Winter Holiday Evening 2010

Let’s celebrate the holiday season with an evening of fine food and fellowship on Saturday, December 18. Here are the details:

WHAT: Penn Alumni Club of San Antonio Winter Holiday Evening 2010

WHEN: Saturday, December 18, 7 P.M.

WHERE: The home of Bob and Cathy Weidman, 2643 Friar Tuck Rd, San Antonio 78209, telephone 210-829-5790

RSVP: By Saturday, December 11, to Bob and Cathy by phone or e-mail Weidman@alumni.upenn.edu.

MENU: We will provide beverages, a brisket and roast turkey breast. Please bring your favorite hors d’oeuvre, salad, side dish, or dessert. When you RSVP, please tell us what you plan to bring so we can coordinate selections and amounts.

November Penn Alumni Lunch

Below is information for our next luncheon…

When:
Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 11:30
Restaurant Insignia
401 S. Alamo Street (@ the Fairmount Hotel)
San Antonio, TX 78205
210-223-0401
http://www.restaurantinsignia.com/

LUNCH RSVP:
Please RSVP by 11/29 via email so we can have an accurate account for the table. We start at 11:30 AM so that we can beat the lunch crowd and get everyone back to work by 1PM.

Austinites: Please feel free to join us at any time.

Random Acts of Culture

Click below for a video of a choral and organ performance featuring the Wanamaker organ (now in a Macy's department store) in Philadelphia and members of the Penn Glee Club, among others.

October Penn Alumni Lunch

Below is information for our next luncheon…

When:
Friday, October 29, 2010 at 11:30
La Gloria @ the Pearl Brewery
100 East Grayson
San Antonio, TX 78215
210-267-9040
http://www.lagloriaicehouse.com/

LUNCH RSVP:
Please RSVP by 10/27 via email so we can have an accurate account for the table. We start at 11:30 AM so that we can beat the lunch crowd and get everyone back to work by 1PM.

Austinites: Please feel free to join us at any time.

September Penn Alumni Lunch

Below is information for our next luncheon…

When:
Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 11:30
Turquoise Grill
3720 NW Loop 410 (410@Fredericksburg)
San Antonio, TX 78229
210-736-2887
http://www.turquoisegrill.com/

LUNCH RSVP:
Please RSVP by 9/28 via email so we can have an accurate account for the table. We start at 11:30 AM so that we can beat the lunch crowd and get everyone back to work by 1PM.

Austinites: Please feel free to join us at any time.

RSVP Now for Wine & Cheese Tasting

There is still room for those interested in attending the wine and cheese tasting on Saturday, October 16th. The cost is $15 per person, payable by check to Melina Mastrojohn, and sent to JoAnn Kaplan at the address below by October 8th.

When:
Saturday, October 16, 2010.
6-8 PM

Where:
112 Stonehill Drive
San Antonio, TX 78258

Wine & Cheese Tasting

Alum and their significant others are invited to a wine and cheese tasting where a wine expert
Melina Mastrojohn of HEB will show us proper pairings for several varieties of whites, reds and the proper fruits and cheeses to pair them with. Dress is casual, and the tasting is limited to the first 25 people who RSVP and pay.

When:
Saturday, October 16, 2010.
6-8 PM

Where:
112 Stonehill Drive
San Antonio, TX 78258

Cost:
$15 per person, payable by check to Melina Mastrojohn and sent to JoAnn Kaplan at the above address and received by October 8th.

Did You Know?

From the week ending August 27th:
Did You Know… that the Homecoming Weekend website is ready for you to view? Sign up now for this year’s Homecoming featuring Arts and Culture at Penn on October 29 – 31. Click on the following link http://www.alumni.upenn.edu/homecoming2010/ to find a full menu of activities that highlight the University’s strengths in arts and culture, along with the traditional Homecoming gatherings and sporting events.

Hope to see you at this year’s Homecoming Festivities!

From the week ending August 20th:
Did You Know… that nine Penn students and five Penn alumni have been awarded scholarships to participate in a Fulbright international educational exchange program? More than 1,500 U.S. citizens will travel abroad for one year of foreign study in one of 155 foreign countries, sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Grant recipients are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement and demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. To learn more about the Fulbright exchange and to view a listing of Penn’s Fulbright recipients and the countries to which they will travel, please see:http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/nine-penn-students-and-five-alumni-awarded-fulbright-international-exchange-educational-scholar

August Penn Alumni Lunch

Below is information for our next luncheon…

When:
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 11:30
Manola's Thai & Vietnamese Cuisine
7212 Blanco Road
San Antonio, TX 78216
210-348-9071
http://www.manolasrestaurant.com/

LUNCH RSVP:
Please RSVP by 8/27 via email so we can have an accurate account for the table. We start at 11:30 AM so that we can beat the lunch crowd and get everyone back to work by 1PM.

