Engineers treated to chili dinner at profs'

Operation Chili had a trial run Sunday night when about 50 Engineering freshmen had a chili dinner at 10 faculty members' homes. The project was created by Engineering Dean Gregory Farrington to break the barriers that exist between faculty and students. Students were chosen randomly and invited to join a professor in their home for an evening of chili and conversation. "In my mind, first semester freshmen year is a critical time when we teach students what Penn is all about," Farrington said. "I hope this project will break up the distance that has been created over the years between faculty and students." The buses left the Towne Building at 4 p.m., delivering the students to various homes in the Media/Swarthmore area. Although 150 students were invited to attend, only 50 made it and the organizers said it was probably due to the overlap with midterms and Parents' Weekend. But both the students and faculty who participated were enthusiastic about the idea. "This is a great way to get students excited about Engineering," Engineering senior Veena Rau said. Rau and other upperclass students were along to help facilitate the evening. "I think it is a good experience to meet faculty outside the classroom," Engineering freshman Deniz Cultu said. "Especially as freshmen, because we don't see the professors without 200 other people ever." The informal setting of the evening was one of the things that students and faculty said made the evening a success. "Incoming freshmen don't realize what a professor has to offer and often are intimidated by them," Rau said. "This is a great way to help the students get over that initial fear and help them get to know some amazing professors." Associate Electrical Engineering Professor Santosh Venkatesh, who hosted a chili evening at his home, said he felt events like this help to make the University a little friendlier. "It's really nice to take time off from work and see people in their own surroundings," Venkatesh said. "It makes the atmosphere more collegiate and lets people relax and enjoy their experience at Penn." Mechanical Engineering Professor John Bassani commented on the need to close the gap between faculty and students at the University. "There's a sense that faculty need to have more direct contact with undergraduate students, this is becoming a major issue across campus," Bassani said. Because of the overwhelmingly positive response, Farrington has planned future Operation Chilis in order to include more freshmen. "I think in the end it will have been an amazing experience for students to meet each other, upperclassmen and faculty members, and also, it's just plain fun," Farrington said.