Student groups prepare for incoming 2008 class

Though it will be months before the Class of 2008 sets foot on campus as official freshmen, measures are already being taken to assure that their initial experiences at Penn go as smoothly as possible.

With a Pennacle scholarship, an Undergraduate Assembly-created pre-frosh pamphlet and a revamped Student Committee on Undergraduate Education information booklet all scheduled to debut this year, Penn's student body is already preparing to welcome its newest classmates.

During the summer, incoming freshmen will be receiving a mailer created by this year's freshman UA members.

It's filled with things "they wish that they knew when they were entering college," Engineering and Wharton senior Matt Lattman said.

Lattman, who serves as the outgoing vice chairman of the UA, said that the pamphlet covers a variety of topics.

"It's everything from tricks to registering for classes to where to buy a refrigerator," he said.

The project -- which was the brainchild of College freshman Bren Darrow -- seeks to create "an independent, irreverent view" of college life, according to Lattman.

"A lot of the freshmen on this year's [UA] body ... felt that they were unprepared for life at Penn," he said.

In comparison to other mailings distributed by the University, Lattman described the UA's as a "very general overview" versus the "very detailed and specific" material that is contained in other pamphlets.

"It was designed to be easy to read so incoming students would actually read it -- rather than get overwhelmed," he said.

After the Class of 2008 digests the UA's mailing, it will also receive materials from SCUE.

The Practical Scholar: A Roadmap to Penn is a booklet distributed by SCUE intended to provide incoming students with information about a variety of academic issues that Penn students will face during their four years.

"It really is a comprehensive guide from your first day to your last day at Penn," College sophomore and SCUE Chair Samantha Springer said.

The booklet, which was last published five years ago, was forced to take a temporary hiatus due to a lack of funding and has now returned to simplify "a lot of these processes that are really daunting," according to Springer.

Exploring everything from the best places to study on campus to what to expect on graduation day, Springer describes "The Roadmap" as comprehensive.

"Penn students in general are really motivated and they want to get their feet wet as soon as possible," Springer said.

And now, with the addition of a Pennacle scholarship to the pre-orientation lineup, more students will be able to get their feet wet before New Student Orientation even begins.

Pennacle is a 3 1/2-day excursion to a nearby camp that focuses on "leadership development," according to Wharton sophomore Cynthia Wong. As the current UA Education Committee chairwoman and the incoming UA vice chairwoman, Wong created a resolution providing for up to 50 students to participate in Pennacle for half the price.

"It just seemed fair that students would get an equal opportunity to go on Pennacle regardless of financial constraint," Wong said, adding that PennQuest -- another pre-orientation program -- has offered a similar scholarship through the Trustees' Council of Penn Women since last year.

Outgoing UA Chairman and College senior Jason Levy said he sees Pennacle as a great experience for incoming freshmen.

Pennacle "has really placed an emphasis on improving the opening experiences that freshmen might have with Penn," he said.

Levy also stressed the long-term effects of the program.

"We definitely see a connection between positive first experiences at Penn and later leadership involvement -- and general happiness with campus life as they grow older," he said.

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