1.24.2018

p.9 Interview with Woody Harrelson

January 24, 2018 | 34st.com

p.15 Abortion Services in Philadelphia

p.20 New Arthur Ross Exhibit

I Rushed a Sorority,

AND I Lost Myself

january 24, 2018 Nick Joyner, Editor–in–Chief Remi Lederman, Managing Editor Angela Huang, Audience Engagement Director Annabelle Williams, Assignments Editor Autumn Powell, Media Director Haley Weiss, Word on the Street Editor Jamie Gobreski, Word on the Street Editor Emily Schwartz, Ego Editor Zoe Albano–Oritt, Music Editor Julia Bell, Senior Features Editor Sabrina Qiao, Special Features Editor Colin Lodewick, Long–Term Features Editor Dalton DeStefano, Developing Features Editor Lily Snider, Style Editor Catalina Dragoi, Film & TV Editor Sherry Tseng, Arts Editor Daniel Bulpitt, Lastpage Editor Danny Rubin, Video Editor Lea Eisenstein, Copy Director Chris Muracca, Print Director Ego Beats: Valetina Escudero, Sami Canaan, Caroline Riise, Caroline Curran Music Beats: Paul Litwin, Amy Marcus, Arjun Swaminathan, Isabella Fertel, Noah Kest, Michelle Pereira Featues Staff: Emily Rush, Angie Lin, Sharon Christner, Annika Iyer Style Beats: Liz Kim, Frankie Reitmeyer, Lily Zirlin, Molly Hessel Film & TV Beats: Jonnell Burke, Ana West, Avneet Randhawa, Naomi Elegant Arts Beats: Sophie Burkholder, Lizzy Lemieux, Christine Irmen, Michaela Tinkey

3 WORD ON THE STREET Life of A Rho Gamma

I

5 EGO

EOTW: Lucas Bolno, Marvin Morgan

6 MUSIC

Fetty Wap, Karis Stephen, Time's Up

LOL 9 FILM & TV

International Netflix, Bent the Button

Design Editors: Lucy Ferry, Gillian Diebold, Ben Zhao, Christine Lam, Alana Shukovsky, Zack Greenstein, Morgan McKeever, Teagan Aguirre Lastpage Beat: Eliana Doft Staff Writers: Sophie Xi, Cass Phanord, Tamara Gelband, Andreas Pavlou, Jennifer Cullen, Isabella Simonetti, Eliana Doft, Vanessa Wanyandeh, Shinyoung Noh, Caroline Harris, Emma Moore, Anna Callahan Illustrators: Jessi Olarsch, Brad Hong, Anne Marie Grudem, Reese Berman, Judy Choi

LOL

12 FEATURES

Rush Dispatch, Abortion

Staff Photographers: Dayz Terry, Virginia Rodowsky, Ha Tran, Christina Piasecki Video Staff: Megan Kyne, Jean Chapiro, Anab Aidid, Sophie Pelosi Copy Editors: Kira Horowitz, Kate Poole, Anna Waldzinska, Serena Miniter, Sarah Poss, Amber Auslander, Kimberly Batista, Riley Wagner, Morgan Potts Sofia Price, Analytics Editor Cole Bauer, Senior Marketing Associate Marketing Associates: Lauren Donato, Chae Hahn, Brittany Levy, McKay Norton, Hanniel Dizon, Carly Shoulberg, Merry Gu, Paige Fishman Unless otherwise noted, all photos are by Dayz Terry, Virginia Rodowsky, Ha Tran, and Christina Piasecki.

Contacting 34th Street Magazine: If you have questions, comments, complaints or letters to the editor, email Nick Joyner, Editor–in–Chief, at joyner@dailypennsylvanian.com. You can also call us at (215) 422–4640. www.34st.com

"Begonia knew what was up" ©2018 34th Street Magazine, The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. No part may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express, written consent of the editors (but I bet we will give you the a–okay.) All rights reserved. 34th Street Magazine is published by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc., 4015 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa., 19104, every Wednesday.

2

3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8

LETTERFROM THEEDITOR

17 STYLE

Sex Column, Healthy Diets, Danlu

20 ARTS

Impressions in Ink, Missing Carriage, Mural by 40th Street Station

LOL 23 LASTPAGE

"Hide your kids, hide your wi-fi"

’m addicted to sticky notes. In other words, I’m scared of forgetting.

I was never the type to write notes on the back of my hand. I care far too much about my manual cleanliness.

I wash my hands too often for a “Submit cover letter!” reminder to stick around for more than a few hours.

I keep three written to–do lists, all scrawled in moleskins I stress–Bursared from the Penn bookstore. I have 47 iPhone notes that I’m currently workshopping. I have 90 iPhone Reminders entered into my phone at any point in time. I’ve had very personal notes–to–self pop up when professors are reading over my shoulder. “Do a face mask!” due yesterday at 9 p.m. “Cancel Showtime subscription!” due today at 3 p.m. “Call SHS for tests!” due today. “Blood stain on white turtleneck!!” due in ten minutes. “Add Python to Resume” due today. SNOOZE. I spend at least 30 minutes a day swatting these reminders off of my home screen. I had to quit using the Apple “Stickies” app. It clogged my computer with far more digital Post–Its than I could manage. And sticky notes? They’re my favorite DIY wallpaper.

So why I am I sharing this? Not sure. I feel like it’s very telling about who I am. Maybe he’s born with it. Maybe it’s his severe unmedicated anxiety.

This school is damn stressful and may very well contribute to my obsession with push notifications. But my obsession with reminders might be something much more Freudian and twisted. I’m scared to death of forgetting things, and hammer to–dos so far into my brain I get headaches. I’m so scared of losing memories, and write down all of my favorite places, events, and people that I’ve outsourced my own memory into lined pages and iPhone apps.

This isn’t some fake–deep, tired Black Mirror hot take.

My phone does tell me everything, and I let it. I guess after all of this rambling there are some key takeaways.

Figure out what helps you cope and function. Embrace your tics, as long as you give your mind some space to breathe. And if you’re feeling stressed, buy some leather– bound notebooks with your PennCard.

WORD ON THE STREET

word on the

STREET

LEARNING FROM LOSS How I've learned from four deaths close to me in the past semester.

RYAN LEONE

Loss is a strange feeling. To lose someone you know is to feel a fragment of your existence dissipate into nothingness.

The size of that fragment, however, is dependent upon many factors. How close were you? When was the last time you spoke? Did you leave off on good terms?

These questions, among copious other thoughts, plague the minds of those who find themselves facing tragedy.

I can’t say these past few months have been easy. From witnessing the death of Josh Mileto at my high school’s football practice, to losing my Nana, facing the death of Nick Moya, and working through the tragic passing of my freshman resident Will Steinberg, it’s been a harrowing year. Each loss left a different impact on my psyche, but I can’t even fathom how catastrophic these losses were for those closest to them. Josh’s brother; Nick’s parents; my mother; Will’s roommate. Their experiences of loss were different than my own, but I hope this reflection can ease the pain just a little.

For those of us who have experienced a loss, I’d like to start by saying that I am truly, sincerely sorry. Whether the missing piece of you is a small chip or a large chunk, you are feeling less than whole. Quite frankly, you’ll never get that piece back; it’s impossible to replace a part of your life that was so specific and unique. However, returning to normalcy as a less–than–whole person is in your power. It’s not about filling the emptiness. Rather, it’s about welcoming the extra space, becoming accustomed to the absence, and getting used to the new status quo.

I’d be lying if I said this was easy. It’d be a blatant falsehood if I said this will happen quickly for everyone. But I’m being completely honest when I say that it will be doable and that it will take less time than you expect.

Thinking back to the start of this school year, I was hoping for some positive changes. I had regained confidence that Penn would be a beast I could conquer.

