Tag Archives: Penn Clubs

August 30, 2013 · 12:48 am

Penn Cares with the Penn Club of Northern California

By Betty Huang, ENG’12, GEN’12, and Jenny Zhan, C’10, W’10

On Saturday, June 15th, we held our inaugural Penn Club of Northern California community service event with eight Penn alumni at the San Francisco Food Bank warehouse in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. The San Francisco Food Bank delivers 100,000 meals worth of food every day to senior and families in need, and relies on volunteers year-round to help package and distribute the resources. Our Penn Cares volunteers spent three hours that Saturday afternoon manning the apple juice table – that is, we were responsible for filling each food donation box with two bottles of apple juice. Packed additionally with cereal, canned fruit, and other pantry staples, these boxes would go out to the 11,000 low-income seniors in San Francisco, where approximately one in four seniors live at the risk of hunger.

We were blown away by the efficiency of the Food Bank staff in directing all the volunteers, for many of whom this was a first-time experience at the warehouse. We all gathered around an assembly line in an orderly fashion, and worked at such a rapid pace that we had to constantly switch positions because our arms would get sore (lifting bottles of apple juices was quite a workout)! Nevertheless, everybody had a great time, and our three-hour shift passed by quickly as we all chatted away while multi-tasking on the packaging. Volunteers like us work in shifts to provide the Food Bank with the equivalent manpower of 70 full-time workers – this in turn allows the Food Bank to save on salaries and turn 96% of all donations directly to their programs. At the end of our shift, we were asked to guess how many food boxes we had packaged – we were all astonished to hear that together with the other volunteers, we had packed exactly 1,377 boxes in three hours, helping 1,377 seniors for one entire month – It was such an instant gratification knowing that each box we packed would go to one senior and alleviate some of his or her food security-related stress for the next month!

If you live in the San Francisco area, we encourage you to join the Penn Club of Northern California, and sign up for their free email newsletter to be notified of other Penn Cares events. www.ncpennclub.com

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Programming, Clubs, Events, GAN, Guest blogger, Uncategorized, Volunteering, West Coast Regional Office

Tagged as community service, Event, GAN, penn alumni, Penn Club of Northern California, Penn Clubs, Photographs, photos, Regional clubs, Regional Penn Clubs, San Francisco, Volunteering, West Coast Regional Office

April 18, 2013 · 7:53 pm

It’s #PennTimeToShine

By Kiera Reilly, C’93 @KieraReilly

Did You Know…that Penn’s Making History campaign celebration, Time to Shine, is tomorrow? Over 14,000 alumni, students, faculty, staff and guests will celebrate on Penn Park with headlining acts Train and John Legend, C’99. The event is free, but registration closes at noon EDT tomorrow, April 19^th. Register here. The show will go on, rain or shine. Please note backpacks and umbrellas will not be allowed in Penn Park.

Read the article in The Daily Pennsylvanian today about the event.

During the event, screens around the park will showcase your Instagram photos with the #PennTimetoShine hashtag. Can’t make the event? Share your Penn Pride with us – post your photo of you and your friends or your clubs on Instagram (wearing your Penn gear) with the hashtag #PennTimetoShine and you’ll be featured during the celebration (and of course you can follow along on Instagram and twitter too).

The Regional Clubs team already got into the spirit:

Penn Alumni Regional Clubs director Tara Davies’ post. L-R: Molly Rand, Marge Tinsley, Laura Foltman, Tara Davies, Kiera Reilly and Casey Ryan (not pictured: Denise Bowden).

Casey Ryan, C’95, post. Follow Casey on Instagram @IrishWombat

Kiera Reilly, C’93, post. Follow Kiera on Instagram @KieraReilly

Please like our photos on Instagram!

Penn Alumni (PennAlumni)

University of Pennsylvania (UofPenn)

Penn Alumni Regional Clubs team:

Tara Davies (TaraAnnDavies)

Kiera Reilly, C’93 (KieraReilly)

Casey Ryan, C’95 (IrishWombat)

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Filed under Campaign, Casey R., GAN, Kiera R., Making History, Molly Rand, Penn Clubs, Photos, Social Networking, West Coast Regional Office

Tagged as #MakingHistory, #PennTimetoShine, #TimetoShine, GAN, instagram, kiera, Kiera Reilly, penn alumni, Penn Clubs, Photographs, photos, Regional clubs, Regional Penn Clubs, Social Networking, West Coast Regional Office

March 29, 2013 · 5:39 am

Penn Club of Utah Fourth Annual Day of Service

Author: Art Warsoff, W’83

The Penn Alumni Club of Utah had their Fourth Annual Day of Service on February 23rd. Each year, we donate canned goods and help sort food at the Utah Food Bank followed by a networking lunch at Red Iguana, our favorite Mexican restaurant in the city. Other Ivy League and East Coast alumni clubs are invited to this annual tradition. This year, the Diplomats of Franklin & Marshall again joined the Quakers for a fun event. Everyone looks forward to this great tradition.

