Highlights for
Jan/Feb 2003.
For more detailed
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Events of interest—on campus and around the world.

REGIONAL EVENTS

Austin. Welcome to 2003! As part of the New Year, we are looking for volunteers interested in helping out PennAustin by joining our board. It’s a small commitment with a great deal of fun. Any questions shoot us an e-mail <matt@dreamtable.com>. Watch your inboxes for our next events including Ben’s Birthday and the Penn-Princeton basketball game.

Central Florida. We have planned an event at Disney’s Wide World of Sports for Sunday, March 2 at 1:05 p.m. For more information, please e-mail <UPENNrachel@yahoo.com>.

Dallas. Join us on Jan. 22 as we welcome President Judith Rodin to an all alumni event in the Dallas area. For more information, contact Sheli Barnett, club president, at <shelibar@hotmail.com>.

Fairfield County. Having successfully concluded its first semester schedule of events, the Penn Club of Fairfield County, Conn., is working on the details of three events planned for the next six months. To join the club, please e-mail Sam Heffner at <samheffner@msn.com>.

Gold Coast. The club invites its members and South Florida alumni to dinner at The River House at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, followed by Aida at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Our annual golf outing, open to all alumni and their guests, will be held on Thursday, May 1 at the Deer Creek Country Club in Deerfield Beach. Luncheon starts at 12:30 p.m.; the event benefits The Weightman Fund for Penn athletics. For further information contact Michael Lewis C’71 at (561) 483-7721 or <mlewis1119@aol.com>.

Los Angeles. Join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, as the Penn men’s basketball team takes on USC at the Forum. Of course USC has a big alumni base in LA, but we’re sure that Penn alumni can cheer louder. So come one, come all Quakers to cheer on the Red and the Blue! We’ll be gathering for a pre-game reception and hope to see you there. And we are having a wine and chocolate tasting event on Jan. 22. For more details on both of these events and to RSVP, see our Web site at (www.pennclubla.com).

PennNYC. Calling all New York parents! Are you looking for answers to your questions about when, where and how to educate your child(ren) in the city? If so, PennNYC and the JCC-Manhattan invite you to join a distinguished panel on Feb. 11 to discuss the issues and options available to you and your family as you consider preschool and elementary school for your child. Dr. Susan H. Fuhrman, dean of the Graduate School of Education, will moderate a panel that includes Clara Hemphill, author of New York City’s Best Public Elementary Schools: A Parent’s Guide; Carol Hendin, trustee and past-chair of the Independent Schools Admission Association of Greater New York and director of Park Avenue Synagogue Early Childhood Center; Tovah Klein, director of the Barnard Center for Toddler Development; Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz, chair of the council’s education committee and city mom; Patty Wollman, director of the Manhattan JCC Preschool; and Wendy Wasserstein, distinguished playwright and city mom. Don’t miss this one-time opportunity to hear from representatives of the city’s best private and public educational institutions. It will be held at the JCC Auditorium (334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St.), with tours of the JCC 6:30-7 p.m.; lecture 7-9 p.m.; reception 9 p.m.-9:30 p.m. The cost is $20 per person for JCC and PennNYC members, $25 for non-members. Questions? Contact Danny Boockvar at <dboockvar@hotmail.com>.

Northern California. Don’t miss the annual Ben Franklin Birthday Celebration on Thursday, Jan. 30; for more information on this or other events, call Phil Crosby (510) 834-6600 or visit our Web site at (www.ncpennclub.com). On Feb. 23, the Bay Area Ivy Alliance will be hosting a San Francisco Ballet event. The performance starts at 2:00 p.m., followed by a reception at 4:30 p.m. at Jade; tickets include the reception: Dress Circle, $65 (before Jan. 23) and $75 after; Orchestra, $55 (before Jan. 23) and $65 after. To make reservations, please visit our booking site at Dress Circle Seats (www. acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=38888) or Orchestra Circle Seats (www.acteva.com/ booking.cfm?bevaid=38856)

Philadelphia. February is the month for the Penn Club of Philadelphia! Our gala event of the year is the Degas and the Dance exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (see p.13 for more details). Feb. 11 is the Penn-Princeton men’s basketball game with a pre-game reception at the Sweeten House: $30 per person includes ticket and hoagies, chips, cake, and soda. To end the month, we’re back at the Mask and Wig Clubhouse for their 115th production, Riot on the Set, on Thur. Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person. On March 8 we will have Litter Clean-Up Day in University City from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Do keep an eye out for our monthly happy hours, which have been a huge success. We’re also finalizing details for a reading project with the Kelly Writer’s House for May; working on a night out at Painted Parrot in Old City for their dessert buffet; and also a wine and cheese tasting. Bookmark our Web site (www.pennclubphilly.org) for up-to-date information.

Portland. The Penn and Princeton Clubs in Portland met at the Kingston Grill to watch via satellite Penn’s decisive victory; plans are afoot for similar triumphs in satellite technology and basketball skill in this winter. The 19th and 20th consecutive Third Thursday Happy Hour will take place in January and February; the location changes, but not the date! A February theater event and a second annual Academy Award event in March are in the planning stages. Check for details on our Web site at (www.fhzal.com/penn), or through the link on the Penn Alumni Web site at (www.alumni.upenn.edu/club/portland.shtml).

Syracuse. The Penn Alumni Club of Syracuse, in celebration of the visit of John Edgar Wideman C’63 Hon’86 to Syracuse on March 19, has become a corporate sponsor of the Onondaga County Library’s lecture series; John is the featured writer and presenter for that evening. During his visit, he has graciously agreed to also present a “teach-in” of his works for every Black Writers/Black Voices and Advanced Placement English student in the area, to be held at one of our academically strong and diverse high schools. Penn alumni and Penn parents are invited to a reception for John after the lecture. Contact Parker Sharron at <psharro1@twcny.rr.com>.

Washington. Tuesday, Jan. 14, Ben’s Birthday —event time and location tbd, so check our Web site (www.dcpennclub.com/calendar). On Tuesday, March 11, the club will be getting together to watch the Penn-Princeton men’s basketball game on TV at the Crystal City Sports Pub in Arlington; check our Web site for more information.

Westchester & Rockland Counties. The club invites all alumni to celebrate Ben’s Birthday Bash with an adult bowling party at the White Plains Bowl in White Plains on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 8 p.m. We will have tickets to the Penn-Columbia men’s basketball game on Feb. 8, with a post-game reception at the Amsterdam Cafe. For information on both events, e-mail Cindy Shmerler Levy at <shmerls2@aol.com>.

Copyright 2003 The Pennsylvania Gazette Last modified 01/05/03