Tag Archives: Los Angeles

October 20, 2015 · 2:43 pm

Penn Serves LA: Harvesting a Garden for Veterans

By Jane Gutman, CW’73, PAR’14, PAR’16

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In the midst of our intense and bustling city of somewhere between 13 and 18 million people, we find a few parks and refuges from the crowds. And for those whose budgets won’t allow for multi-thousand dollar initiation fees, there are also a handful of golf courses where anyone can pay to play. Penn Serves LA enjoyed the convergence of many treats for our recent project in July. We gathered at a wonderful, pastoral spot, which is also a golf course open to the public AND we had a bit of summer rain – a real slice of LA heaven.

With gardening gloves and trowels in hand, thirty-odd alumni, friends and children brought the raised bed gardens at the Veteran Administration’s Heroes Golf Course back to life. No special skills were needed to hoe, weed, trim, harvest, re-plant and re-stake these beds, and it was the most satisfying work. After less than three hours our Quakers had literally transformed the gardens from their sad state of affairs, to flourishing boxes of green glory…and in the process we picked basket after basket of zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, herbs and more.

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The Executive Director of the Heroes Golf Course, Bruce Rosen, provided the group with a wonderful history of the VA in Brentwood. The golf facility itself, a 9-hole 3-par course, is most inviting and now all the more so because it is ringed by healthy raised vegetable beds, the produce of which is offered to any veterans who choose to come by and partake.

We are grateful to Bruce and his associate Aviva for providing us with plentiful mulch, plants, tools and enthusiasm …and to the vets who worked alongside of our Penn volunteers. We hope people will support our veterans and this course by coming out to play a round, and meanwhile check out the fruits (and vegetables) of some fine Penn gardening labors…and let’s all hope for a little more rain!

About Penn Serves LA

We invite the Penn community in Los Angeles (alumni, parents and kids) to join us at a future event, to help spread the word and to help us plan future activities. Join us, meet new Penn people, demonstrate what service means to your kids and friends, and help fellow Quakers make a little bit of difference in our complex city!

Upcoming Penn Serves LA events:

If you have an established nonprofit that you would like us to consider for future events or announcements, please let us know. We are looking for new nonprofits to serve in meaningful ways.

Questions? Reach us at pennserves@gmail.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

The Penn Serves LA Team

Jane Gutman, CW’73, PAR’14, PAR’16 | Denise Winner, W’83 | Leanne Huebner, W’90 | Kiera Reilly, C’93 | Aileen Level, C’99, GED’00 | Irene Park, C’05 | Jeff Weston, C’05

Penn Serves LA has many terrific projects for all ages on the calendar for the coming months.

Read about our previous events:

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October 5, 2015 · 9:51 am

Penn Serves LA Reads to Kids

By Denise Green Winner, W’83

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The kids in Room 207 were misbehaving. Paper planes whizzed across the room, spitballs were stuck to the wall and their good-natured teacher Miss Nelson needed to turn things around. And then entered Miss Viola Swamp. Do you want to read more? 300 inner city kids in the 1st through 5th graders clamored for more.

Penn Serves shared a morning of reading and crafts with Los Angeles Elementary School one Saturday morning in September. We joined forces with other clubs and participants and read, talked, played, inspired, and made crafts with the kids. The kids were curious, engaged and excited for us to read to them. For many of them, English is their second language, and most of their parents did not read English books to them. For these children, Reading to Kids, a monthly service project, provides them with the opportunity to enjoy books and connect with those who love to read.

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Each group had six or seven children of the same age and two to three readers. This provided the children with an opportunity to engage with the readers who were prepared with an arsenal of book-related questions. My group had five boys and one girl, all around six years old. One boy had read the book previously, so the challenge was to discourage him from sharing the tale’s twist. Another small boy asked no questions and smiled a lot. To involve him, I asked questions in Spanish and then he happily responded in both English and Spanish. When it was crafts time, the kids were so excited to make puppets which looked like Miss Nelson or the evil teacher Miss Viola Swamp.

For more information about Reading to Kids visit their website.

About Penn Serves LA

We invite the Penn community in Los Angeles (alumni, parents and kids) to join us at a future event, to help spread the word and to help us plan future activities. Join us, meet new Penn people, demonstrate what service means to your kids and friends, help us Quakers make a little bit of difference in our complex city!

Upcoming Penn Serves LA events:

If you have an established nonprofit that you would like us to consider for future events or announcements, please let us know. We are looking for new nonprofits to serve in meaningful ways.

Questions? Reach us at pennserves@gmail.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

The Penn Serves LA Team

Jane Gutman, CW’73, PAR’14, PAR’16 | Denise Winner, W’83 | Christine Belgrad, W’85, PAR’15 | Leanne Huebner, W’90 | Kiera Reilly, C’93 | Aileen Level, C’99, GED’00 | Irene Park, C’05 | Jeff Weston, C’05

Penn Serves LA has many terrific projects for all ages on the calendar for the coming months.

Read about our previous events:

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June 26, 2015 · 6:58 am

Penn Serves LA Spruces Up a New Charter School

By Leanne Pyott Huebner, W’90

Valiente College Preparatory Charter School

Five Large Classrooms, Five Hours, and Twenty Volunteers.  That’s what the Penn Serves team had to work with this past weekend to prepare the classrooms of Valiente College Prep Charter School, in South Gate, California.  This newly-chartered early-start middle school will open its doors in two months time to approximately 140 4th and 5th graders.  Every dollar counts for new schools prompting Board Chair Leanne Huebner, W’90, to call in the Penn Serves LA volunteers to lend some much-needed manpower on this June morning.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have the help prepping Valiente, as our teachers are so eager to prep classrooms for opening day,” shares Huebner.  “This work saved our school thousands of dollars we can now use towards other critical school needs!”

