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(07/17/14 1:13pm)
Street: Heard you’re doing something cool this summer! What are you doing?
RS: I am working as an Assistant Team Advisor with the National Student Leadership Conference for their business and entrepreneurship programs. Basically, I help lead a team of 14 to 16 high school students through a business simulation and a product pitch. I also take students on various NYC tours like Wall Street and Times Square, plan super fun socials, and then act as an RA at night since we are staying in college dorms.
(07/17/14 1:07pm)
Meet Puss n Boots – not the fairytale character, but the band comprised of Grammy award-winner Norah Jones, singer-songwriter Sasha Dobson, and Ryan Adams/Jack White bassist Catherine Popper. The trio formed back in 2008, playing informal gigs in Brooklyn bars and other small venues around New York. Their debut album, No Fools, No Fun, is a mixture of their live performances and studio recordings, be it original songs or covers by Tom Paxton and Neil Young.
(07/11/14 4:45pm)
Street: Heard you’re doing something cool this summer! What are you doing?
NS: Besides rehearsing for Front Row’s NSO show Edges and serving as Mask and Wig’s Digital Chair, I am working for a wonderful organization called the Breakthrough Collaborative. I teach writing and provide counseling for rising 9thgraders from public schools in the Greater Philadelphia area!
Street: What exactly does Breakthrough Collaborative do for these kids?
NS: Breakthrough has a two-part mission. The first and most important is that it takes students with high potential from poorly funded schools and gives them the opportunity to attend an intensive program every summer between grades 6 and 9 (and a few times throughout the school year) to prepare themselves to succeed in classes the coming year and ultimately to go to college. In addition, it provides them with application counseling, mentoring and tutoring, free of cost. The second part of Breakthrough’s mission is to take successful college students interested in the field of education and train them to teach and mentor students, which is where I come in! Breakthrough has consistently been ranked among the top internships available to college students in the U.S., and it is seriously a humbling honor for me to be able to teach for them.
Street: What do work on specifically as both a teacher and a mentor?
NS: Regarding teaching, I am specifically working with the kids on two units: writing personal memoir essays and synthesis essays from a literary text. Think of it like a short-term writing seminar for high school pre-frosh. I also teach a creative writing elective, but that is solely for fun and the kids and I usually laugh our faces off during that class. As a mentor, I work intensively with 6 students in particular to give them personal advising, goal-setting techniques, study skills, and to discuss anything on their mind really. Basically, I serve as a go-to person if they have any issues they need to discuss and to make sure they are getting the most out of their summers. Mentoring is hands-down my favorite part of my job because I get to forge really deep relationships with my mentees and directly inspire and assist them on a daily basis.
Street: Can you describe a typical day at Breakthrough?
NS: I usually arrive at school around 7:30 to prep my classroom for the day. The school day runs from 9:00 to 4:30, during which time kids attend four classes, two electives, lunch, recess, mentoring sessions and an awesome daily pep rally (for which I’m the Emcee!) After the kids leave, the teachers have a faculty meeting that can end as early as 6:00 or last as late as 10 or 11 PM. It’s pretty intense.
Street: It certainly sounds like it! How many kids do you teach?
NS: Between my two classes, I teach 25 kids. I also have 11 in my elective class, and then there are the six kids whom I mentor.
Street: Wow. I can barely handle one 9th grader on a daily basis (my little brother…hey, John!). How do you manage so many of them??
NS: It might help that I’m an only child! But really, even when they get on my nerves, I care too much about them to take it personally. I see so much potential in them, and for a lot of these kids no one has ever told them they have potential, so they give a lot of respect in return. The wonderful thing about kids, no matter what age, is that they will usually reciprocate whatever behaviors you exhibit toward them. I’ve made an effort to truly open my heart up to these kids, and in turn they have welcomed me into theirs, especially in their essays. I’ve learned more from reading these students’ writing than I have in many of my Penn classes.
Street: Where are you staying in Philadelphia?
NS: I’m living in my off-campus house with several other members of Mask and Wig.
Street: How is living in Philly over the summer different from living there during the school year?
NS: Philly is surprisingly beautiful over the summer. It’s quieter and calmer, which is a nice change. It also smells less like stale beer and frat boy vomit, and more like smog and automobile exhaust. My only complaint is that the 38th St. Bridge is under construction, so I can never walk down Locust!
Street: What’s the coolest thing that’s happened to you at Breakthrough so far?
NS: In general, seeing the difference I am making and earning the respect of my students has been endlessly rewarding. The coolest, though? Well, I have one student in particular who presents some extra challenges and one day after class last week he told me I was the first teacher to ever make writing fun for him. That blew my mind!
