Sam Adelsberg, a Sphinx superstar, has played on the American University in Cairo basketball team, chaired almost every committee, club and activity involving the Middle East and wears a lot of backwards caps. This charismatic dude sat down to talk sick nasty dance moves, old Egyptian men and his admiration of Amy Gutmann.
Street: What don’t most people know about you? Sam Adelsberg: I have a nasty singing repertoire in the shower. I’ve been known to belt out mash ups of "Gangsta’s Paradise" and "Minyan Man." Oh, and I have a deep and multifaceted respect for wood.
Street: There are two types of people at Penn …? SA: Those who Adam Hanover says hello to on the walk and wait, that covers just about everyone.
Street: Any guilty pleasures? SA: My nephews. The West Wing. The Menstches of 234. Hillel challah. Titanic. Those alarm clocks that make the rainforest sounds. And chat-roulette. Because it’s awesome.
Street: Most fun thing about spending a semester in Egypt? SA: Having numerous fat, old Egyptian men try to convince me to marry their daughters not knowing that I am an Orthodox Jew.
Street: You’ve just arrived at your 10-year college reunion. What would people be most surprised to hear about you? SA: I’ve given up my dream of establishing peace in the Middle East and become a belly dancer at a local dive in Brooklyn, New York. I’ll probably be able to get my friends a free hummus if they buy a dance or two.
Street: If you could have a superpower for a day what would it be? SA: I would love for my rendition of “Livin la Vida Loca” to establish peace amongst warring regions. However, turning water into wine just seems a lot cooler. And more helpful.
Street: Who would win in a celebrity death match, PRISM or LendforPeace.org? SA: I favor a two-ring solution. The only way to fix this age-old problem is through dialogue and compromise.
Street: Who would you rather grab a drink with: A-Gut or B-Frank? SA: Who do you think? The person who has raised tons of cash money for Penn or the person who started Penn while discovering electricity, negotiating international peace treaties, and becoming quite possibly the most accomplished individual in American history. No brainer — I’m free from 7 to 10 on Wednesday evenings, Dr. Gutmann.
Street: We hear you’re a fan of dance battles. Do you have a go-to move? SA: Of course. If it gets really heated, I whip out my Brooklyn “shake and bake,” add a little twist of 17th century Turkish belly dance flavor and top it off with a splash of ethnic Krakow mazurka (an awesome Polish folk dance for those keeping score). It sounds complicated, but I make it look like butta.