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A great team of Penn alumni were out in force to paint the new charter school

 

Valiente College Prep Charter School is the culmination of nearly two years of prep work which started with school founder Jacob Wertz’s vision to create a high-performing charter middle school for Southeast Los Angeles.  After completing a yearlong fellowship with non-profit Building Excellent Schools, Jacob and his founding team embarked on the task of launching Valiente, utilizing best practices from dozens of successful charter schools across the U.S.

“We are creating a high-expectations community of leaders and learners preparing our students for great universities like Penn,” shares Wertz.  Valiente serves one of the most overpopulated zip codes in the U.S. where today only 7% of its residents hold college degrees.  The team is on a mission to move that needle higher as it serves approximately 95% students with free- and reduced-lunch eligibility status, often used as high poverty indicator.

“It was great to come out today and help this school get ready for day one,” shared Jennifer Bunn, W’06, C’06, now an attorney in Newport Beach. “After Penn, I taught for four years, two through Teach for America so I know how important for charter schools to access great volunteer talent whenever possible.”

Interested in getting involved at Valiente College Prep?  Please contact Jacob at jwertz@valientecollegeprep.org to learn more.

Penn Serves LA’s next event will be on Saturday, July 18th, when the volunteers will be harvesting, weeding, pruning, and planting a Heroes’ Garden at the Veteran’s Administration in West LA.  Click here to RSVP.

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Dunn Edwards, headquartered nearby the school, generously donated paint and some supplies – it came in handy.

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Great teamwork with Penn alumni working alongside school parents.

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Paul and Nicole tackle the two-tone windows.

 

Penn Serves LA has many terrific projects for all ages on the calendar for the coming months. Join us, meet new Penn people, demonstrate what service means to your kids and friends, help us Quakers make a little bit of difference in our complex city!

Upcoming Penn Serves LA events:

  • Saturday, July 18, 2015 – Harvesting a Garden for Veterans – RSVP
  • Saturday, September 12, 2015 – Reading to Kids – Details coming soon
  • Sunday, December 6, 2015 – Midnight Mission: Serving Meals to the Homeless – Details coming soon

If you have an established nonprofit that you would like us to consider for future events or announcements, please let us know. We are looking for new nonprofits to serve in meaningful ways.

Questions? Reach us at pennserves@gmail.com.

Find us on the web, follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page!

Read about our previous events:

June, 2015 – Penn Serves LA Has the Giving Spirit

August, 2014 – Penn Serves LA Strikes Again: This Time with Paint!

December, 2013 – Holidays are a Time for Giving

November, 2013 – Sending Holiday Warmth to our Troops

August and September, 2013 – Serving the Environment and LA Leadership Academy

May, 2013 – One on One Outreach

March, 2013 – Habitat for Humanity

January, 2013 – Inner City Arts

September, 2012 – The Midnight Mission

June, 2012 – Turning Point Shelter

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June 10, 2015 · 10:36 am

Penn Serves LA has The Giving Spirit

By Jane Gutman, CW’73, PAR’14, PAR’16

Photos by Kiera Reilly, C’93

Wonderful Penn Serves LA volunteers joined in a fantastic effort on May 30th to provide a bit of summer relief for some of the 82,000 people in our city who are homeless on any given night. Founded in 1998, The Giving Spirit has raised over $2 million through small donations and served over 35,000 homeless. Twice a year this all-volunteer non-profit, the largest in the city, organizes the filling of backpacks and duffle bags with essential items (canned and fresh food, clean socks and hats, toiletries, etc. plus lists of available services) to help our friends on the street to survive and enjoy a bit of comfort during the hottest and coldest points in the year.

Volunteers of all ages helped to set up the assembly line, then fill the backpacks.

Volunteers of all ages helped to set up the assembly line, then fill the backpacks.

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Volunteers at the beginning of the assembly line to fill the backpacks.

But in addition to handing out these critical supplies, The Giving Spirit is unique in its approach:  the organization’s leaders know they cannot cure homelessness, but when volunteers hand bags full of help, and maybe hope, to homeless people, they also look them in the eyes, engage them when feasible and let these disenfranchised people know that someone is thinking about them. The formula is a moving one, and through a short, televised video our Penn Serves LA volunteers received a glimpse into its effectiveness.

Jane Gutman introduces The Giving Spirit's founder and Chairman Tom Bagamane to the Penn Serves LA group.

Jane Gutman introduces The Giving Spirit’s founder and Chairman Tom Bagamane to the Penn Serves LA group.

Tom talks to the group about the founding of The Giving Spirit and the work that they do to help the homeless in Los Angeles.

Tom talks to the group about the founding of The Giving Spirit and the work that they do to help the homeless in Los Angeles.

Penn Serves' Jeff Weston, C'05, helps load the filled backpacks into vans for distribution.

Penn Serves’ Jeff Weston, C’05, helps load the filled backpacks into vans for distribution.

One truck filled with backpacks ready to be distributed.

One truck filled with backpacks ready to be distributed.

Penn Serves volunteers at The Giving Spirit.

Penn Serves volunteers at The Giving Spirit.

