West Philly Meets Foodtok
Noah Tanen eats, sleeps, and breathes food. But, it hasn’t always been this way. It wasn’t until his twenties that Noah realized his greatest passion lives in his kitchen.
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Noah Tanen eats, sleeps, and breathes food. But, it hasn’t always been this way. It wasn’t until his twenties that Noah realized his greatest passion lives in his kitchen.
“I started as a bus girl and, you know, I just fell in love with it,” Ellen Yin (W ‘87, WG ‘93) says when I ask her what inspired her career in the restaurant industry. “People always say ‘Oh, I’ve got the bug, the restaurant bug.’ It’s one of those things that’s very satisfying, because you’re taking care of customers; you see people celebrating important occasions whether it be birthdays or anniversaries. It’s very satisfying to be a part of those celebrations,” she concludes.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura (W ‘86) was in crisis.
Sitting in the audience of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, a ten–year–old Grace Gramins (W ‘26) listened, transfixed, as the lead actress sang and played on the piano, each chord melting into the next. Afterwards, Grace went home and experimented with chords on the piano until they sounded right, determined to recreate that captivating music for herself.
In another universe, Emily White (C ‘23) and I are mortal enemies. Once upon a time, we ran against each other to be editor–in–chief of the magazine you’re reading right now. Back then, they were put off by my skinny white twink demeanor, and I almost threw away any remaining good will over a petty grudge (I lost that first election, if you couldn’t tell). But we’ve both had our time at the helm of Street now, and somewhere along the way they became one of my best friends.
Surprise! It’s you. Yes, you. Congratulations on making it; we know these past four years haven’t been easy, but now here you are, having achieved so much along the way.
Rebecca Hennessy (C ‘23) begins every day the same way: with tea. Her mother was a religious tea drinker, and ever since middle school she’s made it a habit to start her mornings the same way. Breakfast is crucial too, a rarity among college students. “I like to pick up every morning with breakfast. I can't really get through a day without it,” she says.
What matters most to Elena Miller (C ‘23), in no particular order, are friends, family, and music.
Jane Lozada Foster doesn’t want to burn any bridges. She emphasizes this as we finish our conversation, which is chock full of the kindest and most generous evaluations of the times that Penn failed her or that she failed at Penn. When Jane’s roommates found out that Street wanted to profile stories of failure and successes this year, they both told her she was the ideal candidate. Most Penn students would be horrified to hear that their social circle sees failure as characteristic to them, but Jane just laughs when she tells this story. “I have failed a lot,” she says. “It doesn’t impact how I see myself.”
To Winston Peloso (C ’23), the world can be broken down to a mathematical equation. Sitting outside Houston Hall in the late afternoon, he easily switches between scientific jargon and the casual lingo of students as he talks about his time at Penn; emotions about senior year are carefully parsed, meanwhile the scientific process of creating purified crystal can be explained away as “super fucking specific.”
Benson Gao (C’ 22) has gained a new perspective on education over the last five years—literally. After switching his major in the middle of his junior year and graduating from Penn in the fall, he is now a teacher.
“I always joke with my friends that I’m obsessed with New Jersey,” giggles Ashna Yakoob (C’ 23) , seated at a metal table outside Saxbys. “I think it’s the crown jewel of the United States.” She does not appear to be joking. Her hands move expressively—they will continue to do so throughout the conversation.
Ben Moss-Horwitz (C’ 23) has been trying to escape his fate for the past four years—but to no avail.
One quick glance at her Twitter, and Niva Baniya’s love for Harry Styles is apparent. Her pinned tweet is developed film photos she took at his latest tour. After we’ve finished with the formalities of the interview, it’s the first thing I want to ask about.
By the time she became a senior, Lee Schwartz (C ‘23) had never spent a full school year on Penn’s campus.
On a cloudy Thursday night in late March, the cozy, domestic interior of the Penn Women’s Center has been transformed into a hub of action. Harley Haas (C '24), the chair of Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention, balances her laptop on her knees as she simultaneously sends out emails and welcomes in another volunteer. Leslie Lytle (E ‘23) yells over the organized chaos, “Has anyone heard from Liz Magill?” Two volunteers sit on the couch sorting through bags of chalk while sharing the run–down of their day. In just one week, these months of planning by the campus–wide organization, ASAP, will leave the living room of Women's Center and culminate as the campus’ largest anti–violence rally—Take Back the Night.
Around noon on a quiet, overcast Saturday, people started arriving at high rise field with folded blankets and suitcases in tow, just waiting to be unzipped. The unpacking process revealed piles upon piles of people’s clothing from moving carts, backpacks, and even trash bags. In just minutes, the quiet lawn had transformed into a bustling crowd of students. Music to the likes of Wallows, The 1975, and Vampire Weekend was blasting from a hefty Bluetooth speaker. Early April marked the return of a highly anticipated event for a small niche of Penn students: Tina Zhang's (C ‘25) and Jill Li’s (C ‘24) spring closet sale.
Outside of being a rockstar bassist herself, Ana Gomez (C ‘23) did not expect one first–year CIMS class to remarkably rock her world. Now as co–director of SPEC Jazz and Grooves and president of the Kinoki Senior Society, Ana helps coordinate much of the rockstar concerts at Penn from 100 gecs to Luna Li and Talia Goddess. Her experience and expertise in entertainment does not stop there. Ana channels her love for film, music, and creativity as an intern for A24 and Warner Bros. as well as an attendee of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in France. As a member of both Penn and Philly’s community of film–lovers and music–groovers, Ana hopes this community is not only here to stay, but also here to grow.
Butterflies, tigers, a pair of crying eyes, a blossoming branch—if you can imagine it, Iza Hu (C '23) can design and tattoo it.
Hailing from Seattle, Washington, Cayden Franklin (C '23) came to Penn hoping to make waves as a recruited athlete for Penn’s Lightweight Rowing Team. But his dreams extended outside of athletics, as Cayden hoped that Penn would provide him with the skills necessary of getting into an elite medical school. Now a second—semester senior, Cayden has found a different path for himself. He has since exchanged rowing for rugby, and these days you might find Cayden racing his way down the pitch instead of the Schuylkill. Outside of his athletic endeavors, Cayden has kept himself busy with academic research, volunteering at the VA hospital, and being active in his fraternity.
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