Caroline in the City

After the Phillies miraculous late season push into the playoffs, the city of Philadelphia has turned into the Red Sea. Everywhere you look people are wearing that conspicuous
red Phillies t-shirt, whipping out their ballcaps, or donning Utley and Howard jerseys. Needless to say, the city is excited.

Where did all these fans come from? They certainly weren’t around when the Phils went 4-11coming out of spring training and they certainly didn’t believe J Rollwhen he said “We’re the team to beat.” Without a doubt, Phillies fever has infected the entire city, many of whom were once non-believers.

It’s no surprise that the diehard fans scoff at these Johnny-Come-Lately’s who have noticeably been absent the past 14 years of no post-season play. Tried and true Boston fans felt the same way when all of sudden a million Red Sox fans appeared out of thin air when the Red Sox were on the verge of breaking the Curse of Bambino>. This year in Philadelphia, these bandwagon fans want to support one of baseball’s biggest underdogs, notorious for being the most losing franchise in pro-sports history, and we should let them. After all the Phillies need all the help they can get, especially now that they are down two games to the Rockies.

Just like the “church-goers” who only attend services on Christmas, these new Phillies fans are tuning in for pennant fever…television ratings are up 11% and not a seat is open in Citizen’s Bank Park. Let’s just hope that these new bandwagon fans haven’t given up on the Phils despite trailing two games to Colorado. These fighting Phillies need their fans, no matter how ephemeral they turn out to be.

Caroline in the City appears every Wednesday and Friday.

Caroline in the City

As a senior who is two classes away from completing both my major and my minor, I have the luxury of taking what the students of Sister Act II refer to as “bird” classes. I put my time in; I gutted my way through all those nasty requirements. Now it’s time for me to just fly through some of Penn’s most enjoyable and relaxed courses.

In Sister Act II, the supposed “bird” course was music class. At the University of Pennsylvania, Caroline Pearsall’s bird courses are Great Story Collections and Nutrition 112, aka Nutrition for people not in the Nursing school. While my father rolls his eyes and grumbles at how I’m putting my Penn education to waste, I have to disagree. While these classes may be lower in workload and supposedly easier on the grading, in my first 4 weeks of class I have learned quite a lot of valuable material that I am sure to take with me long after I graduate.

I mean, Math 104 is not going to teach you what foods to eat to live a longer and healthier life, unless there was something about derivatives I missed. And sitting in a 200 person Econ 001 lecture surely didn’t give me the opportunity to stand up in front of my class and tell my favorite story - helping me to push past my fear of public speaking.

So even though my nutrition class meets once a week and uses only 90 minutes of the allotted three hours and my folklore class engages in the juvenile ritual of storytelling every Friday morning, I have to say that this has been my most worthwhile and enjoyable semester to date. Being forced to tell stories in front of a bunch of strangers and learning to eat healthy are two things I would have never thought my Penn education would consist of.

So next semester, I highly suggest you take a “bird” course whether it is to boost that GPA or more importantly learn some valuable life lessons those “required” Penn courses failed to teach you.

Caroline in the City appears every Wednesday and Friday.

Caroline in the City

See anything appetizing in there?

So, today is trash day - also known as the day Pine Street turns into one hot mess of overflowing garbage.

While high rise dwellers have the luxury of throwing their trash down a chute, never to be seen again, students living off-campus not only have to deal with trash fermenting outside their doorstep, but they must also fend off the dumpster divers of West Philadelphia.

Whatis.com defines dumpster diving as “looking for treasure in someone else’s trash.” These urban foragers find precious loot in what Penn students deem to be unusable. In fact, dumpster divers have been known to target universities, like Penn, that house wealthy and oftentimes wasteful individuals.

The New York Times ran a storythis past June describing the divers who loot through NYU’s trash after graduation. These individuals, who label themselves ‘freegans,’ live off consumer waste “in an effort to minimize their support of corporations and their impact on the planet, and to distance themselves from what they see as out-of-control consumerism.” The freegans will even collect things like bruised produce and expired canned goods in order to conserve their own money and make up for other people’s wasteful habits.

Whether the dumpster divers that roam Penn’s off-campus housing can technically be considered freegans or not, they have been known to run off with items such as expired milk and empty shoe boxes.

In order to find such goodies, they rip open garbage bags and leave trash strewn all over the sidewalks. While dumpster diving is not exactly illegal unless it occurs on private property, Penn security should take more initiative into making sure these dumpster divers do not messy up the streets and taint the environment around student housing.

