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COMMENCEMENT 2008
On May 19th, Dawn and I were the Class of '96 flag-bearers at Commencement. It was one of those days that makes you proud to be a Quaker. For those of you who have been back to campus recently, you know how much the facilities and physical landscape have changed. But Dawn and I noted some other changes, as well. Instead of talking about classes, our plans for the coming weekend or our respective boyfriend/girlfriend, our conversation involved careers, spouses and children. But there was one change that stood out most in our minds: cell phones.
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Read our Class Notes
Class Giving | The Class of 1996 is currently
#13 in the list of top donors to The Penn Fund this fiscal year (July 1-June
30). Help us break into the top ten by making
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Think back to 1996….cell phones were very few and very far between. Yet, we all managed to get through our days and nights and our busy schedules. I also remember having to pick a place to meet the family after the graduation ceremony, or else there was no way I was going to find them. Now, the usually chaotic post-ceremony scene was quite orderly as everyone was on their cell phones coordinating with friends and family members. And quite a few graduates came down Locust Walk fully immersed in conversation on their phones, while others captured memories with their cell phone cameras.
But despite those changes, there was a certain continuity to the day. These recent grads took their first steps into the world as generations of Penn grads before them. If you have the chance in the years to come, I highly recommend coming back to campus for Alumni Weekend.
— Edward P. Kelly, C'96,
Vice President
ALUMNI WEEKEND 2008
Alumni Weekend 2008 was held from May 16-18th. The campus was bustling with activity. I attended along with my husband and baby, Rose. It was her first visit to campus. While this was not a reunion year for our class, Alumni Weekend offers non-stop activities for alumni and their families. We started off the day with the Alumni Day Run — a two-mile fun run through campus. Next, we attended lectures including a finance program by Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel, and a program on understanding pet behavior sponsored by the School of Veterinary Medicine. The Alumni Day Picnic featured Penn Performing Arts groups to entertain while dining, and a Kids Zone where we were able to connect with friends from other classes and their families. The parade of classes featured proud Quakers from the present day back to the 1930's. In the evening, the Taste of Penn celebration provided attendees with the opportunity to sample culinary delights from across the globe, enjoy music, and mingle in a casual atmosphere.
If you haven't been to Alumni Weekend before, be sure to take advantage of it. Alumni Day 2009 will be held on May 16th — we hope to see you there!
— Dawn Lanzalotti O'Croinin, C'96, Vice President of Communication
HOMECOMING 2008
Homecoming 2008 will take place on Saturday, November 1st against Brown. Realizing that in a non-reunion year, it's often difficult to connect with classmates at larger university events, we've decided that Cavanaugh's, 119 S. 39th Street, www.cavanaughsrestaurant.com, will be our post-game hangout. All Philadelphia restaurants are now smoke-free, so it's a family-friendly locale for all of us. We look forward to seeing you there!
ALUMNI
+ UNDERGRADS WHO WALK THE WALK
If you haven't visited before, you'll want to check out DuelingTampons.com. Now over a year and a half old, Matt Rosler's (C'96) Penn site www.DuelingTampons.com celebrates the accomplishments of Penn alumni and undergrads ... from promoting films, music and businesses to dispensing weekly tips from our alumni on how to get your foot in the door in many creative industries. Recent features on the site include updates on Elizabeth Banks (formerly Mitchell) (C'96) and her ever-growing film career, as well as videos of Alumni Weekend 2008. Matt always welcomes comments, questions and feedback through the site.
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