Author: Lynn Carroll, C’93
Spring in the urban jungle…
Five Dollars
Author: Leigh Ann P.
Alumni Weekend registration has been open for over a month! What are you waiting for? If you register by the end of today, Monday, April 16, the last day of “early bird” pricing, you can get in for $5 less than if you wait until tomorrow!
What does $5 mean at Penn? If you’re struggling to come up with what it would mean to have an extra $5 suddenly appear in your wallet for no reason, allow me and my personal paintbrush avatar to break it down for you.
You could buy four delicious cookies from Insomnia in Houston Hall.
Instead of hitting up the free Keurig at Sweeten, you could spring for that fancy Starbucks coffee at the Penn Bookstore!
You could contribute to a Penn squirrel’s campus housing!
Register now! Visit the Alumni Weekend site!
Filed under Alumni Weekend, Leigh Ann P.
Penn Alumni Haiku Reflections
by Nicole C. Maloy, W’95
I was inspired to write a few Penn-related haiku for today’s blog post, and so I’ve done. Then I thought I’d write a snappy intro. I was all ready to declare today Haiku Day. Why? Because it’s April 13, and 4+13=17, the number of syllables in a standard, 5-7-5 haiku. But then I thought I should look that up to be sure there isn’t already another Haiku Day. Guess what? It’s on April 17 (go figure – it works, but I like mine better). More importantly, April happens to be National Poetry Month.
Seven syllables:
"National Poetry Month."
Coincidence? Naaah.
It turns out that today is a good day for haiku. That said, ANY day is a good day for haiku. As several of the Penn and Philadelphia stories closest to my heart have appeared right here in this blog, I hearken back to some of those topics below. It’s like my own little TV series clip show, but with blog posts.
In honor of the national festivities, I hope you will be inspired to write a haiku of your own, about anything. Then share it with someone. ‘Tis the season. Don’t be shy. If you choose to write one on some element of your Penn experience, feel free to share it right here in the comments section. Onward!
Early Decision
Applied to one school.
Thankfully, I did get in.
Celebration time!
Varsity Women’s Track & Field
Upon reflection,
I sure spent a lot of time
jumping over stuff.
Du Bois College House
Countless memories.
Living. Laughing. Loving my
home away from home.
Influential Teachers
American Lit
will nevermore be the same.
Thank you, Mr. King.
The Inspiration (Penn R&B a capella group)
Harmonization.
Family. Both part and whole,
bigger than myself.
Semester in Lyon, France
“Parlez vous français?”
“Alors, beaucoup plus qu’avant.
Merci, Penn abroad!”
Philly!
Philadelphia:
something old and something new;
always more to see.
Bonus Haiku: Cheesesteaks
No more Billybobs 😦
At least I have Jim’s on South
and, of course, Abner’s.
Filed under Alumni Perspective, Memories of Penn, Nicole M., Uncategorized
Chalk It Up
Author: Drew Tye Asia, C’09
As I turned the corner at 36th street and made my way down Locust Walk to Sweeten this brisk April morning, I was met by a smattering of brightly colored messages scrawled in bold strokes on the bricks. Squinting my eyes in a somewhat valiant attempt to translate the quasi-hieroglyphic text, my initially serious must-get-to-work expression immediately transformed into a cheek-pinching nostalgic grin.
The Friars were here.
It is amazing how working on this campus – the one that I fall in love with over and over again every single day – has the ability to stir up such an incredible assortment of memories from my time as a student. Every day on Locust Walk, I am reminded of a special snippet – eating lunch on College Green with a friend, lying downstairs near the massive windows of Rosengarten writing poetry on a rainy winter afternoon, burying my head in an outline as I walked to my Geology final in Meyerson B1. But today, I was fixated on a time when I took to the night with beach buckets of Crayola products and droves of dear friends to participate in one of the most coveted of Friarly traditions: Chalk the Walk.
Now, as someone who loves to create [whether it be through written or visual illustration], I wanted to treat Locust Walk like my over-sized public canvas and hoped that I could harness the brilliance of street artists who make – oh, you know – a three-dimensional stage 2 rapid – look as easy as tic-tac-toe on a sidewalk.
Well, as it turns out, I just wasn’t destined for the intricacies of water sports. Or their realistic imitations, as it were. But I guess everyone has their own strengths, right? […right?]
Alas, I scoured my brain for any kind of inspiration. Any small suggestion of an idea that could consume me and my somewhat youthful drawing implements for the majority of the evening.
And then I looked up from my intense brainstorming. And, as though it were aglow with the glorious golden light of revelation [or a spotlight], there it was.
Call it a less-than-subtle inspiration, but it was EXACTLY what I needed. So ,I cocked my head to the side, closed one eye, put my thumb up to the statue [isn’t that what you’re supposed to do when you measure things from a distance? Not so much? Okay, great…] and sat down on the Walk to git ‘er done–as they say.