That confidence was unfaltering until August 11 when a visit to my high school football practice turned into a failed attempt to save the life of a 16–year–old boy.

Josh Mileto came to practice expecting to “get better every day” with his teammates, but left without the life he so fully lived. It’s one thing to see death in a hospital; it’s completely different to see lifeless eyes in a grass field at your high school.

I returned to Penn the next day, still trying to wrap my head around what I had just gone through, but focused on the impending week of RA training.

As we learned about helping our residents to deal with the stresses of friends, family, and classes, I felt like a hypocrite. I was learning to teach others the coping tactics that I couldn’t master myself. I know quite well that I bundle things up inside, letting them slip only occasionally in the form of poems or emotionally charged, less–than–sober conversations. Yet, I knew that this was the same response I was taught to deter other students from exhibiting. To effectively teach others what I couldn’t do myself would be a challenge, but I know that I’m not alone in reflecting on this duality.

I decorated the halls and planned activities for the imminent move–in period, but an unexpected phone call from my mother signaled that loss could not be so easily escaped. After suffering from health complications for years, my grandma— my Nana—had passed away. Her wake would be that Wednesday, the same day that I was supposed to welcome my excited, energetic, and nervous freshmen to the next chapter of their lives.

Back on campus, it was time to concentrate on the semester ahead: football, classes, RA–ship, clubs, and everything else. But hearing about the passing of Nick Moya was a blow that I felt too numbed to fully process. I regret to say that I was not close with Nick; as President of Kite and Key, I would have loved to intimately know every one of our incredible members, but I missed out on the chance to truly know Nick. I was distanced, but I felt an obligation to feel closer. The heavy weight of suicide seems distant until it seeps into your network of friends.

The pain I saw at Nick’s viewing was overwhelming; no person in that room was whole, but some felt like mere fractions of who they were before.

A stressful semester ensued, but so did a stretch of time free from loss. A stretch that perished with a plane crash once I heard about Will Steinberg, a boy whose wide smile and lengthy gait could not be forgotten.

How do I tell my kids that their hall–mate was gone?

I entered into a whirlwind of texts, calls, and emails to ensure that my residents were informed, Illustration by: Jessica Olarsch comforted, and surrounded by people they loved as they dealt with the news. Being an RA had brought out this paternal instinct to wish I could protect each of my residents from this pain. If walking past Will’s room gave me chills when I came back, how would his closest friends feel? The university–wide ceremony, our hall–wide event, and the intermittent conversations I had throughout all of this made the news sink in deeper and deeper. What felt so surreal over break, in the comfort of our own homes, was now a harsh component of reality; setting foot on campus let that piece of us be taken.

Josh’s death was a swift stab; my Nana’s passing was a slow cut; Nick’s death was a blunt impact; Will’s passing was an explosive force. Each loss brought on its own reflections, its own visceral reactions. But each loss was an opportunity for growth—a chance to revalue this gift of life and to honor the missing pieces we now live without.

It’s hard to see the joys in life in light of loss, but noting how you respond to it, being open with the people you care about, and recognizing that it’s “okay” to feel “not okay” are just a few steps you can take towards being comfortable with this absence. The losses don’t get easier to handle, but our responses do get easier to understand—even when they seem inexplicable.

By the time we die, we’ll all face a ton of loss. We’ll be missing fragments from all over our souls, but if we learn to honor this empty space and breathe all over again, we’ll still have smiles on our faces. Smiles to remember like Will’s, Josh’s, Nick’s, and my nana’s.

J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E

3

EGO

EGO EGO OF OF THE THE WEEK WEEK This week’s Ego of the Week isn’t sure he’s more worthy of the title than his peers, but we’re giving it to him anyway. earth science major Lucas Bolno cofounded Penn’s Beekeeping Club during his sophomore year. Reusable water bottle in hand, Lucas talked about bees, and other things that have to do with bees. He really likes bees.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

TEP, BEEKEEEPING CLUB

HOMETOWN

PHILADELPHIA, PA

34th Street Magazine: How did you get started beekeeping?

Lucas Bolno: I started in high school. My high school has a senior project where you are basically able to pursue anything you want. When I was a freshman, my brother was a senior, and he and one of his friends decided to make beehives, and they needed someone to continue the legacy.

Street: What does the Beekeeping Club do on campus?

LB: We’ve been around since my sophomore year, and it’s taken us some time to figure out exactly what we want to do, because beekeeping takes a lot of time to learn, and it takes a lot of dedication in order to be successful. We have three students that I’m teaching how to beekeep. And one, two, or all of them will be taking over as beekeeper when I leave.

LUCAS BOLNO

Street: What does beekeeper training involve?

LB: There’s countless things that you have to know. What a normal hive looks like, what types of things to look out for that might be irregular, what could be indicative of disease or infestation, how to give them supplements during different times of the year. You kind of get acclimated with the general feeling of the hive, and you learn to know when something is off, and it’s oftentimes really subtle.

Street: Are there beehives on campus?

LB: We have three hives at Penn Park, to the right of that not–established field. There’s a wood hexagonal enclosure, and there’s three hives inside of it.

They’re common honeybees. Our breed is a mixture of Russian and Italian, and we got them from just outside of Philadelphia, like an hour and a half away. Right now I would estimate that each hive has around 10–30 thousand bees.

Street: What’s the biggest misunderstanding people have about bees?

LB: Everybody thinks of bees as violent or threatening, but they’re really not. If you come in and you’re really reckless and loud, they might sting you, but most of the time, I just go in wearing short sleeves, whatever I’m wearing that day. You can pet them. Once, to demonstrate how docile they are, I’ve licked bees. They are totally docile if you come in with the right attitude. If you come in and you treat them lovingly and with respect, then you won’t really have problems getting stung.

Street: So the bees never sting you?

LB: When I was younger and not as talented a beekeeper, I got stung a lot. In high school, I would get stung several times in one hand or one arm, and I’m not allergic, but I’ll have a major local reaction. So my whole hand would bloat up and be like a Mickey Mouse glove. And there were times that I would send the teacher an email and be like, I can’t write this paper because I can’t move my hands.

Street: Do you get honey from the bees?

LB: We’ve gotten some small amounts, but we’ve never had two consecutive years of successful hives. Honey is the main food source for bees, and they spend their entire winter essentially hibernating, huddling together, and they vibrate really quickly to stay as warm as possible, and they form a nucleus around the queen, providing ventilation by batting their wings. Because we want the hives to be successful over anything else, we’ve never had a full extraction, we’ve only taken little bits for the members of the groups.

4

3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8

PHOTO BY AUTUMN POWELL

LIGHTNING ROUND Street: Do you like honey?

LB: Oh yeah, I eat a lot of honey.

Street: There are two types of people at Penn...

LB: I think that there are people that are most concerned with pre–professionalism and they’re preparing for the rest of their life, trying to connect all the dots before they see them. And then there are people who are more focused on what’s in front of them in the present.

Street: How do you feel about being EOTW? LB: It feels good, but at the same time, I don’t think that I’m really much more interesting than a lot of people at Penn. I think that everybody at Penn has a really interesting story. There’s just something about beekeeping that makes everybody excited.

Street: Thoughts on the Bee Movie?

LB: Oh, the Bee Movie is great, everybody’s gotta love the Bee Movie.

Street: What was your Common App essay about?

LB: It was about beekeeping. It wasn’t that interesting.

EGO

1 2 3

GETTING TO KNOW MARVIN MORGAN A glimpse into the life of the rising freshman track star.

n some days, the warm sun shines down intensely, kissing his skin.

On other days, the cold pierces right through him, the harsh wind scraping roughly against his nimble limbs. His heart does not race because he is nervous.

In fact, he is perfectly calm and comfortable, regardless of the weather. Marvin has learned to trust himself.

