Our daily newsletter rounding up all of the top headlines from the DP. Get it Monday-Friday in your inbox. Free.
Sign up »
34th Street Magazine's "Toast" is a semi-weekly newsletter with the latest on Penn's campus culture and arts scene. Delivered Monday-Wednesday-Friday. Free.
Sign up »
Penn, Unbuttoned is Penn's only intentionally satirical newsletter, giving you your weekly dose of comedy from Under the Button every Wednesday. Free.
Sign up »
Quaker Nation is a weekly sports newsletter covering all things Penn sports. Delivered Monday mornings to your inbox. Free.
Sign up »
Recruiter's Row is a biweekly recruitment newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on all things employment related. Get it in your inbox every other Wednesday. Free.
Sign up »
I've already signed up
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
A wave of discrimination has plagued the nation since the terrorist attacks earlier this month, with innocent Arab, Muslim and South-Asian Americans facing harassment, vandalism, assaults and even murder.
As if the Wharton curve didn't provide enough competition, students can now take part in online auctions and bidding battles.
In a cozy fifth floor lounge in the Quadrangle's Provost Tower, a handful of students put aside their homework and quietly gathered around a wide-screen television.
After more than a year of jumping financial hurdles, Hillel will finally begin construction on its new $12 million central campus location in October.
Despite three significant cancellations during No Place Like Penn weekend, students put aside watching 24-hour newscasts, opting for the annual events.
Not every social event this weekend was geared toward erasing all memory of Tuesday's tragedy with alcohol.
While organizers chose not to cancel the annual No Place Like Penn festivities due to Tuesday's terrorist attacks, headlining comedian Dave Chappelle postponed his performance last night.
The American and Penn flags flew at half-mast on Irvine Auditorium's stage as the University community trickled in solemnly and took their seats.
The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is prepared to receive a possible influx of victims from yesterday's terrorist strike, should bed space in New York or Washington run out.
Imagine climbing to an altitude of over 29,000 feet, encountering steep cliffs of ice, wide crevasses and avalanches along the way.
When Jennifer Weber, then a college sophomore, founded Strictly Funk Dance Movement in 1997, she never imagined that it would lead to international recognition.
As America's oldest university, Penn has seen its share of history-making events, notable alumni and athletic records since its founding in 1740.
It's certainly not Animal House, but Penn's Greek system nonetheless plays a major role in many students' Saturday night plans.
One way to attempt deciphering the complex and controversial Israeli-Palestinian relations is to hear both sides of the story. So guest speakers Rashid Khalidi, a professor of Middle Eastern history and an expert on Palestinian culture, and Yael Zerubavel, chairwoman of the Department of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University, delivered a lecture entitled "The Construction of National Identities: Israelis and Palestinians" in Stiteler Hall on Wednesday afternoon to an audience of nearly 100 students and faculty. With Khalidi's expertise in Palestinian identity and Zerubavel's in Israeli identity, the panel discussion highlighted the origins and modern-day issues surrounding Israeli-Palestinian relations. Khalidi, the director of the Center for International Studies at the University of Chicago, stressed that difficult dilemmas can only be resolved through recognizing history's effect upon the present. "The past is going to have to be confronted," Khalidi said. "There is no other way." Zerubavel, founding director of the Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life, emphasized the need to grasp Israeli sentiments -- apart from the media's viewpoint -- in untangling the conflicts. "The majority of American Jews today are much less interested in Israel than before," Zerubavel said. Audience members, who kept the guest speakers busy for over an hour, found the discussion informative and thought provoking. "Rarely do we ever hear people from both sides discuss their personal experiences or even discuss their scholarly ideas without some media intervention," said Nabih Bulos, a College sophomore. "These panels are a great way to gain insight into the workings of the Middle East and would help people make their own judgments on the whole affair, as opposed to relying on a highly inaccurate mixture of religious and political propaganda." Nubar Hovsepian, associate director of the Middle East Center, invited the lecturers as a mandatory supplement to his class, "Contemporary Politics of the Middle East," in which students are studying Khalidi's and Zerubavel's award-winning books. Hovsepian said it was important to open the panel discussion to the public. "One of our mandates is to create intelligent discussion in the University pertaining to the Middle East," Hovsepian said. "We want to create a community of learning rather than a discussion behind barricades."