Hurrah, Hurrah, Penn Club of Utah! Thank you for your service!

Submitted by Kiera Reilly, C’93

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Tagged as GAN, kiera, Kiera Reilly, penn alumni, Penn Clubs, Photographs, photos, Regional clubs, Regional Penn Clubs, Utah, Volunteering, West Coast Regional Office

January 25, 2013 · 9:26 am

Happy 307th Birthday Ben Franklin!

By Kiera Reilly, C’93 @KieraReilly

Every year, Penn Alumni clubs around the world gather to celebrate Penn’s founder, Ben Franklin. Many clubs celebrate on Ben’s birthday, January 17^th, but others celebrate throughout the month of January.

The Penn Alumni Regional Clubs website lists all of these celebrations. There is still time to raise a toast to Ben in Baltimore (Jan. 31^st), Seattle (Jan. 27^th) and Westchester and Rockland Counties, NY (Jan. 31^st).

The Penn Club of Portland (Oregon) gathered on January 17^th to raise a toast. Here’s how they notified members:

Benjamin Franklin visited Ireland in 1771 and was invited to sit with the members of the Irish Parliament rather than in the gallery with other visitors. He was the first American to be given this honor. While touring Ireland, he 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 feared that America could suffer the same effects should Britain’s colonial rule continue. So, we are honoring this event on Benjamin Franklin’s 307th birthday on Thursday, January 17th, at where else?

Kells Irish Brew Pub

210 NW 21st Avenue

Portland

Join in celebrating Ben Franklin’s 307th birthday with Penn alums and friends. Beer lovers have long claimed that Franklin’s love of beer led him to say: “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Wine lovers and Walter Isaacson know that the actual quote was: “Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine, a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy.” The good news is that both will be available (along with a happy-hour menu until 6:30pm) to continue the proof.

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

RSVPs, while not required, are always appreciated.

Club president John Vosmek, C’61, said, “We never had more than 10 at one time – people came and went, but it was all fun.”

Here’s a toast to dear old Ben!

The Penn Club of Portland celebrates Ben Franklin on January 17, 2013.

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Filed under Alumni Programming, Ben Franklin, Clubs, Events, GAN, Historical, Kiera R., Penn Clubs, West Coast Regional Office

Tagged as Ben Franklin, Birthday, Event, GAN, kiera, Kiera Reilly, penn, penn alumni, Penn Alumni Regional Clubs, Penn Clubs, Photographs, photos, Regional clubs, West Coast Regional Office

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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Tagged as freshmen, GAN, kiera, Kiera Reilly, Penn Class of 2016, Penn Club of Orange County, Penn Club of Portland, Penn Club of San Diego, Penn Club of Seattle, Penn Clubs, Regional Penn Clubs, Student Send-offs, West Coast Regional Office

July 26, 2012 · 8:35 pm

Penn Serves LA

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

Penn Serves LA’s first event at the Turning Point Shelter in Santa Monica, CA.

On Saturday June 9, Penn Serves LA hosted its first successful volunteer event. More than 20 Penn alumni and friends were on hand to serve dinner with dignity to the 55 residents of Turning Point Shelter in Santa Monica. Volunteers brought chicken, salad, dessert, decorations and more to prepare this memorable meal.

“We are thrilled that first event exceeded our expectations of interest from Los Angeles Penn alumni and their families,” shares Jane Gutman, CW’73, PAR’14, PAR’16, a founding member of the Penn Serves LA Committee. Jane, along with Denise Winner, W’83, Leanne Huebner, W’90, Aileen Level, C’99, GSEd’00, and others, have been putting their various nonprofit experiences and connections together to get Penn Serves LA together and running.

Penn alumni helping in the kitchen.

Making lunches for the Turning Point residents.