Ranked number one in New Jersey and number 12 in the nation for the 55m run, track star Marvin Morgan (C '21) has been setting records since he began his career as a Division One student athlete last semester.

When we sit down at Hill dining hall, there’s a characteristic friendliness in his smile that automatically makes me feel welcome, and a general easygoingness that makes it easier to bypass the initial awkwardness (to some extent).

His smile seems to come alive

O

VALENTINA ESCUDERO

as he tells me what going to practice every afternoon for a minimum of 15 hours a week is truly like. “I don’t even think about, like, ‘Oh, I have to go to practice every day.’ It’s more like, ‘Wow, I get to see my friends every day.’

It’s really like a part–time job but it’s not like a job; it’s a career because you’re having fun with it,” Marvin explains. His genuine passion and unwavering dedication is unmistakeable.

His story confirms that some of the best discoveries are made by accident. Marvin’s fascination with running began when he was only in the fourth grade, but the interest waned. He started taking it more seriously after his freshman year of high school.

“I always wanted to be a football player, but my sophomore year I became really good at track and started running, and by my junior year I started getting recruited,” Marvin shares.

He chuckles and fidgets only

slightly as he glances over his ested in coding. I haven’t taken a strange choice, until I promptshoulder at the group of guys a a CIS class yet, but I definitely ed him about it. couple of tables away from us— want to while I’m here at Penn “Well, when I was a kid, my uncle used to work at NASA, so I his friends. “I have a lot of friends because it looks really cool.” here; from the track team and I playfully inquire whether he’s was in love with outer space and also because I did PFP. My social considering a major in computer everything, and then I came here life is really great, and everybody science, but he matter–of–factly and saw the physics department is so nice and everybody works informs me that he’s consider- and fell in love," he said. "I’m together, especially to get our ing majoring in astrophysics in more interested in outer space work done.” PFP, the Pre–Fresh- t h e College.

At rather than theoretical physics, so man Program, is a four–week first, I really that’s how that came about.” program targeted towards first– thought The marvelous (and relieving) generation/low–income students this was part about talking to Marvin is that takes place the summer that there’s no need to talk sports.

He has a variety of inbefore freshman year. terests ranging from When he’s not coding, physics, setting records, Xbox games, and Marvin is havhyping up New ing nice, wholeFlexible Leasing • Single and Double Rooms • Jersey. some fun playIndividual Leases • All Amenities and Utilities Included If you ever ing Xbox.

Or run into him sleeping. Or at Wawa, where possibly codCall he’s probably ordering. “Me and my friends live in ing “a double meat cold sandwich 215.662.0802 Stouffer, so we play a lot of Xbox with Italian, ham, and American there. I sleep a lot, but besides cheese,” say hello. You might Email make a friend for the long run. that, I really am becoming inter-

Now Leasing!

AxisLeasing@AltmanCo.com

Stop in

NOW LEASING

20 South 36th Street

Now Leasing!

ThetoAxis on 36th Street Today learn how to make The AxisUniversity your home away City Call from home!

Furnished Rooms • Flexible Leases 215.662.0802 Email• Utilities and Great Amenities AxisLeasing@AltmanCo.com Housekeeping included

Flexible Leasing • Single and Double Rooms • Individual Leases • All Amenities and Utilities Included

Photo by: Ananya Chandra

Stop in

South 36th (9am Street – 5pm) Monday20 – Saturday 215.662.0802 Today to learn how to make www.universitycityaxis.com The Axis your home away 20 S. 36th Street Philadelphia PA 19104 from home!

J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E

5

MUSIC

fetty wap Shows Philly His Way On South Street

ISABEL FERTEL

2015 might seem like an eternity away as we dive into the spring semester, but it felt like just yesterday when self– described “ignorant R&B”

nauseum on the radio, and we all learned that Fetty may be the only rapper ever to smoke and have an 100% legitimate case of glaucoma. Side note:

I could literally feel the crowd’s energy as soon as I walked into the room. The floor boards (and my ears) were buzzing with the pulse

essentially a three hour long love letter to the very people who lined up in subfreezing temperatures three hours early to beat the crowd for

only dream I mirrored as I sang (read: screamed) along with the rest of the crowd to bangers like "679," "My Way," and "Again."

isn’t it weird that we all sang “Trap Queen” in the car with our parents even though it’s a love story about learning how to cook crack? But I digress.

Unfortunately for most, Fetty has kind of fallen off the radar after his post debut heyday and “679” days. So while the Jersey native has since collaborated with big sluggers like French Montana and Nicki Minaj, and even released two mixtapes in the past year and a half, I walked into the South Street concert hall with less than high expectations.

I have never been so thrilled to be so wrong.

and thump of opening act FatBoy SEE and Fuzzy Fazu’s covers of “Bodak Yellow” and "Gucci Gang." People packed themselves like sardines in between the bar and the barricades. These barriers seemed to be nothing more than soft suggestion for fans, who dangled over the fence just to get two inches closer before Fetty emerged from backstage.

While the stage was set with a basic DJ booth and some swanky lookin’ entourage members, there was nothing simple about Fetty Wap’s performance. The Philly show, the second stop on Fetty's new "For My Fans Tour," was

prime standing room at the venue.

Fetty came out of the gate with an explosive energy, immediately running to the edge of the stage and reaching out (or, rather, over me as I was cowering in awe in the press section) to the front row. Charismatic as ever, he proceeded to saunter across the stage as 400 people belted out the lyrics to fan fave "Jimmy Choo."

Fetty continued to impress the rest of the set, dazzling the audience not only with his incredibly decadent grill and fresh–to–death sneakers but with some seriously killer dance moves that I can

While Fetty's larger–than– life stage persona and expertly curated wardrobe had all the markings of an obnoxious and detached–from–reality entertainer, there was an undeniable authenticity to the entire night. From his unexpectedly down–to– earth story about being late to the show because he got caught up visiting his baby daughter at home in Jersey, to his continual, yet ever sincere, thank yous to the crowd throughout the show, it was clear that Fetty truly does do everything he does for his fans.

Photos by Bonnie Mendelson

artist Fetty Wap sauntered up to the stage last Monday at the Theatre of the Living Arts.

If you’re anything like me, you remember Fetty for his hit debut single “Trap Queen” and then forgot about him when the hype faded, the song stopped being played ad

6

3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8

MUSIC

Student pop group Eleven finds international popularity with 'all mine' MICHELLE PEREIRA

Courtesy of Karis Stephen

“All Mine,” an electronic pop ballad, written by Penn’s very own Karis Stephen (C '18), will leave you dreaming of sandy beaches and sweeping vistas. Over Sense’s tropical beats, Stephen’s sultry vocals will charm you with the promise of love so easy and so effortless that time seems to stand still. Together, Karis and her counterpart Blue Bookhard (C '17) form a poppy R&B duo called Eleven. “All Mine,” which features French electronic group Sense, is Eleven’s third single.

Since its release earlier this month, the song has gone borderline viral.

Stephen tells Street that “All Mine” has made it onto Spotify–curated playlists—the song premiered on Spotify’s New Music Fridays in a number of different countries in addition to Spotify’s Viral 50 playlist in both the U.S. and the U.K. Stephen expresses shock and humility at this instant success. “It blew up more than we thought it would … it’s been kinda crazy. We just truly did not expect all of the love and success that we got. We’re really happy and very thankful for it.”

Karis guesses that the song’s traction worldwide might have something to do with Sense’s international background. Hailing from Lyon, France, Sense brings something new, different, and distinctly European to the steamy sound of “All Mine."

Sense’s genre “errs on the side of, like, European house music,” Karis adds. Her more classic vo-

cals place Eleven in a more American musical sphere, especially when paired with the group’s soul and R&B influences. In a sense, “All Mine” is the meeting of two different cultures and musical traditions.

