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"It is hard NOT to remember being a woman at Penn! To paraphrase
Shania Twain, "Man, I felt like a woman!" -- a physically
hot and uncomfortable and weight-gaining woman, with strange cravings
for what we called 'dirty water hot dogs' from the vendors on Walnut
Street; a woman being kicked hard under the ribs for about five
months, because in January 1983, I found out I was pregnant! This
was definitely not in the plans (we wanted a baby but I wanted my
graduate degree first). Graduation was mid-August and my son was
due August 30. Our class had been measured for our 'marching gowns'
several months before, and I wondered if I'd even make it to graduation,
much less fit into that spacious outfit at the rate I was growing.
I remember walking down the aisle on graduation day to get my diploma
and praying that my water wouldn't break while I stood on stage
shaking the Dean's hand. I kept my fingers crossed that at least
one of the esteemed professors present also specialized in midwifery
or obstetrics. If being born at Penn was good enough for me, then
it would have to be good enough for this baby! To this day, my son,
now 18, has to eat McDonald's several times a week or he seems to
go into withdrawal. I suspect it's because of the number of times
I ate at the CHOP McDonald's during the seven months he and I were
at Penn 'together'! Good thing his mom was a mental health nurse
who knew so much about prenatal nutrition(!). Hot dogs, Big Macs
and a great education. Those are my memories of Penn!"
-- Marcia (Pinsky) Starkman,
MSN RN, GNU'83
"My memories of being a woman at Penn revolve around the Quaker
Notes, which was started in 1980 by Maya Windholz and Cathy Farrell.
Most vividly I remember an ad in the DP calling on all singing women
to meet in Vance Hall to gauge interest in forming an a cappella
group on campus. One of my biggest disappointments after arriving
on campus was that women weren't allowed in the glee club -- and
there was no other outlet for singing popular music. Needless to
say, I attended that meeting, the room was packed that night, and
a feeling of solidarity and sisterhood was born. I was lucky enough
to be chosen as one of 12 'founding members' and enjoyed three years
of twice-weekly rehearsals and singing under all kinds of conditions.
We learned to work together as a group, we supported each other,
and we still keep in touch today. Quaker Notes is the organization
that kept me sane and added so much to my college memories."
-- Lorrie Sheppard Lindhult,
C'84
"My first thought of what was it like
to be a woman at Penn was the feeling of not being physically safe
on the streets at night. I had come from a small town and living
in the city of Philadelphia was scary. I don't know if the danger
was real or imagined, but I remember the blue security lights and
the rope pulls in the bathrooms to this day. Along with the fear,
though, there was great opportunity to do new things and learn in
and out of the classrooms. The women's studies classes in particular
were very high in quality. I remember living in Van Pelt House with
much fondness."
-- Robin Goldberg, FAS'83
"One of my fondest memories was being
a freshman on the Women's Varsity Basketball team in 1985. We generally
had a total of about 25 people who came to cheer us on for our home
games; the men's basketball team usually had a few thousand. But
our fans were all of our personal friends and a few family members
-- and they cheered us on at a decibel level that filled The Palestra
like a million people."
-- Tanya McRae, C'89
"One of my best memories was playing
on the men's ultimate frisbee team and then starting a women's team
-- the first women's ultimate frisbee team at Penn, which we named
The Zephyrs and ultimately became one of the best teams in the region
before I left in 1984. It's a real kick for me to meet other women
who have played on the team since then! I'd also say that taking
a class with Robert Shayon at Annenberg changed my life -- it was
called 'New Directions in Telecommunications'. He brought in the
greatest speakers, and I went on to work in the new media and internet
economy because of that class. To this day, I still talk about it!"
-- Suzanne Biegel, W'84, C'84
"I don't remember being treated differently
from my male classmates, although there were times when I preferred
not to travel sections of Locust Walk because of potential behavior
from the fraternity brothers lounging in front of their houses.
One time when I *was* aware of my gender was watching the men's
rowing teams receive alumni support, which women's crew lacked."
-- Linda Warren Strange, C'85
"My Penn memories? Everything about the
first two years -- 1979 and 1980 -- of Bloomers! I had the good
fortune to be involved in supporting the production. It was a great
group of talented women, and I totally enjoyed their work and working
with them."
-- Susan Borke, W'80
"Some of my favorite memories of being
a woman at Penn are the hours I spent singing with a fabulous group
of women -- The Quaker Notes."
-- Cynthia Goldfine Kaiser,
C'85, G'87
"I hate to be a crank here, but my strongest memories/feelings
about being a woman at Penn (1981-1985) was the very unlovely ATO
gang rape of a fellow woman student, and how the entire campus became
divided about this. (She must have asked for it, right?) I certainly
hope things have improved for women on campus since then."
-- Susie Allen, C'85
"I have wonderful memories of the Women's Soccer Club at Penn. We
were the precursor to the varsity team and laid the groundwork for
the current successful team. I remember many early morning practices
(it was the only time we could get field space) and fighting to
get recognition from Penn Athletics. We were the only Ivy who *didn't*
have a women's team, and our sisters at the other schools put us
on their schedules out of solidarity. It was a great group of women
and a fun time!"
-- Kathleen Norton, SEAS / W'83
"At a Wharton Women event, a woman who had her own very successful
company came to speak. Her professional accomplishments were certainly
very impressive -- started a company, grew it, managed it -- and
in the Q+A after her talk, someone asked what price she'd paid in
her personal life in order to accomplish what she had professionally.
She replied, 'I have no husband, no children, no boyfriend, no pet.
Not even a plant. I don't have time for a personal life. My work
is my life.' I remember thinking then that I didn't want to pay
such a high price for extraordinary professional achievements. I
knew very clearly that I wanted a career, but just as clearly that
I wanted a life that included a family. Of the many things I remember
from Penn, this memory stands out far more than the material I learned
in any class."
-- Holly (Stamer) Moscovitz,
W'85
"Although I'm a WG'80 alum, I have a much earlier Penn memory.
In the summer of 1965 (before my senior year of high school), I
had an interview on campus with an admissions officer. Although
he didn't know my grades or SAT scores, he said, 'You're a girl
from the Midwest; you'll never get in.' Needless to say, I didn't
apply. When I applied years later at the age of 29 to go to Wharton
grad, I conducted a marketing campaign to convince Wharton that
I should attend."
-- Phyllis Zimbler Miller, WG'80
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