Breaking Sphinx News: Senior Honor Awards

You heard it here first!

Congratulations to the 5 Sphinges who won Senior Honor Awards!!

Althea K. Hottel Award: Catey Mark
Gaylord P. Harnwell Award: Kate Liberman
David R. Goddard Award: Caroline Gammill
R. Jean Brownlee Award: Alexis Ruby Howe

Spoon Award: Andrew Kaplan
Bowl Award: Zach Coopersmith
Cane Award: Stefon Burns
Spade Award: Ezra Billinkoff

~Sphinx Newsie

Sphinx News - April 22, 2007

This week, it was all about winning championship titles, saving Penn traditions and coming together as a community to reflect on the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

After Sphinx witnessed a great victory over Princeton earlier in the week, the Women's Lacrosse team went on to complete a perfect season by beating Brown 12-4 on Saturday.

Sarah Waxman and Emily Szelest split time in goal, with Waxman picking up her 13^th win. Szelest, despite playing only 9:30, was outstanding, making three saves and allowing a goal in that span to preserve the game.

In other sports news, Penn Crew came third on Saturday at the Award Plaque at Lake Carnegie. Way to go Catie!

With the last day of classes came the 76-year tradition known as Hey Day and Sphinges were ready to see how their year-long efforts to change the culture of Hey Day would turn out:

Wharton senior and class president Andrew Kaplan said over 550 seniors have signed a pledge not to throw non-approved items - like eggs, ketchup and mustard - this afternoon at juniors walking down Locust Walk.

This activity, often labeled as hazing, has recently put the 76 year-old tradition in jeopardy.

So, as part of a campuswide effort to make sure Hey Day doesn't go anywhere, student government officials have been working tirelessly to promote a safer Hey Day.

Student leadership has done "a fabulous job collaborating for change," Vice Provost of University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said.

And the initial media reports on Hey Day were relatively positive with the Philly Inquirer going with the headline: Penn's Junior Day cleans up - a bit

It wasn't clean. It wasn't dry. And it certainly wasn't ketchup-free, as University of Pennsylvania officials and student government leaders had hoped.

But yesterday's raucous junior class procession through campus, known as "Hey Day," wasn't nearly as gooey as in years past.

Senior class president Andrew Kaplan, who helped devise and push the new rules, said he thought the vast majority had abided by them.

"It was very celebratory as opposed to a hazing atmosphere," he said.

On Thursday evening, Sphinx was out in force at the student-led Candlelight Vigil:

The candelight vigil, organized by 21 student groups, featured remarks by University President Amy Gutmann, Vice Provost of University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum and associate chaplain Charles Howard.

College senior Raffi Cohn, who was at the vigil, said the event played an important role in the healing process.

"I was amazed at how many students showed up," he said. "Everyone just feels helpless and it's really scary. But by so many people coming together, it kind of lets you know that you're not the only one who's thinking that."

In addition to the honorary Sphinges who spoke, Ezra, Mana and Brett all spoke to the huge crowd that had gathered on College Green. The DP, low-balled the attendance at 200, but anyone who was there knows that the number was closer to 800.

~Sphinx Newsie

Sphinx in the News

In addition to being spotted around campus, Sphinges have been really busy doing what they do best: getting things done. Unsurprisingly, Sphinges have been all over the news recently both on and off campus.

Our very own Sarah Waxman has been "solid in goal this season for the Quakers, allowing only 55 goals in ten games and starting every contest." And the DP just named the Women's Lax (that means Lacrosse) team "Overnight celebrities" after 16 years of Dartmouth's dominance over the weekend.

Sphinx was also out in force for a 36-hour sit-in for Darfur this week. According to the DP:

With more than 3.5 million people in the Darfur region of Sudan are completely reliant on international aid for survival, student leaders say they've felt compelled to help out.

"We feel really invested in educating the Penn community about this issue," said College senior Ezra Billinkoff, who was involved in organizing the event, a result of only two weeks worth of planning.

Student groups involved in the effort include Hillel, Sphinx Senior Society, Alliance and Understanding, STAND, Tzedek and the Darfur Action Planning Committee.

The Undergraduate Assembly also made the DP after passing a proposal on improving Penn's Student Health Service and a proposal on climate change that was co-sponsored by Ivy Council.

In other UA news, Brett Thalmann was could be seen posing a question at the last University Council meeting. The meeting featured some administrative updates and a presentation by Kevin Rurak on behalf of the Lambda Alliance regarding the issue of whether Penn's policy on blood donations is discriminatory.

Shawn Safvi had a great column in the DP's joke issue and campus was so relieved to finally hear the truth from the DP leadership:

You accuse us of deliberately targeting you or simply ignoring what you do. I tell you that's not true to your face, but I'm lying. The DP really doesn't care, and the news editors usually delete your e-mails once they realize it's you.

It's not that they don't like you … well, it kind of is, but that's not the point. The DP just doesn't cover boring events, and let's be honest, watching you "appreciate your heritage" doesn't make the cut

Shakirah was also quoted supporting the UMC's recent actions to campus events:

"I think they did a great job," said College senior Shakirah Simley, 2006's UMC chairwoman.