“What we brought to Sense is this ability to write factual lyrics. They brought the chill electronic European kind of sound,” Karis says.

In many ways, the collaboration with Sense was rather unexpected.

“All Mine” is new territory for Eleven.

Karis explains, “Both of our styles of music are very different … It was just a very different style for us to try. It was very poppy and electronic, which we usually don’t do, but we thought it would be a cool mix.”

At its core, though, Eleven is a musical group dedicated to experimentation, something that Stephen finds imperative to musical growth.

She says, “Something Blue and I founded Eleven off of was this idea of trying to be fluid in what genres we try … I never wanted to be put in a box—oh, you are pop, oh, you

are R&B, oh, you are hip–hop. The beautiful part about music is trying new things—to be fluid with it.

That’s kind of like why we saw this collaboration with Sense as an opportunity … to do something new.”

The result is originality. “All Mine” feels fresh enough to be different, but familiar enough to be relevant. Eleven wrote the lyrics and vocals after Sense sent them a rough cut of the background track. Karis explains how Eleven’s creative process was stimu-

lated by Sense’s snappy beats and lazy synths.

She said, “Over the phone we talked about concepts, and what the Sense track … made us think of. We ended up settling on is … like a trust fall—allowing yourself to trust someone enough to fall for them … like this feeling of falling and letting go, but being happy about it.”

Sheepishly, Karis adds, “in that way I guess, it was kind of a story about me and Blue."

Lunch Special - $12 Mon - Fri 11:30AM - 3:00PM Choice of Soup and Entrée

3939 Chestnut Street | 215.921.5377 | www.dimsum.house J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E

7

MUSIC

Musicians Stand Together In Solidarity Against Sexual Miscount if you have a voice, use it.

Isabella Fertel

Illustrations by Brad Hong

The painfully obvious has now become at long last official.

In the wake of what is being called a “watershed moment” in the entertainment industry, some of the most notable and powerful names have declared that the clock has run out on sexual harassment, sexual assault, and gender inequality in the workplace. Hundreds (literally!) of femme actresses, entertainment execs, and other media icons signed the original letter of solidarity de-

claring the Times Up movement’s official motives and goals for women across the country regardless of industry, professional position, or privilege. Of the 300 original signatures, musicians made up a significant portion of those who put their pens to the paper—including Christina Perri, Courtney Love, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Janelle Monáe, Taylor Swift, and Zoë Kravitz.

Addressed “Dear Sisters,” the letter details the poten-

tial change, accountability, and consequences the group intends to enact based on its unparalleled access and influence over the media. “We … recognize our privilege and the fact that we have access to enormous platforms to amplify our voices,” the letter reads. “Both of which have drawn and driven widespread attention to the existence of this problem in our industry and that farmworker women and countless individuals employed in other industries

ALL YOU CAN EAT KOREAN BBQ!! and HOT POT

Have next byo HAve youryour end-of-semester atat nine ting!

BYO Nine Ting!

TEl: 215.238.9996.215.238.8896. | 215.238.8896.

TEl 215.238.9996.

926-928 Race Street, 1st Floor 926-928 Race Street, Phila. PA 19107 1st Floor Phila. PA 19107

8

3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8

have not been afforded.” This is in reference to the coalition of female agriculture workers who inspired the celebs to use their status to form a professional coalition within Hollywood itself.

But it is not just the original signers that are making a difference in and beyond the official movement. The Nashville–based and all–female songwriting collective Song Suffragettes wrote, recorded, and filmed a song and music video called “Time’s Up” in support of all that is being done to combat injustice in the music industry. All proceeds from video and album sales will benefit the Time’s Up’s legal defense fund. Song co–writers Kalie Shorr and Lacy Green don’t pussyfoot around with their lyrics condemning the asymmetrical balance of power faced by women all over the world— after all, sexual misconduct and gender–based injustice doesn’t just happen in Hollywood.

The co–writers sing, accompanied by over twenty other fellow country singers: They say good things come to those who wait, but we've waited long enough / Our time is here, our time is now, our time is come.

Alyssa Milano, an actress, activist, producer, and former singer, notably asked her twitter followers to tweet “#MeToo” if they had ever experienced sexual harass-

ment after the hashtag went viral in early October (however, the phrase was coined on MySpace in 2006 by social activist Tarana Burke long before the Weinstein scandal was in the news). After receiving countless heartbreaking accounts and testimonials from her fans and other countless women around the globe, Milano decided that it would be impossible for her to not do something more than just raise awareness. So, when Time’s Up’s organizers contacted her following her initial post, Milano decided to focus on working with the lawyers and execs within the movement on writing and changing legislation relating to the spectrum of sexual misconduct.

“The most important component of the healing process is legislation,” she said in a letter published in Rolling Stone Magazine. “We need laws in place that protect us. Laws that demand publicly traded companies are transparent with cover–up money. Knowing that our future generations won't have to face these issues will help us heal.”

It is that sort of collective healing, that call and need for tangible and actually measurable change, that have made the Time's Up movement gain so much support and notoriety in a matter of weeks. Celebrity has been used to abuse, to suppress, to take advantage, to harass. Now, finally, it has the chance to do some good.

FILM & TV

'Lost in London': Woody Harrelson Discusses His Directorial Debut Woody Harrelson talks to Street about how "one of the top five worst nights" of his life turned into a full-length live-film.

Cat Dragoi In anticipation of the upcoming screening of Lost in London at the Annenberg Center, Street got a chance to interview Woody Harrelson, the first–time director and main star of the movie.

The film was shot in a single take, with one camera, and for the first time in the history of cinema, live broadcast into 550 theaters in the US on January 19, 2017. The film is inspired by a real incident: in 2002, after a night out in Soho, Harrelson broke an ashtray in a London taxi, which led to him spending a night in jail. Lost in London, which also stars Owen Wilson and Willie Nelson, follows the three as they recreate the events of that night.

34th Street: We’re extremely excited about the upcoming screening of Lost in London, so we have a couple of questions about the movie. I want to start out by talking about how it came into being. I know that the idea for Lost in London came to you in 2002?

Woody Harrelson: Well, it’s based on an incident that happened then.

Street: Could you tell me more about the incident? How did the idea come to life, and how did you initially envision the movie?

WH: Yeah, yeah! What’s ironic is that that’s one of the top…five? Yeah, top five worst nights of my life… You know, I… (laughs) I had a terrible row with my wife, and so I had some worries about the dissolution of the marriage. Then, you know, a lot of things happened. I ended up meeting this prince who was, like, “let me take you for a drink.” I was, like, “okay, but I gotta get back to the hotel.”

Anyway, I went, and one thing led to another, and I ended up

getting into trouble with Johnny Law. All in all, it was a hell of a bad night, and I thought it would be great to erase it from my memory, and hopefully the memory of everyone else who knows about it. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought…You know, you gotta flip this thing a little bit, look at it in an inverted way, and it’s kinda funny! (laughs)

of movies that have done that.

I had this concept, and I didn’t even know if I could do it with this. But I’m slow–moving, so by the time I got around to it, the technology existed. So, I decided that I wanted to do something with it, and while we were prepping, there came the idea: “Hold on, if I can shoot in real–time, then maybe I could stream it live while I’m shooting

ater. Then I got into college and I tried again, dreaming of cracking it in New York, moving there. I’ve always been obsessed with theater and I still go every year to watch a play, in London, New York, or wherever. So, this infatuation with theater kind of simultaneously made me become pretty infatuated with film, so I thought, wouldn’t it be cool to marry the two? This is

Youtube Screenshot

Street: Isn’t that what always happens?

