Approximately 2,000 seniors graduate this weekend. Hopefully, we at the DP have had a relationship with most of you - to all of our readers and sources, we admire and salute your accomplishments. You're truly extraordinary. But we've gotten to know a handful of you especially well because you worked at the DP.
The task of writing this farewell has been on my mind for months. While I knew I had to do it, finding a way to fit four years into 700 words wasn't easy. I thought the best way to bid adieu to my undergraduate life was with a nice bedtime story a la Goodnight Moon.
Picture this: The University of Pennsylvania, fall 1951. Harry Truman is the president of the United States, we are in the midst of war with Korea and women are not allowed to sit on chairs in Houston Hall. Also that fall, my grandfather entered Penn as a freshman, just shortly after the University stopped using informal quotas to limit the number of Jews who were accepted.
CHEERS To SCUE, for pushing through two major online initiatives, Online Course Review and Online Syllabi. These two initiatives will make students' lives much easier - and will save tons of paper. To Women's Lacrosse and Men's Fencing, for their Ivy Championships.
The task of writing this farewell has been on my mind for months. While I knew I had to do it, finding a way to fit four years into 700 words wasn't easy. I thought the best way to bid adieu to my undergraduate life was with a nice bedtime story a la Goodnight Moon.
Picture this: The University of Pennsylvania, fall 1951. Harry Truman is the president of the United States, we are in the midst of war with Korea and women are not allowed to sit on chairs in Houston Hall. Also that fall, my grandfather entered Penn as a freshman, just shortly after the University stopped using informal quotas to limit the number of Jews who were accepted.
The conventional formula for a senior goodbye piece (whether it takes the form of a DP column or a commencement speech) goes something like this: 1.) Nostalgically list several fond, quintessentially-Penn memories-"I remember getting wasted at Smokes/being pelted at Hey Day/pissing on Ben Franklin's statue ." 2.
Janice Dow is a College sophomore from Los Angeles. Her e-mail address is dow@dailypennsylvanian.com
This weekend, many Penn students witnessed the crowds of juveniles at the corner of 40th and Walnut streets, and many more have heard about it from their friends. The incident - where West Philadelphia high schoolers crowded the corner and police officers were called in to monitor them - attracted much attention, due to the arrest of 10 youths for disorderly conduct, the blockade of streets, the closure of McDonald's and the unconfirmed reports of an assaulted officer.
Since I don't really go on Facebook, I thought that I'd use my very last DP column ever to write my "25 Things (You Probably Didn't Want To Know) About Me and Penn." Except I could only come up with 20. 1. Best place on campus: 6th floor of Van Pelt. Go check it out.
With graduation on the near horizon, many seniors are probably panicking about impending good-byes and separations. Some of us may be moving to a new city or country alone; some of us may be living apart from that best friend, girlfriend or boyfriend that we hoped we'd still share a zip code with.
Ilana Millner is a College junior from Washington Crossing, Pa. Her e-mail address is millner@dailypennsylvanian.com.
Alicia Puglionesi is a College senior from Haverford, Pa. Her e-mail address is puglionesi@dailypennsylvanian.com.
Penn has always seemed a bit out of place in West Philadelphia. The privileged students of this Ivy League University practically live side-by-side with some of the city's most economically impoverished families. We are, to put it simply, two harshly different worlds.
'We live in an age in which we must please everyone. And by everyone, I mean 'minorities.'" On March 27, Ryan Benjamin used this quote to depict the negativity inherent in group recognition along the lines of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion and other social identities.
On Friday, juniors tapped their canes down Locust and happily bit corners off Styrofoam hats as they took part in one of Penn's few truly revered traditions. At the same time, seniors enjoyed drinks and entertainment as they were symbolically welcomed into Penn's alumni community in a new traditional exercise.
The first time Susan Boyle popped onto my computer screen, I had no clue she would become a phenomenon within days, shocking the world with her unbelievable singing talents despite extremely low expectations. "Susan really makes you wonder how much undiscovered and unharnessed talent there is in the world," Engineering senior Mike Abuschinow said.
Daniel Schwartz is a College sophomore from Decatur, Ga. His e-mail address is dschwartz@dailypennsylvanian.com.
With the class of 2013 admitted, Penn Previewed and ready to register, the financial-aid application fears are mostly nonexistent among our newest pre-frosh. The taxes have been returned, the forms have been meticulously filled out and the aid notices have been received (albeit with mixed reactions).
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives unfortunately rejected a measure that would ban hand-held cell-phone use while driving in the state of Pennsylvania. While the measure was harsh - it made talking on a hands-held phone a primary offense, meaning violators could be fined steeply - it was heading in the right direction and would have made a strong impact.