 

Penn Serves LA has many terrific projects for all ages on the calendar for the coming months, including a day of painting on June 13th at Valiente College Preparatory Charter School, a brand new school for underserved kids opening this fall. Join us this Saturday – RSVP here.

 Join us, meet new Penn people, demonstrate what service means to your kids and friends, help us Quakers make a little bit of difference in our complex city!

Upcoming Penn Serves LA events:

  • Saturday, June 13, 2015 – Help paint Valiente College Preparatory Charter School – RSVP
  • Saturday, July 18, 2015 – Harvesting a Garden for Veterans – RSVP
  • Saturday, September 12, 2015 – Reading to Kids – Details coming soon
  • Sunday, December 6, 2015 – Midnight Mission: Serving Meals to the Homeless – Details coming soon

If you have an established nonprofit that you would like us to consider for future events or announcements, please let us know. We are looking for new nonprofits to serve in meaningful ways.

Questions? Reach us at pennserves@gmail.com.

Find us on the web, follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page!

Read about our previous events:

August 2014 – Penn Serves LA Strikes Again: This Time with Paint!

December, 2013 – Holidays are a Time for Giving

November, 2013 – Sending Holiday Warmth to our Troops

August and September, 2013 – Serving the Environment and LA Leadership Academy

May, 2013 – One on One Outreach

March, 2013 – Habitat for Humanity

January, 2013 – Inner City Arts

September, 2012 – The Midnight Mission

June, 2012 – Turning Point Shelter

 

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August 7, 2014 · 3:28 pm

Throwback Thursday – Printed Directories

By Kiera Reilly, C’93  @KieraReilly

Today, while looking through some cabinets in our spare office here in Los Angeles, I rediscovered these print directories from the Penn Club of Los Angeles and the Wharton Club of Colorado. I am guessing that with both clubs the last time they produced a printed directory was in 2000, which would make these the “final edition.”

Penn Club of Los Angeles and Wharton Club of Colorado directories found in the Western Regional Office

Penn Club of Los Angeles and Wharton Club of Colorado directories found in the Western Regional Office

 

Los Angeles directories from 1998, 1999, and 2000
Wharton Club of Colorado alumni directory from 1999-2000
Sponors for UPAASC
Officer listing page for the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Association of Southern California (aka PennClubLA)

Now most of our alumni clubs have a website and an online directory, or none at all, instead referring alumni to QuakerNet, the Penn Alumni online directory, to find local alumni in their community.

Does anyone else have copies of old Penn Alumni club directories?

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August 5, 2014 · 7:55 pm

Penn Serves LA Strikes Again; This Time With Paint

By Leanne Huebner, W’90

Photos by Kiera Reilly, C’93

Over thirty Penn Alumni and their children joined together for a fun beautification project for El Nido Family Centers in Mission Hills.  We were thrilled that Elizabeth Fields, Julie Gutowski and Kiera Reilly from the Penn Western Regional Office joined us. And we welcomed special guests in town from campus Penn Professor David Grossman, Ph.D., Director, Civic House and Civic Scholars Program, and Katie McCarthy from the Penn Development Office, both lending their painting skills for good.

All in all, the team completed the center’s foyer, a key event room, as well as a hallway in bright white.  The highlight for many participants was contributing to a full wall-sized canvas mural alongside the Pacoima mural artist.  Volunteers brought together her vision for a grand-scale masterpiece to add cheer and interest in the center’s main lobby area.

Stuart Berton, El Nido Board President and Wharton ’61 graduate, thanked the team and provided a great overview of the important work of El Nido, a nonprofit that has served Los Angeles for 89 years.  Each year, the centers reach over 11,000 Los Angelenos  through its community outreach, early education and teen pregnancy initiatives, and gang-prevention programming.  While many individuals come to the center, El Nido social workers are also in the field meeting individuals and assessing families in their homes and schools.

Penn Serves LA's Jane Gutman with El Nido's Stuart Berton

Penn Serves LA’s Jane Gutman with El Nido’s Stuart Berton

A few highlights of their work were shared.  For instance, their GRYD program for gang-prevention has experienced success rates of up to 98% working with at-risk youth.  Their teen pregnancy recidivism rate is 80% lower than the national average, with only 4% of teenage mothers they serve having a second child before they turn twenty years old.

Penn Serves LA's Leanne Huebner is thrilled with the event.

Penn Serves LA’s Leanne Huebner is thrilled with the event.

“We are excited to help El Nido with such a great, enthusiastic group of volunteers,” shares Jane Gutman, CW’73, PAR’14, PAR’16, one of the Penn Serves LA Directors and coordinator of this event.  “And to have David and Katie here from Penn lending a hand makes our day of brightening the facility with fresh paint all the better.”

View all the photos from the day here.

The entire group poses to celebrate a job well done!

The entire group poses to celebrate a job well done!

The next Penn Serves’ event will be Saturday, August 9th from 9 a.m. to noon and you can reserve your spot here.  Penn will be serving LA Waterkeepers in an effort to help identify the impact of debris on our area’s water supply.  “It’s a great opportunity for your science-minded side as we will be surveying and collecting valuable data,” shares Christine Belgrad, W’87, PAR’15, PAR’17, event coordinator.
Many of the past Penn Serves sell out, so please reserve your spot quickly.

