The Banana Slugs are angry. A few months after writing an article on school mascots, I got hold of this editorial response from the UCSC City on a Hill Press. While I assumed that the readership of the Spin consisted mostly of our student body, I was shocked to hear that readers across the country got wind of my “disagreeable mockery of UCSC’s friendly herbivore.” (Looks like someone has a news feed running for Banana Slug material …)

In my attempts to mourn the loss of Chief Illiniwek, mascot of the University of Illinois, I hurt the feelings of some peaceful slugs in the process.

(more…)

Aside from recently being named the “sexiest major on campus”, other benefits of being a Communications major are that you get to have professors like David Eisenhower (I bet you can’t guess who his grandpa is!) and get all-expense-paid trips to exciting places like Los Angeles, Boston, or — lucky for me — Kansas City, MO.

While the purpose of the trip was to do research at the Harry Truman Presidential Library for my Communication and the Presidency class, I did manage to get in some sightseeing. After four days in Booneyville, it’s no surprise that I was missing the City of Brotherly Love.

(more…)

My parents hate that I live in West Philadelphia. In fact, they hate the fact even more that technically I could live in the safe confines of our home in suburban Philadelphia, but would rather choose to live at school on a street that 34th Street voted most likely to get mugged on. I get daily emails about the crime logs and incessant phone calls reminding me to set the security alarm, all because we live in the hot bed of crime known as University City.

While my parents are thoroughly convinced that nothing could ever go wrong in the suburbs of the Mainline, little do they know that horrible crime is not just happening in our urban environment, but is also occurring at our neighboring suburban schools.

(more…)

Without a doubt, The Roots concert that occurred this week was nothing less than a success. Unfortunately, I had to forego this opportunity because more importantly, I had tickets to the gun show. To make up for my lack of concerts this week, I spent my Thursday evening at a different gig, one that probably most Penn students wouldn’t think to attend.

While most of my peers spent their Thursday night watching senior boys parade around in man-thongs, I decided to spend my evening with a much older crowd at the Wachovia center to watch a music legend — Stevie Wonder.

When I told my friends I was attending such an event, I got quizzical glances, giggles, and the occasional, “That’s so cool!” But for the most part, I’d probably be hard-pressed to find another Penn student as excited as I was to hear “Superstition” and “My Cherie Amour.”

At age 57, Stevie is still as spritely as he was when he first started performing at age 12. He stood up on his piano bench, swinging his jacket around his head, and jumped back and forth between piano, keyboard, and harmonica. He performed for almost 3 hours and played almost all of his top hits. His performance was nothing short of incredible

So I’m sure the Roots show was great and I’m sure everyone had a “ball” at BMOC, but I’m not sure if I would have chosen either over the great Stevie Wonder, who got me more excited than ‘N Sync did when I won tickets to the “No Strings Attached” tour in 7th grade. Now that’s saying a lot.

I know you’ve seen them. They’re everywhere - littered on lamp posts, stamped on the pavement, even plastered on poor Ben Franklin’s statue. That’s right, I’m talking about that ubiquitous B, those orange, white, and black circle stickers.

For the past two months, I’ve been incredibly curious as to what these stickers stood for. Were they gang symbols? Band logos? Some sort of alien sign? I was completely baffled.

Last Friday, the mystery was solved.

(more…)

My fellow blogger, Nick McAvoy, suggested several days ago that Penn opt for a new mascot. While some of us are seeking ways to get rid of our mascot, the University of Illinois is begging for its recently-rejected mascot to come back.

Several months ago, The University of Illinois’s Chief Illiniwek performed its last dance.

(more…)

Of all the bizarre things I’ve witnessed at Penn, this has got to be one of the wildest.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon as I made my usual trek to Sansom Street to indulge in a New Deck burger. Most of the time the alleyway between Walnut and Samson is relatively quiet but, on this particular afternoon, I was greeted with a wild, raucous–one of the strangest–parties I have ever seen. Not only was Pink puma stuff everywhere, but there was also a conglomerate of girls wearing furry leg warmers more fit for an episode of Fraggle Rock than a party on Penn’s campus. A DJ was pumping music and a crowd of about 500 adults and children were breaking it down.

