<p>I'm really not one for alcohol. If others want to drink it, I have no problem (as long as they don't get wasted and start doing stupid stuff that actually would affect me). However, I do not ever plan on getting drunk. Will people be accepting of that (I'm sure that there are some people who will be, but I'm talking about the student body in general)?</p>
<p>I've only sipped my parents' glasses now and then. I've never liked beer. I think that saying that you won't ever get drunk is a bit premature, because chances are that your ideals will change (most people's do). If you do succeed, more power to you.</p>
<p>I don't go to Penn and can't answer specifically, but the general consensus tends to be that you'll find drinkers and nondrinkers at any college. Don't worry too much about it; no one is going to hold a gun to your head and pour alcohol down your throat. It's completely your decision.</p>
<p>Penn is just too awesome. Some may not be able to handle it.</p>
<p>Whee...chocoman, you'll find intellectually engaged people eventually. Unfortuntately you just have to be patient with those people who want to talk their way through ANTH 001, 002, 003 to fill their Gen. Req. classes.</p>
<p>And just to add my negative: the PEOPLE! (but this is also probably the biggest positive)
There are plenty of people who are rich/pre-professional/Jewish/loud/drunk and ANNOYING
There are also lots of people who are rich/pre-professional/Jewish/loud/drunk and not annoying (even nice sometimes <em>lol</em>)
There are plenty more people who are not any of these things, who may or may not be annoying ;).</p>
<p>In all honesty, the thing that bothers me most about Penn kids, regardless of their SES/blood alcohol level, is the sense of entitlement that so many people have. That can be really unpleasant on occasion.</p>
<p>Wow, Lauraanne..</p>
<p>You and Chocoman can be founding members of a club who think it is not offensive to people of the Jewish religion to identify and discuss them the way you do.</p>
<p>Are you a current Penn student? At least Chocoman's comments can be partly written off to lack of experience and relative youth. Yours, on the other hand are inexcusable. </p>
<p>Or maybe you are just loud/drunk/annoying. </p>
<p>Take your pick.</p>
<p>YOu know, I just read what you wrote again and it makes me a bit sad that my son is perhaps going to attend Penn. You are the minority, aren't you?</p>
<p>After living in a Moslem country for 12 years it saddens me to think he might first see anti-semitism at Penn, of all places.</p>
<p>As a Penn student I can tell you that anti-semitism is NOT prevalent on campus. Same goes for racism. Much the opposite is actually true; people tend to be curious about new cultures and open to the experiences they bring. Since I came to Penn, I have both celebrated Kwanzaa and goen to my first Shabbath dinner.</p>
<p>i agree with snipanlol, anti-semitism is not prevalent on campus.</p>
<p>Thanks snipanlol and bern700... I am not sure where Lauraanne's comments are coming from....</p>
<p>wow, you guys just love jumping at any chance to call someone a racist. Lauraanne's point was that they are people, some will be annoying, some will not, regardless of their backgrounds or religion.<br>
But hey, if you want to jump the gun and interpret that as antisemitism, go right ahead.</p>
<p>i love you, you love me, we're a great big family...</p>
<p>Wow, OK, I was trying to be tongue in cheek there - obviously posting at 4 am isn't the best way to get your point across.
I was basically trying to convey the idea that being a part of any definable group of students doesn't necessarily mean anything, and that despite any prevailing sentiments about groups of Penn people, like Greeks or Whartonites, those sentiments are not true for all members of those groups, and not everyone is a member of those groups.
As for the Jewish thing, like I said, that was supposed to be (emphasis on the supposed, I guess) a tongue in cheek reference to the rest of the thread. Honestly, I don't really think about Jews as being a category of people so much. I guess the number of Jewish people was kind of surprising to me at first, since I think I had only ever met one Jewish person before coming to Penn! The thing is though, I didn't even realise that Penn had such a large Jewish population before one of my roommates commented on it. It's really not something that I pay any attention to unless someone brings it up. Maybe it's because I've never been religious, but I really never think about people in terms of their religion, it just doesn't seem like a relevant category to me. Perhaps that's a failing of mine.</p>
<p>I'm sorry that my comments came across as Anti-Semitic, that was not my intention, I don't consider myself to be an anti-Semite, and I apologise for any offence caused.</p>
<p>Like others above, I agree that anti-Semitism is not prevalent on campus at all. There are a fair number of people who could be considered anti-Zionist, but for most people I think the two things are considered separately.
