It's Penn, not UPenn

<p>Upenn still beats the hell out of calling it UP. A couple of days ago I used my student ID to get a discount at a bar (lol) and the cashier said "ohh UP, I lived right around the corner"..and I had no idea what she was talking about until my friend said "UP...penn"</p>

<p>there was a really good interview/online chat with lee stetson in newsweek a few years ago. he took questions from high schoolers and before they even asked a question he told them not to call it upenn.</p>

<p>interesting wiki history lesson, venkat. i think the "upenn.edu" does have a lot to do with the newer shift to the nickname that some use. i didn't realize it was such a heated subject however. penn it is. [it can be quite annoying though when people say stuff like, "oh my cousin went to penn state"....but there again, as the caddy biochem says, it's not worth correcting. and that's not being arrogant, i don't think.]</p>

<p>
[quote]
Don't say UPenn. It makes you sound like an idiot.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You're tarnishing your university's reputation by being a jerk.
Around my circles, it's UPenn. Got a problem? Keep it to yourself.
I highly doubt the manner in which one addresses an institution casts doubts on one's intelligence.</p>

<p>Why does it say UPenn on facebook?</p>

<p>Alright here's the breakdown and maybe we can be done with this because it is a little ridiculous.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>At times, it might be necessary to call it "UPenn." If you're with someone who isn't too familiar with colleges or you want to make sure there's no confusion between Penn and Penn State.</p></li>
<li><p>But, if you're anyone who's anyone and you're talking to anyone who's anyone (especially if you're anywhere near campus) or should really use "Penn." If not, oh well, but prepare to get laughs and funny looks.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>"Around my circles, it's UPenn"</p>

<p>Clearly, 'your circles' do not include any current or former Penn students or staff.</p>

<p>I've been used 'UPenn' for a long time.
But obviously, there is not a single word 'UPenn' on the school's official website except for the website address.
I think I should change to say 'Penn' instead from now on.</p>

<p>^that would cost too much money. then again I'd prefer if perlman donated his money to change the name of our website rather than the name of logan...</p>

<p>I honestly don't see why people argue for calling it "UPenn" when no one associated with the university calls it that. Everyone who works for the university, worked for it, attends it, or attended it, or had any other affiliation with it calls it Penn. I <em>guess</em> UPenn is alright for those who are less educated. Then again, why not bring back U of P like our manhole covers say?</p>

<p>"Around my circles, it's UPenn. . . . I highly doubt the manner in which one addresses an institution casts doubts on one's intelligence."</p>

<ol>
<li><p>All that says is that no one in your "circles" is connected to, or indeed cares about, the University of Pennsylvania. So of course you can call it anything you want, but you're signaling your lack of information and attention to anyone who does care.</p></li>
<li><p>For years, I pronounced the name of Magdalen College (Oxon.) as if it had three syllables and sounded like the last name of Jesus' female follower. Why not? That's the way it's spelled. Nothing wrong with it, and it didn't mean that I was unintelligent. It did mean, of course, that I knew practically nothing about Magdalen College, because if I had known anything one of the first things would have been that it's pronounced with two syllables and is a homonym for "maudlin". </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Why is it pronounced like that? Who the heck knows? That's just how it's been pronounced for 400 years or so, maybe more. Knowing that, what reason is there for me to go one calling it "Mag-da-len"? Well, maybe I'm obtuse, or culturally chauvinistic, or proud of my former ignorance and contemptuous of those sissy-sounding Brits, or maybe all of the above. But I don't choose to come off that way, especially if I'm talking to people who DO care about Magdalen.</p>

<p>Or, put it this way: If you were on a business trip to China, would you talk about Peking, or Beijing? Do you think it wouldn't matter?</p>

<ol>
<li> So, the way you address an institution says a lot about your degree of connection, your sophistication, and your manners. And, yes, maybe even your intelligence, if you really don't care how you come off when you talk to others.</li>
</ol>

<p>I do remember being at a Penn information session and the woman was saying who should apply ED. She said it's for people who are so in love with the school that they know everything about it: that the school colors are red and blue, that students call it Penn not UPenn, etc</p>

<p>So that about settles it. You sound stupid and are uneducated if you call it UPenn. Nice to know people have choices in the world. </p>

<p>Either way I love my school, call it what you want. I believe it to be the most unique of the ancient 8 schools, and I think the U in front of the Penn has a lot to do with it, seeing as there is no U of Princeton or U of Yale, UCornell, etc.</p>

<p>^All those schools have University at the end....
You sound <em>uneducated</em> in a way because you're flat out mispronouncing the name. Would you find it insulting if you introduced yourself to someone and they insisted on mispronouncing your name because they felt like it?</p>

<p>It's not mispronouncing the name, it's using a different nickname. You can't argue that Penn is the proper way to refer to the school, because it's a nickname. If you were arguing that it should only be called the University of Pennsylvania, then o-kay, you'd be incredibly pretentious, but it IS the school's name. Once you get into casual terms for the school, like Penn, UPenn, or even UP, you can't expect people to adhere to any one term, because they're all informal: "not according to the prescribed, official, or customary way or manner" (dictionary.com)</p>

<p>I like UPenn and I can call it whatever I want. It's pretty presumptuous by asking other to follow your way and even insult them.</p>

<p>^ Except that Penn--and not UPenn--is the nickname the school chooses to call itself (see any page on the web site, or any of the numerous Penn logo items sold in the bookstore, or any official Penn letterhead, etc.). Referring to the school as UPenn would be akin to using "Bobby" to refer to someone who's given name is Robert, even though he himself, his family, and close friends all call him "Rob." Yes, "Bobby" is technically an acceptable nickname for Robert, but calling him "Bobby" won't help you endear yourself to Rob.</p>

<p>If you want to sound like you are truly familiar with or care about the school, call it Penn, not UPenn. Otherwise, call it whatever you want.</p>

<p>^ The school has also endorsed UPenn as an acceptable nickname by making it their URL.</p>

<p>I refer to myself by my full name, but my friends refer to me by my full name, a shortened nickname, and a nickname that is completely unrelated to my actual name. If I forced people to call me only by my full name I wouldn't exactly be endearing myself to them would I? Demanding the usage of one nickname (for a person, institution, or otherwise) comes across as petty and egotistical.</p>

<p>kmatimber2: Agree.</p>

<p>upenn.edu and penn.edu will both direct you to University of Pennsylvania website. Both are acceptable. I can call it whatever I want as long as people understand.</p>

<p>No one is forcing you to do anything, so get over yourself. If you want to sound like you actually are informed, then I would recommend calling it "Penn". If you prefer to reveal your ignorance, call it "UPenn".</p>

<p>I've had some pretty stupid inane arguments on CC. This is coming close to taking the cake. You can call Penn whatever you want. However, that does not make you correct. There are more than enough instances in history when someone was wrong but refused to recognize it (Bush and WMDs in Iraq, the Pope after Copernicus said the world goes around the sun, etc.). </p>

<p>Also, Penn uses the [noparse]upenn.edu[/noparse] address because it copied the University of Delaware which used udel, so Penn used upenn. No one thought this internet thing would catch on so they didn't think it would make that big of a deal.</p>