In their free lunch hour between Navy drills, physical training and classes, roommates Casey Monahan and Jess Maillou make time to watch A Makeover Story on The Learning Channel. When they heard the show was coming to Philadelphia, they jumped at the chance -- especially since the makeover would be just in time for the Navy Spring Ball. "We just thought it would be fun," Maillou said. Monahan and Maillou, Nursing sophomores and members of the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps at Penn, filled out an online application and -- to their surprise -- were chosen out of an applicant pool of thousands to appear on the show. A Makeover Story documents the transformation of real-life people from their old, everyday "before" look to a new and glamourous "after" look. Producer Marianne Vogel said the application staff chose Monahan and Maillou for their unique situation. "Because they're in ROTC, they were always in sweats and T-shirts," Vogel said. "It's a dramatic change, and they were open and willing." Although Monahan and Maillou were not fashion disasters, their schedules left little time for dressing up, and they wanted to surprise their fellow ROTC members at the dance. "Being in the ROTC puts restrictions on what we can wear in front of other people in the unit," Monahan said, explaining that they are usually in either workout clothes or uniforms. The shooting for A Makeover Story began last Wednesday, when the film crew followed the two to their early morning Navy drills, their apartment, their microbiology lab and their physical training. The next day, the crew took Monahan and Maillou shopping separately for dresses, shoes and accessories. And on Saturday, the two spent over eight hours getting made over at Pierre and Carlo, a salon and spa at Broad and Walnut streets. "The makeover was the best part," Monahan said. Both were treated to manicures, pedicures, hairstyling and facials, all while talking to the camera. Filming was no problem for Monahan and Maillou. "The camera crew was so cool that it wasn't like talking to a camera," Casey said. "They never put words in our mouth. It was all our own thoughts." Their new hairdos were the most dramatic results of the process. "I used to be a blonde," said Maillou, grinning. Her short, curly hair is now red. Hairstylist Sonny del Grande added layers and highlights to Monahan's shoulder-length brown hair, which she had normally pulled into a ponytail. "We gave her a new, edgy look, the latest from Paris," del Grande said. "Because Philadelphia's not really a fashionable town, per se." After their makeovers, Monahan and Maillou modeled for the camera. "Vamping got old after 30 seconds," Maillou said. "You can only hold a smile for so long." Saturday evening, the two made a grand entrance at the dance, where the crew taped their friends' reactions. "They thought we looked awesome," Maillou said. Monahan agreed, saying "The response was good, better than we expected." "I thought they looked great," said College sophomore Kate Florenz, a friend and fellow ROTC member. "I can't wait to see the show when it comes out." Vogel said the show, scheduled to air in early October, went well. "It was a pretty smooth shoot," Vogel said. "The girls are happy. I'm happy." So, will Monahan and Maillou keep up their new look? "I love the length of my hair," Monahan said. "I'll probably go back to Pierre and Carlo to maintain it." "I love the color of my hair, but I don't know if I can keep it up financially," Maillou said. "But they said we'd get discounts." In any case, the two had a good time taking a break from their usual strenuous schedules to get pampered -- the entire makeover is estimated to have cost over $700 each, plus the cost of transportation and food. "We were treated like queens," Monahan said.
The campus and surrounding community are growing closer, one tree at a time. Penn students, community service groups, neighborhood residents and even students all the way from the University of Tennessee, planted over 100 trees along Walnut Street from 43rd to 48th Street on Saturday in a volunteer celebration of Arbor Day. Kicking off at around 9 a.m., the project was scheduled to go on until 4 p.m., but all trees were planted by 11:30 a.m. because of an unexpectedly large volunteer turnout. The event, planned by the Penn-initiated organization UC Green and other sponsors, began a month-long celebration on April 24, leading up to Arbor Day. Organizers expected 400 volunteers, but crowds kept flooding in throughout the morning, bringing the number of registered volunteers up to 1,200. Esaul Sanchez, director of UC Green, expressed his surprise to the crowd gathered in front of West Philadelphia High School, on the 4700 block of Walnut street. "We used to ask ourselves, 'What can we do?'" Sanchez said. "Now we're asking ourselves, 'What can't we do?'" Volunteers said they saw tree planting as an enjoyable way to beautify the neighborhood, help the environment and build relationships within the community. "Here at Penn, we live in a bubble," College freshman Katherine Lee said. "We need to reach out to the community because, even if it's just a tree, it can make a big difference." Public officials also recognized the community effort. "Not only will it make a big difference environmentally, but also in bringing the community together," said City Councilwoman Janie Blackwell, who represents West Philadelphia. "This is a wonderful community and this just makes it better.... It's a labor of love." Rashida Holmes, a Walnut Street resident, helped plant a tree in front of her house. "These are events that make this community so special," Holmes said. "It's a beautiful thing." Drawing over 500 Penn students, the tree planting proved especially popular among fraternities and sororities. Student clubs, athletic teams and independent groups contributed as well. Volunteers arriving late in the day were disappointed to find the tree planting already finished. Dmitry Koltunov, an Engineering sophomore and a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, came late to help out his pledge class. "I wish I'd come earlier," Koltunov said. "This was a great opportunity to see and improve our surrounding community." Organizers assigned extra tasks, such as collecting rocks and depositing mulch, to occupy the eager late-comers. University President Judith Rodin said she was confident that this event will improve relations between the University and the neighborhood. "They worked together and they planted together," Rodin said. "We'll have beautiful trees and beautiful relationships."