WH: Yeah, but this could be comedy! So, I ended up thinking, well, maybe I could make people laugh. Oh, and it was also this weird, unusual, love poem to my wife! I mean, not love poem but…you know what I mean, a love letter to my wife.

But yeah, that’s what happened.

Street: That sounds really sweet. But given the technology at the time, did you initially think of it as a live one?

WH: No, no, I didn’t think of it like that at all. See, this was before we even had the technology to do that. I had thought of the concept of shooting something in real–time, but you couldn’t just shoot in real–time, like The Russian Ark or Victoria later on…there’s been a couple

it.” And so, I started a series of nightmares and panic, but I’m glad it did finally happen.

Street: Yeah, it was a big innovation. Given that the movie has no editing, where do you think it stands? Is it closer to a documentary than a feature film, or is it something else entirely?

WH: Oh, there’s an extensive amount of editing in documentaries as well. But this is kind of separate. This is a little bit outside of that: there’s no editing because it was shot in real–time with one camera. I forgot to mention that, it’s a single camera, and one take.

There’s no way to edit it, which I guess, you know, comes from my love of theater. I grew up in theater…well, not grew up, but my career began when I was in high–school and got into the-

how this idea came about. Even though it’s not really theater, in the sense of having everything occur before you on the stage, there’s 14 locations, 500 extras, the cast…it’s a different thing, but it’s still theater, because it’s all happening live. That really intrigued me.

Street: I understand you are currently touring the film across the US. Even though— WH: Oh, I’m not touring it across America, I’m just doing five shows in five nights.

Street: But you did have a Q&A session at the end of the initial screening. How would you evaluate the audience reception, and who do you think is the target audience?

WH: I don’t know. The thing is, I’ve only seen it with some audiences in England. Some of

it wasn’t even quite complete, in terms of…I mean, what work we did—if you couldn’t hear a line, we tried to improve a couple of things in terms of audio.

The picture’s still the same. Anyway, it really seemed to me that the best response was among college students. I don’t know why, but maybe just because when you’re in college, when you’re younger, you can laugh more easily, I don’t know what it is. But the response was good, so maybe that’s what I have to do—show it to high–schools and maybe I’ll get that response again.

Street: It was your first time directing, right?

WH: First time, yes. And I’m really happy with how it turned out, although it was a challenge. But I also think that, the next time I direct, I won’t shoot it in real–time or live–stream it, you know. Not that I wouldn’t do that again in the future.

Street: I imagine it was indeed very hard. So, you do have plans to continue your career as a director. Do you have any interesting upcoming projects, or any ideas about what you want to do next?

WH: Yeah, I wrote another screenplay called The Misadventures of Mr. Fitz. It takes place entirely in Ireland. That one, I have thought of before this one. It’s a lot of slapstick, a lot of funny stuff, uniquely Irish. So, hopefully I’ll do that in the next couple of years.

Lost in London will be shown at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, January 27th from 6PM. The screening, which will be followed by a Q&A session with Woody Harrelson, is free of charge courtesy to SPEC Connaissance and SPEC Film.

J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E

9

FILM & TV

Club Spotlight: Bent Button Production An inside look at Penn's only student filmmaking club Bent Button is Penn’s only student filmmaking club.

In it, students gain experience in everything from pre– production to post–production, and can try out numerous different roles while on–set.

Anyone can drop into meetings to workshop screenplay drafts, learn how to operate a video camera, or try their hand at directing.

from treasurer to president of the club, a position he’s now held since 2016. The club has been instrumental to his Penn trajectory. When he walked into the first meeting, he was on the pre–med track and studying biology. Now he’s majoring in cinema studies.

“I was wondering what I was doing with my life, because I love film so much more,” Weslee said.

"We teach you everything you need to know" After attending three of the club’s weekly meetings, you become a member. Any student can join—no application, no audition, and no experience necessary.

“We teach you everything you need to know,” said Weslee Sixkiller (C '19), the club’s president.

Weslee joined Bent Button when he was a freshman, rising

“[Bent Button] inspired me and pushed me.”

One of his favorite Bent Button projects is the short film One Way Out, which came in second place and also won Audience Favorite at the 2016 Penn Student Film Festival.

The film was shot in the stuffy, cramped basement of DRL, and the crew had to trek through a blizzard carrying all their

equipment to get there. Weslee described the experience as “kind of miserable.”

“I actually had to walk backwards on the way from Gregory to DRL,” he says. “Ice was hitting my face.”

After a nine–hour shoot, the runtime of the film’s final cut came out to six minutes and thirty–seven seconds.

More recently, the group is finishing production on a “fun” film about a killer washing machine. They’ve also recently launched Bent Button Connects, which offers filmmaking services to student groups, “whether it’s a dance group that wants a video of their show, or a frat or sorority that wants a promo film.”

Bent Button’s next shoot will be an adaptation of one of Weslee’s screenplays, a modern fairytale about college–going princesses who investigate a curse that strikes girls across campus.

The film will explore the issue of campus sexual assault, especially topical in the midst of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements currently shaking

Welcome CLASS OF Exp.2/23/12 4/11/12 Exp.

2016

For Fast Delivery Call 215-386-1941

4004 chestnut street | (215) 386-1941 Exp.2/23/12 4/11/12 Exp.

All You Can Eat Buffet Every Day!

For Fast Delivery Call 215-386-1941

Naomi Elegant

Photo by Anab Aidid the foundations of the movie industry. On this point, Weslee is emphatic: "Oprah said it best." “[Sexual assault victims in Hollywood] have long been pushed under the rug and abused by men in the industry,” Weslee said. “It’s been happening forever.”

But he said he’s optimistic that the stream of revelations about these abuses of power will lead to a better and safer working environment, and open up more opportunities for young men and women who were previously sidelined or threatened by abuse.

Before the first Weinstein allegations and the ensuing Pandora’s box of accusations and takedowns, Weslee was working in Los Angeles, interning over the summer at two different studios, Mandeville Films and Allison Shearmur Productions.

At Mandeville, a production company headquartered in Walt Disney Studios, Weslee mostly did script coverage as well as other,

$2 beer special!

Welcome $3 beer! shots! wine!

CLASS OF

student discount with I.D. | order online @ newdehliweb.com | closed mondays Exp.2/23/12 4/11/12 Exp. 1 0 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8

For Fast Delivery Call 215-386-1941

quirkier tasks, like preparing the gift basket for a sweepstakes prize that the company was doing for the Blu–Ray release of 2017’s Beauty and the Beast.

Weslee also witnessed the “drama” that erupted at Allison Shearmur Productions after the announcement that a Star Wars spin–off film about young Han Solo was in the works (Shearmur is one of its producers).

Eventually, Weslee hopes to produce films, but he’s in no rush.

“My goal right now is to just get a foot in the industry so I can get a job,” he laughs.

His advice to fellow aspiring filmmakers: “I mean, join Bent Button.

But also ... it takes a lot of work and commitment, but if you’re interested you should at least try.

Just get out and do it.”

Bent Button meets every Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Kelly Writers House Room 202. Meetings are open to all.

OPEN LATE & LATE NITE DELIVERY

Domino’s

TM

SUN-THURS: 10AM - 2AM • FRI-SAT: 10AM - 4AM

WE MAKE ORDERING EASY! CALL DIRECT OR CHOOSE YOUR ONLINE OR MOBILE DEVICE

215-662-1400

4438 Chestnut St.

Smart Tablets Phones

215-557-0940 401 N. 21st St.

J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E 1 1

F E AT U R E

F E AT U R E

Sorority rush failed me.

BY ISABELLA SIMONETTI

A

ing female community pass her by.

“I’ve been told that it’s better to try to rush and drop out rather than not have any experience with it,” she says. “In Engineering, there aren’t that many girls in classes in general, so I kinda wanted to meet more people.”

