September 12, 2012 · 10:48 am

Do You Hear What I Hear . . . and See!

Beautiful music on Penn’s campus comes from the Alumni Carillon . . .

The Westminster bells chime on the hour, and popular songs are heard throughout College Green at exactly noon and 6 PM each day. Since the late 1980s, I have had the pleasure of listening from my second floor office to beautiful bells playing throughout the center of campus. There were a few years, however, in the late 1990s that the Carillon did not play, but in 2004 a new Carillon was installed and continues to fill the  center of campus with music.

This blog post is not only about the music of the Alumni Carillon, but to let you know that a plaque was just recently placed next to the front door of the E. Craig Sweeten Alumni House at 3533 Locust Walk.  This acknowledgement displays not only our Penn pride, but our thanks for such a beautiful gift to Penn . . . now for all to see, as well as hear!

Plaque installed next to the front door entrance of the E. Craig Sweeten Alumni House

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September 11, 2012 · 5:57 pm

More Penn Puppies

Author: Aimee LaBrie (photos courtesy of Emilie Kretschmar)

This morning, my friend Emilie and I went to the grand opening of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center at the new facility near Grey’s Ferry. Welcome remarks came from Joan Hendricks, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of the Vet School, followed by comments from Executive Vice President, Craig Carnaroli. Not only is Mr. Carnaroli a supporter of the program, he and his wife are also volunteer foster parents for Socks, pictured below.  Socks is named after Socks Lavoie, a lab who worked with rescue workers following the World Trade Center collapse 11 years ago today.

We got to pet her after the ceremony.

Like all puppies, she was still clumsy and got most of the water on her coat.

We also heard from Cynthia Otto, the Executive Director of the Program, as well as David Konty, Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Animal Planet celebrity, Victoria Sitwell, star of It’s Me or the Dog. She spoke about living in Manhattan at the time of the attacks and working with the Humane Society to bring therapy dogs along to help families who had lost loved ones during the attack.

She described how the families, who were on the way to the memorial site, would be sitting on the ferry, mostly not speaking, and certainly not smiling; lost and isolated in their separate grief. Then, they would bring the dogs on to the ferry and the entire atmosphere would change as people interacted with the dogs, petting them, and then talking to one another. One mother watched as her son got down on the ground to play with a cocker spaniel.  He laughed at something the dog did, and the mom said, “That’s the first time I’ve heard him laugh since his dad died.”  That’s what working dogs can do; not only can they be taught to literally save lives in the time of crisis, they can also help us to heal after one.

Next, we were able to meet three of the living rescue dogs from 9/11: Kaiser, Bretagne, and Morgan, all of whom received commendations from Tom Sharp, CEO of the American Kennel Club Companion Animal Recovery and standing ovations from the crowd. I noticed too that sitting right in front of us were two working dogs who are currently part of the State of New Jersey Urban Search and Rescue team. As you can see from the third photo in the series below, the dogs seemed to be good friends.

Lastly, we got to meet the inaugural puppy class of 2013, all of whom are named after rescue dogs–Bretagne, Kaiserin, Morgan, PApa Bear (PA stands for Pennsylvania), Sirius, Socks, and little Thunder (pictured below with toy).  We also learned from Maureen Rush, VP for Public Safety, that two members of the graduating class will become part of the Penn Security Canine team upon graduation.

Can you even resist helping out? If you’d like to volunteer your time, go here. You can also have a significant impact by making a gift to the Penn Vet Working Dog Center today. Your contribution will most certainly make a difference in the lives of these dogs, and the people they help every day.

Addendum: Had to add this photo after I found it on the Penn Working Dog Center Facebook page. The K-9 team heading toward the World Trade Center on 9.11.2001.

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September 10, 2012 · 5:21 pm

A Garden Rooted in History

Author: Lisa Marie Patzer

Last weekend, I visited Bartram’s Garden located along the Schuylkill River in West Philly.  Named after the first American botanist John Bartram (1699-1777), the garden is a 45-acre National Historic Landmark with several historic buildings, a stone apple press, a nursery, orchard, and meadow.

Bartram-House-Spring

Bartram House

After walking through the gardens, I discovered the new Community Farm and Food Resource Center, a project started last fall by the Penn Netter Center’s Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI) in partnership with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Bartram’s Garden, and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.

