Back in the United States after a stint in Brazil, Graduate School of Education student Sharon Entenberg found herself seated by the Compass on Locust Walk, once again absorbing the sound and rhythm of South American music.
"Of course, there was a bit more ambience in Brazil. But [Alo Brazil] is pretty good," she said of the live band that preceeded University President Judith Rodin's remarks at Wednesday's 60-Second Lecture Series.
Rodin delivered her lecture, "West Philadelphia in a UPenn Minute," to an eclectic audience comprised of University students and staff, construction workers and young families.
Highlighting the various improvements Penn is working to implement in West Philadelphia, Rodin cited the University's efforts to develop more retail options and to create "the kind of neighborhood in which we all can flourish."
Rodin also spoke about the controversial Penn-assisted public school, heralding it as an example of successful collaboration between the University and the surrounding community.
But like many of the previous lecturers, Rodin's enthusiasm for her topic could not be contained within 60 seconds.
However, Director of Summer Sessions Valerie Ross, the coordinator of the lecture series, defended her decision not to use a timing clock, saying that some speakers might be offended.
"It's a form, a genre, to speak in 60 seconds," Ross said prior to the main event.
But rather than focusing on the brevity of her lecture, Rodin focused on what she wanted to tell people, many of whom had not been on the Penn campus before.
This summertime series boasted a broader than usual audience, with many of the high school students on campus for summer programs stopping by, in addition to visiting students from other universities.
Rodin praised the University's summer programming as a way of bringing this diverse community together.
"This is harder to do in the summer when we have fewer people at campus," Rodin said after her performance.
When the lecture series was introduced by Ross in 1999, it existed on a much smaller scale. While well-attended, the series did not resume in summer 2000 due to the general disruption brought about by the Republican National Convention.
This summer, Ross said that the series is back "by popular demand."
Ross selects the speakers primarily on the basis of their reputations with students. Past lecturers this summer have included music professor Cristle Judd and microbiology professor Helen Davies, who sang a song on gonorrhea.
Ross thinks the summer is a terrific opportunity for Penn students to get the feel of a smaller liberal arts campus.
Musical guest Alo Brazil was characteristic of the broad cultural range of the series. As the series has developed, Summer Events Coordinator Lily Gonzalez has noticed a greater diversity in the types of music and food delivered alongside the actual lecture.
The scent of crispy rolls provided by a local Thai restaurant wafted during the lecture's concluding remarks. Afterwards, the rolls were handed out by Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Director Art Casciato.
Next Wednesday, the noontime series will be serving up University Provost Robert Barchi. As the lecture series website states, don't be late!
