'DP' celebrates 112th anniversary

and Jaclyn LaPlaca The Daily Pennsylvanian celebrated an official transfer of the guards Saturday night at its annual banquet, highlighted by brief speeches, strawberry shortcake and various stages of inebriation. With wine and crackers in hand, DP staffers mingled during a cocktail hour which began at 7 p.m. in the Chinese Rotunda of the University Museum. The contingent then moved into the Upper Egyptian Gallery for a dinner of asparagus, diced potatoes and breaded poultry, served amidst the cheerful ambiance of a room full of entombed mummies. The keynote address was delivered by Lisa Cohen, a former DP staffer who now works as a producer for ABC's PrimeTime Live. Cohen spoke on the importance of internships for future jobs in journalism. She also disparaged rumors that the best way to get ahead in the industry was "to sleep your way to the top." This was followed by an awards ceremony during which 34th Street Managing Editor Jamie Phares won the DP Alumni Association's Writing Award for an article on a Wharton student-investor, and incoming Executive Editor Adam Mark won the Association's Photography award for a photo taken during last year's Spring Fling. DP beat reporter Ben Hammer received the Most Improved Reporter award and Associate Editor Randi Feigenbaum was dubbed Reporter of the Year. Front Office staff member Kerry Ann Dalip was honored as business staffer of the year and Business Manager of the Year laurels went to incoming Business Manager Peter Levine. The pinnacle of the evening came when, in an emotional ceremony, the outgoing 111th Board of Editors and Managers officially transferred power to the incoming 112th Board. Minutes later, goodbyes were said, parents were sent away, and the staffers headed to the Penn Tower hotel for dancing and drinking. Inside the crowded room, the bartenders served up a dizzying variety of alcoholic beverages. Outgoing Executive Editor Charlie Ornstein was heard greeting partygoers by asking if they were enjoying themselves. If they answered in the negative, the normally staid Ornstein instructed them to "keep drinking," advice the majority of staffers had no problem obeying. The dance floor itself was empty for much of the night, perhaps because many of the staffers were scared away by the sight of very large 34th Street Editor-in-Chief Jason Giardino doing a fine job proving that disco is not dead. But by about 1 a.m., many of the staffers had consumed enough alcohol to brave their way onto the dance floor. Outgoing Managing Editor Daniel Gingiss and incoming Managing Editor Kara Blond, for example, gave new meaning to the words "layout" with their dance floor maneuvering. And in a noteworthy development, incoming Assistant Managing Editor Amy Lipman managed to go the entire evening with only "a single drop of alcohol on her breath," according to incoming Sports Editor Jeff Wieland. By around 2 a.m., earlier than many would have liked, the party began to break up. After all, Monday was only a day away, and there was a newspaper to produce.