Festival gives students a taste of u. City

Held in Clark Park, the "Welcome to the Neighborhood" festival featured live entertainment and plenty of food. With an air of carnival and the smell of food, Saturday's "Welcome to the Neighborhood" festival in Clark Park brought together hundreds of local students and community members for a sunny day of music, dancing and getting to know otherwise-unfamiliar faces. Intended to encourage students to venture west of 40th Street, the festival -- which also served as the kick-off to Greek Week -- brought together dozens of area organizations and student groups. Among the event's co-coordinators were the Social Planning and Events Committee, the InterFraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council. State Rep. Jim Roebuck, West Philadelphia City Council member Jannie Blackwell and Penn's Director of Community Relations Glenn Bryan were on hand to welcome students and local residents alike to the first of what is hoped will become an annual event. "This is the best part of Philadelphia to live in," Roebuck said in his opening address. Organizations like the Philadelphia Historical Society, the University City District, the Spruce Hill Community Association and Civic House manned booths where they shared information about their activities. And from anjara to pizza, the multi-ethnic assortment of food exemplified the diverse makeup of the crowd and the residents living around the park. "This is really the community as we know it," Spruce Hill Community Association President Barry Grossbach said. Representatives of radio stations Y100 and Power 99 FM handed out free gifts and took down names for call-outs. Y100 held a voter registration drive and Power FM 99 radio personalities "The Dream Team" supplemented the musical events of the day, which included free swing and salsa lessons, the Inspirations a cappella group, African Rhythms, line dancing, and a step performance by members of Alpha Kappa Epsilon. The University City Historical Society, according to some visitors, opened their eyes to the rich array of housing in University City and the historical background of the area. "These great things that we had no idea ever existed in this neighborhood really made us realize it was much more historic than we thought," said Alyssa Cowan, a second-year graduate student in the School of Social Work. The fair weather and lively atmosphere helped paint a positive picture for many of the Penn students who would probably have never otherwise come to the park. "This is a good way to show everybody else that there is more to West Philly than Penn wants you to know," local resident Phil Young said.