Phila. College Fest to kick off tomorrow

Whether you're into exploring Philly culture, donating some time to community service, finding an internship or just enjoying a free concert headlined by Busta Rhymes, the Philadelphia College Festival -- which kicks off tomorrow -- offers something for everyone. All events, which span a week, are specifically intended for Philadelphia-area college students. The festival is part of a city-wide effort to send the message that "Philadelphia is not only a wonderful place to study for college students, but a good place to make their home after graduation as well," said James Cuorato, director of the Philadelphia Commerce Department. It all begins at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning with College Day on the Parkway. All day, cultural institutions along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will offer free admission to any student with a college ID. The event is sponsored by the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Those unfamiliar with the Philly cultural scene will have a lot to choose from. Participants include the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Franklin Institute Science Museum, Free Library of Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences, Galleries at Moore College of Art and Design, Rodin Museum, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, the Fabric Workshop and Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art and Penn's own Museum of Archaeology. After perusing a few museums, organizers don't want you to head back to campus right away. The kick-off concert and expo begins at 3 p.m., also right on the Parkway. On top of the free Busta Rhymes concert, which will also feature 10 other bands, the Expo will offer food, free rock wall climbing, sumo wrestling, giant magnetic poetry and various giveaways. On Sept. 24, the Philadelphia College Festival Internship Fair will be held at the Kimmel Center in Center City. This is a new addition to the festival, which has been an annual event since 1999. From noon to 6 p.m., college students can check out over 150 businesses offering both paid and volunteer internship opportunities. "I think this is a marvelous opportunity for our students," said Peggy Curchack, associate director of Career Services. "The more opportunities students have to learn about potential internships and jobs and to get comfortable with networking, the better." "There is a lot of initiative across the Delaware Valley to encourage students to work here in the summer and for grads to stay and work in the area," she added. Finally, on Sept. 28, the Fairmount Park Student Volunteer Beautification Day will conclude the festival. Students can do some community service at one of Philadelphia's parks from 9 a.m. until noon. Organizers of the festival feel that these varied events give students a chance to experience new sides of the city. "Really, the purpose is to welcome college students to Philadelphia and expose them to everything the city has to offer," said Carol de Fries, executive director in the University's Office of Government, Community and Public Affairs, who chairs the planning committee for Campus Philly and serves as Penn's representative. "The idea is to draw students off their campuses at the very beginning of the academic year," she added. According to de Fries, about 3,000 Penn students attended the festival last year, and she expects an even greater turnout this year, since the event is being promoted as part of "No Place like Penn" weekend. Campus Philly became a partner in organizing and promoting the festival two years ago. The organization is student-run by representatives from Philadelphia-area colleges. It operates the official Philadelphia College Festival Web site and publishes a magazine, GO. The Knowledge Industry Partnership, a Philadelphia organization led by University President Judith Rodin, is also a sponsor of the events. "With the College Festival, we are a liaison between the city and the colleges," said Jon Herrmann, general manager of Campus Philly and a 2000 Penn graduate. "We've distributed thousands of pieces of literature over the past eight weeks at about 35 different colleges." Herrmann expects students to come in from all over the area for the festival events. "In '99 this was a one-day event. Now it's four big events," he said. "There should definitely be a solid turnout."

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