Houston Hall celebrates centennial in style

Glee Club members walked into a packed Hall of Flags in Houston Hall yesterday singing "Happy Birthday." Their chorus commemorated the centennial of the nation's first student union. As balloons fell, University President Judith Rodin cut the first piece of the cake -- a miniature replica of Houston Hall. The cake-cutting was the culmination of a week-long celebration of the student center's 100th birthday. According to Kris Werez, the centennial committee's co-chairperson, the festivities "commemorate 100 years of service to the Penn community and look forward to the next 100 years." The Penn Band entertained the lunchtime crowd until Rodin arrived at 12:30 p.m. Before cutting the cake, Rodin spoke about the significance of Houston Hall's past and future. "Houston Hall will be restored to its old glory, and the Perelman [Quadrangle] will be nothing less than incredible," she said. The ceremony also featured the unveiling of a new flag created to commemorate the centennial. It will hang in the Hall of Flags next to the flag from Houston Hall's 90th anniversary. The festivities also included the presentation of a centennial plaque. After the official ceremonies had finished, people enjoyed cake and ice cream and participated in various activities in the student center's lobby. "I look at this place and think of the future, not the past," Provost Stanley Chodorow said. "It was prettier 30 years ago when I came here as a visiting athlete, and the Perelman Quad will make it prettier again." Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum recalled coming to Houston Hall as a high school student during the Penn Relays. "I was overwhelmed by how comforting Houston Hall was even for me, as a North Philadelphia kid," she said. "Now it's really a privilege to celebrate the fabulous first hundred and to anticipate a fantastic future for Houston Hall." For Engineering sophomore Raymond Lee, the celebration was special because it was something that, "doesn't happen all the time." "It's nice to have the president and different activities represented in the centennial festivities," he added. Wharton graduate student Bob Vogel said he is optimistic about the future of Houston Hall. "It's nice to recognize the history of this building, but Penn is smart for looking forward with the Perelman Quad because Houston Hall is not as large and nice as other student unions," he said. "Every campus needs someplace for students to congregate and the new facility may serve that purpose." But while College sophomore Jennifer Mendel appreciated the effort put into the celebration, she expressed concern about the cost of the event. "How ironic that the administration can spend tons of money on printing up balloons for special occasions, yet they can't seem to muster up enough funding for truly important matters which directly affect the students," Mendel said. As the celebration continued in the Hall of Flags, students commemorated the centennial in the lobby, where they could dress up in old-fashioned clothing and take pictures in front of the fireplace. "We wanted to do it in front of the fireplace so that students could look back at the pictures and see part of Houston Hall," said Catherine Crissman, a graduate assistant in Office of Student Life, Activities and Facilities.