Austinites: Please feel free to join us at any time.

2010 Penn Freshmen Sendoff

July Penn Alumni Lunch

Below is information for our next luncheon…

When:
Friday, July 30, 2010 at 11:30
Blue Star Brewing Company
1414 South Alamo, Suite 105
San Antonio, TX 78210
(210) 212-5506
http://www.bluestarbrewing.com/

LUNCH RSVP:
Please RSVP by 7/28 via email so we can have an accurate account for the table. We start at 11:30 AM so that we can beat the lunch crowd and get everyone back to work by 1PM.

Austinites: Please feel free to join us at any time.

Save the Date for the Class of 2014 Sendoff

Please mark the date Sunday, August 1 for an afternoon to meet and congratulate the Class of 2014 and their parents. More details will be posted soon.

June Penn Alumni Lunch

Below is information for our next luncheon…

When:
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 11:30
Luce Ristorante e Enoteca
11255 Huebner Road
San Antonio, TX 78238
(210) 561-9700
http://www.lucesanantonio.com

LUNCH RSVP:
Please RSVP by 6/28 via email so we can have an accurate account for the table. We start at 11:30 AM so that we can beat the lunch crowd and get everyone back to work by 1PM.

Austinites: Please feel free to join us at any time.

Special thanks to Michelle for coordinating our monthly lunches for the past three years! She has done an amazing job, and we wish her all the best with her new adventure in Detroit.

Penn Glee Club Visit: A Great Success

The Penn Glee Club perform during Steaknite at Waring General Store

My thanks again to all the Penn San Antonio alumni who helped plan, schedule and transport during the Glee Club’s stay with us. Also to those who so generously contributed to help fund the visit. And finally, to everyone of our alumni and family members who were able to join in this wonderful experience!

June Penn Alumni Lunch Preview

While there will be no Alumni lunch this May, below is a preview for our next lunch in June:

When:
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Luce Ristorante e Enoteca
11255 Huebner Road
San Antonio, Tx 78230
(210) 561-9700
www.lucesanantonio.com

The Penn Glee Club Visit to San Antonio is Just a Month Away

Make your plans now to attend the Penn Glee Club concert Thursday, May 20, 7:30 P.M. at the Ruth Taylor Recital Hall on the Trinity University campus. Admission is free, no tickets required. Spread the word to family and friends. There’s plenty of free parking in the stadium parking lot across Stadium Drive.

Join the Glee Club at 6 P.M. Wednesday night, May 19, for Steak Night in Waring, a classic Hill Country experience. Steaks, chicken, C&W music. You’re on your own for transportation, and for dinner costs ($20 per person, tax and tip included). Waring is about 10 miles north of Boerne. Steak Night in Waring runs from 5 to 9 P.M.; we expect the Glee Club bus to arrive there around 6. We’ll have maps and fine-tuning as the day approaches. Reservations are not required, but RSVPs to Toni Murgo will certainly help us in planning.

....Meanwhile, other details of the visit are falling into place. We’ve signed up a hotel, and we’ve lined up alumni to shuttle them to and from the airport. They will have bus transportation to and from their concerts and to Waring, and tentatively for a tour of Mission San José. The first concert, at 12 noon Wednesday, May 19, will be for students of the Edgewood ISD, at the Edgewood Performing Arts Center.

April Penn Alumni Lunch

Below is information for our next luncheon…

When:
Friday, April 26, 2010 at 11:30
Ilsong Garden
6905 Blanco Rd
San Antonio, Tx 78216
(210) 366-4508
http://www.ilsonggarden.com/

LUNCH RSVP:
Please RSVP by 4/28 via email so we can have an accurate account for the table. We start at 11:30 AM so that we can beat the lunch crowd and get everyone back to work by 1PM.

Austinites: Please feel free to join us at any time.

Breakfast with the Beasts

There is still time to RSVP for Breakfast with the Beasts at the San Antonio Zoo. The cost is $30/person which includes zoo admission, a tour and a hot breakfast. E-mail JoAnn or call Janet at 210 734-7184 ext. 1502 to reserve your space.

When:
Saturday, April 24, 2010

March Penn Alumni Lunch

Details on our next luncheon and special event/fundraiser for Glee Club visit…

When:
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 11:30
Lucifer Lighting
3750 IH 35 North
San Antonio, TX 78219
(210) 227-7329

LUNCH RSVP:
A there are no on-site food services, we will be having the lunch catered for a flat fee of $15.00. Any leftover funds and/or additional donations will be used to help the Glee Club offset their expenses.