Like so many girls, Gillian is looking for friends and social opportunities, which may prove elusive as a freshman at Penn. Still, in order to do so, she must decide if the cost of the rush process is worth it.

Soon, the break is over. Until 10:30 p.m., I run from house to house, complimenting girls’ nail polish, discussing vacations, pretending to care about my potential sisters’ extracurriculars and hobbies when all I want to do is sleep. Then, I head back to Bodek Lounge in Houston Hall to submit my preferences.

We use an app called PNM (Potential New Member) Companion to rank the different houses. Since it’s the first day, we rank six sorority houses as our first choice, and then two as our second and third choices.

I, like so many other girls rushing, had decided some of my preferences before I even stepped foot into a sorority house.

Still, I try to use the process to my advantage, remembering where I had the best conversations and made the most memorable impressions. But they all blend together.

During recruitment, we’re told to ignore what we’ve heard and read online about the different chapter houses.

Websites like GreekRank and tabloid–esque reviews of Penn’s sororities use adjectives and phrases like “lots of cocaine,” “international," “rich,” “Jewish,” “WASP–y,” “blonde,” and “party girls” to describe my would–be future sisters. These troubling descriptors provide far more information than the short, superficial conversations I had at each of the houses, which all market themselves in the same way.

However brutal the seemingly endless Open House Round was, the next day is worse. It’s the first day of cuts.

“I don’t want to get into too many details, but the way recruitment works is that sororities that tend to do really well and have PNMs rank them really high have to cut more people because we don’t want them leading so many girls on,” Andrea explained. “And so like, the first day, I’m sure you can guess which sororities cut like half the people they see.”

We huddle in Bodek with our Rho Gamma groups, anticipating the release of schedules on PNM Companion. One of the Panhellenic Execs speaks into the microphone to make a muffled announcement and reinforce the process’s rules. Then she says: “Your schedules are available now.”

Our thumbs feverishly refresh the app. I am greeted with cold rejection. I’ve been cut from five sororities, and asked back to three, one of which I ranked as my last choice. I maintain a poker face, but I’m painfully embarrassed. What’s wrong with me? Am I not interesting enough? Am I ugly? What could I have said to make things better?

"Sorority recruitment, a process that is supposed to connect me with like-minded women and offer female solidarity, made me feel worse about myself than any man ever has."

11

10

It will fail again.

n Instagram bio decorated with Greek letters, hundreds of new Facebook friends, social relevance, an extensive lineage of big “sisters” to offer unconditional support. This is the promise of gaining membership into one of Penn’s eight sororities. The “top tier” ones, that is. They are the ultimate status symbol. I wanted it. And so did over 600 other freshmen girls. But only about 100 of us could be offered a coveted bid from the “best” sororities on campus.

Some joined less exclusive, but respected, organizations. Others found their home in the so–called “bottom tier."

And some—like me—got lost along the way. I emerged from rush without a sorority, but I did get a front row seat to the elusive “process.”

The first day of rush is 14 hours long. By 9 a.m. on Tuesday, we’ve doused ourselves in perfume and plowed our heeled booties through the slush, marching towards Irvine Auditorium. Once there, we’re herded into smaller groups led by a Rho Gamma, an affiliated girl who will guide us through the rush process. While waiting, I exchange icy stares with the other girls in my line. We analyze each others’ outfits, from eyeliner down to individual dress wrinkles.

Suddenly, the “snappy casual” blue dress I spent hours picking out feels all wrong.

We all find seats in the auditorium and convocation begins. This is where they tell us the rules: submit any conflicts in your schedule that interfere with rush events, show up on time, communicate with your Rho Gammas. These seem standard. But then, I’m confronted by a huge green slide on the Powerpoint presentation that reads “No men. No alcohol.”

I don’t understand what it means. No speaking with boys, or just no hooking up with them? What if I hook up with a girl?

Is the assumption that we are all attracted to men?

I scold myself for being too politically correct and crush Altoids between my teeth. I hope my fresh breath will compensate for the sorority stereotypes I lack. I hope my appearance will mask my bisexuality.

After recruitment ended, Andrea Klein (C ‘18), the Vice President of Panhellenic Recruitment, further explained the “no men, no alcohol” rule to me. Andrea says that rush is about finding female organizations that will empower us, not about the men we might meet along the way. “So the rule is just like, 'no men, no alcohol' in recruitment events. Outside of recruitment, if they want to hang out with guys, like go to their boyfriend’s house afterwards, that’s not a problem,” she elaborated.

This is something I wished was clarified to me during rush, throughout which, I was reminded to be myself when it felt like my identity was something to be ashamed of. But the process is more toxic than its heteronormativity.

At the first house I visit, the Rho Gammas bark at us to line up in alphabetical order. We shiver in the sub–freezing temperatures. When the doors open, we’re greeted by ear–splitting chants and aggressive smiles. Each rush is paired with a girl to speak with for roughly ten minutes, who will assess her before she’s tapped out by one of her sisters.

I have the same conversation three times: majors, favorite TV shows, anecdotes from winter break. I laugh at unfunny jokes and nod my head at stories to which I’m barely listening. It’s like speed dating for friends, or a job interview where I have no idea how I’m being assessed.

Finally, the lights in the house flicker. The interrogation is over. The girl I’m talking to helps me collect my belongings and escorts me to the door.

“It was so nice to meet you!” she says.

I think I’ve succeeded. She liked meeting me!

I find my friend outside and she asks me how it went.

“They seemed pretty nice. I don’t know how I could’ve messed it up.”

Following the first open house, we have a short break inside of Annenberg.

I remove my boots, reapply lip gloss, hike up my stockings, and find a seat in the auditorium.

I know why I’m rushing: mainly for female friends, social opportunities, and a community to support me. But also for superficial reasons, ones that not many girls are willing to admit. Walking down Locust in a Greek letter–emblazoned sweatshirt makes a bigger statement than any designer label.

It proves a girl’s social prowess: that she has cool, hot friends. That she was tested by Penn’s eight sororities and sorted into a sisterhood. That she is worth knowing. That’s part of why I rushed, too.

In the seat next to me is Gillian Teitelbaum (E '21). Gillian is skeptical of the process, but didn’t want to let potential lifelong friends and an empower-

1 2 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8

J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E 1 3

F E AT U R E

How could these women decide that I wasn’t right for their organization after just a few minutes? The hard truth is, as much as they might have tried to evaluate me based on the substance of our interaction, they had to rely on stereotypes as well: what being from New York City and having attended private school says about my status and how much I party, how my student–journalism background might jell with their organization, how my blonde hair and blue eyes will influence their image, and how the designers I’m wearing reflect my family’s bank account.

According to Andrea, sororities use varying methods to rank the girls they meet. Some use colors to describe their impression of a girls, others have different categories and assign the PNM they spoke with a numerical score for each.

Shrieks and whispers break out around me. Did you get it? Me too! Ugh, I can’t believe they cut me. I only got asked back to four, I’m so mad!

Our next round of recruitment, Sisterhood, is two days long. I’m supposed to visit two houses tonight and one tomorrow. What’s more, I must return to every house I was asked back to, or I will be cut from rush. I consider dropping out, but force myself to keep going. Maybe the houses that cut me aren’t the places for me. Maybe I really do just have to trust the process.

I visit Chi Omega, then head to Alpha Delta Pi. On the cold sidewalk outside, girls compare their schedules.

“Do you have any more to visit today?” one girl asks me.

“No. I just have two today and one tomorrow.”

“What? You only have three? I thought we were supposed to be asked back to at least four!”

I shrug and stare down at my boots. During so many moments in my life as a woman, I wonder what is wrong with me. When I apply my makeup in the morning, when a male student interrupts me in class, when I’m catcalled on the street, when boys stare at me at the gym. But sorority recruitment, a process that is supposed to connect me with like– minded women and offer female solidarity, made me feel worse about myself than any man ever has.

