News Archives

Out & About: Spring at the Arboretum

WHAT: Now that spring is here, be sure to take some time to explore the Morris Arboretum, located at 100 E. Northwestern Ave. in Chestnut Hill. Admission is free with a PennCard, $7 for youth, active military, and students; $14 for seniors; and $16 for adults.

Take your daughters and sons to work on April 26

Explaining to your inquisitive child what you do for a living can be an elaborate back-and-forth, often leading to hard-to-explain details. But at Penn’s annual “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day,” Thursday, April 26, those details can become part of a day of fun.

Penn wellness fairs highlight community health

Penn is hosting a pair of health and wellness fairs over the next two weeks to help our West Philadelphia neighbors, young and old, stay focused on fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being.

Student Spotlight with Andrew Biros

For the Record: Young Ben Franklin

Most images of Benjamin Franklin the printer, the scholar, the scientist, and the diplomat depict him in the later years of his life. But Penn is home to a rare likeness of Franklin when he was about the age of a typical college freshman. Located outside Weightman Hall, and set 15 feet above ground level, a bronze statue shows Franklin confidently striding along, carrying all his worldly possessions in a bulky bundle.

Off to the races

Later this month, the sidewalks in University City and the track around Franklin Field will be crowded with high school athletes and Olympic hopefuls participating in the 118th running of the Penn Relays. The Relays will be held from April 26 to April 28 at Franklin Field and Penn Park. The event is the longest uninterrupted collegiate track meet in the country. It also is the best-attended track meet in America and one of the most highly attended in the world.

Penn team advances to national Public Policy Challenge

For the past three years, the Fels Institute of Government has sponsored the Public Policy Challenge, pitting undergraduate and graduate student-led teams against one another to develop the best overall civic campaign to tackle a specific issue affecting the Philadelphia region.

Common ground

Late last month, the Penn Libraries announced the opening of the Education Commons at Franklin Field, a state-of-the-art study and information facility that supports teaching and collaborative learning.

Tracing the Talmud’s journey

The story of how the Talmud—a body of Jewish law and a guide to Jewish life—evolved from a strictly oral tradition to a set of written scholarly works is one of preferences in composition, preservation of traditions, and cultural and geographic necessity. Composed by Jewish scholars of the 3rd through 6th centuries C.E., the Talmud consists of 63 tractates in Hebrew and Aramaic. For generations, the laws and customs of the Talmud were authorized to be transmitted only orally in face-to-face encounters between theological masters and students.

New bike-sharing program gets a rolling start

Dear Benny: Is it true that there is an on-campus bike-sharing program that provides bicycles that can be used to ride around the city? I don’t own a bike, but there are times I would like to ride one for fun, or to do errands. —Ready To Roll Dear RTR: