Student leaders from all over Philadelphia will meet at Penn for the first time on Nov. 22.
This gathering, known as the Philly Campus Leadership Conference, will bring student representatives from across the city's colleges and universities.
The conference is being organized by a Management 100 group, the Undergraduate Assembly and Jon Hermann, the general manager of Campus Philly.
"Campus Philly is a non-profit initiative of the City of Philadelphia," Hermann explained.
According to Hermann, who graduated from Penn in 2000, Campus Philly leaders hope that this conference will help develop an inter-campus dialogue and a college town culture.
Campus Philly wants "college students in the region to learn Philly... so they'll stay here after they graduate."
UA member and College senior Aaron Short originally proposed the idea of the conference to Hermann in November 2001. Hermann brought the idea to Management 100 this September, and one group chose to take on the conference as their project.
"The Management 100 group is trying really hard to make it not just a Penn event," Short said. "I think that is really important."
Wharton freshman Cynthia Wong, a member of the Management 100 group, said that the management team has had a large role in the planning of the conference. The team has been in charge of marketing, logistics, picking out speakers and sending out the invitations.
Fifty schools from Philadelphia and the surrounding areas have been invited to the conference. Each school can send up to four student representatives for free.
The conference will include panels, workshops on leadership skills and discussion groups concerning community service and event planning. In addition, Philadelphia leaders, such as local politicians and non-profit entrepreneurs, will speak at the conference.
Organizers say they hope the conference will be a new and efficient way for student leaders from the different schools to discuss common issues and challenges.
"There are a few things that we would like to see discussed... transportation, university-community relationships," Short said.
A meeting for the student government presidents will also be held to discuss possible inter-campus activities. UA Chairman and College senior Seth Schreiberg will be giving the opening remarks at this meeting.
At the conference, there will also be a "student of color networking initiative" meeting. Papa Wassa Nduom, a College junior and chairman of the United Minorities Council, is working on reaching out to minority representatives from other campuses in order to make this meeting successful.
"It is a good way to meet other leaders," Short said. "I think it's going to be really beneficial for campus minority groups."
