5/18
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Penn Relays
Later this month the track and field world will descend on West Philadelphia for the world’s most famous track meet—the Penn Relays. For 111 years, the Penn Relay Carnival has provided an opportunity for athletes from around the world, and of all ages, to run in a track and field event unlike any other. In the past 10 years alone, more than 100,000 men and women have run at the Relays. They have ranged in age from 8 to 80. And they have included everyone from high school stars to some of the most celebrated Olympians in history (think Michael Johnson, Carl Lewis and others).
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For The Record: In the swim
These days, Penn swimmers take the plunge either at the Pottruck pool or the aging but still serviceable Hutchinson facility. Back in the 1890s, the aquatically inclined headed to the recently opened Houston Hall, where a swimming pool shared basement space with a gymnasium and a bowling alley. One floor up, students could play billiards, sit down to a game of chess or checkers or spend some quality post-lap time in the “smoking and lounging” room. Women were excluded from Houston’s basement, though they could visit the first floor as guests of male students.
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Got deep pockets? Run for office
Top Stories Foer on form Got deep pockets? Run for office
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Can pumping iron banish belly fat in women?
Kathryn Schmitz is a realist. She knows that for many women the current federal exercise guidelines, which call for 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity at least five days a week, seem like a joke. A bad joke. Schmitz, an assistant professor of epidemiology in the School of Medicine, is hardly a slouch. A former dancer, Schmitz has spent her academic career studying the connection between physical activity and disease.
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Local look
Philadelphia native Zoe Strauss only started taking pictures when she received a camera for her 30th birthday, six years ago. Since then, the self-taught photographer has made a point of chronicling people and places in the city that have been overlooked. Her arresting and moving images have received numerous accolades, including a 2005 Pew Fellow Award and an invitation to participate in the 2006 Whitney Biennial—the only Philadelphia artist to be asked.
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Ask Benny: What's that ringing in my ears?
Dear Benny, When did Penn get a carillon on campus? Whenever I’ve been out around College Green, I’ve noticed bells chiming the hours. It seems new to me this year. Also, I could have sworn one evening when I was doing some research in the library I heard the bells playing some sort of tune. It was right before a game at the Palestra. Could I have just been suffering from low blood sugar and hallucinating? — Ears Still Ringing Dear Aurally Astute,
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Where it all began
Q&A/The mysteries of the universe—where it came from, what it’s made of—have intrigued Licia Verde since she was a young girl. Fortunately for her, she’s part of a research project that aims to answer just those kind of fundamental questions, and offer humankind a greater understanding of our vast, confounding universe. “The amazing thing is that we can use scientific method, mathematics and physics to describe the whole universe.”
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Out and About: Walkabout
Columns Ask Benny: Does Penn have its own bell tower? Out and About: Walkabout
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Foer on form
Top Stories Foer on form Got deep pockets? Run for office
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Honey, we’re out of control
TELEVISION/A new TV series hosted by a Penn prof helps families get back on track with diet, lifestyle. What does it take to get Americans to change their children’s diets? A new TV show hosted by a School of Medicine professor is using cutting edge technology to show parents what their chubby young kids will look like at age 40 if they continue to eat junk food and favor TV and video games over exercise. The results aren’t pretty.