Community Farm and Food Resource Center

Community Farm and Food Resource Center

As described in an article by Penn News, the Community Farm and Food Resource Center is,  “based on Penn’s nationally-renowned university-assisted community schools model. AUNI’s ecological approach to nutrition education includes rich hands-on experiences — like the Farm/Center at Bartram’s — where local high school students can grow, cook, consume, and sell healthy fruits and vegetables, and in turn bring affordable and nutritious food to their families and communities, along with healthy change.”  After one season of planting, growth and harvesting, the 3.5 acre farm had a very successful crop.  Just last week, students and community members sold fruit and vegetables along 54th and Lindbergh Avenues at the entrance of Bartram’s Garden.  These photos were featured on AUNI’s Facebook page.

AUNI's Farm Stand at the entrance of Bartram's Garden

AUNI’s Farm Stand at the entrance of Bartram’s Garden

Selling produce grown at the Community Farm

Selling produce grown at the Community Farm

Participants in the Community Farm and Resource Center Program

Participants in the Community Farm and Food Resource Center at Bartram’s Garden

Just a John Bartram inspired cultivation, education, and abundant growth through his gardens, the Community Farm and Food Resource Center is cultivating the next generation of farmers in West Philadelphia. Keep up to date with activities at the farm and the Urban Nutrition Initiative by checking out AUNI’s website and social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube).

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September 7, 2012 · 2:08 pm

The Class of 2016 Comes to Penn

Author:  Amanda D’Amico

With more than 2,400 members, getting the Class of 2016 together is no easy task. There are only three events in their collegiate careers that will include all their classmates—convocation, Hey Day, and commencement.  On Sept. 4, 2012, the Class of 2016 was determined to make the best of the first of these three events, despite flash flood warnings and heavy rains.

Students from the College, Wharton, Engineering and Nursing crowded into the historic Palestra. Four of the most prominent members of the Penn community—Eric J. Furda, C’87, dean of admissions; Penn President Amy Gutmann, HOM’04; Provost Vincent Price, HOM’98; and Lee Spelman Doty, W’76, president of Penn Alumni—greeted the newest members of the Penn community.

These new Quakers are among the most distinguished classes in Penn’s history. With outstanding SAT and ACT scores, excellent high school grades and many extracurricular and philanthropic activities, the class is a welcomed addition to the Penn community—and will surely challenge each other and members of other Penn classes.

Doty noted that the academic and social communities the members of the Class of 2016 build will likely last the rest of their lives. And when she told each student to look at the people sitting next to him, because he may find that these individuals will be in the rest of their lives, the previously quiet stadium grew noisy as excited students introduced themselves to one another.

Convocation is only the beginning for these students, and a lot will change before they all meet again for Hey Day in 2015. Tests will be taken, papers will be written, and Spring Flings will be flung. In the next four years, these students will face challenges and grow tremendously. And judging by their excitement during a hot, sweaty night in the Palestra, they’re ready for it.

You can view images from the day’s event here.

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September 6, 2012 · 8:57 pm

Penn Puppies are Here…

Author: Aimee LaBrie

I don’t know if you are aware of this new item, but Penn Vet’s Working Dog Center has a new Puppy Foundation Program. Their mission is to train dogs to work as assistants for humans, as well as to take on other significant roles. As their website explains:

A working dog is a highly and specifically trained canine that performs unique and critical tasks to benefit humans and society.

Historically, working dogs have served as messenger dogs during war time; as helpmates to farmers in the fields; as a helping hand to people with disabilities; and as patrol dogs protecting the ports and entryways to our nation. Detection dogs, sometimes called “sniffer dogs”, are those that use their sense of smell to identify particular odors (such as explosives, drugs or lost people).  In addition, new research is illustrating a dog’s ability to identify infectious diseases (such as Salmonella) and even cancer.

The depth and breadth of what these amazing canines can do is limitless and ensure our lives are better and safer.

And here is a visual preview of what these little dogs might wear one day:

Almost criminally adorable.

On their Facebook page, they’ve been introducing some of the puppies who belong to the new class of 2013 in the program. Meet Morgan.

He’s a male Labrador Retriever who I’m sure would like to chuck it all and come live with me. He was named in honor of Morgan Johnson (Handler Katrene Johnson) who deployed to the Staten Island Landfill following the attacks of 9/11.

You can see the full class of puppies by visiting the website. Happy Thursday!

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September 5, 2012 · 9:25 am

My First Five Months

Author: Emilie Kretschmar

Typically, my blog posts are about the latest Penn Alumni Travel trip or our fantastic newly-released 2013 travel schedule. But this month, we’re between travel trips, and so I’ve decided instead to write about my first five months at the Sweeten Alumni House (not to worry travel fans. Look for an upcoming post about Italy and the Danube)!

I began this position in Penn Alumni Relations in April, and each month has brought about new and interesting alumni events and traditions. We are lucky to work in a building that’s centrally located–just across from College Hall and next to the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library. Here, alumni relations staff can really stay connected to the University and all of the great things that happen on campus. With my trusty camera phone, I’ve captured a few highlights from my first five months at Penn.

APRIL
My first month at Penn and the hungry squirrels are already waiting to take my lunch. I captured this one as he was eyeing me from above on the patio behind Sweeten.

Hungry Squirrel

MAY
Alumni Weekend! I was quickly pulled into the festivities surrounding Alumni Weekend and Commencement. The campus was alive with graduating students and thousands of Penn alumni. If you’ve never attended a reunion weekend at Penn, you should consider coming next year (May 10-13, 2013). It’s a great time to see the campus, visit old friends, and learn about the many programs and opportunities that the university extends to alumni.

An alumnus plays the Sweeten Alumni House piano.

Time for food! A chef works hard to get hundreds of hamburgers ready for the class picnics.

JUNE
With most students and alumni away this summer, several staff members had time to attend the Ivy+ Alumni Relations Conference at Dartmouth. Each year, the eight Ivy League Universities plus MIT and Stanford gather for this conference to share expertise, tips, and resources (for more on Ivy+, visit Casey Ryan’s blog post here). The conference rotates locations each year, and Penn will be next year’s host. I spent my time at the conference meeting other alumni travel directors and getting insider’s tips on how to run an exceptional alumni travel program.

Dartmouth’s beautiful Rauner Special Collections Library. Do you see the Cat in the Hat peaking from inside the closed stacks?

JULY
In July, I hosted my first alumni tour. I spent 10 days with 16 wonderful alumni and friends in Tanzania. We visited four national parks and saw countless African animals. Look for another African safari in 2013 to Tanzania and Kenya.

Serengeti Giraffe

Ngorongoro Crater lion

AUGUST
In my fifth month at Penn, I began a new workout routine: a 3 mile run from Sweeten to my South Philadelphia home. Along the way, I ran across (literally and figuratively) some of the beautiful Philadelphia landmarks that surround Penn’s campus.

The South Street Bridge at dusk. Did you know that the bridge lights up at night?

So there you have it! My first five months as a Penn employee. I look forward to the new things these next five months will bring. When you finish reading this, take a minute and share with us those things that caught your attention when you first visited Penn—as a student, employee, faculty member, or native Philadelphian. There’s plenty of space in the comment section below!

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September 4, 2012 · 3:21 pm

Penn Love at a Penn Wedding

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

Penn weddings are my favorite because they are mini Penn reunions. The guest list is full of Penn alumni (just like at Alumni Weekend), the guests reminisce about their greatest memories from Penn (just like at class reunion parties), and there is always a little red and blue to represent where the couple met and fell in love. Here are photos of the wedding cake from a recent Penn wedding.

Front view of a Penn couple’s wedding cake

And now, for a Penn surprise…

Red and blue Penn “P” hiding on the back of the cake.

Congratulations to my friends, who met on the first day of NSO (New Student Orientation) freshman year. You can’t get more Penn than that!

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September 3, 2012 · 9:45 am

Baltic Dispatches Part 2

By: Emilie Kretschmar on behalf of Art Caplan, Emmanuel and Robert Hart Director of the Center for Bioethics

It is always exciting when a Penn Alumni travel trip returns to the States- at least for those of us back in the office. Looking at pictures, talking to the faculty host, hearing from happy alumni… these are all things I look forward to when a Penn Alumni Travel trip returns.