Standing behind me in line is Angela Sun (E ’21).

She tells me about how her friends were cut from a lot of houses today.

“I felt kind of bad about it, but also it kind of shows you how—I don’t want to say superficial—but how very pressure–filled this whole process is,” she explains. “So when you talk to someone, either they got one that you didn’t or they got one that you did, it’s kind of uncomfortable, especially if that’s what they wanted.”

This year, Panhellenic tried to improve recruitment by placing a strong emphasis on mental health. During

1 4 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8

convocation, we were provided different hotline phone numbers to reach out to for support. We were also invited to a meditation session to decompress.

While these efforts are admirable, they ignore that, at its core, the process destroys our self esteem. It takes confidence to parade around campus in dresses and heels, essentially begging older girls to be our friends. And however amazing joining a sorority may seem, recruitment subjects us to a very personal type of rejection, a process that can leave us feeling powerless and confused for placing blind trust in it.

I find solace in commiserating with other girls.

Some are happy with their remaining prospects, while others are disgruntled and skeptical like me, I discuss how the process might be racist with girls from a minority group, and how some sororities are looking for a token woman of color to diversify their pledge class.

“In terms of like ethnicity and socioeconomic status it’s, yeah, it’s just not very diverse, and I don’t think that’s something specific to Penn,” Andrea added.

This year, Panhellenic tried to improve diversity by appointing a Vice President of Diversity who helped coordinate events between Panhellenic Execs and Penn Non–Cis, as well as the South Asian Society.

Still, since their inception, sororities have been organizations for affluent white women, and they don’t appear to have changed very much. Nearly every sorority sister I spoke with was white. Penn isn’t very diverse to begin with, and its sororities seem even less so.

Additionally, sororities are intrinsically associated with fraternities. These are the same fraternities that admit men and women into their parties at unequal rates in order to ensure that their brothers get laid.

The types of boys that allow rules like this to persist are the ones that, if I join a sorority, I will be attending mixers with.

During the second day of Sisterhood round I visit Zeta Tau Alpha and then return to Bodek to submit my preferences for Philanthropy round. Since I only have three houses remaining, I’m forced to rank them all as my number one choice.

The conversations I had during the second and third days of rush were lengthier, and slightly more personal than the first day. They also played us short, jazzy videos set to up–tempo music that revealed a little bit about the sorority’s community. After paying close attention to the torrent of clips, I felt like Chi Omega was the place where I connected with everyone the most, and somewhere that could be my home on campus.

So at 3 p.m. on Friday, freshly charged with sleep and false hope, I returned to Bodek again to see which houses I was asked back to. After a few cursory announcements, the schedules were released. Yet again, I opened the app that would show me which houses had asked me back, which girls had liked me, which could rechart my path for four years.

I was cut from Chi Omega.

“Did you get it?” The girl sitting next to me asks.

“No, I was cut. Did you?”

“Yeah, I did. I’m really sorry.”

I don’t want to stick around while everyone flaunts their schedules. It feels like doing poorly on a test in high school while all your classmates all got A’s. But instead of being evaluated on how much we studied, we are judged based on our personalities. I felt like there was something about me that wasn’t good enough for the houses I wanted to be in. I didn’t think anyone I met really knew me well enough to determine my belonging. One of my Rho Gammas takes me to fill out a purple slip and I formally withdraw from rush.

Now, after many of my peers have received bids from sororities that rejected me, I am forced to confront my own questions and insecurities. Will I be okay at Penn without a sorority to hide behind? If I’d received a bid from a chapter house I wanted to be in, would I have accepted it? The answer to both is probably yes. Had I had a more positive experience with recruitment, joining a sorority wouldn’t seem all that problematic to me. I say this to highlight that girls in sororities are not bad people. Still, they are part of a system that hurts young women, and that needs to be acknowledged.

I made some mistakes in the process too. At times, I relied on stereotypes and superficial reasoning to guide my decisions. But in lieu of ample time and information about different houses, that was all I had.

The process failed me. It commoditized me and took advantage of me at my most vulnerable.

So if the pain that rush caused me might offer comfort to fellow freshmen girls or guidance to future potential new members, it was worth it. I might not have Greek letters to define me, but I’m stronger for it.

Isabella Simonetti is a freshman from New York studying English. She is a Street staff writer and a DP columnist.

F E AT U R E

Inside the Philadelphia clinics that provide abortions—and those that pretend to.

Haley Weiss Illustration by Lulu Wang

“Fifty–eight thousand babies were murdered in there last year!

Their blood is on your hands!”

“Please, ma’am, do not let them kill your child!”

“Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus...”

These voices belong to the pro–life protesters who hound the Philadelphia Women’s Center during operating hours, who call themselves “sidewalk servants” or “prayer warriors.”

Two weeks before Christmas, I arrive at the the PWC before they do. It’s 6:30 a.m., and there’s a warm box of Starbucks medium roast waiting for me and the other volunteers when I sign in. Fifteen minutes later, the first protester arrives, and I trudge outside with the only other punctual escort, Susan, a young lawyer.

During clinic hours, a rope goes up through the middle of the narrow alley off Appletree Street in Center City. The protesters stand on the far side against the chain–link fence at the legally required distance.

As for the volunteer escorts, we stay on our side at the entrance to the clinic with bright yellow

vests declaring our allegiance.

We are here because they are.

When women exit their cars, it is our job to usher them into the building, shielding them from the prayers and pamphlets being hurled at them from across the rope barrier.

The security guard pops her head out of the clinic. “Good morning!” she shouts at one of the protesters, Jerry, with a wave. The escorts have clear instructions not to interact with the protesters, but the guard gets a few jabs in when she can. Jerry scowls back at her and grunts, pulling his baseball cap down over his thinning gray hair as he begins to lay out posters against the fence. The guard snickers as the door closes. She knows he won’t be too much of a problem today: Jerry had the cops called on him a month ago.

.

.

.

A few weeks earlier on a mid–November afternoon, I took a five–block stroll to the Community Women’s Center of Philadelphia on the corner of 12th and Locust Streets when my escorting shift had ended.

The sign above the door had replaced the letter T in the word

“center” with a large cross. At the bottom of the sign, in equally large letters, was printed: “Free pregnancy testing.” To my left, on the adjacent corner, sat the city’s Planned Parenthood location, another abortion provider.

given that this office does not offer a single medical procedure.

I filled out the sheet she gave me, which asked standard questions about my height, weight, and medical history, but also included multiple questions

"Crisis pregnancy centers are like weeds. Wherever a legitimate abortion provider pops up, three to four CPCs follow."

The door in front of me was small, wooden, and windowless.

It was also locked.

I pressed the buzzer on the intercom, waited ten seconds, and heard a voice crackle through the other side.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” I responded. “I’m here for a consultation?”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Um, I was hoping I’d be able to just do a walk–in?”

I was buzzed in and followed the handmade signs up a staircase.

I finally located the waiting room, which was unremarkable save for an abundance of lace pillows and framed needlepoint. The woman at the front desk was wearing a set of pink patterned scrubs.

It was an odd clothing choice,

about my religious background.

The questionnaire asked: “Have you taken an at–home pregnancy test and received a positive result?”

I lied and checked “yes."

.

.

.

In the 1980s, the pro–life movement began what has been and continues to be their most successful grassroots effort to date: the establishment of crisis pregnancy centers, or CPCs. Crisis pregnancy centers are like weeds. Wherever a legitimate abortion provider pops up, three to four CPCs follow.

Often, a CPC will brand itself with a similar name to that of the clinic it’s closest to—the Community Women’s Center of Philadelphia was named to

imitate the abortion provider called the Philadelphia Women’s Center. But in practice, CPCs aren’t clinics at all, though they frequently market themselves as full–service pregnancy resource centers.