And well – after about 40 or so minutes, assistance from an architecture major [see those faint vertical lines on the edges?] and a liiiiitle hand sanitizer to “erase” my mistakes, my masterpiece was complete [random blue “S” included]. It was no stage-2 rapid, and no one was riding its crested currents atop an inflatable raft with a crocodile lurking nearby.But, despite that inconvenient truth, my chalk-tastic attempt truly expressed my adoration for Friars Senior Society – the real reason I was out there in the first place.
And I can confidently give that notion a double thumbs up [see photo above!].
Filed under Alumni Perspective, Clubs, Drew A., Events
An Australian Weekend
Author: Lex Ruby Howe, C’07, GED’13
What do Australians do, one wonders, when they’re surrounded by sea and other awesome Australians at all time? Well this one, on weekends, is rediscovering the beauty of a slower pace, an access to experiences not overrun by the enormity of an urban metropolis, and the unique enjoyment of living in a Commonwealth nation still filled with vestiges of the long reach of the British monarchy.
The last weekends were filled with examples of all such things.
Canberra benefits from a “Sunday is a shopping day” mentality, with residents exploring the on-going “pop-up” markets that grace our streets. One of the highlights is the Old Bus Depot Markets, which, as the name suggests, lives in the Old Bus Depot on the foreshores of one of Canberra’s oldest neighbourhoods, Kingston and pops up each Sunday for one day only. It features the best of the best of chocolates, dips, breads, farmer’s stands, antiques, and artistic novelties known to Canberra. Oh, and if you need one of those lovely best-friendship woven bands, this is the place for you! The Depot has quickly become my Sunday habit.
Ah, but the fun doesn’t end there. My grandparents live in the Blue Mountains, a rural oasis to many Sydney-siders who need an escape from their urban peers. The mountains are peppered with small towns filled with antique stores, places for traditional English afternoon tea, and apple orchards that feed Australia. The fresh air must have gone to my head during my visit to the mountains two weeks ago, as I did something I’d never done before – I woke up expressly to see the sunrise. I watched as it transitioned from a beautiful auburn, to gold, to vibrant yellow, dancing across the dewy grass beneath my feet.
After that sunrise that weekend, I made my way back down the mountains for a quick stop at the Royal Windsor Polo Club. The Club hosted the International Test Series between South Africa and Australia, and after learning the rules on the fly, I enjoyed watching Australia trounce our Commonwealth peers 9-4. I must admit, the game was far less enjoyable than the people-watching opportunities provided by the strutting of Sydney’s young, bold, and beautiful.
Speaking of Sydney, Canberra’s proximity to Australia’s darling city provides ample opportunities for quick weekends away. Sydney offers the homesick among us with a chance to taste a bit of Americana. Shopping at stores that *ahem* may not exist in Canberra (Zara), heading to comedy shows (thank you Tom Green), and delighting taste buds with specialty Ramen shops tucked in the nooks and crannies of a vibrant Chinatown are just a few of the perks of a weekend in Sydney. I plan on exploring them again and again over weekends to come.
It is a hodge-podge, but this is Australian life.
Filed under Alumni Perspective, Lex. H.
Teach Me How To Dougie
Author: Liz Pinnie
Yesterday I scurried through my Sweeten closing tasks (close windows, turn lights off, give self a pat on the back) in an effort to leave a few minutes early. Why the hustle? Because I wanted tickets to see First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden who are speaking at Penn today! Now, there are a lot of fantastic things happening on Penn’s campus, and I recently haven’t been making the time to attend them because 1. I just moved into a new place and 2. I just moved into a new place. However, for Michelle (am I allowed to call her that? I feel like she’d be cool with a first name basis thing?), I am throwing caution (and laundry) to the wind and heading out to see her speak. The reasons are two-fold.
One:
To me, Michelle Obama is a fantastic role model for the modern woman. She is an intelligent, strong, and graceful woman, and I am delighted that she is representing our nation as First Lady. Additionally, that lady can move! Please see below video:
Two:
I am thrilled about the initiative that Michelle Obama and Jill Biden are at Penn to present. Both women have made a commitment to support our troops and their families through “Joining Forces”. Joining Forces works to provide much needed support to the men, women, and families who make sacrifices every day in service to our country. Today Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden come to Penn to speak about one of the initiatives of Joining Forces, which is a focus on education and treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. According to White House data, PTSD and TBI affect approximately one in six of our veterans. Though they are life altering disorders, they often go undiagnosed or untreated. Today in a presentation in conjunction with Penn Nursing, First Lady Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will “announce a major initiative by more than 150 of America’s leading nursing organizations and more than 450 nursing schools in 50 states and territories to ensure our nation’s nurses are prepared to help meet the unique health needs of service members, veterans, and their families”.
I cannot wait to hear about this initiative, and to see a truly inspiring woman speak.
Filed under Campus Life, Events, Historical, Liz P., Uncategorized, Video, Videos
RoboCup – Soccer Not Cyborg
Author: Lisa Marie Patzer
During a recent Penn Alumni event, I had the opportunity to see Dr. Dan Lee and three Penn engineering students demonstrate RoboCup. One of Penn’s RoboCup teams, the UPennalizers, describes RoboCup as “an international robotics competition that draws teams from all over the world to build and program robots that play soccer. The overarching aim of the competition is to have, by the mid 21st Century, a team of eleven autonomous robots that will beat the human soccer world champions.” Dr. Lee and the students demonstrated how the robots work using two of the Penn RoboCup players.
