Tag Archives: Class of 1992

March 29, 2018 · 4:24 pm

Commencement Again – 25 Years Later

By Kiera Reilly, C’93, Lisa Nass Grabelle, C’93, L’96, and Heidi Howard Tandy, C’92
One of many Penn traditions is the alumni parade of classes during Commencement. The University’s Commencement ceremony is traditionally held on the Monday immediately following Alumni Weekend.
Penn Commencement in Franklin Field

Penn Commencement in Franklin Field

Graduates gather in various spots around campus ahead of the ceremony and then march with their undergraduate or graduate school classmates down Locust Walk, past Van Pelt and College Hall, then across 34th Street, by the Engineering buildings and arrive at Franklin Field for the Commencement ceremony.
Penn Commencement 2014 the alumni procession enters Franklin Field led by the Class of 1944.
Penn commencement 2017 entering Franklin Field with the alumni procession
Penn commencement 2010 entering Franklin Field with the alumni procession
Penn Commencement 2017 the 25th reunion class of 1992 walks through the graduates on Franklin Field
Lining Locust Walk as the graduates process is the alumni parade of classes.  Representatives from every undergraduate class year stand on either side of Locust Walk, holding their class flag and cheering for the graduates. There are two special groups among the alumni procession – the 25th and 50 reunion classes.
Penn Commencement alumni class representatives

Walking through the Alumni Class representatives in front of the Sweeten Alumni House on Locust Walk

Penn tradition honors the 25th Reunion class by inviting us to march in the commencement procession. We strongly encourage you to remain on campus through commencement. It is the happiest day of the year at Penn, and it is very special to see the new graduates proceed down Locust Walk, lined on either side by Penn Alumni.
Penn Commencement 1993 Hillary Rodham Clinton

Commencement at Penn 1993, marching past Commencement Speaker First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Penn President Sheldon Hackney

We invite you to re-live the happy day twenty-five years ago when we graduated from Penn by joining us and your fellow 1993 classmates and walking as a class in the alumni procession into Franklin Field for commencement. The deadline to register to join us is Sunday, April 1st. Click here to register now!
Penn Class of 1993 senior class board commencement

Led by class president Michael Scoops Rosenband and the Senior Class Board, the Penn Class of 1993 enters Franklin Field for Commencement, May 1993

Last year, member of the Class of 1992 marched in Commencement, and Heidi Howard Tandy, C’92, shared her thoughts with us:

The experience of walking with your class down Locust Walk in cap and gown isn’t just a once-in-a-lifetime experience; being able to march at your 25th reunion (and your 50th) gives you another moment to reconnect with your classmates on Commencement Morning, and celebrate the new graduates with applause, cheers and a magical Hurrah! Hurrah! And if you don’t remember what it was like to walk into Franklin Field on Commencement Day, here’s your chance to refresh your recollections!

The class of 1992 gathers to march in Penn’s commencement, May 1992
Commencement Program 2017 listing the representatives from the 25th reunion class of 1992
Class of 1992 on Locust Walk for Commencement last year
L-R Ira Hillman, Brad Richards and Heidi Howard Tandy march with their 25th reunion class of 1992
Penn Commencement Class of 1992 25th reunion

The Class of 1992 celebrates their 25th Penn reunion by marching in Commencement, May 2017.

Class of 1993 President Lisa Nass Grabelle has represented our class many times at commencement. She highly recommends that you join us!
As our class president I have had the honor to march in graduation several times over the years, carrying our class flag in the alumni procession, as well as marching in 1996 at my Penn Law graduation with lots of fellow Penn Law/Penn ’93 grads.  To be among a literal sea of Penn graduates and alumni is a moving experience.  It reminds me of the excitement I felt the first time I marched during our graduation with my best friends and housemates (4049 Locust) by my side.  While marching today is so different since there are tons of cell phones being held up to capture the experience and no more Palladium to pass by, the Penn tradition is very much the same as it was for us in 1993, and I am sure way back for decades and decades.  I hope that many of you choose to join me and the Class of 93 as we march on Monday after reunion weekend to celebrate our 25th anniversary.  This is an honor the University bestows on us to be recognized for our special and BIG reunion!
Commencement 2009 Parade of Classes
Commencement 2014 the alumni class representatives line Locust Walk

Commencement Information

The University of Pennsylvania’s 262nd Commencement ceremony will take place on Monday, May 14, 2018 in Franklin Field at 10:15 a.m., and will be preceded by student and academic processions through campus. The ceremony will feature the conferral of degrees, the awarding of honorary degrees, greetings by University officials, and remarks by the Commencement speaker, Andrea Mitchell, CW’67, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC News and Host of “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” MSNBC. To see the complete list of honorary degree recipients, click here.

If you are marching with our class, start time is 8 AM for Continental Breakfast and Robing. The procession across campus begins at 9 AM; with the ceremony beginning at 10:15 AM. Rain or shine. A light lunch is provided after Commencement in Sweeten Alumni House.

