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December
2, 1999
CAMPUS BUZZ BY SANDY SMITH The kid finally gets his wish: Now that full-time teaching and administration are behind him, Lecturer in Organizational Dynamics and former Wharton Associate Dean Eric Van Merkensteijn finally has the time to do something he’s dreamed of since childhood: run a music club and restaurant. Van M’s Music Bar and Grille, which opened Nov. 19 at 126 Chestnut St., features new American cuisine and live music all day, every day, in every category imaginable. And the space is completely smoke-free — “probably the only totally smoke-free live music environment on the East Coast,” he said. And speaking of food: Buzz was also suitably impressed with the Ivy Grille, which had its official opening party Nov. 2. The menu mainstays are small tapas-style dishes suitable for sharing — mostly seafood, but something for everyone. For those not inclined to share and sample, there are several main dishes that change daily. And the decor is a blend of modern and retro, with an open kitchen that could easily double as a TV cooking-show set. Congrats and well played: Our hat’s off to the Penn women’s soccer team, which received its first-ever invitation to the NCAA national tournament this year. Even though they made a quick exit (losing in the first round to James Madison, 1-0), it was still a fitting finish to a stellar season: For their ninth year, the Quakers posted a 13-3-1 record overall and a school-record 6-1 performance in the Ivies. Judy’s on the team...: Mayor-elect John Street says he wants to fill his administration with the “very best and very brightest,” and he’s tapped President Judith Rodin (CW’65) to help him find them. Rodin is one of the five people Street named to head his transition team Nov. 15. In addition to identifying top prospects for city positions, the transition co-chairs will conduct a thorough review of the current government structure and operations. ...and on the list: Right on the heels of her Sara Lee Foundation award, the Ladies’ Home Journal named Rodin to its list of “America’s 100 Most Important Women” in its November issue. Rodin was the only university president to make the list. The Journal noted her groundbreaking role as the first woman president of an Ivy League school and her highly regarded research into obesity and eating disorders. ...and finally: At the Math Department’s centennial celebration Oct. 23, the Penn Glee Club feted Rodin with a song called “We Love Our President.” The words were sung to the tune of “God Save the Queen.”
Penn in ink: We usually don’t report on broadcast appearances in this space, but we’ll make an exception for Eric Chen (C’03), who appeared on ZDTV’s “Call for Help” program Nov. 3 to talk about Penn’s student-to-student Information Technology Advisor service. (ZDTV is a cable network devoted to computing. You can view a video clip of the interview on the ZDTV Web site archives; click on “A College Call for Help.”) What's the buzz? Tell us what's happening! Call us at 215-898-1426, send e-mail to current@ pobox.upenn.edu or drop a line to the Current at 200 Sansom East/6106.
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