(more…)

We’ve all done it. Maybe you didn’t want to go to class, legitimately felt ill, or really, really needed an extra day to hand in that 10-page paper. There is no doubt that all of us have written that obligatory e-mail to a professor to get out of class at some point in our college lives. (Unless of course, you’re like that kid I went to high school with who never missed a day of school since kindergarten. All he got at graduation was a cheesy certificate. I’m sure it was totally redeeming!)

Most of us are discreet with our excuse notes, but for this unfortunate Princeton toolbox, his sick-letter got sent out to his entire CHE 341 class. According to Ivygate, the e-mail went as follows:

“Hello. I am e-mailing regarding the fact that I am unable to turn in the homework on time today, due to the fact that I had been plagued with illness since Sunday. I do not know exactly the cause, but the symptoms were extreme diarrhea and headache. If I attach a note from McCosh, will it be possible for me to turn in the homework by class this Friday? I am so sorry for this problem.

Yours,
[redacted]”

Ouch. I hope none of my Penn peers would do such a thing. But, just in case, I thought a few sick-note pointers might come in handy.

1. Keep the details to a minimum. The professor does not need to know that you had the runs all night or how you contracted that nasty rash.
2. Let the professor know how you are going to make up for the horrible transgression of missing class. For example, state that you’ll e-mail your assignment as soon as “you’re feeling better.”
3. Take heed to the infamous “Reply All” button. Little Miss Wharton Works-A-Lot doesn’t need to know you’re sick, especially when she sees you at Pottruck later.
4. And lastly when e-mailing your professor, don’t ever do something like this.

BREAKING NEWS, EVERYONE! Underage students are drinking at BYOBs. Philadelphia’s Channel 6 ABC News recently released a special investigative report about the multitude of underage drinkers that swarm to El Azteca, a Mexican BYOB restaurant located on 7th and Chestnut. They have revealed to the public what every college student in the Philadelphia-area has known for years–that the restaurant is a notorious spot for youngsters to drink. We can all agree that El Azteca is celebrated more for its lax attitude on carding than for its burritos. What took the media so long to figure it out?

The News crew interviewed students “eating” at the restaurant and asked them if they were carrying IDs. One Villanova student replied that “she forgot it at home” and a group of St. Joseph’s students freely admitted that they were underage.

Does anyone actually think that El Azteca is clueless to what their restaurant stands for? Definitely not. Managers enforce a $50 fine for anyone who gets sick in the restaurant, as well as sheet of other rules that include “no dancing on tables.”

With the revelation of this “scoop,” it would be crazy to think that El Azteca could continue to cater to the underage crowd that piles in every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. They proudly state on their doorway, “We Card”; maybe, for once, they’ll actually follow their own creed.

Students all over campus frequent their favorite blogs everyday; for some it’s Perez Hilton, for others it’s Gawker, and for those of you reading this, maybe it’s The Spin. My most-frequented blog is Gofugyourself.com, in which the two “meanest queens in the cafeteria” cleverly lambaste the fashions of young-Hollywood. While I’m no fashionista myself, the hilarious writings of Heather and Jessica give me a great reason to procrastinate when I’m supposed to be studying for Biology.

Most of the time, the site bashes fashion train wrecks such as Hilary Duff and Courtney Love, but I was completely thrown off-guard when I came across 34th Street’s most recent Ego of the Week, Penn senior and fashion designer Jesse Della Femina.

While I find it a stretch to claim JDF’s fuchsia dress as a fashion offense, blogger Heather chastises Femina for “treating her chest like [a curtain rod].” “One enthusiastic shrug,” she says, “one wild gesture, and the groceries will come tumbling out of the bag.” Though I’m not one to poke fun at the stylings of my fellow Penn students, I have to admit the post did make me giggle.

Gofugyourself.com is my escape from Penn life, but once in a while coming across a Penn face is inevitable. Femina is not the only Penn student, both past and present, to grace the infamous fashion police website–former Homecoming Queen and Murphy Brown star, Candice Bergen, has been known to make a few guest appearances as well. At a school that is home to some of the world’s most competent youth, many destined for stardom, only time will tell which one of us will be Heather and Jessica’s next victim.