COLUMN: Go out and play

From Sarah Giulian's, "From Under My Rock," Fall '96 From Sarah Giulian's, "From Under My Rock," Fall '96Students need to take advantage of theFrom Sarah Giulian's, "From Under My Rock," Fall '96Students need to take advantage of thecultural and social opportunities beyond theFrom Sarah Giulian's, "From Under My Rock," Fall '96Students need to take advantage of thecultural and social opportunities beyond theborder of campu. Otherwise, theu don't get the 'complete' Penn experience. From Sarah Giulian's, "From Under My Rock," Fall '96Students need to take advantage of thecultural and social opportunities beyond theborder of campu. Otherwise, theu don't get the 'complete' Penn experience.Ah, Philadelphia. Nine times out of 10, if you ask a student why he or she came to Penn, "to be in a city" will be one their answers. I've known people who graduated and never set foot outside of the 43rd to 33rd, Baltimore to Walnut streets grid -- except to voyage to the train station. I can think of nothing more pathetic. If people here think that living off-campus means experiencing the city, they are sadly mistaken. Even a walk to the 40th Street SEPTA stop can prove this point. Penn is part of Philadelphia, but certainly not all of it. Off-campus Penn students spread across a 3-by-5 block area near campus and live independently in a watered-down dormitory situation. If your journeys in the city involve going from your place of habitation to another Penn student's, with the occasional cab ride downtown for a movie or a semi-formal, and if you consider these journeys "experiencing the city," then you're in trouble. But don't worry. You're not alone. The problem is, everyone starts too late. Freshman year, virtually no one leaves campus unless it's the crew team heading out to Boathouse Row. Sophomore year, you realize the movie theater in University City -- when we're lucky enough to have one operating -- doesn't always cut it, and you venture cautiously out from time to time. Then you graduate. This column is your friendly little wake-up call. You don't live in a suburb. You don't live in farmland. Hopefully, you aren't living in a cave, so crawl out from under your expensive, polished rock. What we have here is a dilemma. Every single one of us knows how to be sucked up in the cyclone of our lives, running the treadmill of academics, activities and social graces. And even if you've given all of that up and resigned yourself to doing nothing but playing Sega, it's tricky to make the leap into the other world. The opportunities to experience this city are smacking us in the face. For example, every year the Philadelphia Orchestra -- when not on strike, as it currently is -- sets up a table on Locust Walk offering students vouchers for concerts at an incredibly generous low price. On the first Friday of every month, the city's downtown art galleries open their doors to everyone in Philadelphia. This event runs late into the evening, is entirely free and in addition to schmoozing with many a random person while munching on hors d'oeuvres and sipping jug wine, you can also drink in some culture. But even if culture doesn't attract you, activities still abound. Whether you're snapping photos on the subway, participating in the freak show on South Street on Halloween, chilling in the sun on Penn's Landing, checking out the famous annual holiday light show in December at Hecht's (formerly Wanamaker's) or just taking a bike ride down to the museum, there's always crazy stuff to do and new places to do it. And now, for the big kicker, SEPTA (the regional mass transit authority) is offering college students (like, say, maybe you) a super-cheap weekend discount on their buses and subways. Do I sound like an ad? Maybe. But from 6 p.m. on Friday until 2 a.m. on Monday you can hop on the blue line (the Market-Frankford El, which stops at 40th and 34th streets) and jet anywhere for a single dollar bill. Admittedly, seeing the city takes some motivation. It takes a little planning. But even spending an evening in one of Philly's many jazz bars is worth it. Don't let four years go by without recognizing your options. When someone asks "What's going on tonight?" don't simply answer with the frat party du jour. You won't regret going downtown, but you will regret missing your chance to.