In these difficult economic times, many succumb to homelessness due to job loss and these shelters are key to getting them back on their feet. According the Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty at the Weingart Center, an estimated 254,000 men, women and children experience homelessness in Los Angeles County during some part of the year and approximately 82,000 people are homeless on any given night. Interestingly, 32% of LA’s homeless have bachelors’ degrees (compared to 45% of the overall population) and 41% have worked in the previous year.

PennClubLA’s Snehit Neenakri, GEN’09, and Jane Gutman, CW’73, PAR’ 14, PAR’16.

The Penn Serves LA goal is to volunteer our services as Penn alumni, parents and family to contribute to needy nonprofits in our community. Penn Serves LA is regularly scheduling service events whereby Quakers can proudly work together to service the Los Angeles community. We are working in partnership with PennClubLA, Wharton Club of Southern California, and the Southern California Regional Advisory Board.

Serving food from the kitchen.

The next Penn Serves LA event is September 22 The group will serve lunch at The Midnight Mission. More details will be available soon, and the event will be promoted via emails and through the local Penn and Wharton clubs.

The Penn Serves LA committee is seeking more LA-based alumni, parents and students to support our initiative. If you have interest in learning more, or in joining us on September 22, please contact pennserves@gmail.com.

All photos (c) Kiera Reilly.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Programming, Clubs, Events, GAN, Kiera R., Penn Clubs, Penn Serves LA, Photos, Volunteering, West Coast Regional Office

Tagged as community service, Denise Winner, Event, Jane Gutman, kiera, Kiera Reilly, Leanne Huebner, Los Angeles, Penn Club Los Angeles, Penn Club of LA, Penn Clubs, Penn Serves LA, PennClubLA, Photographs, photos, Regional Penn Clubs, Volunteering, western regional office, WhartonSoCal

July 25, 2011 · 7:48 pm

Still in Love with Penn

Author: Nicole Oddo, C’05

Like most of you, I love my time at Penn. Yes, “love,” not “loved.” While I graduated in 2005, Penn is still a part of my every day experience. I hope to share a bit from an enamored alumna’s perspective from the beginning.

I remember getting involved in the summer of 2005 with the Penn and Wharton Club of Arizona. I simply wrote an email that said:

July 19, 2005 ~10 AM

“I look forward to meeting alumni in Phoenix and would be interesting in helping out.”

In turn, I received a friendly response from the webmaster. Here’s his follow up email:

July 19, 2005 ~8:30 PM

“As it turns out, the timing of your e-mail was quite fortuitous — as you are a recent graduate, you probably fall into the category of young Alumni, and it came up in the meeting that we are in need of a Young Alumni Coordinator… Based on the enthusiasm of your e-mail, we’d love to have you assume this post.”

Fast forward to today, and I find myself going into my second year as the President of the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia. And I love it. Sure, like everyone else, my professional life is demanding and there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. However, the rewards for being involved are seemingly endless.

I have been to private art exhibits, had dinners with professors, attended baseball games, met some of the most interesting people at events ranging from galas to cocktail parties, had behind the scenes access to restaurants like Lacroix, and celebrated Ben Franklin’s birthday in style. I’ve planned First September events in three cities and am truly looking forward to our Philadelphia 2011 party at Yards.

I can’t believe it’s been six years since I graduated and started my lifelong role as an alumna. It’s easy to get involved – wherever you are. Check out the regional clubs here or feel free to email me (especially if you are in the Philadelphia area).

Don’t wait to begin your alumni experience!

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Programming, Clubs, GAN, Nicole O., Penn Clubs

Tagged as Penn Club of Philadelphia, Penn Clubs, Regional Penn Clubs

April 29, 2011 · 9:00 am

My Top Penn List: Largest Alumni Clubs

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

Anyone who has spent any time in Philadelphia should be familiar with “Move Closer to Your World,” the television news music jingle made famous by its use on Action News on Channel 6, ABC’s affiliate WPVI-TV. Since Action News has been the highest-rated station in Philadelphia for four decades, the theme has become a large part of the Philadelphia consciousness especially the first four lines.

“Move closer to your world, my friend
Take a little bit of time
Move closer to your world, my friend
And you’ll see…”

Taking the advice from the song, for my Top Penn List, I wanted to share with you the 10 largest Penn Alumni Communities with clubs, so you can engage closer with your Penn world wherever you are.

10 First, we travel outside of the States, to our largest international club, The Penn Club of United Kingdom, London, UK