"Their energy is on how they can enact structural change, which I think is more important, useful and constructive. I think this incident is just a platform to talk about what's going on in the greater context," she said.

And in local, national and international news:

"Marshmallow Compromise Saves Penn Ritual"

If you've been living under a rock, the Penn tradition being referenced is Hey Day. Both Puneet Singh and Brett Thalmann were quoted in this AP story:

"I really enjoyed it," said senior Brett Thalmann, who participated in the festivities last year despite having things thrown at him. "I think it's one of Penn's great traditions."

Junior class president Puneet Singh agreed it was "a great resolution."

Thalmann said Hey Day does. It's one of only a handful of times Penn students get together with their entire class, he said.

"It's a really powerful feeling," said Thalmann, a student government leader who worked on the compromise. "The focus on the negative aspects definitely has been more recent and really is a minor part of the day."

The story was picked up by over 43 news outlets including the Washington Post, Philly Inquirer, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Sun-Times, LA Times, Forbes, Guardian Unlimited UK, and the Kalamazoo Gazette.

That's all for now, but I'm sure I'll be back soon to mention even more Sphinges in the news.

~SN

Fullight, Fulbright, First Ful I see tonight

Fresh from carefree spring breaks, Sphinx was ready to throw off the sunblock and throw on their thinking caps. Penn and Philadelphia were not willing to let students ease back into the swing of things, however. Tumultous weather changes, another loss in the NCAA tournament, and a general epidemic of Acapulcan crabs, threatened to put a damper on the last few weeks of school. Fortunately, Sphinx members know no obstacles and were spotted doing generally remarkable things. Generally.

First on tap, as further confirmation that the Japanese can make both VCRs and scholars better than us, Mana was cited “WINNING AN F-ING FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP!!!” for study in the land of the rising sun. She is reported to have responded with a measured and low-key expression of approval. Sources also surmise that Mana is “SeRiOUsly so XXCiteddd and THANK you guyssss sooooooo MucH! <3> To learn more about this seriously prestigious award, go here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulbright_Program In other Mana-tastic news, the phenom presented at her first sociology conference on Saturday morning, which is "very impressive for an undergrad.”

Following along on the honor train, 14 Sphinx were tapped as finalists for the Senior Honor Awards (out of 30 finalists in total). Friars had a “surprisingly strong showing with 4 candidates.” Better luck next time...

Finally in our achievements section, Lex was cited being "awesome morning, noon and night." Oh, and she was also notified that she'd been chosen inaugural Penn Gay and Lesbian Alumni Award of Merit. To further Lex's embarrassment of riches, she received a job offer in Boston with the Fund for Public Interest research. "It means she can stay in the country!" Somewhere a kangaroo cried.

Moving on to this week's social notes, Andy Kaplan was spotted at MAd4 with his two best friends from Kansas. All three wore matching polo shirts in different colors. While Andy's shirt was not pink, his drink was. In sports, Josh Head was cited leading the Mask and Wing Intramural Basketball Team to the playoffs. The team won their first game 41-11 but fell in the semifinals when the team's lack of rebounding skills could no longer be compensated for through "stunning looks and bootylicious short shorts." Also, Ryan spotted Chris Mizell at the gym -- twice. He was looking studly and ready to kick arse on March 23.

In this week's culinary section, Ryan was cited in Platt Performing Arts House manning an “impromptu brownie station with style.” His grandmother had sent him a usual shipment of brownies and baked goods. Also as usual, Ryan ate only one of them and pawned the rest off on passers-by as part of his “get hot before it gets hot” campaign.

In the arts, Catie V., Brett, Jareau, and Brandon were cited watching Israel, Ewurama and Dominique at the Gospel Choir concert. That wasn’t all that Brett wanted to see this week, however. Sources say he tried to see Healey's naked ass at multiple events throughout the week, and succeeded at Ezra's Shabbat dinner. On an unrelated note, lovers of Maureen Dowd, Paul Krugman and Thomas Friedman rejoiced as Brett and the UA brought the NY Times for free to Penn's campus.

Back to talking about Healey’s ass, Catey Mark was cited kicking it “at a very intense, record-breaking tall game of drunk jenga” at her house on Saturday night. Sources tell us that the St. Patty’s day party at Catey’s place was "off-the-hook" and a "wonderfully awkward gathering of Sphinges." Brett and Catie "dominated the Beirut table," Caroline's boyfriend John "re-emerged" and "randoms" made out on the couches. Lex also had her first hetero kiss in awhile. Despondent lesbians protested nationwide.

As was mentioned earlier, Ezra hosted a Shabbat dinner with "riveting" conversation. Attendees discussed smegma (from Healey’s ass tattoo) and childhood jokes like: “your epidermis is showing!”Gaby, Brett, Ezra, Healey, Mana, Catey, and self-descrbied "pagan" Lex were in attendance.