Read about our past events:

December, 2013 – Holidays are a Time for Giving

November, 2013 – Sending Holiday Warmth to our Troops

August and September, 2013 – Serving the Environment and LA Leadership Academy

May, 2013 – One on One Outreach

March, 2013 – Habitat for Humanity

January, 2013 – Inner City Arts

September, 2012 – The Midnight Mission

June, 2012 – Turning Point Shelter

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March 13, 2014 · 3:10 am

It’s Cold Outside!

By Kiera Reilly, C’93  @kierareilly

I work in Penn’s Los Angeles office, and I always enjoy returning to campus for some seasonal weather. When I was back on campus the last week in February for campus meetings and the annual Penn Alumni board retreat, I was treated to a real winter blast.

I left this in Los Angeles….

Sunny and warm in California (Manhattan Beach, CA)

Sunny and warm in California (Manhattan Beach, CA)

And arrived for a week of cold weather and some snow!

Snow falling as seen from my temporary office in the Sweeten Alumni House

Snow falling as seen from my temporary office in the Sweeten Alumni House

My Sweeten House colleagues were less than excited to see more snow given the harsh winter this year, but I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I even enjoyed bundling up in all my winter clothes that I never get to wear in Los Angeles, especially on Friday, when the temperatures were in the teens.

Cold temperatures!

Cold temperatures!

Bundled up in a sweater, a down jacket, a hat, a scarf and gloves! Brrr!

Bundled up in a sweater, a down jacket, a hat, a scarf and gloves! Brrr!

College Green looking magical in the snow.

College Green looking magical in the snow.

The next time I’m on campus, for Alumni Weekend, campus will be lush and green and in bloom for spring.

 

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January 13, 2014 · 6:23 pm

Penn Serves LA: Holidays are a Time for Giving

By Jane Gutman, CW’73, PAR’14, PAR’16

Holidays are a time for giving, and also for giving back. Fourteen years ago a man named Tom Bagamane and his sister decided to pack forty grocery bags and hand them out to homeless people they saw near home and work. The weekend of December 12 – 15, 2013, volunteers with The Giving Spirit headed to all parts of Los Angeles and handed full duffle bags to 2,600 homeless people. The bags were not dropped off in parks or near shelters, rather The Giving Spirit volunteers found isolated people and interacted with them in the process of handing over a bag filled with fresh and canned food, socks, hats, rain gear, toiletries and the like, along with an industrial strength blanket.

Giving Spirit group Dec.13.2013

On the Friday night of that weekend, over fifty Penn Serves LA volunteers of all ages congregated at a church in West LA to help to make greeting cards and pack Tupperware and ziplocks with necessities for The Giving Spirit’s bags. As Mr. Bagamane told the Penn crowd, The Giving Spirit knows it cannot cure homelessness, but it hopes to make the holidays and the coldest part of winter just a little easier for “our friends living on the street.” He asked the Penn alumni how it would feel to never hear your name spoken or to line up with your kids just to have a roof over your head for a few hours.

Giving Spirit 1 Dec.13.2013

Giving Spirit 2 Dec.13.2013

The Penn group pitched in for a few hours – some hauling heavy boxes, some joining the assembly lines, some binding blankets. It was a cold night, but we had lots of company and warm food provided by local restaurants…and we were reminded yet again how very lucky we are not to live in a tent or a box on the street. After a fulfilling and collegial evening, our Penn alumni headed back to their cars and homes, and over the Penn shirts they had donned many wore The Giving Spirit t-shirt emblazoned with, “GIVE HOPE LOVE”…and that’s what the holidays are all about!

Giving Spirit 4 Dec.13.2013

Giving Spirit 3 Dec.13.2013

All alumni, Penn parents, families and their children are invited to the next Penn Serves LA event on Sunday, February 23, 2014, from 4:00 – 7:00 pm at One to One Outreach. Back by popular demand, we will return to assemble and deliver boxes of food to the low income, food-insecure of South Central Los Angeles. Children over 8 years are invited to attend. Bring a bit of joy and relief to those in need with us. Click here to sign up for this event.

About Penn Serves LA – Started in 2012, Penn Serves offers a way for direct community service for local Penn alumni and their children to serve Los Angeles’ most needy populations. We partner with established nonprofits and grassroots organizations for one-time volunteer opportunities. So far, we’ve served meals to the homeless, delivered food to low income families, planned activities with immigrant children, and so much more. Please contact us if you’d like to help at a future event via email at pennservesla@gmail.com or visit our website.

Read about our past events:

November, 2013 – Sending Holiday Warmth to our Troops

August and September, 2013 – Serving the Environment and LA Leadership Academy

May, 2013 – One on One Outreach

March, 2013 – Habitat for Humanity

January, 2013 – Inner City Arts

September, 2012 – The Midnight Mission

June, 2012 – Turning Point Shelter

 

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January 12, 2014 · 8:05 pm

Penn Alumni Clubs Toast Ben Franklin

#PennToastsBen

Ben Birthday Bash

By Kiera Reilly, C’93  @KieraReilly

Penn’s founder, Benjamin Franklin, is celebrating his 308th birthday on January 17, 2014. Join Penn alumni in a city near you for this year’s festivities!

Cities/clubs celebrating this year include: Baltimore, Boston, Houston, Las Vegas, Lehigh Valley, London, Long Island, Los Angeles, Metro NJ, New Haven, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Northern California, Orange County, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, Shanghai, Seattle, and Westchester/Rockland Counties.