Street: Do you think you’ll want to continue teaching in the future?
NS: I went into this summer thinking I wanted my end goal to be working in public policy, but after this experience, I am seriously considering becoming a teacher instead. I also want to clear up a common misconception. Some people say “those who can’t do, teach.” Whoever crafted that [has] clearly never been a teacher. This is the hardest job I have ever had. It is physically, mentally and emotionally taxing. At the end of the day, though, it is also the most rewarding experience I could have ever desired. Watching these kids grow is a privilege, and having even a small part in it is an overwhelming honor. So back to your first question… What am I doing for the summer? I’m not just teaching. I’m learning.
(07/10/14 12:55pm)
Because Made in America isn't for a while.
(07/03/14 10:13pm)
You probably want to ask rising Junior Michael Lewis for his autograph now, because he is making it big in the Big Apple! This L.A. native is performing his original music all over New York City, and it won’t be a surprise if he’s picked up by a record label along the way. Remember, Michael, we knew you first.
Street: Heard you’re doing something cool this summer! What are you doing?
ML: Right now, I’m writing a snarky response to this question.
Street: LOL. But no, seriously, what are you doing?
ML: I’m pursuing the life of a singer/songwriter in New York City. I’m spending a lot of time going to open mics, making as many connections as I possibly can, writing new music, and busking for dollars on the street.
Street: When is your next performance?
ML: My next gig is July 12th at Old Man Hustle. It’s free, so y’all bettah be der.
Street: I will! So, what is the best and worst thing about performing your music in front of a live audience?
ML: The best thing about performing live music is the moment when I, as a performer, just let go and truly connect with the message of the song. Nothing feels better. The worst thing about performing music live is that my voice sometimes cracks and I realize that I may still be going through puberty.
Street: What’s your favorite song to sing live?
ML: My favorite song to sing live is this song I wrote called “Waves.” It’s this break up song that I feel like a lot of people can connect to.
Street: Where are you staying in New York?
ML: I’m staying in Greenwich Village in this sweet basement apartment. My roommates include two of my best friends from Los Angeles, an out of tune piano and two air conditioning units that I’ve started worshipping as gods.
Street: What’s the coolest thing that’s happened to you in New York so far?
ML: The coolest thing? Air conditioning…BAM.
Street: Man, you are full of jokes today.
ML: (Laughs) To actually answer your question, I was playing this open mic at a place called the Bitter End and I met this guy name Matt. He invited me to go to a few open mics with him the day after. I said, “Why the hell not?” and tagged along. Our first stop was this speakeasy in Brooklyn. The speakeasy was built into this massive apartment where 11 people lived. They had this huge basement space that they had converted into a stage and bar. People just wandered in throughout the day to have a beer and play some tunes. ‘Twas, amazing.
Street: Sounds like it! Where did you go after the speakeasy?
ML: After that, Matt took me to this place called the Tea Lounge. It’s a trendy Brooklyn coffee shop that was once a massive car garage. Matt had to peace out after his set, but I stuck around to play some tunes. I played this new song that I had written called “Through and Through” and a bunch of people stood up and clapped for me when it was over. It made me feel like I’m really doing the right thing with my life.
Street: Now that you have some experience under your belt, can you offer any advice to aspiring musicians about performing or traveling to pursue music?
ML: This answer is super “Penn,” but I’d say treat yourself and your music as a start-up business. Cultivate a product that people want to buy, hand out business cards, go to as many open mics as possible to introduce people to your music, send around an e-mail list to audience members so they can stay in contact with you, make connections with venue owners and booking agents, get on the phone and talk to people, establish a brand, etc. If there is someone working harder than you at this game, then there is a problem.
You can find Michael’s work on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SoundCould by going to www.mlewofficial.com. Subscribe to Michael’s mailing list as well to get updates on his musical projects and performances!
(06/27/14 11:54pm)
Street: Heard you’re doing something cool this summer! What are you doing?
TH: I'm interning for the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington, DC. Specifically, I work for Lawfare, a national security blog affiliated with Brookings. Lawfare is devoted to hard national security choices.
Street: Whoa! National security. Are you training to become the next Jack Bauer or something?
TH: (Laughs) As an intern, I work on blog posts, events coverage, and tagging and categorizing posts to make it easier for our readers to access content. It's interesting and challenging, and the best internship I've ever had.
Street: What kind of content does Lawfare publish?
