Freshmen will explore Phila. in new orientation program

With SEPTA maps in hand, the University's freshmen will have the opportunity Saturday to explore Philadelphia's mass transit system as part of a new segment of New Student Orientation. At the day-long outing, the students will tour 30th Street Station, where they can explore Amtrak and other regional rail lines. The freshmen will also take subway and streetcar rides and learn about the city's bus lines. This, and five other events designed to take new students off-campus, extends New Student Orientation into late-October. The additions -- called the Penn in Philadelphia segment -- are an effort to educate new students on what the city has to offer. Robert Hassett, a College senior and co-coordinator of NSO, said this is the first time ever that orientation will be more than a long string of campus activities interrupted sparingly with a city event. "It's the most extensive orientation program we've done," he said. "We've never included the city before." In addition to the mass transit tour, other city events include a trip to South Street September 20, a day at the Manayunk Indian Summer Festival October 5 and a visit to the King of Prussia malls October 26. The Penn Band will play at King of Prussia and students will receive a book of coupons to use at the malls. Students will take the trips by bus and pay a $4 transportation fee. Freshmen also attended Philadelphia's Super Sunday music festival last weekend. Hassett said the new events came to life out of requests from University President Judith Rodin and Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, asking NSO organizers for a more definite commitment to familiarizing new students with the city. A committee of professors, students and administrators formed to design city-centered programs. "Everyone offered his own idea of what a program in the city should have, and the orientation program's director, Laurie Reed, put it all together to have what we have this year," Hassett said. College freshman Amy Weinstein said she liked the idea of events coming after the regular orientation because of the hectic pace and confusion of students' first few days on campus. "There were so many things to do that it was tough to know where to be and where to go," she said. And College freshman Micah Westerman noted that students should have the opportunity to explore off-campus sites. Looking forward to having freshmen learn early on about the city, Hassett said he recalls how his first taste of Center City led him to discover Philadelphia's offerings during his time at school.