Of all the offensive things I've seen at Penn, none of them have been targeted specifically at Jews. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of bigoted discriminatory people at Penn. Some of the more offensive things I've seen in the last couple of years:
1. Someone dressed in a KKK robe as a hallowe'en costume.
2. Guys wearing t-shirts with sexually explicit images and sexist comments written on them mocking 'Take back the night', Women's Week and the National Week of Student Action.
3. A fraternity that planned a St. Patrick's Day event glorifying the activities of the IRA.
Those are just the things that I, personally, have been deeply offended by, and to return to my original point, I think that an unwarranted sense of entitlement is a big part of the problem here.</p>
<p>So yes, for me the worst thing about Penn is the people who are arrogant, bigoted, unable to see beyond their own small sphere of interaction, and who refuse to take responsibility for their actions or consider their impact on the people around them. </p>
<p>Happily, one of the best things about Penn is the people who are passionate and enthusiastic. The people who are making a concerted effort to broaden their own horizons and have a positive impact on the world around them. The people who are willing and eager to take part in discourse of any kind.</p>
<p>Although I'm not the most politically or socially active person on campus here (not by far) I would generally consider myself part of the latter group, and once again I'm sorry my comments suggested otherwise.</p>
<p>i agree with what lauraanne said...good job!</p>
<p>Post # 55:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Its the same thing as the hebrew school guys saying "One thing i dont like about _________, is that it has too many Christians/Muslims etc". Please dont try and say this doesnt happen because my friends have given me first hand responses that they were indeed also cautious in nature.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So what if a Jew says it? It's equally racist. Just because some punkass Jewish American Prince is a jerk doesn't make it okay for chocoman to say he doesn't like having Jews around. It doesn't work that way.</p>
<p>
[quote]
In all honesty, the thing that bothers me most about Penn kids, regardless of their SES/blood alcohol level, is the sense of entitlement that so many people have. That can be really unpleasant on occasion.
lauraanne is online now
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Don't worry, I go to some state school (name is a hint) and there's plenty of entitlement running around here. Thankfully, bratiness and arrogance is a trait that cuts all cultural, economic, and social boundaries.</p>
<p>im already enrolled for seas next year, and im killing myself over everything i hear about penn.
Bad things:
-girls are dogs
-guys are cocky as hell
-dorms are miserable
-engineering is ridiculously hard
-stuck-up, clique-y people</p>
<p>Good things:
-frat parties
-"social" ivy (any truth to that?)
-philly is a sweet city
-spring fling :D</p>
<p>anyone care to comment?</p>
<p>cpt oats: here are my only changes to your list. not all the girls are dogs, there are definitely some hot girls. Penn is known for having some of the best looking girls in the ivy. Frat parties are not all they are played up to be, you'll definitely get sick of them quickly.The rest on your list sounds good. Oh and you forgot, the food tastes like ****.</p>
<p>oh dear, those vaunted philly cheesesteaks aren't what they're made out to be?</p>
<p>oo im glad what you said about the girls! that makes me feel better about going there. Yeah, i heard the food also isnt that good, but is food off-campus any better?</p>
<p>food off-campus is definitely better. Philly is known for having a plethora of amazing restaurants. Directly off-campus you have great food carts, good restaurants like Pod, Pizza Rustica, Cosi, etc. So there is definitely good food near campus. In Center City there are hundreds of awesome restaurants. Also for those of you that like italian food, i'd definitely recommend going to south philly to some traditional mod-like italian restaurants like mezza luna or l'angolo's. These places are freaking awesome.</p>
<p>My restaurant recommendations:
Fountain, Morimoto, Le Bec Fin, Los Catrines y Tequilas, Alma de Cuba, Brasserie Perrier, Pod, Mezza Luna, L'Angolo, La Famiglia, La Boheme, Marrakesh, Susanna Foo, and Tangerine. Most of these restaurants are really pricey. </p>
<p>There are 2 weeks during the year in philadelphia called Restaurant Weeks. During these weeks, upscale restaurants like the ones mentioned above offer a special so you pay $30 for like a 4 course meal. It's a bargain!</p>