And students should be extra careful with things like receipts and old bills, for these items could end up in the wrong person’s hands.

Caroline in the City appears every Wednesday and Friday.

Caroline in the City

Just hope HotChick25 isn’t this lady.

Call me old fashioned, but internet dating still seems completely foreign to me.

I mean, I laughed when I heard my coworker say she met her boyfriend on Craig’s List, and I definitely thought it was odd when I dined with honeymooners on a cruise who met each other “e-dating.” After seeing countless advertisements for Philadelphiasingles.org on a walk downtown, it dawned on me that perhaps Penn students, and our peers at surrounding colleges, are willing to rely on such devices to meet significant others.

Out of curiosity, I checked out several internet dating sites, several of which allow you to view other people’s profiles without signing up. To my surprise, I recognized a few Penn students, including one of my former sorority sisters.

Why would students at such a large and diverse university go to such lengths to search for someone compatible with themselves? “Perhaps it’s one’s desire to find a mate of the same religious or ethnic background,” said an Engineering junior who wished to remain anonymous. “I signed up for J-date, but I’ve yet to actually meet anyone yet,” the student continued.

So while I am not one to judge my classmates who participate in such an activity, I do believe that there are more conventional ways to meet individuals without hiding behind the veil of a computer screen. Anyone can be outgoing, “beautiful,” and seemingly cool via the World Wide Web, but it takes initiative to approach a love interest in person, and in my opinion, more if you can win him over.

So while some might say internet dating is the dating of the future, I urge people not to rely on such a socially passive method of meeting people. As my mother says, these sites are for “those out of circulation,” like 45-year-old divorcees. As a Penn student, I can assure yoi that neither I, nor any of my 10,000 peers are out of circulation; it just may take a small push past the socially awkward boundary to find a potential companion.

Caroline in the City appears every Wednesday and Friday.

Caroline in the City

As a freshman, I knew nothing about Philadelphia Restaurant Week, a biannual event that allows diners to enjoy a three course meal at some of the city’s finest eateries, all for a fixed price of $30.

A friend from my writing seminar, who was almost as clueless as I was, invited me along to venture out to our first downtown eating experience. While most restaurant-goers chose swanky expensive restaurants like Le Bec Fin, Alma de Cuba, or Brasserie Perrier, our ignorance led us to select a restaurant at random - Glam.

At the time we had no idea that Glam was less known for its dining atmosphere, and more known for its questionable, and some might say “trashy,” club scene. Accosted by a blinding, fluorescent pink entryway, we were immediately skeptical of the whole endeavor we were about to undergo. Rather than turn the cab around, we decided to venture inside, where we found the interior to be much homier than expected. It was only 7 p.m. on a Tuesday, so the partygoers were obsolete, and the ambience was actually quite charming. There was only one other party in the eatery, a mother and a daughter, and more than enough staff to help all four customers.

Allowed our pick of their entire menu - an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert, I naturally chose the most expensive items - crab cake, filet mignon, and chocolate fondue. My friend did likewise. The meal was nothing less than delectable and presented very “glamorously.” Additionally, we had excellent service and were given gift cards at the end of our meal urging us to come back. If I had stuffed myself with anymore surf, turf, and chocolate, I would have had to be rolled out of the place. Who would have thought that Glam would have such a good kitchen?

Since that first Restaurant Week escapade, I have dined at many of the other participating and more conventional restaurants, such as Cuba Libre, Bistro St. Tropez, and Tangerine. While these restaurants may rank higher in the Zagat ratings, I have to say my trip to Glam was probably the most memorable and perhaps even the tastiest.

Next Monday marks the beginning of this fall’s Restaurant Week. While many of Penn’s students may have waited too long to score reservations at the designated hot spots, I urge you to take a chance with the Glams of the restaurant world. These lesser known places have countless openings and go all out for the event - giving you an elegant and satisfying dining experience.

Caroline in the City appears every Wednesday and Friday.

Caroline in the City

Now that’s what I call money well spent

Imagine hundreds of girls crammed into one sorority house living room set to hunt through boxes upon boxes of discounted designer jeans.

The result was just short of animalistic behavior.

To my left and right, girls were playing tug of war over Rock and Republic boot-cuts and yelling at each other for stealing the last size 26 skinny jeans. Additionally, the lack of dressing rooms deterred no one from dropping their drawers and trying on their newfound denim treasures.