If you are a frequent visitor to the Frankly Penn blog, you may remember a recent post by Art Caplan, Emmanuel and Robert Hart Director of the Center for Bioethics. Art was our faculty host on the June alumni cruise through the Baltic Sea. His post, direct from the cruise boat itself, gave us a taste of the fantastic journey our Penn Alumni travelers were enjoying. Now, back in the States, Art recaps his journey for us:

 The voyage to the Baltics proved to be a charmed one.  Almost no rain for ten days in a region not known for sunshine.  A ship captain and crew who were entertaining, informed and very responsive to the passengers.  A group of alumni from Penn and nearly a dozen other American and Canadian universities who were friendly, enthusiastic, inquisitive and apparently lacking in a need for very much sleep.

The Hermitage in St. Petersburg

I thought that the highlights of the trip were the Hermitage in St. Petersburg–a world class museum on a par with the Louvre but still staggering to see; Riga, Latvia a small city of architectural wonders whose architects had a real sense of playfulness, the fjords of Norway and the chance to hear international figures like Lech Walesa and Mikhail Gorbachev.  I don’t think of myself as a cruise person but this trip took my wife and I and our Penn alumni friends to a series of places that we would not otherwise have been likely to visit in a very comfortable mode of travel.  There was as much or as little socializing as you cared to engage in and as much or as little walking and touring as you chose to do.   If you get the chance, I would urge a visit to this part of the world by boat.  Seafaring built the cities of the Baltic, and an alumni cruise is surely the best way to visit them.

The charming city of Riga, Latvia

If Art’s recount of the Baltic Sea cruise has inspired you to take your own trip, check out our newly released 2013 Penn Alumni Travel calendar. We hope to see you on a future Penn Alumni Travel trip!

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August 31, 2012 · 4:41 pm

Penn Clubs Welcome Class of 2016

By Kiera Reilly, C’93  @KieraReilly

This week, Penn’s Class of 2016 is arriving on campus and moving into their dorms, meeting their roommates and hall mates, and exploring all that Penn has to offer. Before they made their way to Philadelphia though, many Penn Alumni Clubs around the world welcomed them to the Penn family and celebrated them at summer student send-offs. Here is a sampling of some of the west coast celebrations.

San Diego

Penn Club of San Diego president Robby Koeppel Foss, C’92, GED’92, writes, “It was exciting to meet so many talented new students! The families and students enjoyed hearing more about Philadelphia and our helpful hints for moving to the East Coast and Penn favorites. The San Diego Alumni that spoke: Gina Tapper, Troy Morrison and Jaleisha Jacobs gave great perspective on their different experiences. I just loved giving out, Philly style cheese steaks, Tastykakes and Soft Philly style pretzels to local San Diego natives who never had tried them!! I was grateful to the Philadelphia Tourism Board and Campus Philly for sending me helpful guides to hand out to the families!”

Introducing San Diego students to Philly soft pretzels.

New Penn students in San Diego were also treated to TastyKakes.

Penn Class of 2016 students from San Diego

Orange County

In Orange County, CA, local alumnus Alfio Rossetti W’01, hosted students and their families at his family’s restaurant Roma d’Italia in Tustin in a now annual gathering organized by the Penn Club of Orange County.

Delicious Italian fare at the OC gathering at Roma d’Italia.

Students mingling and meeting each other at the Orange County send-off event.

Washington

In Washington, the Pugent Sound Penn Alumni Interview Program hosted a dinner for students and parents at the home of Janie and Raymond Lee, PAR’14, in July.

Co-chair of the Puget Sound Penn Alumni Interview Program David Blum, W’74, writes, “These freshmen were excited to meet each other, along with several Washington upperclassmen, and to learn more about undergraduate life at Penn. Students from Washington are excited to leave soon for Philadelphia. The weather was beautiful and everyone enjoyed themselves!”

 

In Washington, there was a red and blue cake.

Puget Sound Penn Alumni Interview Program co-chairs Bill Winkelman, C’83, WG’90, PAR’15, Deborah Garber, W’09, Belinda Buscher, C’92, and David Blum, W’74

Penn Class of 2016 from Washington State!

