A Full Philly Welcome

We all have our stereotypes that latch onto our insides like parasites, sucking dry from us hundreds of enlightening and positive experiences every single day. It’s the powers that we can develop that let us reason and not judge, that enable us to finally shake these gripping little bastards. I think I have finally plucked one of my stereotypes and opened myself up to a part of the world in which I was keeping myself from.

I don’t believe hating Ivy League schools really ever had a justification behind it—it was just fueled by personal jealousy, acquired pre-dispositions, and oh, stupidity. Towards the end of my senior year of high school and for my first semester of college, I just didn’t like any school that was branded with the Ivy League seal or was of equal or higher ego. I believed that they represented all that was evil, greed, and just were full of people who were full of themselves.

And let me put this point out next—I have never visited one, attended an open information seminar, read a pamphlet, or even been in heavy contact with people who attend one. My reasons for hating Ivy League schools were resourced basically by looking at figures and statistics, checking out (probably for about 5 minutes) online information sites, and interacting with a handful of students who were only intending to apply.

We all know that going about forming an opinion on something by making irrational conclusions, listening to inner-emotions, and agreeing that if one person who we dislike is doing it it must be a bad idea, is the most realistic and truth-providing agenda.

(Insert picture of me kicking myself in the ass here)

Now that I have seen the light (based on my preciously mentioned actions I say this with extreme caution and a thick intended amount of uncertainty) I can finally come to and say that I in fact do not hate Ivy League schools. I guess I figured out that it is not exactly sensible to hate something because it offers magnificent opportunities to a large scale of people, provides you with up-to-date and sparkling facilities, possesses some of the greatest people you could ever socialize with (and learn from), and it is something you did not work hard enough to attain.

Now, you’re probably wondering how I was able to “come to” and be granted with this eye-opening and philosophical epiphany.

I visited. And no, I don’t mean I went on one of those wonderful tours that shows you all the wonderful aspects of their wonderful school. By visited I mean that I used their shower facilities and depended on their building structure to act as a roof over my head. Of course while I was there I didn’t just shower all of the time and seek shelter. I spent a weekend with a friend who goes there and was given the grand tour.

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Once you navigate past the joyous eyesores of New Jersey, the glorious city of Philadelphia comes into view.

Big, lush and monumental buildings. Taxi’s whizzing by like crack heads. And in the middle of January the white winter sun gleams off of the skyscrapers of downtown Philly as pristine as a fresh blanket of snow.

My friend Ruona met me at the 30th St. train station and we slid into a cab and headed towards her building a couple of miles away. She explained to me how Philly is broken up into various districts and that UPenn's campus reaches to the limits of a couple of them. Out the window as we drove I saw more prestigious looking buildings with huge glass windows, profound lettering and clean red brick.

We came to her street and got out. On the pathway up to her building is a huge contorted red monument, serving as an artistic visual for the community. Ruona told me then that most students refer to them as the dueling tampons. I think I saw the reference as I turned my head slightly and leaned to the right and balanced on one foot. Either way, the monument is certainly creative and just cool in general to have on your lawn.

Ruona lives in an apartment-style high-rise building on the eleventh floor.

Her view is birds eye.

In her apartment there's 3 other girls, two of whom share a double and one other in a single. They share a living area equipped with a household-size refrigerator, conventional oven, cabinet space, couch, table and chairs, and the best thing in the world--space.

After getting settled in, Ruona said we were going for a walk.

First we took the elevator to the highest floor of her building, where there is a huge room filled with couch chairs and tables. All around, there were giant windows that looked out onto UPenn's campus. Having been dark out by this point, I was speechless at the view I gazed down upon. Sitting on the windowsill and just peering at all the moving lights and sights down below us felt therapeutic.

Next we headed outside where we walked around and Ruona showed me all the important sites on campus as I followed her in awe. There were a few things that really stuck out in my mind.

The Hospitals.

UPenn is apparently known for it's on-campus hospitals that take up quite a bit of room and are just magnificent landmarks. All over are people scurrying in and out of these modern masterpieces, and past the sliding doors and signs that read "UPenn's hospitals are rated as some of the top 10 in the country, again and again", the facilities appeared to be just as promising.

These hospitals serve many people of the greater Philadelphia area and provide hundreds of jobs and services to many people on and off campus. Ruona even showed me where she works—Mckay Labs, where she does tasks such as keeps tabs on supplies, checks nitrogen tanks, and does mycoplasm tests.