You can register to participant when you register for our 25th Reunion.

You must RSVP by April 1 to order regalia and be listed in the Commencement Program.

 

Kiera Reilly marches in 2008’s commencement with our class flag
Ccmmencement May 2012. Brad Richards, ’92, and Chrissy Bass Hofbeck, ’93, carrying their respective class flags in the alumni procession
Caroline Waxler carried our class flag for Commencement in 2016

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion #93tothe25th

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion Countdown

The weekend of February 23 – 24, marked 11 weeks until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 14, 2018)! Meet us at the Button!

Register NOW to attend our 25th Reunion!

Join us we count down the weeks to our reunion #93tothe25th:

  • Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
  • Classmates are invited to join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups.
  • Donate to The Penn Fund in honor of our reunion! We want to break the 25th reunion participation giving record and every gift matters!
  • Do you have old photos or mementos from our time at Penn? Photos of Spring Fling? Football at Franklin Field? Classes at DRL? We are taking a trip down memory lane and would love for you to share your memories with our class in a future post. Please email us upenn1993@gmail.com!

Book Your Hotel Room for Alumni Weekend NOW!

The Marriott Downtown (where we had a Penn 1993 and a Penn Alumni room block) is sold out for Alumni Weekend. There are alternative hotels nearby. Some classmates are booking via AirBnB. We recommend booking ASAP! Please see our class website for additional details.

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April 27, 2017 · 9:09 am

Hey Deja Vu (57 Weeks To Go)

By Kiera Reilly, C’93

We’re a bit behind in our weekly countdown postings, but as today, April 27, is Hey Day for the Class of 2018 on campus, I thought I would flash back to experiencing Hey Day as Seniors. We copied a “tradition” that the Class of 1992 started – Hey Deja Vu. While the Juniors had their fun in red shirts, we went to Smokes for a Screamer, then watched them parade down Locust Walk, and then returned to Smokes to end the night.

I do remember the Class of ’92 having dark blue t-shirts (in contrast to the red Hey Day shirts), but I do not recall our class having shirts. Does anyone remember?

Here is an ad from the DP the I saved for our Hey Deja Vu.

Hey-Deja Vu ad in the Daily Pennsylvanian for the Penn Class of 1993

The DP ad for Hey-Deja Vu our senior year, on April 23, 1993.

In searching through the archives of The Daily Pennsylvanian, I did find the Hey Deja Vu ads for the Class of 1992 (the Class of 1992 is celebrating their 25th reunion this May 12-15, 2017).

Hey Deja Vu ad in the Daily Pennsylvanian for the Class of 1992

Hey Deja Vu ad for the Class of 1992

The only other mentions I could find for Hey Deja Vu were for the Class of 1996, so I assume the tradition continued at least through then.

Hey Deja Vu for the Class of 1996

Hey Deja Vu for the Class of 1996

Who remembers Hey Deja Vu?

Penn Class of 1993 Reunion Countdown

The weekend of April 7 – 8, 2017, marked 57 weeks until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 13, 2018)! 

Join us we count down the weeks to our reunion #93tothe25th:

  • Do you have old photos or mementos from our time at Penn? Photos of Spring Fling? Football at Franklin Field? Classes at DRL? We are taking a trip down memory lane and would love for you to share your memories with our class in a future post. Please email us upenn1993@gmail.com!
  • Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
  • Classmates are invited to join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups.

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January 14, 2017 · 5:41 pm

Penn Planners (75 Weeks To Go)

By Kiera Reilly, C’93

We are playing catch-up in our #93tothe25th count-down…the weekend of December 2-3, 2016, was the, “75 Weeks To Go,” mark.

How do we keep track of all these dates and weeks – look ahead to our reunion that is in 2018 and also look back on the things we did last month? With calendars! These days, more often than not our calendars are accessible through our phones or on our computers. There are electronic and online resources galore to note days, weeks and months, appointments, schedules, and meetings, etc. How did we manage when we were students at Penn? Before the internet was really a thing?

I kept track of my day-to-day schedule in the spiral-bound Penn Planner, designed and produced by Penn Student Agencies. And, because I save everything, I went through my box of Penn things and found one of my planners from the 1991-1992 school year!

The Penn Planner

Penn Planner produced by Penn Student Agencies

The 1991-1992 Penn Planner, produced by Penn Student Agencies.

When I opened it up, I flipped through to see what I noted. None of my classes were listed on my daily schedule, which was odd. I marked going to the movies, out to dinner with friends, or  a student performing art group.

You can see my activities for a week in March here.

Penn Student Agencies' Penn Planner 1992

The week of March 16, 1992 as noted in the Penn Planner

When I flipped through the planner, I found a page at the back for noting my classes. I guess since I went to the same  classes every week, I didn’t need to note them on the weekly schedule.

Penn Student Agencies' weekly Penn Planner

Fall Semester classes noted at the back of the Penn Planner

Penn Students Produced the Penn Planner

In the front of the planner, I was surprised to see the students responsible for its production – Belinda Bentzin, C’92, (now Belinda Buscher) and our classmate John Hawkins, C’93!