Portland

And in Portland, John Vosmek, C’61, president of the Penn Club of Portland shared these photos from the Penn Club of Portland 2012 Summer Lawn Party (and New-Student Send-off) at the home of Taizoon, EE’83, and Munira Doctor. Four of the area’s eight members of the Class of 2016 and three members of the Class of 2015 joined alumni, parents and friends on a typically beautiful Oregon summer evening.

Panoramic view of the Penn Club of Portland Summer Lawn Party

 

Penn students from the Portland area: left to right, front: Vidushi Bhargava, Eng.’15, Catherine Yee, Eng ’16, Arthur Halin C’16
rear: Hanna Seminario, C’16, Alex Lyons, Eng ’15, Andy Liu, Eng ’15, Eric Chang, Eng ’16

 

This is just a sampling of the many freshman welcome events that took place all over the world this summer. While their students are at Penn, Penn Parents are welcome to join our regional Penn Clubs – and we hope in four years the Class of 2016 will join their local Penn Club and continue this tradition.

Find out more about our regional Penn Alumni Clubs here: http://www.alumni.upenn.edu/club/index.html

For our most recent alumni, join your local Penn Club and attend a First September event welcoming the Class of 2012 in your town: http://www.alumni.upenn.edu/club/firstseptember/index2012.html

Follow our Penn Clubs on Twitter!

Penn Club of Orange County: @PennClubOC

Penn Club of San Diego: @PennClubSD

 

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August 30, 2012 · 2:32 pm

My Top Penn List: Student Perspectives of Penn

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

Today is the Penn Traditions Move-In Lunch behind Sweeten.  Parents, proud of their kids, are spending the last possible moments together before they return for home.  They are bidding their freshman children adieu until Fall Break, Parents Weekend, Thanksgiving, or,  for some, the end of the semester. In the meantime, the students will return to their dorm room to negotiate who will take which bed, to discuss their studying habits and to learn more about this stranger cum friend whom they’ve been paired.

With the start of the academic year upon us, this inspired me to share with you my favorite student perspective blog entries from the last year, written by our Sweeten House student workers.

10. CBI? – Jonathan Cousins, Eng’14

I was amused that to this day students mock Penn’s affinity for acronyms, however in the daily life of students, one can be stumped by the appearance of a new one.  CBI is the College Basketball Invitational, a postseason tournament in which Penn competed last year.

9. My Life as a (Pretend) Wharton Student – Kayleigh Smoot, C’13

One of our work study students, majoring in psychology, made a commitment to take Wharton classes during her time on campus.

8. Top 4 Things I’m Looking Forward to Next Semester – Jonathan Cousins, Eng’14

I enjoyed this anticipatory look at the then upcoming Spring 2012 semester, full of sports, social activities and Fling!

7. State of the (Union?) School – Dan Bernick, C‘14

The first of three of Dan’s blog entries on the list, this blog focuses on student government at Penn and the State of the School in which the six branches of Penn Student Government to discuss their accomplishments and plans for the year ahead.

6. Midwestern charm meets the Ben Franklin Bridge: A Chicago Girl in Philly – Mari Meyer, GEd’12

I was charmed (pun intended) by our graduate intern’s take on her time in Philadelphia and how she drew comfortable parallels with her beloved Chicago.

5. Penn vs. Yale – The Trials of a Quaker Fan – Dan Bernick, C’14

Outside of coursework and learning, the drama of our Penn sports team provide some of the need escape from the stresses on campus.  Though we all know how this game ended, it’s still the hope of a fan that his or her team will succeed and that’s what keeps him or her coming back.

4. Fall at Penn – Sabrina Shyn, C’13

Sabrina’s photo blog entries are always poignant moments of Penn still life, and just in time for fall, I wanted to share this photo entries on my list.

3. September at Penn – Dan Bernick, SAS ’14

To balance out Jonathan’s wishful blog for the future, I wanted to share Dan’s happy reminiscent blog about a charming first month at Penn.

2. Eine schöne Sprache – John Mosley, C’14

As a linguistics major, I am always proud of students who absolutely love learning a language here at Penn, especially where there are so many different ones available to study!

1. To Sleep or Not to Sleep? – Christine Uyemera, C ’13

“To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub.” In this Hamlet allusion titled entry, Christine tackled the question student asked themselves universally in a humorous take on how the sleep deprived cope.

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