Follow the fun on Twitter with the hashtag #PennToastsBen

Baltimore

Penn Club of Baltimore

Friday, January 31, 2014

5:00 pm -7:00 pm

The Party Room/Area at The Greene Turtle

1606 Whetstone Way

Baltimore (South Bmore/Fed Hill), MD 21230

Join the Penn Club of Baltimore for appetizers and a cash bar to celebrate the birthday of Penn’s founder, Ben Franklin. Start the New Year with your follow Penn alumni. For questions or to RSVP, contact pennbalt@yahoo.com.

Boston

Penn Club of Boston

Thursday, January 16, 2014

7:00 pm

Max Brenner

745 Boylston Street

Follow on Twitter: @PennClubBoston

Celebrate Ben Franklin’s Birthday with desserts at Max Brenner!

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was born on Milk St in Boston, MA in 1706? He then went on to attend Boston Latin School, ran away to Philadelphia at the age of 17, and eventually helped found the University of Pennsylvania and went on to become one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Today, his legacy lives on in the field of politics, philosophy, science, and education.

Join us on January 16th at 7pm at Max Brenner’s as we celebrate the legacy of the illustrious man and founder of Penn, Ben Franklin. RSVP is required. RSVP through the Penn Club of Boston website or by sending an email to stephanieh@pennclubofboston.org. RSVP Here!

Houston

Penn Club of Houston

Thursday, January 16, 2014

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Camerata

1834 Westheimer Road

Houston, TX

713.522.VINO

Follow on Twitter: @PennClubHouston

Penn Houston is celebrating Ben’s 308th birthday at Camerata, a cool, recently opened Montrose wine bar that has a laid-back vibe and amazing wine list. First glass and apps are on the club! Join us to kick off 2014 with familiar faces and new friends as we reminisce on Ben and good old Penn. Advance registration required via our website.

Registrants & Fees:                       Registrant Fee

Child/Guest of Member                $ 5.00

Child/Guest of Non-Member        $ 10.00

Member Penn Club of Houston    $ 5.00

Non-Member Penn Club of Houston   $ 10.00

More info on Camerata: Popular among bar and restaurant critics, Camerata was named in December as the 3rd hottest wine bar in the country by Eater National and has been featured by Texas Monthly, Houston Press, Culturemap, the Houston Chronicle, and Eater Houston, to name a few. Owned by Paul Petronella and directly adjacent to his restaurant Paulie’s, Camerata offers an ever-changing bottle list from ex-Uchi Houston beverage director David Keck in a space that draws a hip, younger crowd.

Parking: Camerata is located on Westheimer, between Driscoll Street and Morse Sreet. Parking can be find on either side street, and entrances are on Westheimer and the back of the restaurant.

Las Vegas

Penn Club of Las Vegas

Friday, January 17, 2014

6:00 – 8:00 PM

Banger Brewing (downtown)

Follow on Twitter: @PennLV

The Penn Club of Las Vegas is excited to host the Vegas Ivy Plus community for a beer tasting in honor of Big Ben’s Birthday. There will be discounted drinks for our group as well as a tour of the brewery. Beer + education = win win for us and Ben.

We hope you can make it and are looking forward to seeing you all there. Last year we had a great turnout and a great time. Note: Ben Franklin wigs optional (kidding).

Questions, email: Lea Artis, C’08 at leartis@alumni.upenn.edu. (And even if you can’t, make sure you’re on our email list!) PS. Visit our new website PennLV.com for all upcoming events and news.

Connect with PCLV on: Facebook  |LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

Lehigh Valley

Penn Alumni Club of the Lehigh Valley

Thursday, January 16, 2014

6:00 – 7:00 PM Happy Hour

7:00 PM Dinner

Rodizio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse

2805 Lehigh Street (just off Rt. 309)

Allentown, PA

“Take time for all things; great haste makes great waste”

The Penn Club invites you and your guest(s) to Ben’s Birthday Bash (“eve”) celebrating Benjamin Franklin’s 308th birthday.

Two menu options: The Full Rodizio – $28.99 – Enjoy a variety of rotisserie grilled meats carved table side, glazed pineapple, a gourmet salad bar, and authentic Brazilian appetizers, all Unlimited! Gourmet Salads – $16.99 – Enjoy unlimited authentic Brazilian appetizers and unlimited trips to the gourmet salad bar, featuring over 30 hot and cold items. Rodizio is 100% MSG free, 100% Peanut free, and 95% Gluten free. We hope to see you there. Please rsvp and indicate if you are joining us for Happy Hour, Dinner or Both (hopefully both!) We need to give the restaurant an accurate count so that they can accommodate us properly.

RSVP to Joan at info@pennclublehighvalley.com.

London

Penn Club of the UK

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

7:00 pm

21 Covent Garden

21 The Market

WC2E 8RD London

In celebration of Ben Franklin’s birthday, we are celebrating our beloved founder’s special day with drinks. Come join us at 21 Covent Garden from 7 PM, where we will have a reserved area in the bar overlooking the Covent Garden Piazza. Feel free to bring a Ben Franklin-related item… We’ll buy a drink for the person with the best or most unique item!
Looking forward to seeing you and raising a toast to dear ol’ Ben.

Questions? Email the club at pennalumniuk@gmail.com.

Long Island

Penn Club of Long Island

Thursday, January 23, 2014

7:30 pm

Vespa

Great Neck, NY

Join us in celebration of Ben Franklin’s Birthday, Ben’s Bash. There will be a brief Club meeting, followed by dinner.