If you’re not impressed by this point, then I will be for you.

Next we stopped at a place that offered books literally as far as one could see, hundreds of comfortable places to sit and study, and an immovable silence.

Van Pelt Library.

Van Pelt is only one of the campus’ libraries and acts as one of the general locations of resource for students. Spread out over multiple levels, the library is a playground for students looking to read and study and get their work finished. If you check lots of books out at a time and don’t want to lug them back and forth, you can rent out a carrel and keep all of them together at one convenient study desk. Ruona also explained to me that when the library acquires new books, they re-bind them as to increase their shelf life.

As we moseyed in and out of the stacks and around the library a sense of welcome came about me. I actually felt like they made the library so that it gave you a feeling that they wanted you there and wanted you to be comfortable in a clean and modern environment. I was astonished by the extent of their volumes and their bookstore equipped with back-lit shelves for easy access at nighttime.





On our walk, Ruona showed me how seriously Penn students take their campus monuments.

While I stumbled and drooled over myself, Ruona managed to lead me back to her building where her suitemate had begun getting dinner started for us.

Yeah, I know, they cooked for me too. 

Needless to say I was pleasantly satisfied and enjoyed a wonderful and conversational dinner with these fine ladies.

For the next day, Ruona had planned a long event-filled tour to see the more non-academic opportunities offered by Philly.

So I rested.

It was a beautiful frosty Saturday and we set out on the first event that would take up a good portion of the day.

The Mural Mile Walking Tour.

All over the city you can spot (if you look hard enough; most people go by unaware) the project of a group of artists in Philly that consists of painting huge murals on the sides of regular buildings that all fit into a collective theme of "building a city". 

These pieces are incredible. Ruona had with her the official Mural Mile Walking Tour information guide which (with a little navigational assistance from myself—sorry Ruona) provided us with our walking route.

It took us everywhere! Turn right here. Go one block past eleventh. Mural on left. We were regular explorers.

And the art! Just incredible and life-like. Ruona and I both shared an interest in the ability of the artists to paint real looking bricks into the murals as if the fact that they were put up on real buildings was itself a part of the artist’s original plan.

Here are some of them: 

The tour was a bit spontaneous in nature and even included a stop off at a delightful little Ice Cream Shop where Ruona and I enjoyed some delectable flavors. (She enjoyed hers, I inhaled mine) 

Next on our tour we headed to the Ice Rink where UPenn’s hockey team plays, for a little ice-skating delight. Now, even though some of the students at UPenn (Ruona) are unable to master ice-skating around in a circle, I will not hold anything against the actual school’s reputation because this is simply not their fault.

After retrieving our shoes, we headed to downtown Philly. 

On our way, we passed the Schuylkill river. For a moment Ruona and I stopped and enjoyed the view from the bridge going over the Schuylkill. All the lights in the distance, the rush of the highway, and the brisk winter air had me at a loss for words.

In the city we ate at this posh little Waffle Place and walked around just taking in the vibes of Philly. It was exciting because it had a very similar feel to New York City, the place I am most familiar with. Almost like a second home.

Finally, we headed back to Ruona’s apartment after a multiple mile walk that left us with two pairs of very tired legs.

I left the next day with a new experience under my belt. Of course Ruona first took me to lunch at one of the campus’ favorite local places for Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches. 

Greasy Heaven. 

Ruona then hailed a cab and waited with me until my bus departed. Said our goodbyes, and then I was gone. Philly behind me and my mind swirling like a blender.

On the bus ride back to New York, I thought about so many different things. I considered the incredible weekend I had just finished and wondered if my ridiculous Ivy League school ideas and notions seemed to hold legitimacy anymore.

It took me about a minute and a half. They didn’t.

A school is what you make of it. It does not always fit into the reputations it receives and I have experienced that now firsthand. There are crumby people everywhere and there are amazing people everywhere. If an Ivy League School and their students could provide for me a weekend like I had, I am prepared to fully embrace their opportunities, not condemn them. Situations like this require an open mind, not a stereotypical path of reasoning. I’m thankful that I was able to finally understand this.

And before I go, I must say that a tour would be nothing without its tour guide. For me, it was the lovely Ruona, my best friend. Thank you.