Rodin tastes life at Penn during overnight stay at Hill House

The University president was treated to the dorm's annual international food festival during her stay. Chocolate-covered caterpillars -- sound tasty? The African delicacies were just one of the many dishes offered to University President Judith Rodin during Hill College House's annual international food festival Thursday. Though she didn't actually eat the insects, the event was just the beginning of Rodin's night at Hill, which continued with a reception, some schmoozing and a snack before she went to sleep in a guest suite. "We're trying to keep it a Hill event, not a presidential event [so she'll see] what Hill is really like," said House Faculty Master James O'Donnell, the University's vice provost for information systems and computing. During the food festival, several hundred Hill residents tasted cuisine from all around the world, while some dressed in traditional ethnic garb. Later, at a reception hosted by O'Donnell and the Hill staff, Rodin recalled her days at Penn, when she spent much of her time at Hill. Throughout the night, Rodin listened to Hill residents speak proudly about their residential community. "We tell everyone, 'We're it, we're the model,' " said outgoing House Dean Tracy Feld. Engineering sophomore Christian Acosta, one of the Hill managers, explained to Rodin that in the dorm "[each suite is] this really cozy family? [featuring] this feeling of belonging." Rodin reminisced about the Hill House of the 1960s, explaining that "we used the lounges, but we didn't have the concept of suites." She also noted that all residents at that time -- Hill was a solely female dorm then -- were required to wear skirts to the dining hall. The 18 male students and two females in the suite which hosted the president were amused by the amount of preparation that went into the Rodin visit. Several students said maintenance workers swept and waxed the floors for three days in a row, while College freshman Matthew Grove couldn't believe "that they put in new curtains and a new shower head [in Rodin's room] for one night." Rodin's adopted first-floor suite, along with the house's 16 other suites, were required to cook at least one ethnic food. However, students ate all the food so quickly that Rodin didn't get a chance to sample the dishes. She was, however, treated to a spontaneous improvisational dance by two members of Onda Latina, Penn's Latino dance troupe. Normally, the food festival takes place later in the fall. However, when they found out about Rodin's interest in attending, event planners Jaime Hojdila and Claire Nguyen scrambled to pull the event off. Given their scant notice, the two College sophomores were pleased with the results. Hojdila, who designed an immense "Judy in da House" banner, said: "Judith Rodin came tonight to see a well-run college house. This is an example of us pulling together and making it all work out." Rodin finished off her night with cookies and coffee. She fondly recalled her days as the student government president and the role she had in renaming the dorm after Wharton graduate Robert Hill in 1965. "[Penn's] an amazing place. It's got a rhythm and energy and spirit," said Rodin, dressed informally in her jeans and blazer. "That is a constant that hasn't changed."