TH: Lots of content gets put up there. Recently, we've published stuff on the capture of Ahmed Abu Khattala, the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, all issues related to Guantanamo, Snowden, etc. However, it's not just like a news blog. We don't just cover the fact that things happen. Instead, it's analyzed from a legal, technical, experiential framework. The people who write for Lawfare are really impressive professionals. Many of them are law professors, lawyers, law students, people who work in or used to work in government, etc.
Street: Wow, they sound like some powerhouse co-workers. Is it tough working in an environment with such seasoned professionals?
TH: They are all really smart, (I'm kind of in awe of them!) which is what makes this internship challenging. I really want to please these people and live up to their expectations. Plus, as my boss has said multiple times, the learning curve in terms of national security is sometimes vertical. There is just so much to learn! It's great, though, because this is really what I want to do. I find national security - which, in fairness, encompasses a lot: Middle East affairs, cyber-security, war studies - so fascinating.
Street: You mentioned that Lawfare holds events. Are we talking cocktail parties at the White House or what?
TH: We hold events on a bunch of different stuff. Recently, Lawfare held a debate examining prospects for FISA / NSA reform post-Snowden. I also attend random events held at Brookings that I find interesting. The other day I went to an event on UN peacekeeping, and there was another one a few days ago on the situation in Iraq.
Street: Where are you staying in D.C.?
TH: I am living on George Washington University's campus in the Foggy Bottom/West End area. It's the perfect location for students, full of exciting things and young people.
Street: Oooo like what? This is good info for the people planning trips to D.C.!
TH: Foggy Bottom is just awesome. It has everything a college kid could want - two grocery stores, a Sweetgreen (which let's be real, Sweetgreen and Sweet Flow are very important), multiple CVS's, and plenty of dive bars. It’s the ideal place to be.
Street: You had me at “dive bars.” Do you have a favorite spot?
TH: There's one place called McFadden's that gives out free happy hours all the time. There are just tons of bars everywhere in D.C. in general. Most days after work, I go out for happy hour with the other interns.
Street: What’s the coolest thing that’s happened to you in D.C. so far?
TH: Being published under my own name with Lawfare is pretty incredible. It is very rare for a young person without a degree to get such immediate coverage.
Street: Final question, because I have to ask…Have you run into any of the Obamas yet??
TH: (Laughs) Not the Obamas, unfortunately. Ben Bernanke, former chairman of the Federal Reserve (aka the guy who weathered us through the 2008 crash) works at Brookings, though. I see him in the cafeteria all the time.
(06/19/14 4:00pm)
Like many Penn students, rising Sophomore Eleanor Armstrong is taking classes this summer. And visiting palace gardens. And going to Paris on the weekend. Did we mention that she’s taking summer classes in France?
(06/17/14 11:55pm)
Meet Hodera, a rock band from northern New Jersey and the newest addition to your summer playlist. The group consists of lead vocalist Matt Smith, lead guitarist Matt Caponegro, bassist Nick Vandermaas, and drummer Nick Baughman. Formed in January of this year, Hodera has toured throughout the Midwest and East Coast, in addition to landing a handful of showcases at SXSW in Austin, Texas. They will be playing a house show in Philadelphia on July 12th. The promoter hasn’t confirmed the location yet, but you can find their tour dates on Facebook.com/HoderaBand or Hodera.net. Hodera’s debut EP, “Reset to Default,” came out this past Tuesday through Pink House Collective. Street got a chance to talk with, Matt Smith, the creator of Hodera, prior to the band’s EP release.
(06/10/14 1:22pm)
[Ed note: this piece is an updated version of a previously released article in Street called Hey Day's On A High. The band, which has since run into a bit of legal hot water, prompting a name change. Meet: The HeyDaze.]
Locate the closest rehab. We here at 34th Street have gone on a bit of a HeyDaze bender. Penn’s ‘accessible rock’ band has been involved in a number of musical projects over the past two months, and members Jesse Fink, Andrew Spelman, and Andrew Underberg are thrilled with the reception their music is getting.
For starters, the group has captured the attention of other artists across the country. California-based musician Taylor Alderson (a.k.a. T&A Brigade) released his remix of The HeyDaze’s debut single, “Little Bandit,” earlier this April. Electronic producer and Seattle native Brian Perrett made a cover of the song as well, which he tweeted at The HeyDaze last week. So far, the band has been very impressed with these new interpretations. “It's awesome to see musicians of other genres messing around with our music,” says Fink. “We hope to see a lot more [covers] because if people are taking the time to learn or work with our tracks, it shows their passion for the music and means a lot to us.”
There’s no doubt that The HeyDaze will see even more covers of their newest single, “Adderall,” which reached 4,000 plays on SoundCloud only three hours after it was released. Fink affirms that the overall reception to the song has been really strong. “Given the content of the song, the fact that we dropped it during Finals probably helped,” he jokes.
