As Mr. Hillyer said,
today was a very easy and chill day. We woke up around 8 AM to get ready for a
day of touring the city and the UPenn campus in an official tour lead by
students. But before we set off for a day of touring, John took us to a
charming restaurant called Sabrina’s Cafe on N 34th street, not too far from
our hotel. I got Huevos Rancheros which were amazing! The green salsa brought
all the flavors together. While we waited for our meal John debriefed us on how
the day was going to play out and what sorts of things we would see in Old
Town. At this moment I had no idea what was really in store for us in that part
of town. We finished our delicious meals and walked towards the subway for the
first time and put our tokens in and waited for the train to arrive. In no time
it was there and got us to our destination just as fast.
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| Huevos Rancheros |
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| College Hall |
The tour kicked off with
a short informational overview of the admission process. She talked about the
holistic approach and how well rounded individuals were more likely to be
admitted since they would make their graduating class more diverse. This is
important to admissions because they want to ensure that individuals thrive in
the environment and not just on their own. When this was over we got split up
into several groups. We got grouped with a rising junior named Wendy Zhou. She
is double majoring in Communications with an emphasis in International
Relations and in Biology. After describing what College Hall was used for and
how it has the 6th biggest organ in the world, she began to talk about the
School of Arts and Sciences. The have a mentoring program that begins once you
are admitted in the summer. You can get in touch with your mentors and talk
about schedules and just college life to ensure a smoother transition in.
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| Ben |
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| Wharton |
After we went into the School
of Engineering. They have less undergraduates compared to the Arts and Sciences
school but still give amazing educations. That pat was a bit more brief since
not many people were interested in it. On the way to Wharton, we talked about
how Benjamin Franklin was a founder of the university and how there was a ton
of status dedicated to him. I think if i was only able to talk one piece of
information away from this whole trip it would be that all the population of
Pennsylvania is Ben Franklin groupies.
The Wharton School of
Business was another brief stop because no one in our group was very interested
in it. The architecture of the building was very beautiful and aesthetically
pleasing. From this building we went to the dorms! We actually got to see where
we are going to be staying the upcoming weeks. The dorms are very secure
because you need both a key and a pass code to get in at the front gate. There
are also security guards protecting the building. The dorms are coed but are
not coed rooms or bathrooms. I would have liked to see the use of gender
neutral bathrooms but other than that i thought that the courtyard in between
the buildings was great and that the dining commons are in every building.
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| Dorm Entrance |
Once the tour was over we came to the hotel and
relaxed for a bit before going to Old Town for dinner. I took a nap while
Kamillah and Allonah went to the bookstore. Once it was 6PM we headed back to
Old Town and ate at Sonny’s Famous Cheese Steaks. The food was very filling and
savory. When we finished our meal, we headed to the Penn Landing where we got
to see a bit of the outdoor concert and the old ships by the water front. The
atmosphere felt very friendly and warm. I didn’t want to leave!
Before heading to the hotel we walked through
Washington’s Court Park and saw the eternal flame sitting by a statue of George
Washington. The park itself had tall trees and a water fountain in the middle
that brought out a refreshing feel. After we came back to the hotel and went
over our itinerary for tomorrow. We are going to NY to visit Columbia
University. I am really looking forward to finally visiting Time Square and
exploring the city.
As our last activity of
the day, as a cohort we decided to jump in the pool and relax our tired bodies.
We bonded over many topics ranging from what we were expecting from the Social
Justice Program to Iggy Azalea. We really connected as a group. I am sure we
will continue to grow stronger bonds throughout our stay here.
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| Water Front |
