each other, from the 65th all the way down to the 5th reunion.

Finally, the classes are all connected to each other, thanks in part to traditions like the one above that have endured for years and years. For example, this year, the 50th reunion class is giving a book written by one of their classmates to all of the graduating seniors as a gift. Bryn Mawr is a really special place, one that I’m now proud to be a part of.

Don’t worry, I couldn’t spend a paragraph gushing about Bryn Mawr without making mention some of the things that I think Bryn Mawr could learn from Penn. Penn alumni do have a lot of Quaker spirit and pride. While Bryn Mawr isn’t going to field a football team anytime soon, I think we could get behind our student-athletes, or incorporate athletic events into more alumni activities. On a related note, you can’t walk around Penn, or even Philadelphia, without seeing some red and blue Penn clothes.  I’d love to see some more Bryn Mawr gear being sported around this campus and beyond.  Second, I like that Penn alums get a little bit competitive with each other about things, like setting attendance and giving records.  I’d love to infuse some of that competitive spirit into Bryn Mawr when it comes to reunions and fundraising.  And, finally, obviously, Bryn Mawr needs to start an alumni blog!

So, while leaving Penn was difficult and I still miss so many of the great people I got to work with, I am happy about this new job and about learning more about a small school culture. Furthermore, I am VERY excited about being able to experience Penn events solely as an alumna and not have to work them. For my 10th reunion, I’ll be able to walk in the parade instead of being one of those crazy people running around telling people when it’s their turn to walk. I can shmooze with classmates, drink in hand, and not have to worry about leaving in time to staff my next event.  I can’t wait!

Until then, here’s a picture of the tradition I mentioned, the Step Sing:

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January 23, 2012 · 7:10 pm

Rainy Days and Mondays

Author: Kayleigh S. C’13

Not only is today our first Monday of the spring semester, it’s also raining; an ungodly combination. However, I can’t help but feel excited because the semester is finally getting into full swing. I’m all settled in the classes I’m taking, meetings have started again for extra curricular activities, and (sadly) the work is beginning to pile on. As a junior, I am definitely used to this by now, but I also feel that each semester gives new, surprising challenges and opportunities to students of all class years, something I can’t help but feel eager for. So even though it’s a pain to bundle up, grab my umbrella, and head out in the rain to class, deep down, I just can’t wait to see what this semester brings me. Personally, I have a lot to look forward to: Fling, Hey Day, and hopefully an awesome summer internship. Therefore, I refuse to let this little bit of rain and cold get me down!

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December 2, 2011 · 9:51 pm

Top 5 Reasons to Love Penn in December

Author: Kelly Graf

There are thousands of reasons to love Penn all year long. But today, with the holiday and winter seasons upon us, I choose to focus on the best aspects of Penn during the festive month of December! Below is a list of five reasons to enjoy Penn this month. Feel free to add more to the comments (or to deride or applaud my choices as well). Happy December!

1. Locust Walk Decorations. Nothing can top the magical feeling of walking down locust walk in the evening and see the lights shine in the trees. It truly feels like you are miles away from a city and in your own Winter Penn Wonderland.

Photo Courtesy of the Wharton School

2. Holiday Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum. The Garden Railway Display is returning again this winter as the Holiday Garden Railway Display at Penn’s Morris Arboretum. Visitors of all ages will be wow-ed by a quarter mile of track featuring seven loops and tunnels with fifteen different rail lines and two cable cars, nine bridges (including a trestle bridge you can walk under), and bustling model trains, all set in the lovely winter garden of the Morris Arboretum. The buildings are all decorated for the holidays with lights that twinkle along the tracks and around the surrounding landscape.

3. Winter Break. Who doesn’t love time off? Students trudge through finals in the first two weeks of December, furiously studying for their end-of-semester exams. Then, they are set free for a full-month to vacation, visit home and take a break from studying. Their excitement can be felt across campus! Most faculty and staff also enjoy a week-long break from the campus to regroup and come back stronger than ever in the New Year.

4. Ivy Stone Society December Drive. The Penn Fund launches its 3rd Annual Ivy Stone Society December Drive this month – an initiative focused on reaching at 4,200 Ivy Stone Society members in the month of December. ISS members are undergraduate alumni who have made a gift to The Penn Fund for three or more consecutive years .These loyal donors are the backbone of Penn’s philanthropic support.

5. Amazing Resources Available at Penn. I am always amazed by the different facets of the University that offer valuable information and resources. This holiday season, for example, the Vet School offers up a four-page PDF educated pet-owners on how to keep their animals safe during the holidays.

But don’t take my word for it…Come back to campus this holiday season and see for yourself the wonders of Penn in December.

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October 13, 2011 · 9:28 am

Push Ball: An Old Tradition Reborn

Author: Elise Betz

The Penn Traditions program revived an old tradition for the Penn Park opening on September 17.  On a beautifully cloudy late summer afternoon, the 21st century Push Ball was unveiled almost 103 years after the tradition started.    For five brief years in the early 20th century, the Push Ball Fight surfaced as one of the traditional confrontations between University of Pennsylvania freshmen and sophomore classes. The first Penn Push Ball Fight took place on Franklin Field on October 22, 1908.

The ball to be pushed was always quite large in size. The ball used in the first fight was six feet in diameter.  The fight began with the ball in the middle of the field and the two opposing classes lined up on their individual goal lines on opposite ends of the field. The point of the fight was to move the ball over the opponent’s goal line. At the sound of a whistle, the members of each class rushed to the huge ball and tried to score a goal, hopefully by straight clean line as in football rather than by means of slugging matches.  It looked like this:

Here is an original news article about the Push Ball Fight in 1912:

The reborn Push Ball is ten feet in diameter.  The first step was inflating it – we did so with a leaf blower.

We then got it to Penn Park and it was a smashing success the second it hit the grass.

The Penn Traditions program adapted the rules a little bit and let the kids, young and old, push the ball around the field and into the goals “free style.”

The day ended after many happy alumni, students and their families enjoyed the new Push Ball, taking advantage of the photo ops it provided.

Final step?  Deflating the ten foot ball.  Not as easy as you might think.  It took 6 adults almost a full hour to take the air out of this Penn tradition.    It won’t stay deflated for long – it is clear that this new old Penn tradition has some momentum!  Look for the Push Ball on campus at Homecoming, November 4 – 6, 2011!

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September 27, 2011 · 3:11 pm

Spin the Wheel

Author: Lex Ruby Howe, C’07

Who doesn’t love a game show? It brings out our competitive spirit, our drive to win a pretty-shiny thing, and provides a chance to show off our innate skills.

Well, the Penn Traditions program recently capitalized on the average Penn person’s competitive side and unveiled the Penn Alumni Spinning Wheel! Inspired by Penn’s academic theme year “Year of Games,” Penn Traditions decided to go big or go home. We went big – the spinning wheel measures 5 feet in diameter and 10 feet tall – it is a behemoth of Penn games. And it rocks!

The spinning wheel’s maiden voyage was at Penn Park Field Day on Saturday, September 17. Thousands of Penn students, alumni, staff, and community friends flocked to the park for it’s opening, and the line at our spinning wheel attraction didn’t end. For two straight hours they all lined up and waited for their chance at fame and glory. Ok, maybe just a Penn Scarf or T-shirt, but the jubilation on the faces of the winners told it all.

Contestants, or aka, participants, in the Penn Alumni Wheel of Glory had to answer a challenging Penn trivia question – questions based on the history and traditions of our alma mater, which for some provided a large road block to that coveted prize. Many of the participants were freshman, who hadn’t yet seen the running of Penn Relays, or watched the sea of red as the juniors processed in their hats and canes on Hey Day. But with fans around them, and upperclassmen to help, most walked away with a prize and a smile!

Me at the Wheel with one of our newest members of the Class of 2015

Test your own Penn trivia knowledge with these questions below: would you be a winner??

1)      The Penn Coat of Arms includes the University’s motto quoted from Horace’s “Third Ode.”  What is the motto?

2)      How old was Ben Franklin when he died?

"Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky" by Benjamin West (1738-1820).

3)     Prior to its name change in the late 18th century, what did the University of Pennsylvania used to be called?