It seems only fitting that the idea for “Adderall” came to Fink while he was studying for exams last year. “I was in Van Pelt, when all of a sudden I got a burst of inspiration and told Andrew [Spelman] to meet me in the staircase,” he remembers. “I told him I had this amazing idea for a lyric about a girl who you like, so you're looking ‘adderall’ (‘at her all’) the time. He told me to shut up and go back to studying. I left Van Pelt, went back to my guitar and wrote most of the lyrics that night.” Almost a full year later, The HeyDaze recorded what would become their next best single. The group then contacted North Dakota drummer and graphic designer Taylor Enzminger to design the song’s lyric video, which, presently, has 16,780 hits on YouTube.
Musically, “Adderall” is very much like “Little Bandit” in its foundation: an acoustic guitar sets the rhythm and the melody, and some upbeat produced percussion drives the overall song. Fink notes that the key difference is that “Adderall” has more of a laid-back vibe. “They're both pop, but this song has a dash of Cali to it.” With its clever lyrics and catchy tune, it’s no wonder that “Adderall” has been dubbed by several reviews as this year’s summer anthem. That is, until The HeyDaze’s next single comes along. Fink has confirmed that the recording and filming for the band’s upcoming song, “City Girl,” is complete and ready for release this week.
It is clear, however, that The HeyDaze has put tremendous amounts of work into their music, and the results are paying off. The band recently signed with Paradigm Talent Agency in New York, and they continue to attract more and more fans each day. To put it in their own words, The HeyDaze has stimulated every corner of our minds…and ears for that matter.
(06/05/14 11:23am)
“I want my clothes to make you smile.” Such was the aspiration of fashion designer Patrick Kelly as he crafted bright and boldly colored creations. The 1980s style icon took the streets, clubs, and runways of New York and Paris by storm with his work, combining his Southern African American roots with his knowledge of art history and urban nightlife to create an aesthetic unlike any other. For over five years, Kelly brought performance art to the catwalk and pushed cultural boundaries with his work. His clothing reflected his firm belief that haute couture should be accessible to everyone. By the time of his death in 1990, Kelly had left an indelible mark on the world of fashion.
In honor of the renowned designer and his mantra, the Philadelphia Museum of Art threw a viewing party last week for Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, the latest exposition in the museum’s Perelman Building. The exhibit features over 80 of Kelly’s designs as well as selections from his personal collection of black memorabilia, videos of his over-the-top fashion shows, and photographs by famous artists such as Horst P. Horst, Pierre et Gilles, and Oliviero Toscani. The display will remain at the Perelman Building until the end of November.
What is most interesting about Runway of Love is the visual connection it draws between Kelly’s signature style and current fashion trends. The typical body-conscious dress – or body-con – of today evolved from the bright and tight dresses Kelly designed almost 30 years ago. In addition, the modern use of peplum and tribal patterns harkens back to Kelly’s extravagant coats, dresses, and skirts that were often found on the Paris runways.
The true highlight of Runway of Love, however, is the array of Kelly’s funky accessories. The designer added everything to his pieces, from colorful feathers and oversized buttons to Eiffel Tower hats and golliwog dolls. The result is a series of playful clothes crafted for the urban socialite. The collection pays homage to Kelly’s muse, Josephine Baker, as well as his role models Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Elsa Schiaparelli. Yet the pieces are so wonderfully puzzling and unique that is quite impossible to forget who the real designer is.
Packed with outrageously fun clothing, accessories, videos, photos, and other objects, viewers will have no trouble smiling as they experience the entertaining world of Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love.
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(05/29/14 10:30am)
Penn’s latest student-run exhibition at the Arthur Ross Gallery celebrates the lasting artistic presence of two Native American cultures. Located in Fisher Fine Arts Library, On the Wings of Eagle and Raven: Tlingit and Haida Traditions highlights the rich visual tradition of the Haida and Tlingit tribes of the Pacific Northwest Coast. The exhibit is the final product of the most recent Kaye Curatorial seminar, taught by Dr. Larry Silver, Farquhar Professor in the Department of the History of Art and Dr. Robert St. George, Associate Professor in the Department of History. Over the course of the spring semester, students were involved in curating the exhibit as well as writing its brochure.
(04/16/14 3:37am)
It’s been 50 years since The Beatles first arrived in the United States to perform for television icon Ed Sullivan's weekly variety show. On February 9, 1964, the obscure pop group from Liverpool, England played for an audience of over 73 million viewers. Their enthralling performance rocked Americans everywhere and launched a “Beatlemania” that defined cultural and musical trends of the early sixties and beyond.