The Phi Sigma Sigma jeans sale occurred Monday night, officially kicking off the fall season of sorority philanthropy events. Designer jeans, originally priced upwards of $300, were marked down to $65 of which $5 were donated to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation, which benefits kidney disease research. Our generation’s version of the “Running of the Brides,” the infamous Filene’s Basement Wedding Dress event, the PhiSig jean sale brought out the beasts in some of Penn’s “finest.”

The sale attracted all kinds of Penn girls - girls from all 8 sorority houses as well as those not even Greek-affiliated. Sorority girls who had yet to step foot into the Phi Sig house since rush of their freshman year were now buzzing about like they owned the place. These shopping fanatics were participating in a community service event, although from the looks of it many of them were more concerned with adding more jeans to their closet than worrying about what their money was actually benefiting.

So while the male population of Penn was busy watching the Eagles lose to the Redskins, Penn’s better half was enhancing their designer denim collection. Despite the grabbing, fighting and overall selfishness that arose amid the hundreds of girls, one thing was certain: all kinds of Penn girls, from the geeks to the Greeks, were convening over their common love–denim–and simultaneously contributing to a great cause. The event raised over $1000 for the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation. And never fear, if you’re blue you didn’t get to pick up some designer duds, PhiSig will be holding another jeans sale on January 28.

Caroline in the City appears every Wednesday and Friday.

Caroline in the City

Wouldn’t you watch this?

It seems as though some sort of reality television show is always playing in the common room of my off-campus apartment. Whether it’s watching Lauren and Heidi duke it out on The Hills, voting for our favorite Dancing with the Stars contestants, or rooting for the chubsters on The Biggest Loser, watching such classy television has become one of our favorite outlets to escape the harsh reality of Penn. While we mostly find ourselves unable to relate to the people we watch on the tube, IvyGate has recently revealed that one up and coming reality TV star is an Ivy Leaguer just like us.

Yale junior Victoria Marshman will be one of 13 contestants to participate in this season of America’s Next Top Model, which premieres this Wednesday at 8 p.m. on the CW Network.

“Marshman found out at the beginning of May that she had made the final cut for the show, right in the middle of finals week,” the Yale Daily News
writes. She shot the show over the summer and has since been on strict watch by the CW network to ensure that no secrets from the show are leaked until the final winner is announced.

Why would such a student want to try out to become a reality TV star? Claiming she auditioned “as a joke” and her audition was “completely last minute,” Marshman is sure to clash with some of her more high-maintenance castmates. Additionally, Marshman claims that she has absolutely “no interest in fashion,” something she believes will set her apart from the other contestants.

Undoubtedly this Ivy League girl is sure to stir up some sort drama with the other girls who may find her elite education pretentious or intimidating. Marshman could become the next Elyse Sewell from Season 1 of ANTM whose rant on the “vapidness” of her fellow contestants landed her 16th on E!s 100 Most Outrageous TV Moments. The cutting room also has capabilities of turning hundreds of hours of footage into five minutes of monsterlike behavior. Regardless, I know I’m excited to see one of my peers shaking things up on the small screen.

While it seems like an anomaly that an Ivy League student would participate in such a lowbrow television genre, she is certainly not the first. Ivy Leaguers, including Penn’s own Patrick Maloney, have been reality TV stars on such hits such as Road Rules and Survivor in years past. Certainly, the media sees something in the Ivy League students’ behavior that makes dramatic television.

So tune in this Wednesday to see whether or not Victoria will be portrayed as the bitch or the brains she may or may not deserve to be.

Caroline in the City appears every Wednesday and Friday.

Caroline in the City

Come on - haven’t you ever wanted to sing and dance?

I’ll admit it–I am a fan of High School Musical In fact, I even Tivo’d the sequel when I was unable to tune in for the big premiere on August 17. I secretly listen to the soundtracks that my sister bought, and I’m genuinely excited when I hear the latest scoops on Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens.

That’s right. I’m a 21-year-old senior in college who enjoys watching a Disney Channel original movie about high school kids who dance atop cafeteria tables and bust out in song while bouncing basketballs.

This can’t be normal–or is it?

High School Musical was the No. 1 watched cable television program of all time, with 17.24 million viewers. While I’m embarrassed to admit to my peers that I am a constituent of such a demographic, I am guessing that I’m not the only one who has such a penchant for the new Grease of this generation. The whole High School Musical craze got me thinking: do kids like this actually exist?

These bubbly children may not be as uncommon as one might think. In fact, some of them may be right under our noses, singing and dancing their way through college life. While I have not been involved with any arts programs on campus, I had the pleasure of living in the Arts House residential program my sophomore year.

