Ego of the Week: Meghana Nallajerla-Yellapragada
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It's 6 p.m. and the dogs chase each other, frolicking across the field. The owners watch from a distance and laugh as the dogs scamper by with flopping tongues.
Each Wednesday from May to November, the corner of 34th and Walnut streets transforms into an oasis of local goods, including a stand run by Andy O’Neill of Big Sky Bread Company. If you’re looking for their stand on Wednesday, follow the aroma of oven–crisp breads and sweet pastries. You’ll soon see the smiling face of Andy O’Neill and a long line of waiting students. Big Sky Bread Co. travels to Penn from North Wilmington, Delaware. Luckily for us, their cookies also make the trip.
The BYOB scene at Penn never gets old, but it's about to get even better. Grab a bottle and your coolest pals and head over to a BYOB art class in Philly. From canvas painting to ceramics, you don't want to miss out on creating a masterpiece with a special *drunk* twist. Channel your inner Van Gogh with some liquid courage and check these places out the next time you and your friends are looking for a way to switch up your weekend plans.
In September, art blossoms out of the nooks and crannies of Philadelphia. The Fringe Festival, presented by FringeArts, is a 17–day, city–wide celebration of innovation, art, and creativity. Each year, there are more than one thousand daring performances, including those curated by FringeArts and independent artists. The Fringe Arts organization describes the Festival as an “unparalleled opportunity to see a cross section of the world’s greatest experimenters at one time, in one city.” Lucky for Penn students, that city is Philadelphia.
Savi Joshi (W’19) is a student–chef and baker who uses every spice in her cabinet—but mostly Hot Cheetos. The Wharton junior wrote her own Hot Cheetos cook book filled with savory and sweet recipes that use the spicy ingredient. Street asked the Hot Cheeto Connoisseur a few questions:
Cinemark isn’t the only movie theatre on Penn’s campus, and the residents of Gregory know that better than anyone else. Film enthusiasts of all sorts—ranging from cinema studies majors to engineers—gather nightly at Gregory College House to appreciate good films and brew reflective discussions afterwards.
Smoke and fire performed a duet that left the entire neighborhood in a standing ovation. I wanted to remove myself from the audience but my eyes were glued—it was my house that was putting on the show.
I declare mug cakes are the new black. I know coffee usually goes in mugs, but cake can find a home anywhere. Seriously, mug cakes are essential to college life. Usually we're seeking a dessert for one, and baking that entire cake just isn't worth the time or energy. Luckily, mug cakes are easy to make. With your mug of choice, a few simple ingredients, and a microwave, your very own mug cake can be ready to inhale in less than five minutes. Take a photo after — you can caption it, "This is my mug shot."
There's a floral oasis blooming near Reading Terminal Market.
It’s 3:27 a.m. in the basement of Van Pelt on a Tuesday night and you wish you could just inject caffeine directly into your bloodstream. You’re drowning in assignments, meetings, midterms—you can’t keep your mind off the deadlines, and your fingers tremble as you type. You’d love to escape the VP basement and the mice, but mostly you need a break from your thoughts.
When I was 17, someone asked me what I would order on death row. It was a very important question, but my taste buds were blanking. I’m Italian, but the craving surprisingly wasn’t my grandma’s Sunday sauce or any form of pasta, bread or meatballs. I almost chose 2 a.m. disco fries from the crappy diner I go to in New Jersey. Then, the answer suddenly came to me in a heavenly mix of sugar, flour, butter and chocolate. I wanted a baked good. With that important question answered, I took on the identity of Baked Girl. I tend to take any life occasion and create an excuse to bake: holidays, break–ups, exam weeks, make–ups, girls' nights... you get the point. I must warn you that I am a human contradiction. Half of my heart craves fitness and quinoa, and the other half, well, likes to bake extremely unhealthy desserts. My dream job is to open a bakery/coffee shop called Dough Co. next to a cardio dance fitness studio; I truly believe eating it out is the best after sweating it out. (Ed. note: My last name is Donato, so there would be a donut called the Donat–o.) Regardless if this dream ever comes true, I still want you guys to come on this journey of taste bud–orgasms with me every week. Always remember: a good baker will rise to the occasion, and the yeast I can do is share my recipes with you.
On February 17th, a group of talented and enthusiastic creatives will walk into Fisher Bennett Hall at 5 p.m., anxiously anticipating the 48 hours of filmmaking ahead of them. For certain participants, it will be their first time collaborating on a film from start to finish. For others, this will be the chance to embrace their passion and practice what they hope to pursue for the rest of their lives.
While one might say Hamco, the Radian and all things Campus Apartments are "off–campus," some fellow Quakers have gone above and beyond—literally. These students actually live off–campus, stepping outside of the physical barriers of the Penn Bubble and into Philly proper. From South Philly to Center City, read what they have to say about life outside of Penn's boundaries.
Afia Brago Adu–Gyamfi (C ’17)
For many Penn students, the turnout of the 2017 presidential election felt as if a grey pencil washed out College Hall’s green and all of our campus's color. With the prospect of Trump’s America paining him as he left for winter break, Stephen Damianos (C'19), a strong campaigner for Hillary Clinton, found an adult–coloring app. Although Stephen used to poke fun at his mom for loving coloring books, he soon became “slightly addicted to it.” He realized that coloring was “very relaxing, but a little stressful when [he] colored outside of the lines.” Stephen is not alone in this feeling. The pressure at Penn to always be doing something productive makes it difficult for students to relax, unwind and “color outside the lines” in their own lives. Stephen urges his peers to “take care of themselves and find healthy and safe ways to do that…and if for some people coloring is a colorful and safe way to get away from the insanity of the America we now live in, then I think that is a really great thing.”
Second semester slump is kicking in, and our dorms look just as mopey as we feel. Do you really want a pet, but you live in college housing? Is your room a mess? Do you and your roommates need something new to help you procrastinate? Is there just not a single human who truly understands you? Street has found the robots to make spring semester a little more bearable.
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