In the meeting department, Healey, Ryan, and Caroline met to plan the stalking of the several hundreds of seniors who haven't yet donated to the Gift Drive. Luckily, that doesn't apply to anyone in Sphinx. Also, Srikant and Brett could be spotted eating crepes and talking about politics in Houston Hall, where they also strategized about Sphinx’s endowment and how to best approach Alumni Relations. Ezra also led a meeting for the Darfur rally which is starting to take shape..."contact Mana, Healey, Ezra or Catey if you want to get more involved." Finally, Mana, Brett, Lex and Head all sat on the balcony at the "often erratic" Paul Farmer speech.

In our virtual spotting segment, Nina was awesome as she sent out a google spreadsheet to gather our taps.

Everyone else was chilling with Dick Cheney in an undisclosed location.

- SC

EVENTS THIS WEEK :

A) Official: Monday – Group meeting at 10pm. Location TBA.

Tuesday – New Deck Happy Hour at 4:30

B) Unofficial:

Monday: “Close to Home: A Personal Perspective on Darfur” 7:30 in Huntsman 3:40. Jareau and Ewurama.

Wednesday: Betsy Ross's Bat Mitzvah Party at 8 p.m. at Hillel.

This is Ezra’s highest priority event thus far so try to make it.

Also at 8 pm, Caroline and Tri Delta are putting on a lecture by Regan Hoffman, entitled “Honesty & HIV: A Discussion of the Power of Full Disclosure”

Thursday: Mask and Wig show for those who haven't gone yet.

Breaking in Spring

It's not easy being smart, ambitious, and strikingly beautiful all the time. That's why Penn's finest decided to take a week off in early March. What resulted you can see here in the first edition of a literary litany of leadership, lasciviousness and laughter: Sphinx Citings.


We begin our journey in Miami's South Beach where Catey Mark was spotted strutting around with Ryan and an assortment of fellow seniors at all hours of the night. She also may or may not have gotten down at SoBe's hottest new club, "SET." But she probably doesn't remember since she wasn't quite able to stumble away from the porcelain toilet until 3pm the next day. Too bad she wasn't staying in the same room as her parents...oh, wait. Ms. Mark also hosted Ryan, his bf Shane of Friars, and other travel partners for drinks with Catey's parents at their uber-trendy suite at the Sagamore. Catey's dad was "a hoot." Also, Ryan was spotted sporting some tight-ass jeans and looking "pretty damn hott!"(Ryan didn't write this one himself, he promises)

Moving off the mainland to points more southern, our dear president Andy, when not trying to schedule Barney as a commencement speaker, was Spring Breaking in Negril, Jamaica. As Andy so colorfully describes the occasion, "It was a huge, week-long party with amazing weather."

Back in conquistador country, Jareau Wade and Chrissy Choug were the spiciest tamales in Cancun, Mexico! AND they ran into, "or rather cited", Sri one night on the crazy Clubbing strip!!! Srikant was enjoying an all-inclusive with a few buddies from his pledge class and a couple guys from Masala.
A little bird tells us that Israel and Ewurama (with her new hair extensions)were also in Cancun. All 4 Sphinx members have "gotten a little darker, lost a few more brain
cells, and realized that Penn has the earliest spring break of any
university in the country." Fun was had by all.

Gaby was in Playa del Carmen with ten other girls. Yes, she is from Mexico and has some family who lives there, but no, they didn't visit her.

In the singing gender identity disorder department, David Fraga and Josh Head were busy on the Mask and Wig Tour of San Francisco, LA, San Diego, New Jersey, New York City and Rochester. According to David, it was "Really fun, the best yet." Highlights included a hotel on the beach in San Diego for 2.5 nights, getting black-out in New York before a 3AM ride to Rochester (about 30 miles from Ryan's home by the way), and an incident with the group's Ryder truck. No word yet on how many little Fragas were created around the country on this scandalous little tour. Girlfriend and Friar, Katie Liberman would not be happy to know, we're sure. Separately, Fraga was also cited turning in a completed draft of his thesis! Some work remains but the worst is over.

Back in glacier land, Chris Mizell was spotted at the Restaurant school teaching a master class on chicken preparation. Over the break he stayed in Philly training for the NFL combine, which has been moved to March 23. Editor's note: for the deportes deficient, you can learn about just what the heck this "combine" is here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_Combine

After break and back at Penn, Mana was spotted being cute. "All the damn time." Caroline visited Ryan incessantly at the cafe but never purchased anything from him. Srikant and Brett were also each caught in rushed bike-by conversations with Fraga. Israel was preparing for his upcoming performances which everyone can't wait to attend. Although no one seemed to specifically know what Shak was doing, everyone clearly knew she was being socially active somewhere. Tammy furiously studied for some exam during the potluck meeting. Jeff joined a healthy crowd at Sphinx's Tuesday 4:30-6:30 Happy Hour at Mad4.

Oh yeah, and prior to break, Healey, Ezra and Ryan had enjoyed a fine lunch at Houston to discuss Sphinx events; the meal took about two hours, mostly because Healey was full of sh*t. Literally, he was in the bathroom forever.

Everyone else was in a cave for the week (or they didn't email yours truly).

Next edition on Monday. Please have your citings in by Sunday evening. Also, Pod happy Hour is 10-12 Wednesday night (tonight).

Yours,
Sphinx Citer