RoboCup Team Players
Through the use of sensors that can detect color and distance, dynamic motion that allows the robots to mimic basic human movement and advanced computational power, these cute plastic machines can play soccer independent of human control.
RoboCup player rests after the demonstration.
Penn Engineering has been participating in RoboCup games since the late 1990’s and has traveled throughout the United States as well as internationally to Istanbul, Graz, and Singapore. Team DARwIn, a collaborative effort between Penn and Virginia Tech, won first place in the Humanoid Kid Size competition at the 2011 RoboCup tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.
Team DARwIn
For more information about RoboCup and to see videos of them playing, visit their website!
Filed under Events, Lisa Marie Patzer, Photos, Uncategorized
Calling all members of the classes of 1973 to 2011 for the Alumni Weekend Parade
Author: Casey Ryan, C’93
In just over a month, Alumni Weekend will be upon us. The campus will be alive with energy as our seniors and soon to be graduates greet family members, loved ones, and friends to campus to commemorate their achievements. Of course, many of our alumni will return to Penn to celebrate their reunions whether it is 5 years or 75 years since they graduated.
Can’t you feel the excitement?
Penn’s staff are definitely excited for your return! However, it is an enormous undertaking: setting up tents all over campus, coordinating schedules, reconfirming rain plans, and planning every event to be special, memorable, and perfect for our alumni. Each one of us plays multiple roles to ensure that the weekend is filled with educational lessons, thrilling social parties, and family-focused fun.
Hamilton Village is all Red and Blue
One of my roles as a cog in the well-oiled Alumni Weekend machine is to prepare the music for the classes assembling in Hamilton Village (a.k.a. Superblock) during the 11:45 AM Parade Line-Up. I have no delusions of grandeur. I’m just a fellow alumnus, working for Penn, who gets songs on an iPod and hits shuffle. This combination of music, people catching up with old friends and parade anticipation makes for one celebratory atmosphere. However, Classes of 1973 – 2011, I’d like to enlist your help to make it better! While I’ll be setting up the song list with current hits, I wanted to ask for your suggestions.
Getting ready for the parade
When you were graduating, what were you playing to get you excited and energized? I was listening to a mix tape (long since lost in a move, I think) that included “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan, TLC’s “Creep,” and Madonna’s “Human Nature” as I donned my gown, lathered myself with sunscreen, and walked out the Superblock (…err Hamilton Village) by the early morning call time.
Lining up with the 20th reunion banner
But better yet, what were you dancing to at the senior picnic or at the formal? What did you get the jukebox to play at a Senior Screamer? What happy, upbeat, energetic song reminds you of your college years? Let me know, so I can add them to the song list.
Showing their Penn pride
Tweet me and Penn Alumni your song suggestions using the following format: “Song” by Artist @IrishWombat @PennAlumni #ParadeMusic #PennAW #PennYYYY. To recap: send the song and the artist, the hashtags: #ParadeMusic and #PennAW (so we can follow the list), as well as #Penn + your four digit year, so alumni can search the music requested by their fellow classmates.
Marching to the class picnics
Just as an example, mine would look like this: “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan @IrishWombat @PennAlumni #PennAW #ParadeMusic #Penn1995 (under 140 characters!)
One picture before heading off
I can’t promise you that your song will play, but I will add it to the song list. Keep your fingers crossed when I hit shuffle.
Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Weekend
The Penn Fund Draft Honor Roll – Now Online!
By: Colin H.
I am proud to report that The Penn Fund Draft Honor Roll, a listing of all donors to The Penn Fund as of March 22, 2012, is now posted online! As Alumni Weekend quickly approaches, it is our honor to celebrate those who have made a commitment to their class and to the University of Pennsylvania in support of undergraduate education at Penn.
In the coming weeks, this honor roll will be updated regularly with new donor names. Therefore, I encourage all proud Penn undergraduate alumni to make their gift to The Penn Fund today!
Filed under Colin H.
Two Penn Alumni Take Fitness to a New Level
Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08
A new fitness iPhone app developed by two Penn alums was released last week. Fitocracy started out as just a “what if” for Penn alumni Brian Wang (C’08) and Richard Talens (W’09). Soon it became a website, and now it has taken the Apple world by storm. Fitocracy helps you track your workouts, improve your fitness, and compete against your friends. Penn students and alumni tend to be fit, healthy, and competitive, so the Fitocracy website and app are a perfect fit for the Penn community. I started using Fitocracy a few months ago. I don’t have an iPhone, so I use their user-friendly mobile site to add my workouts. I am inspired by my classmates’ creativity and innovative product every time I enter a new workout. So far, I am only on Level 10 (the top of the leaderboard is at Level 41…) I am hoping to level up quickly in the next few months while I am training for an 8K, 10-miler, and half marathon. Sign up for Fitocracy here (for free!) to begin enjoying this awesome new product.
Filed under Uncategorized
Frankly Penn 