Los Angeles

PennClubLA

Friday, January 17, 2014

7:30 – 9:00 pm

The Churchill

8384 W 3rd St

West Hollywood, CA 90048

Note: Location change, no longer at The Pikey!

Follow on Twitter: @PennClubLA

Ben Franklin Birthday hat 2

Happy New Year Penn Alumni! We would like to invite you to come celebrate Ben Franklin’s birthday with fellow classmates at The Churchill this Friday! Help us cheers to dear old Ben! Find more information and RSVP here.

Metro NJ

Penn Club of Metro New Jersey

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

7:30 PM

Birthday Cake and Open Board meeting

Follow on Twitter: @PennClubMetroNJ

All Metro NJ Penn Alumni and Penn Parents are invited to join us for Ben Franklin’s Birthday Bash at the home of Carol Michaels. After an open board meeting, there will be refreshments including Ben’s birthday cake. RSVP here.

New Haven, CT

Penn Club of New Haven

January 19th, 2014

6:30pm

Linsly Chittenden Hall, 63 High Street

New Haven, CT

Ben Franklin’s Birthday Celebration and Speaker Event

Join us for a presentation entitled “Callings and Culture-Picking: Lessons on Work and Food from the Wilds of Psychology” (topics that were of great interest to Ben!) by Penn Psychology Professor Dr. Paul Rozin and our own Dr. Amy Wrzesniewski, C ’94, of the Yale School of Management, followed by refreshments and birthday cake! The event is free, but RSVP via email to robpennclubnh@gmail.com.

Northeastern Pennsylvania

Penn Club of Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA)

Sunday, January 12, 2014

11:30 am – 2:00 pm

East Mountain Inn, in the Bistro

Off Exit 170-A of I-81

Ben Franklin Bountiful Buffet Birthday Bash

with Special guest speaker

Gregory E. Johnson, CFP®

Director of Gift Planning

University of Pennsylvania

Attire for the day is casual. Buffet will be served (cash bar). The price for the event is $30 per person. If you like to avoid the rush please include your dues of $15 for 2014.

RSVP no later than Thursday, January 9th by calling 570.208.3130, ext. 147 or by e-mailing me at AndrewPasonick@penneastern.com.

Northern California

Penn Club of Northern California

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

6:00 – 8:00 pm

O3 Bistro & Lounge

524 Van Ness Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94102 (Google Map)

Follow on Twitter: @NCPennClub

Penn’s founder, Benjamin Franklin, is celebrating his 308th birthday in January 2014. Join Penn alumni for this year’s festivities! Join us as we mingle with familiar and new alums and play Ben Franklin and Penn trivia! Event details here.

Cost: $10 with advanced registration, $15 at the door (ticket includes appetizers and one drink)

RSVP: Click here to purchase tickets

Orange County, CA

Penn Club of Orange County

Thursday, January 16, 2014

5:30 – 7:00 pm

Bluewater Grill at the District

2409 Park Ave.

Tustin, CA 92782

Follow on Twitter: @PennClubOC

Please join Orange County area alumni us for a fun evening of networking and remembering Ben. Also, bring ideas of events you would like to see our club take on this year!

RSVP to penncluboc@gmail.com so that we know how many will be in attendance. We look forward to seeing you there and starting off 2014 in celebration!

“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria.”

― Benjamin Franklin

Philadelphia

Penn Club of Philadelphia

Saturday, January 11, 2014

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Lecture series brunch at The Plough & the Stars, 123 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Private guided tour at Benjamin Franklin Museum, 317 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Follow on Twitter: @PennClub

Ben Franklin’s Birthday Bash! Lecture Series Brunch and Private Museum Tour

Come celebrate the University of Pennsylvania’s Founding Father’s 308th Birthday at the new Benjamin Franklin Museum in Philadelphia!

Join us for a lecture series brunch at The Plough & the Stars restaurant in Old City with Penn Professor John Milner, Adjunct Professor of Architecture Historic Preservation and two project directors from Quinn Evans Architects, the architecture firm responsible for renovating and expanding the Benjamin Franklin Museum in Philadelphia. Following the brunch, we will experience a private guided tour of the new Benjamin Franklin Museum in Old City.

Cost: $25 for members; $40 for non-members

RSVP: Click here to buy tickets!

http://www.pennclubphilly.org/article.html?aid=832

Phoenix, AZ

Penn-Wharton Club of Arizona

Thursday, January 16, 2014

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

University Club of Phoenix

39 E. Monte Vista

Phoenix, AZ 85004

Follow on Twitter: @Penn_Wharton_AZ

Join fellow alumni as we once again celebrate Ben’s Birthday at our annual Ben Franklin Birthday Bash. This is always one of our most popular events, so be sure to sign up early.

DETAILS Appetizers and a birthday cake, Cash Bar

COST: $20

Appropriately, at this event we honor our Ben Franklin Sponsor members. We appreciate the additional support; you and a guest are invited to this event at NO CHARGE. Red & Blue Society members and a guest attend all events at NO CHARGE. Special Invitation to our Young Alumni to join us at NO CHARGE.

RSVP: Click here to RSVP!!!

Portland, OR

Penn Club of Portland

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

5:30 – 7:00 pm (or until the last person leaves)

Kells Irish Brew Pub.

210 NW 21st Avenue

(betw. NW Davis St. and NW Everett St.)