A social movement against poverty is on the rise and sweeping across campus. Willie Baptist, the education director of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, led a workshop entitled "Like Slaves to the Auction Block: Contemporary Realities of Race, Class, Gender, and Power" at Logan Hall Tuesday night. The event was part of Poverty Awareness Week, sponsored by Penn's Civic House. About 30 students attended. In a baseball cap, thick glasses and a KWRU T-shirt, Baptist discussed the issues surrounding the social movement to end poverty. Elizabeth Theoharis, who graduated from the College in 1998 with a major in Urban Studies, joined Baptist at Tuesday's workshop. Theoharis founded the annual Poverty Awareness Week during her years at Penn. Both Baptist and Theoharis stressed that the strength of the KWRU comes from the participation of the poor in activism. Baptist, formerly homeless and living on and off welfare for the past 10 years, has experienced poverty first-hand and knows the obstacles that lie in the way of success. He stressed that racism is one of these obstacles, noting that to overcome it, people must realize that poverty is a multiracial phenomenon. "It is not a black problem. It is not a hispanic problem. It is a problem of humanity," Baptist said. The workshop included a video of the poverty protest held during the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia last summer. Baptist and the KWRU participated in the tent city for the homeless and the march down Broad Street. Baptist and Theoharis encouraged the audience to get involved in the movement. "Become engaged with the problem," Baptist said. "There are many local organizations, including ours, that are dedicated to this cause. The first step is to get in contact with these groups." "Do whatever it is you want to do," Theoharis added. "Educate your peers and challenge yourself to be active and vocal on these issues." The audience, seated in a large circle, was clearly moved by Baptist's and Theoharis' words. "I think this is really important," College sophomore Risa Turetsky said. "I wish more people were here and that the message was getting out further." Baptist and Theoharis emphasized that events like these are just the beginning. "The American people have to change their minds about dealing with this issue," Baptist said.
Penn's own international celebrity gave a performance yesterday. Nobel Prize winner Alan MacDiarmid, a Chemistry professor, gave a speech entitled "Synthetic Metals: A Novel Role for Organic Polymers" in Logan Hall yesterday afternoon before a packed lecture hall. The audience, including mostly graduate students and faculty, received MacDiarmid warmly. MacDiarmid, along with colleagues Alan Heeger and Hideki Shirakawa, was recognized with the award this past fall for creating plastics that can conduct electricity while he was working at Penn in the 1970s. He sprinkled the lecture -- consisting of in-depth scientific explanations of his research -- with amusing anecdotes. MacDiarmid, who came to Penn close to fifty years ago, also stressed the importance of collaboration in science, saying that the Nobel prize was awarded to three men associated with Penn -- an organometallic chemist, a polymer chemist and a physicist -- as a result of their interdisciplinary efforts in scientific research. Provost Robert Barchi, who introduced MacDiarmid, put it best when he said, "This Nobel Prize is Penn work." Yesterday's event was part of the Provost's Lecture Series. After the lecture, Chemistry Department Chairman Hai-Lung Dai said of his colleague, "We've anticipated this moment for many years. It's been like a long-awaited dream." And Earth and Environmental Sciences Department Chairman Robert Giegengack -- who has known MacDiarmid for thirty-three years -- added, "He is a good scientist, a good teacher and a good person. It's a great thing." Sophomore Will Lavery, who "won" a ticket to the lecture in his Organic Chemistry class, enjoyed the lecture as well. "It's fascinating how the substance of his research is leading to this new explosion of technology," Lavery said. Following the lecture, a reception was held so that audience members could chat with the renowned scientist. At one point, a woman cautiously asked MacDiarmid if she could hold his Nobel medal -- to which he responded by running to his briefcase, pulling out the heavy piece of gold and passing it around to his admiring fans. MacDiarmid's success was driven by, as he puts it, "Color, curiosity and money... if you're not interested, your chances of making it are pretty darn small. And without money, you can't do research." And what does he mean by color? "I like pretty things," MacDiarmid said, explaining his attraction to shiny metals. MacDiarmid continues to teach both graduate and undergraduate classes at Penn and he plans to teach a freshman chemistry course next year. His advice to young students: "Be sure that you like at least 80 percent of what you are going to specialize in. You'll never like 100 percent." Hard work and perseverance have contributed to his success as well. "I am a very lucky person," MacDiarmid said. "And the harder I work, the luckier I seem to be."