At first, I was wary of my living arrangements in Harnwell College House. At all hours of the day and night, I would come across my hallmates unabashedly belting out ballads in the lounge or having old fashioned piano parties on a Saturday night. When I returned home to my dorm every night, I felt like I was immersed in a different world, a world where these kids could relish in living life like a song.

These kids, most of them majoring in fields unrelated to the arts, find solace in their musical hobbies. Most of them are involved in performing arts groups on campus and undergo rigorous studies from all four of Penn’s schools. They are confident individuals who have undoubtedly enhanced their Penn experience by living in a nurturing environment in which all kinds of artistic creativity is embraced.

So while these kids may not be living exactly the same lives as Efron’s and Hudgens’s characters on the Disney Channel, they surely are embracing their unique selves and maybe even dancing on a few tables every once in a while.

Caroline in the City appears every Wednesday and Friday.

Caroline in the City

Sure, they look docile now…

This summer I had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday at a Philadelphia Phillies
game with my family.

Aside from being mortified at the fact that my parents had roused our entire section to sing “Happy Birthday” to me, the most embarrassing part of the entire evening had to be the inappropriate decorum of all the fans in our vicinity.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a diehard Philadelphia fan, mimicking my father who is the most boisterous of them all; but after attending several Phillies games this summer, I feel embarrassed to be considered one of them. With fans unabashedly screaming “You Suck P****” amongst the hefty number of children surrounding them, and getting thrown out of the park for throwing batteries
at the opposing outfielders, it’s no surprise that the behavior of Phillies fans is creeping away from just bad and heading towards completely unruly.

One of the more extreme examples I witnessed this summer occurred when I attended a Phillies vs. Astros game in early May. During the 7th inning stretch a drunken college boy got in a fight with a 13 year old girl, who was attending the game with her after-school program run by her inner-city school. The young man cursed at the girl for giving him attitude and eventually poured his entire beer on top of her head. He was immediately ejected, but the incident ruined the game for the entire school population who departed immediately.

Oh Philadelphia fans are mean, what else is new? They like to curse and yell and get mad, but it’s getting kinda old if you ask me. I see my peers around me make complete fools out of themselves in public. Games have turned into total frat fests, and uncivilized behavior has taken a lot of the fun out of attending such events.

As this contending
team heads into championship play, it would be nice to see the harmony of these fans equal the harmony of this noticeably optimistic, playoff-contending team. My fellow fans need to show a little more respect for themselves and the Phillies, so that for once Philadelphia doesn’t have to be embarrassed about its lack of championship titles or its rowdy fans.

Caroline in the City appears every Monday and Wednesday

I lived in Harnwell last year, on the 12th floor right next to the laundry room. My roommate and I had a sizable double with brand new carpets that our entire un-renovated floor was jealous of.

For more than a semester it remained a mystery why my roommate and I were fortunate enough to receive such a gift from the housing gods. But slowly the truth came out and we were less than pleased. Over the summer, prior to our arrival on campus, the floor’s laundry room literally exploded. Pipes burst and drowned the machines, and the water flowed right into our adjacent room. New carpeting and furniture were installed immediately and our R.A. was told to keep it hush hush. Our laundry room had received minimal repairs and for the remainder of the year we were scared that an eruption would occur again.

Every student living on campus is well aware of the horrors of their dormitory’s laundry room. The antiquated washers and dryers are money guzzling machines that steal your quarters and give you marginally clean and half-dry clothing. The Penn Cash swipe system remained out of commission the entire year, so every time I did laundry, an entire $10 roll of quarters would be used to do my loads.

Feeling ripped-off and angry, I decided to take matters into my own hands and follow the advice of my mischievous friends at Penn State, who to this day claim to have never spent a cent on dormitory laundry. Their method of cost cutting: Latex gloves.

They advised me to put five quarters into each of the fingers of the gloves and then insert the gloved quarters into the machine’s slots, allowing one to save their quarters before the machine swallows them. For my PSU buddies their method was flawless. I, on the other hand, was left with dirty clothes and a jammed quarter collector.

Thankfully, the Undergraduate Assembly has decided to take action against on campus laundry woes by initiating The Laundry Facilities Plan of Action, which will utilize a complaint system in hopes of improving the condition of laundry rooms. Two laundry rooms in Ware College House have been chosen to trial run the complaint system, if all goes well, the system may be implemented in all dorms across campus.

Hopefully the university is recognizing the need for more efficient washers and dryers so that students like me do not have to resort to fishy cost cutting methods that utilize items that should be reserved solely for hospitals and biology labs.