Portland, OR

Ben Franklin portrait

Benjamin Franklin’s 308th Birthday Happy Hour

While touring Ireland in 1771, Benjamin Franklin was moved by the level of poverty he observed. Since Ireland’s economy was governed by the same trade regulations and laws of Britain that governed America, Franklin’s observation, that America could suffer the same effects should Britain’s colonial rule continue, fueled his passion for independence. So, once again this year, we are celebrating Benjamin Franklin’s 308th birthday with a nod to Ireland on Wednesday, January 15th (actually two days before his birthday) at Kells Irish Brew Pub.

Look for friends, smiling faces and/or small Penn flag.

RSVPs, while not required, are always appreciated to club president John Vosmek at John Vosmek john.vosmek@vosmek.com.

San Antonio, TX

Penn Club of San Antonio

Friday, January 17, 2014

11:30 AM

Youz Guyz South Philly Cheesesteaks

316 Pat Booker Road

Universal City 78148

The Penn Alumni Club of San Antonio will continue our tradition of celebrating Ben’s Birthday Bash on Friday, January 17. Once again we will gather, starting at 11:30 A.M., at San Antonio’s Philly cheese steak emporium and our informal clubhouse, Youz Guyz South Philly CheeseSteaks, phone 210-659-8930. Be ready for Quizzo while we munch our lunch.

RSVP by Monday, January 13, to Elaine Ayala, eayala@express-news.net, 210-250-3402.

San Diego, CA

Penn Club of San Diego

Friday, January 17, 2014

6:00 pm – ?

Eddie’s

3501 30th Street

Follow on Twitter: @PennClubSD

The Penn Club of San Diego will celebrate Ben’s Birthday Bash! A small corner is being reserved at 6pm at Eddie’s! Cheesesteaks, Tastycakes and other menu items will be available for purchase.

RSVP by emailing pennclubsd@gmail.com.

Seattle, WA

Penn Club of Seattle

Bowling for Ben

Sunday, January 12, 2014

5:00 – 7:00 pm

The Garage Bowling and Billiards

1130 Broadway (on Capitol Hill)

Seattle, WA 98122

Follow on Twitter: @PenninSeattle

Join the Penn Alumni Club of Seattle in celebrating Ben Franklin’s 308th birthday with an evening of bowling, billiards, food and drink at the great space known as “The Garage” on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Bowling begins at 5:00 PM. You can bowl, schmooze, eat and drink, play some billiards and just enjoy the company of local Penn alumni and parents. Cost for the night will be $10, which includes bowling and shoe rentals. $20 includes bowling, shoe rental and a Penn Club of Seattle t-shirt! (Food and drink will be on you).

RSVPs are required at http://www.pennclubofseattle.com/item/554706. Space is limited so sign up today!

Shanghai

Ben Franklin birthday hat

Penn Club of Shanghai

Thursday, January 23, 2014

7:30 – 9:30 PM

Sarment Wine Bar

Reel Mall, 1601 West Nanjing Road

( 南京西路1601号2楼202-1室, 近常德路)

Wines start from 45RMB. Buy two glasses get one free.

Ben Franklin’s Birthday Bash and Standing Committee Elections

To kick off the Penn Club’s events in the new year, we are commemorating our University’s founding father, Ben Franklin, with a birthday bash in his honor. Please join us for some drinks and good times with your fellow alumni!

During the birthday bash, we will hold our annual standing committee (i.e. board) elections. We encourage all alumni interested in helping shape the future direction of our club to take part in the election by either running for a position or simply by attending and voting during the elections. The position that are available for election:

Chairman (President)

Secretary of the Treasury (Treasurer)

Secretary of Propaganda (Secretary)

Secretary of Internal Affairs (Webmaster)

Secretary of Labor (Professional Events)

Secretary of Education (Educational Events)

Secretary of Civil Affairs (Community Service Events)

Secretary of Social Affairs (Social Events)

Secretary of Recruitment (Secondary School Committee)

If you are interested in learning more about running for a position, please email us at penn.club.shanghai@gmail.com. We will accept nominations for positions until Tuesday, January 21.

Westchester/Rockland Counties, NY

Penn Club of Westchester and Rockland Counties

Saturday, January 25, 2014

7:30 pm pub fare and drinks

9:30 pm Penn Alumni Band, “The Velcrows”

MTK Tavern

30 East Main Street

Mt. Kisco, NY

(914-218-3334)

Ben’s Birthday Bash featuring Penn Alumni Band “The Velcrows” at MTK Tavern

This year we are heading to Mt. Kisco to enjoy great food and drinks while enjoying the music of a Penn Alumni Band!

Mingle with fellow alumni while enjoying pub fare and drinks from 7:30 to 9:30PM, and then Randi Nielsen, W’84, Robert Birkenholz, ME’82, and Mike Rosenman, C’76, will be performing with their band, The Velcrows, at this fun venue! MTK Tavern is located in Mt. Kisco, an easy walk from the train station if you would rather not drive. The evening will conclude with a cake to celebrate Ben Franklin’s birthday!

RSVP/PAYMENT (includes cover charge and from 7:30-9:30PM: food and wine/beer/soft drinks): Through January 20th: $50 for members  and $60 for nonmembers; From January 21st through January 25th: $60 for members and $70 for nonmembers; Use the red link below to rsvp and pay by MC/Visa or to pay by check, email the event chairperson, Wendy Weinstein at wendy.weinstein.karp@gmail.com with the number of attendees and then send a check payable to “The Penn Club of Westchester & Rockland Counties” and write “Ben’s Birthday Bash” on the memo portion of the check. Please send the check to Club Treasurer: Pamela Harpaz, 12 Woodmill Road, Chappaqua, NY 10514.