Penn Student Agencies' weekly Penn Planner inside cover page

The inside cover of the 1991-1992 Penn Planner

I asked Belinda and John what they remembered about putting the planner together. Here are Belinda’s thoughts (and John said he agreed with what she said):

I totally remember that! I stayed on campus the summer of ’91 and worked with a team of people to put together the wall calendar and weekly planner, as well as the printed Penn directory. Both were sold in the bookstore, as well as directly to people all over campus. For the planner that year, we decided to select old photographs from the Penn archives and then we laid everything out, with the help of Vince Cipollone, who had graduated in May ’91 but wanted to stay working on campus that summer until he started his “real” job. We probably printed several thousand of the weekly planners. I remember it was a really fun summer job and I rented a room in the Alpha Chi Rho house for the summer. I’m sure I still have a copy of two of the planner lying around and probably the directory and wall calendar, too! 

Lea Salonga at Penn

Looking at my schedule from this particular week in March, I saw that I noted the Lea Salonga event with Connaissance. Connaissance invited Ms. Salonga to speak at Penn as she was the then-star of the Tony Award-winning musical, “Miss Saigon,” on Broadway. I found a few pictures from that event.

Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga speaking at University of Pennsylvania in March 1992

Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga speaking at the Harold Prince Theater at Penn, March 1992.

Tony Award winning actress Lea Salonga sings at University of Pennsylvania, March 1992

Brian Fan, W’92, accompanies Ms. Salonga on piano

Connaissance board members at Penn with Lea Salonga, Rich Smith, Meg O'Leary and Kiera Reilly

Connaissance board members Rich Smith, C’92, W’92, Meg O’Leary, C’93, and Kiera Reilly, C’93 with Lea Salonga

What did you use to keep track of your schedule at Penn? Did you have a Penn planner or a Penn calendar?

Penn Class of 1993 Reunion Countdown

The weekend of December 2-3, 2016 marked 75 weeks until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 13, 2018)! Join us we count down the weeks to our reunion #93tothe25th:

  • Do you have old photos or mementos from our time at Penn? Photos of Spring Fling? Football at Franklin Field? Classes at DRL? We are taking a trip down memory lane and would love for you to share your memories with our class in a future post. Please email us upenn1993@gmail.com!
  • Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
  • Classmates are invited to join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups.

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May 25, 2012 · 3:52 pm

The Global Alumni Network and the Class of 1992

Author:  Kiera Reilly, C’93 (@KieraReilly)

Alumni Weekend and Commencement is one of the happiest times at Penn. As usual, the entire Alumni Relations staff is ready to welcome the thousands of alumni, family, and friends returning to Penn to reconnect. I was especially excited to meet up with my class president Lisa Nass Grabelle and vice president Chrissy Bass Hofbeck to party hop on Saturday night so we could start planning for our 20th reunion (yikes) next year (follow us @Penn1993 or join our Facebook group Penn Class of 1993).

On Friday, I started recognizing a pattern that I hadn’t noticed before. I bumped into Sean Kelly, ’92, and his wife on Locust Walk. I didn’t know Sean at Penn, but met him after we graduated when I started working in Penn’s western regional office in Los Angeles and Sean was the president of the Penn Club of Seattle. I still remember the delicious fresh salmon he brought to barbecue at the club’s annual picnic in September. We chatted and mentioned Alexa Chiang, also ’92, who became president of the club after Sean. Alexa recently relocated to Hong Kong after several years in Shanghai, so she couldn’t attend the reunion.

Later that afternoon, I saw Phil Crosby, also ’92, returning to campus for his 20th reunion with his wife and daughters. Like Sean and Alexa, Phil too is a former club president – of the Penn Club of Northern California. While chatting with Phil, Deirdre Abramson ,’93, walked up. Phil, Deirdre, and I all know each other from the Penn Irish Club, so it was a happy Irish Club reunion. Then, yet another ’92 graduate and former club president came by, Carine Blanchet. Like Sean, Alexa, and Phil, Carine is also a former club president…like Phil, Carine was also president of the Penn Club of Northern California until last year. On Saturday, I bumped into Robby Koepel Foss .’92, at the CVS with her husband and son. Like Sean, Alexa, Phil and Carine, Robby too is a former club president – of the Penn Club of Austin. Unlike Sean, Alexa, Phil and Carine, Robby is also a current Penn Club President. Since last year Robby has led and revitalized the Penn Club of San Diego.

Penn Irish Club Reunion

So, I’m not sure what happened when the Class of 1992 (@UPenn92) was at Penn, but many of them moved west and are active and engaged alumni…and leading our regional alumni clubs! Hurrah, Hurrah for the Global Alumni Network and the leadership in the Penn Class of 1992!

If you are a member of the Class of 1992, or any class at Penn, I encourage you to join the Global Alumni Network…don’t let ’92 have all the fun!

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