The Edinburg Project theatre course is offered only once every two years to about a half-dozen students who prepare a play to perform at the Festival Fringe in Scotland. The “Orlando” actors, from left, Matthias Volker, Whitney Barrett, Susset Tamayo, and Adam Ritter. (Image: Olivia Demberg, stage manager)
Personal documentaries replace performing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Theatre arts students created personal documentaries relating their situations during the coronavirus quarantine to the theme of transformation in crisis in the play “Orlando,” which they were supposed to perform at the now-cancelled Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland
Sung at all official University occasions, “The Red and Blue” was composed by William J. Goeckel, College Class of 1895 and Law Class of 1896. The words were written by Harry E. Westervelt, Medicine Class of 1898.
Celebrating alma maters: 125 years of ‘The Red and Blue’ and ‘Hail, Pennsylvania!’
President Amy Gutmann says singing along to “The Red and Blue,” composed 125 years ago, is the “most cherished” and “best known” tradition in song at Penn. The official alma mater, “Hail, Pennsylvania!” was also written in 1895. (Video)
Flora Feng, a senior mathematics and economics major, plays the traditional Chinese guzheng in a video she made in her California home. She is a member of the new Penn Flow Chinese-Western chamber music ensemble.
Penn Flow Chinese-Western chamber music ensemble plays from home
The Penn Flow Chinese-Western chamber music ensemble juxtaposes traditional Chinese instruments with Western instruments. Student members are featured playing the traditional Chinese erhu and guzheng at home in videos posted by the Music Department.
The Libraries is investing in resources to support the Penn community while working remotely, such as buying e-books, gaining access to other digital collections, as well as bolstering the number of librarians available to answer questions. The leadership team meets regularly by videoconference.
Penn Libraries expands digital collections, online platforms, and expert support
To support the Penn community while working remotely, the Penn Libraries purchased 35,000 e-books, negotiated access to other digital collections, increased video streaming access, and tripled the number of librarians available to answer questions.
Two of the three Kelly Writers House Fellows public conversations were held remotely this year, livestreamed online. April’s guests were Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham (top row, left to right) who produce The New York Timespodcast “Still Processing.” The question and answer session was managed by Penn’s Julia Bloch, Creative Writing Program Director, and Lily Applebaum of the Kelly Writers House (bottom row, left to right).
Virtual visitors at the Kelly Writers House
The Kelly Writers House Fellows course continued remotely this semester for the class sessions and public conversations. Last week’s guests were Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham of The New York Times podcast “Still Processing.”
Seniors Philip Chen, left, and Meera Menon won the President’s Engagement Prize for The Unscripted Project, a nonprofit to bring improv classes to Philadelphia public schools in partnership with the Philly Improv Theater.
Improv with an impact
With their President’s Engagement Prize, Wharton School seniors Philip Chen and Meera Menon plan to create The Unscripted Project, a nonprofit that will run 10-week improv courses in Philadelphia public schools, partnering with the Philly Improv Theater.
Glenda Goodman, assistant professor of music at Penn, collaborated with a friend at Princeton to organize the American Contact project on material texts.
Understanding the Americas through material texts
Penn and Princeton partner to create a now-virtual symposium to explore 38 objects, including books, journals, maps, musical scores, visual art, wampum, textiles, stone tablets, and various kinds of handwork.
Alum Shadrack Frimpong, who earned an undergraduate degree in 2015 and a master’s in 2019 from Penn, has received a 2020 Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
Penn alum Shadrack Frimpong awarded Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Shadrack Frimpong, Penn graduate and 2015 Presidents Engagement Prize winner, has been awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in public health and primary care at the University of Cambridge in England.
Penn Professor Emily Wilson has been named a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow. (Image: Kyle Cassidy)
Professor Emily Wilson named 2020 Guggenheim Fellow
The School of Arts and Sciences professor has received a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in the humanities category for her translations of ancient Greek and Roman literature and philosophy.