For questions or additional information, please contact the event chairperson: Wendy Weinstein at  wendy.weinstein.karp@gmail.com.

Click here to buy tickets!!!

Philadelphia

Celebration in Philadelphia honoring Ben Franklin

Celebration! Benjamin Franklin, Founder, will present the Franklin Founders Award to Dr. Edward O. Wilson in recognition of his lifetime of work in the natural sciences, and his insights into the genetic basis of the social behavior of animals, including humans. Recognized worldwide as a leading authority on ants, Dr. Wilson has used his findings on social species to develop cutting-edge theories about human behavior. His 2012 book, The Social Conquest of Earth, looks at altruism and conflict in human society. Dr. Wilson, who received the Pulitzer Prize in 1979, is an emeritus professor at Harvard University.

The day’s Philadelphia celebration includes a free morning seminar on the topic of Observing the World, featuring:

Robert McCracken Peck, Senior Fellow, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Dr. Douglas W. Tallamy, Chair of the Dept. of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware

A procession up 5th Street to Dr. Franklin’s grave will be followed by a luncheon honoring Dr. Wilson.

AGENDA

9am-10:30am Seminar, Franklin Hall (free)

11am-11:30am Procession and wreath-laying at Franklin’s Grave (free)

11:45am – 1:45pm Luncheon at The Chemical Heritage Foundation, 315 Chestnut Street

Please visit www.ushistory.org/celebration for more information and registration

Click here for Registration / Luncheon Tickets

 Don’t forget to post your photos and fun with the hashtag #PennToastsBen

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Filed under Alumni Programming, Clubs, GAN, Kiera R., Penn Clubs, Social Networking, Uncategorized, West Coast Regional Office

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December 13, 2013 · 9:06 am

Ancient Rome and Instagram in Los Angeles

By Kiera Reilly, C’93  @KieraReilly

Last month, members of the Southern California Regional Advisory Board (otherwise known as SCRAB) gathered to hear my classmate, Darius Arya, Ph.D., C’93, speak about storytelling cultural heritage through modern means, namely via social media tools such as Instagram and Twitter. Dar lives in Rome and is the CEO and co-founder of the American Institute for Roman Culture.

After re-connecting with him and his wife Erica Firpo, C’94, while in Rome this past May, I’ve been following them both as they share local scenes via Twitter and Instagram (Erica via @moscerina and Dar via @SaveRome). When I heard Dar would be in Los Angeles in November, I asked if he would speak to SCRAB about his work, and he graciously agreed.

An example of Dar's Instagram from a few weeks ago with this caption: The curve. Romans perfected the arch. Here, in Trajan's Markets they turned it on its side (and lined it with shops) to hold back the Quirinal Hill #culturalheritage #rome #archaeology

An example of Dar’s Instagram from a few weeks ago with this caption: The curve. Romans perfected the arch. Here, in Trajan’s Markets they turned it on its side (and lined it with shops) to hold back the Quirinal Hill #culturalheritage #rome #archaeology

The group gathered at Culina – a modern Italian restaurant at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills. Everyone sipped Prosecco and munched on bruschetta while waiting for everyone to arrive. We then sat down for a family-style dinner while Dar spoke about utilizing digital media to engage a global audience and tell stories about cultural heritage.

DSCN1344 Denise Winner-Roz Pinkus

SCRAB co-president Denise Winner, W’83, and Roz Pinkus, CW’64, PAR’94, GPAR’17

Marty Caan, W'69, PAR'11, and Jack Tauber, C'73, PAR'08

Marty Caan, W’69, PAR’11, and Jack Tauber, C’73, PAR’08

DSCN1351 Rob Weingarten-Salvador Brau-Pam Weingarten-Nora Brau

Bob Weingarten, C’74, PAR’12, Salvador Brau, C’67, Pam Weingarten, PAR’12, and Nora Brau,.

DSCN1350 Eric Reiter-Darius Arya-Jackie Bral

Eric Reiter, W’97, our speaker Darius Arya, C’93, and Jackie Bral, PAR’15, PAR’15

Table

Our elegant family-style dinner table at Culina.

It was an interesting lesson to hear how modern tools can reach a vast global audience and help share the stories of ancient roman culture, and hopefully help to further preserve these ancient sites.

My Instagram from the event @KieraReilly

My Instagram from the event @KieraReilly

For more on ancient Rome, follow Dar’s informative posts on his Instagram account @SaveRome.

For more information on the American Institute for Roman Culture, see their website at: http://romanculture.org/. You may also see Dar as he appears frequently in History, Discovery, and National Geographic documentaries and pursues projects relating to cultural heritage management, preservation, promotion, outreach, and communications.

SaveRome Rome in Snow

Dar’s Instagram from Dec. 12: Winter blues. Getting jealous of all the great winter shots I’ve been seeing on IG. Sure Rome has its Christmas atmosphere: trees, nativity scenes, light, fair in Piazza Navona, smell of roasted chestnuts are on the air, and the Lungotevere sycamore trees are becoming bare… But we really just have two district seasons: wet and dry– no snow… With some exceptions. Almost two years ago snow fell in Rome for the first time in over 20 years. So I cheer up with memories from that magical moment. #latergram #culturalheritage #rome #archaeology

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