4)      According to its creator, what does the crack in the button represent?

5)      What year did Hey Day start at Penn?

Hey Day, 1911 (then called “Class Day”)

Know these questions, and when you find our spinning wheel at Homecoming you too might walk away a winner!

Answers to Quizzo questions: 1) Leges Sine Moribus Vanae, or Laws without Morals are Meaningless. 2) Ben Franklin was 84 when he passed. 3) The Academy of Philadelphia. 4) The Schuylkill River. 5) It was started in 1916.

 

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September 8, 2011 · 3:35 pm

Welcome to New Students

Author: Jeanne Leong, University Communications

This past Tuesday, the University held Convocation ceremonies for the new Class of 2015.   Over 2,500 of the incoming class attended, alongside 129 transfer students.

Photograph by Peter Tobia

President Amy Gutmann gave the students their first University test by asking them to show their school spirit by cheering after she called out the names of the four undergraduate schools. “College of Arts and Sciences!” “Nursing!” “Engineering!” “Wharton!”

After the raucous cheers, Gutmann encouraged the freshmen to be open to new experiences.  “You make your journey alongside an amazing group of classmates. You will challenge each other to broaden your horizons, to think in new ways and to see controversial issues from different perspectives, including on such fundamental matters as which food truck offers the best fare.”

Provost Vincent Price quoted Benjamin Franklin, saying, “Don’t squander time.” He advised students, “Spend time off line. Go ahead and follow someone, but do it on a bike or on a hike.”

In encouraging them to become well-rounded, Price recommended exploring interests outside of academics.

“Make room for new experiences. Go see a play. Or better yet, try acting,” he said.

The members of the Class of 2015 hail from 49 states, and the class includes 370 international students from 66 countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana and India.

You can view the full Flckr stream of photos here.

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September 5, 2011 · 9:00 am

Locust Walk Talk: Penn Traditions Family Picnic on College Green

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

I can’t believe that it’s been over two months since I wrote about things to do when the students aren’t at Penn. Over the last week, campus’s energy has increased as student volunteers, like the Phins come back for training before move-in. The buzz culminated for us this past Thursday as Alumni Relations welcomed the class of 2015 and their parents.

Welcome

Penn Traditions Family Picnic serves as brief respite for parents and incoming first years from the move in process.  Alumni Relations and Penn Traditions welcome all to grab a bite to eat and relax on College Green.  Everything now seems so unfamiliar and imposing.  Yet, the view from the grass on a red or blue blanket is of new beginning and opportunities.

Families and the incoming Class of 2015, getting a bite to eat

There’s College Hall, Wednesday’s site of an introductory class.  There’s Van Pelt library, the future site of an all-nighter to write a research paper.  There’s Split Button, a midnight study break where students play Whac-A-Mole with friends. (Seriously, I did this a few times to blow off some finals steam.)

The Penn Band entertaining the crowd

Now, it’s fodder for memories – the grown-up versions of the first day of School.  A young student takes her first steps to independence.  Parents acknowledge the son has grown-up well.  A brother is inspired by his sister and looks forward to his college search.  Grandmothers and grandfathers are in awe of their granddaughter’s achievements. These are all moments for everyone to be proud.

Signing the Class of 2015 banner – this banner follows the class throughout their four years at Penn and beyond

This all subtext, though.  For now, parents, freshman and transfer students are on the green, sharing a soda, eating some fun and enjoying the break.  It doesn’t seem too important right now, but this picnic will be the first of all lifelong Penn traditions that each student will experience.

Taking a very deserved break on hillside of College Green

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September 2, 2011 · 3:34 pm

T-shirts and track shoes and canes. Oh, my!

Author: Nicole Maloy, W’95

I’ve always said that one of the best things about working at Penn as an alumna is having one place to put all of my Penn stuff. In any other work environment, it might appear a bit odd, if not obsessive or psychotic. Yet here, it’s perfectly appropriate to have a shelf that looks like this:

At a university, this kind of thing is totally normal. This might not go over so well in, say, a doctor’s office. Especially the track shoes.