RSVP by 3/29 via email so we can ensure enough food is available. We start at 11:30 AM so that we can beat the lunch crowd and get everyone back to work by 1PM.

AGENDA:
- Meet and Greet (11:30 AM -12:00 PM)

- Lunch (12:00 PM - 12:45 PM)

- Tour Offices & Brief Overview of Lucifer Lighting and Emerging Technologies for Lighting (optional) (12:45 PM - 1:00 PM)

- Tour Factory & Machine Shop to view CNC and Robotic Equipment Operation; Visit Engineering Offices to view CAD Design of Lighting Fixtures (Optional) (1:00 PM - 1:30 PM)

-Reassemble in Break Room for Departure ( 1:30 PM)

Austinites: Please feel free to join us at any time.

Ivy Talk: Princeton Sociology Professor Speaks on "Generations of Exclusion: Mexican Americans, Assimilation and Race"

Princeton sociologist Edward Telles will be talking about his recent book "Generations of Exclusion: Mexican Americans, Assimilation and Race." The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Thursday, February 25th at 6:00pm

WHERE: Southwest Room (Durango Building) of the UTSA Downtown Campus.

For more information: http://www.utsa.edu/today/2010/02/telles.html

February Penn Alumni Lunch

As you may know, we have been having monthly luncheons for Penn alumni in the San Antonio area on (usually) the last weekday of (almost) each month. We try to move around different areas of the city that are convenient to where we all work.

Below is information for our next luncheon…

When:
Friday, February 26, 2010 at 11:30
Jerusalem Grill
3259 Wurzbach Road
San Antonio, TX 78238
(210) 680-8400
jerusalemgrill.net

LUNCH RSVP:
Please RSVP by 2/24 via email so we can have an accurate account for the table. We start at 11:30 AM so that we can beat the lunch crowd and get everyone back to work by 1PM.

Austinites: Please feel free to join us at any time.

What's in the 'Quaker' name?

Beyond the mascot, the religion’s role in Penn’s past is less obvious than many think
by Kathy Wang

Ask a Penn student about the connection between the Quakers and the University, and the reply will likely allude to the contradiction inherent in the “Fighting Quakers.” Many students — and even faculty members — go through years at Penn without realizing that the University is, in fact, not a Quaker institution, nor did it ever have any religious ties to Quakerism.

Read the rest in the DP

Contributions to Haiti Relief Effort

Fellow San Antonio Area Penn Alumni,

We all are aware of the recent Haiti earthquake, and of the dire need for assistance to its victims. The Penn and Wharton Alumni Clubs of the neighboring Dominican Republic are working with the Dominican Republic Chapter of Save the Children in its relief effort now under way in Haiti. They invite contributions to this effort through a link provided below. The Global Alumni Network staff at Penn has followed up on this asking, and assures that it is a legitimate undertaking.

There are, of course, any number of ways we can help Haitians recover from this tragedy. This initiative of fellow Penn alumni so close to the scene is certainly one deserving of your consideration.

Donations can be made via credit card by going to the link below:

DR Penn Alumni Club
Note: ONCE YOU ENTER THE DONATION AMOUNT, PLEASE CLICK ON THE “UPDATE TOTAL” BUTTON BEFORE ENTERING THE BILLING ADDRESS

Yours for Penn,

Bob Weidman

President, Penn Alumni Club of San Antonio

RSVP by January 31 for Zoo Tour

A tour of the San Antonio Zoo is being planned for Saturday, April 24. It will begin at 8:30 A.M. with the Zoo’s “Beastly Breakfast,” followed by the zoo tour and a special audience with the cheetahs.

Cost will be $30. Contact Jo-Anne Kaplan by January 31, as spaces for this event are limited.

Ben's Birthday Bash

Ben Franklin’s 304^th birthday falls on a Sunday this year, and we’re going to have Ben’s Birthday Bash on that very date. We hope the Sunday-afternoon timing and choice of restaurant will encourage many of you who can’t join us on weekdays to come and bring a spouse, partner, date, or FOB (Friend of Ben). Here are the details:

WHO: Penn Alumni, Spouses, Friends

WHAT: Ben’s Birthday Bash Brunch

WHERE: The Grille at Leon Springs, 24116 IH-10W (at Boerne Stage Road), 210-698-8797, www.leonspringsgrill.com

WHEN: 12:30 PM, Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Grille, if you’re not familiar with it, is the creation of the former owners of L’Etoile in Alamo Heights. Cost of the brunch will be $19.95 per person.

Ben’s Birthday Bash Brunch will be our Club’s monthly gathering for January.