In celebration of the ongoing legacy of the Fab Four, Penn’s Kislak Center is hosting “Tomorrow Never Knows,” an exhibition of books about and by The Beatles. In the Karmin Gallery of Van Pelt, the exhibit pays homage to the both iconic and iconographic group through a number of formats and genres. Mass–market paperbacks, periodicals, ephemera and special signed editions published by the United Kingdom’s Genesis Publishing all trace the various representations of The Beatles—from their pop rock debut to their psychedelic experimentation.
In addition to texts, “Tomorrow Never Knows” includes a wide collection of illustrated books that construct a meta–narrative of the group’s public image as it evolved from 1964 to 1969. These images are also used in licensed products such as puzzles, games and calendars. Regardless of medium, the collection is a vibrant tribute to the music, image and cultural relevance of The Beatles that has endured long after the band’s separation in 1970.
“Tomorrow Never Knows” will be on display in Van Pelt’s Karmin Gallery until August 11th. In honor of the exhibit, the library will be having a Beatles Karaoke Night on Thursday, April 17th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Class of 1978 Pavilion on the sixth floor. What could be better than belting out “A Hard Day’s Night” during your study break?
(04/10/14 12:29pm)
Like many of his fellow freshman classmates, Gale auditioned for Mask and Wig knowing little about the organization. At that point, his only exposure to the group was the band’s performance during Penn Preview Days. “They made an announcement that they had members who were graduating,” Gale remembers. “I saw Will Corbitt—the pianist at the time—smile a little at that remark.” Corbitt was a senior, which meant there was going to be an opening for a piano player. Gale auditioned for the Mask and Wig band during his first week of school, and soon he was consumed by the hectic life of the musical comedy troupe.
(03/27/14 12:44pm)
The Dolphin Tavern
(03/20/14 1:00pm)
Hey Day doesn’t just mean Styrofoam hats and wooden canes anymore. Formed back in the spring of 2013, pop–rock band Hey Day is giving students a new, musical definition for the classic Penn tradition. The group consists of New York City trio Jesse Fink, Andrew Spelman and Andrew Underberg. “Hey Day has significance for us because we really launched this project when Jesse was going into his junior year and I my senior year,” explains Spelman. “Ergo, the Hey Day Penn tradition.” Even before the band launched, Spelman and Fink already had a musical history. The OZ duo have been writing music together for almost two years now, but Fink notes that “it wasn’t until last Spring that we decided we wanted to play music together seriously.” While studying abroad in Australia, Fink video–chatted Brown graduate Underberg, with whom he had collaborated back in New York, to see if he wanted to join the band. Underberg was in, and Hey Day was born.
(03/20/14 12:40pm)
Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens has a groundbreaking—or in this case, tile–breaking—new exhibition that is guaranteed to change the way you think about mosaic. “Shattering Expectations: MOSAIC 2014” is an exhibition in partnership with the Mosaic Society of Philadelphia, a non–profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the practice of mosaic art in the city. Featuring the work of some of the most accomplished mosaic artists in the country, “Shattering Expectations” reveals how this unique art form extends far beyond its normal aesthetic conventions.
(02/06/14 1:15pm)
“Formed in the annals of Philadelphia, five souls have joined forces to form a union with a powerful bond: Rock n' Roll.” So reads the description on the Facebook page of USSMars, Penn’s up–and–coming experimental garage band. Sophomores Scott Collins, Rishi Chatterji, Jack LaViolette, Kevin Crouch and Alston Brown all agree that USSMars has given them a sense of community—be it with audience members, other musicians or each other. “There’s something exhilarating every time the band gets together and we start playing,” says Brown, the band’s bassist.
(11/23/13 5:00pm)
What do a conductor’s hat, a broom, and a set of bowling pins all have in common? They make up half of the cast of “Rails,” a puppet pulp melodrama and the latest production of Philadelphia’s very own Transmissions Theatre.
(10/24/13 9:00am)
Laurel Hill's elegant outdoor sculpture and picturesque landscape is a North Philadelphia horticultural gem. Unfortunately, those who reside within it can’t experience the beauty of their surroundings. They can’t experience anything anymore: Laurel Hill is a cemetery and an art site.
(10/17/13 11:20pm)
Though the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST) began earlier this October, they are finally coming to the local West Center City and West Philly areas this weekend. A program of the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, it spans 20 different Philadelphia neighborhoods and engages the arts community from a refreshingly different perspective. POST grants viewers the unique opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the works of over 300 local painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, and other artistic visionaries. Don’t miss it.