To be fair, this is not all of my Penn stuff. There is that whole matter of the shirts and other wearable items I’ve collected between the fall of 1991, when I arrived as a freshman, and the fall of 2011, as I greet the incoming class of 2015. (2015?!) The collection started well before my first semester, though. Its origins go back to the previous December, when I discovered I’d been admitted via Early Decision.

I got home from school and picked up the mail on my way in. My grandmother was staying with us at the time, so she was home. She sat on the couch, pretending to be calm as I opened the letter from Penn, took a deep breath, and began to read it aloud. I got as far as, “We are pleased…” and then started jumping up and down, doing the happy dance. Upon reflection, I am so glad she was there for that. I know how proud she was.

She was, perhaps, slightly less proud when I picked up the phone to call my Mom at work.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hi.”

“I got the letter from Penn.”

“Yeah?” More pretending to be calm. It’s clearly genetic.

“Yeah, I got deferred.”

“WHAT?!” Momentary loss of composure from Mom. Grandma, who probably heard that, sat shaking her head saying, “Oh, Nicole,” while trying not to laugh.

Mom immediately caught herself and began to reassure me despite the fact that I knew she was cursing out the Admissions Office in her head. “Well, OK, so we’ll get the applications together for the other schools, and (other things I don’t remember because I was giggling into my hand and couldn’t hear her).”

“Mm-hmm. Thanks. By the way, I’m just kidding. I got in.”

I won’t write what she said next, but I assure you, it was said with great love in her heart. Then three generations of the women in my family shared a good laugh full of joy, relief, and pride.

With Mom and Grandma at my high school’s Senior Awards Ceremony. Mom is rockin her favorite Sally Jesse Raphael glasses. Work it, Mom!

That night, while I was watching TV, my Mom called me. I went upstairs. She asked if I’d get the clothes out of the dryer for her. I went back downstairs, a little annoyed that she made me go all the way upstairs only to go back down – she’s got volume, and could have asked for the laundry from where she was, saving me a couple of trips. But, hey, I deserved it, no? So I went down, grabbed a basket, opened the dryer, and pulled out two brand new sweatshirts, tags still attached. One was emblazoned with “PENN,” the other with “WHARTON.” Turns out, she’d bought them from The Bookstore during our visit that October, and had kept them hidden until tonight. Pretty sneaky, sis.

From then through years of jumping with Track & Field, singing with The Inspiration, living in Du Bois College House, joining Friars, and generally just being at Penn, followed by years working at the University, and encountering a clearance sale at Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear before they closed (remember them, oldheads?), it’s no wonder I sometimes didn’t even realize I was covered with Penn.

Here is a sampling. This doesn’t include the hats, the jackets, the sweatpants, my varsity sweater, or assorted other bits and pieces. Maybe one day my Mom will make these into a quilt. You reading this, Mom? You’re not still mad about that admission thing, are you? 😉

One day, I was in downtown Philadelphia and decided to observe a martial arts class. The guy next to me said, “So, do you go to Penn?”

I’m thinking, STALKER! I said to him, a bit defensively, “How did you know that?”

He said, “Um, your Penn hat, your Penn shirt, and your Penn shorts.”

“Oh. Heh. Heh.” It’s a good thing we were sitting, or he might have noticed the Penn windbreaker tied around my waist.

Ah, well, back to the office. Lots of memories on this shelf. Here are some close-ups of the shrine.

That’s my Hey Day cane! (The skimmer is a replacement.) DP article from the day after Hey Day with arrow pointing to me in the crowd. Friars wine bottle cover, baseball cap, and honor cord. Photo board has Hey Day shots with buds, along with shots of us at our 10th reunion. Bottom right is us trying to recreate our poses from when we visited as high schoolers. Mine’s pretty close – see center photo.

Photos with The Inspiration. My International Student Card from study abroad in France in 1993 along with a group shot with my fellow Lyon adventurers. The High Jump Shoes, Captain’s plaque, photo with Olympic and World Champion Decathlete Dan O’Brien, Penn Relays baton and program, and Franklin Field watercolor print (thoughtful goodbye gift from another Penn department). On the right – my graduation day kente cloth and tassel.

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