By Kiera Reilly, C’93
A recent post in our #93tothe25th countdown to our 25th reunion looked back at our Freshman Move-In in September, 1989. This week, we went back into our pre-digital camera archives to unearth photos of where and how we lived that first year at Penn. It is interesting to see that while everyone has their own personal style, there is a definite similarity to the rooms and the things that were in vogue in the Fall of 1989. Be sure to look closely at the photos to notice small things like original Macintosh computers, phones with cords, and the all important music posters.
Thank you to classmates Danny Bockvar, Marianne Alves Brogdale, Amy Korn Duque, Christine Lutton Foster, Brooke Hayes, Meredith Prevor-Weiss, Allison Laney Richards, and Jessica Zirkel-Rubin for sharing your photos with us!
Upper Quad
I lived on the 2nd floor of Franklin in the Upper Quad. I shared a triple with Lisa Bardfeld Shapiro and Randi Mosler, and while we were technically assigned to Franklin Hall, our triple and the one across the hall from us were separated from the rest of the Franklin rooms by fire doors. So the Brooks-Leidy Hall adopted us.
We scored a triple in the Upper Quad – room 222 Franklin! Randi, Lisa and Kiera on move-in day, 1989.
Since we had a triple room, there were two tiny single rooms and one large central room. We swapped rooms throughout the year, but for the first part of the year, I had one of the single rooms.
My bed in one of the side rooms of our triple in the Upper Quad.
The view from my bed out the window. For some reason I thought buying an ironing board was a good idea.
This photo is dark, but you can partially see the view of the Quad through the window.
Looking out into the Upper Quad.
The RA for the 2nd floor of Brooks-Leidy, Mark. Remember milk crates?
I think RA’s had a double-sized room all to themselves.
High Rises
Amy Korn Duque shares, “My freshman move-in day at Penn, I was assigned to a high rise on the 14th floor, sharing an apartment-style dorm with 2 girls from Colombia and one from Staten Island. (I am still in touch with 2 out of 3.) One of my roommates had gone to high school with a Wharton sophomore, who came over to help us move in and get settled. They were not particularly good friends, but we hit it off right away. He and I have now been married for 21 years, and this year we saw our son off to Penn for his own freshman move-in day.”
Amy Korn Duque and Alejandra Torres in High Rise South Room 1413.
Room 1413, High Rise South
Marianne Alves Brogdale also sent in a photo of her room in the High Rises, and coincidentally, she was a floor above Amy in Room 1513!
Marianne Alves Brogdale in her room, 1513 High Rise South
Bulletin board in Marianne’s room
Marianne’s desk
Lower Quad – Community House
Jessica Zirkel-Rubin sent a photo of her room, number 258 in Warwick.
Room 258 Warwick in the Lower Quad, shared by Jessica Zirkel-Rubin
Allison Laney Richards also sent photos from the 2nd floor of Warwick. Allison writes that there was a cheer for the floor, “Warwick 2nd Floor, Who could ask for more. In Volleyball we conquer all. We’ll Nail you to the floor.”
Allison and her roommate Jennifer Bloom
Allison and Jennifer’s room, 2nd floor of Warwick
Allison and Jennifer’s room, 2nd floor of Warwick
Allison and Jennifer’s room
The door to Allison and Jennifer’s room
Another photo of Allison and Jennifer. I guess plaid shirts were “in”?
Jennifer and Allison wearing what was “in” back then – plaid shirts.
Some of Allison’s 2nd floor Warwick hallmates: Neil Sheth, Mark Stern, Ed Miller , and Nick ? feast on pizza, something we all ate at least once a week!
Eating the college food staple – pizza – in the Lower Quad
Jim Fleischer and Allison in his room. Allison writes, “Jim lived across the hall from me Freshman year; Regan (Allan) was in my sorority; I introduced them and now they are married.”
Allison Laney Richards and Jim Fleischer were hallmates on the the 2nd floor of Warwick
Jim Fleischer in his room, 2nd floor Warwick.
Greg Fatzinger in his room, 2nd floor Warwick.
A photo from an “all night drink fest” (party after finals done and before flying home) in a Butcher 2nd floor dorm room. Pictured: Jeff McKibben, Samantha Leventhal, Allison Laney Richards, and Rob Hathaway.
Pictured: Jeff McKibben, Samantha Leventhal, Allison Laney Richards, and Rob Hathaway.
Kings Court – English House
Christine Lutton Foster had this photo of a sign from her dorm door.
Door sign from Kings Court – English House
Near the Mail Room in the Quad
Meredith Prevor-Weiss sent photos from EF Smith in the Quad.
Meredith Prevor-Weiss and her roommate Heather Caslow
Chris Van Reid and Paul Arrouet outside on the Junior Balcony
Bryon ? and Adam Bernstein
Kathyanne Cohen and Jennifer Friedman
Heather Caslow and Paul Arrouet
Roommates Then, Friends Now
Brooke Hayes sent a photo of him and his roommate Jason McLane sitting by Ben on the Bench freshman year. Brooke and Jason lived in Foerderer in Upper Quad. And then Brooke sent a photo with his daughter Cameron (and wife Hilary Marion Hayes, also a classmate) and Jason’s daughter Hannah in the same pose with Ben on the Bench. Cameron and Hannah entered Penn this year as Freshman and are roommates living in Speakman!
Brooke Hayes and Jason McLane as roommates in 1989 and their daughters as roommates at Penn now!
Danny Bockvar sent a photo of himself, his twin brother Johnny and his roommate Paul Altman (they lived in the Class of ’28) from Freshman year, and then a photo of the three of them today.
Danny and Johnny Bockvar with Paul Altman in Class of ’28
Danny and Johnny Bockvar with Paul Altman today
Coincidentally, while looking through the scrapbook I made from Freshman year, I found this article from the Philadelphia Inquirer about our class moving in and starting life at Penn. The best part? Paul and Johnny are quoted in the article! I wonder if Paul can tell the difference between the Bockvars now? (If you can’t read the image below, the article is online here).
Article from the Philadelphia Inquirer about the Penn Class of 1993 moving in to start their Freshman year at Penn
We received photos from rooms in the Quad and the High Rises, but we are still seeking photos from Hill House, Kings Court/English House, DuBois or other freshman dorms. And we would love to see more photos of other rooms in the Quad and High Rises. We hope to do another post on freshman dorm rooms so if you have any photos, please send them to us!
Penn Class of 1993 Reunion Countdown
The weekend of November 18-19 marked 77 weeks until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 13, 2018)! Join us we countdown 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.
Do you have printed photos from our Freshman year at Penn? Please share them with us! You can email us 
Frankly Penn 