Crisis pregnancy centers have a reputation for deception. Pro– choice organizations warn that they seek to attract young women with unplanned pregnancies, a population that is the most likely to want abortions but unlikely to have a knowledge of the procedures. Women who have been lured inside with promises of free pregnancy testing and other services frequently report being bombarded with inaccurate and upsetting information about the emotional and physical dangers of abortion.

Fifteen states currently provide direct funding to crisis pregnancy centers. Pennsylvania was the first to do so in 2001, when then– senator Rick Santorum began funneling millions of welfare dollars into CPCs. Thanks to measures like these, there are far more crisis pregnancy centers in the country than there are legitimate abortion clinics.

Here lies the problem: legitimate clinics and CPCs will

J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E 1 5

F E AT U R E

both tell you that they provide honest, pressure–free, and non– judgmental counseling. They’ll also both tell you that when “those other places” promise that, it’s a total lie.

The Philadelphia Women’s Center deals with many CPCs nearby, but the closest and most worrisome for them is the Community Women’s Center of Philadelphia.

.

.

Clinicians are also required to make sure patients know that they have a legal right to child support payments from the father of the child, should they decide to keep it. And, lastly, before a patient can be cleared to come back in for her procedure,

PEOPLE WANT BABIES TO DIE, LORD?” He’d carried a large wooden cross with him that day, shaking and staring at the cars that drove by like a quivering, rage–filled Jesus.

.

.

.

.

Behind the windowed front desk of the Philadelphia Women’s Center, there sits a basket of black–and–white stickers that read: “Abortion is one hundred percent of what we do.”

Aside from the stickers, the PWC is just a doctor’s office.

It’s a place where women receive healthcare. Women coming in for first visits receive a blood test, an ultrasound, a review of their medical history, and any counseling, support, and information they’d like.

During this visit, a woman will learn that her next step, should she choose to have an abortion, will be a consultation with one of the PWC physicians. Patients understand this—it’s standard for any medical procedure.

And for most other medical procedures, that’s where the requirements for informed consent end. In the case of abortions, they involve still another discussion, mandated by the Abortion Control Act. At least 24 hours before the procedure, a qualified clinician is required to provide a patient with a slew of state–mandated information designed to dissuade her from going through with her choice.

“As if they haven’t already thought about it enough,” says Susan, recalling the frustrations of her law school years.

She can recount the required topics by heart. “They basically have to go through every possible alternative with you,” she says.

To start, they’re required to provide detailed information about adoption services.

Photo by Autumn Powell

she must sign off on a form confirming that she’s received all of this information. The legislature demanding all this uses the phrase “unborn child” in lieu of “fetus.”

In late November, the elevator by the Philadelphia Women’s Center’s alleyway entrance broke down, forcing patients to enter the building through the larger 8th Street entrance. With the entrance more visible to cars and pedestrians, the protesters were bolder than usual. Within ten minutes of the clinic opening, a security guard needed to call a police officer over to calm Jerry, who’d thrown a tantrum over the cones delineating his boundary.

He was adamant that they extended beyond the minimum distance he was allowed to stand from the patients.

“WHY DO THESE

1 6 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8

When I handed back my intake sheet, the woman at the front desk of the Community Women’s Center of Philadelphia asked if I felt like I could produce a substantial urine sample or if I needed a glass of water first. I told her I was good to go, and when she handed me a cup, I took my jacket off and laid my purse down on a table before heading into the bathroom. I had been here before—though I knew she didn’t recognize me—and trial and error had taught me that bringing a purse into the bathroom would be a giveaway that I’m packing someone else’s urine.

I told her I would be out in a minute and closed the door behind me. I removed my shirt, and was as quiet as possible when I peeled the duct tape off my shoulder and arm to get to the mini liquor bottle full of

urine I jammed into my armpit.

It’s rich in human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, a hormone produced by the placenta during implantation.

It came from someone many months pregnant, so it’s sure to read positive.

It was still warm, but not quite body temperature. When I poured it into their sample cup, I decided to top it off with some of my own. The bottle went back in place, and I delivered a cup full of pee that was sure to pass a pregnancy test to the woman waiting outside.

I was ushered into a small room to wait. I expected the Community Women’s Center to look like a medical office. Instead, I was met with a cubicle–sized room that was purple from floor to ceiling—hideous lavender walls, a blue–purple sofa and armchair, a watercolor painting of palm trees and an ocean home, and an enormous, frilly, purple pillow.

A pretty woman with cropped brown hair and a dainty cross around her neck eventually came into the room. She introduced herself as Bernadette and presented me with a piece of paper. “I’ll just need you to sign along the bottom line here, saying that you know you’ve had two pregnancy tests, and they’re both positive.”

I signed and she sat down across from me, flashing a smile.

“So, can you tell me a little bit about what brings you in today and what’s on your mind?”

.

.

.

guaranteeing women their constitutional right to abortion, the clinic staff was elated. Over the next decade, four more Women’s Centers were opened within the network.

The expansion of women’s right to healthcare was short– lived. In 1989, then–governor Bob Casey championed Pennsylvania’s Abortion Control Act, the first attempt by a state to limit abortion rights after Roe v. Wade. When it passed successfully, many more followed.

Abortion rights are currently the most restricted they’ve been since before 1973, and regulations are continuing to tighten. Of the 1,142 state– enacted abortion restrictions that had been passed nationwide as of 2016, 30% of them were put in place after 2010.

.

.

.

My conversation with Bernadette lasted 40 minutes, during which she repeated at least ten different times that my first step would be to schedule an appointment for a free ultrasound either in their office or at their Bucks County location. When I pushed her about what my options will be in terms of post– ultrasound abortive procedures, she explained both the dilation and evacuation (D&E) and abortive pill options to me, but continued to repeat that I would have to go see a board–certified OB–GYN beforehand. As expected, she couldn’t refer me to one or make any suggestions.

"I peeled the duct tape off my shoulder and arm to get to the mini liquor bottle full of urine I jammed into my armpit."

It’s been 45 years since the Philadelphia Women’s Center opened its doors as the first outpatient abortion provider in the state of Pennsylvania. When the United States Supreme Court passed its groundbreaking Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973,

She spoke in a calm tone, and the information I was given is mostly true, but I notice that she discussed certain risks of the procedures as if they are far more common than they actually are.

She warned me of the following in a heavy tone:

F E AT U R E

On the abortion–inducing mifepristone pill: “If you noticed heavy bleeding continuing 24 hours after the expulsion, we would urge you to get to a hospital quickly, because that’s not normal.”

On the D&E procedure: “Because of the rod that they use to dilate the cervix, some women find that after they’ve had this procedure it can be difficult for them to conceive or carry a child down the road because the muscles have been loosened. So that’s something to think about before you make any decisions.”

On both: “If any parts of the pregnancy are left behind, it can cause a really severe infection, so if you have any pain before a two– week check–up appointment, or if you develop a fever, you’d want to get to the hospital right away, because that infection can get really serious really quickly.”

A 2014 systematic review published at the University of North Carolina found that the incidence of post–procedure health issues was six in 100,000.

According to Dr. Janice Asher, Director of the Women’s Health department of Penn’s Student Health Services, any health risks posed by abortion procedures are almost entirely eradicated by required check–ups with a physician: one day later for the mifepristone pill, and two weeks later for a dilation and evacuation.

“In terms of life–threatening or life–taking infections, we saw that in the era of illegal abortions,” says Dr. Asher. “It’s so rare now. But when they were illegal that was a huge problem.”

“No matter what,” she adds, “the chances of dangerous complications during pregnancy are exponentially higher.”

As I’d expected, Bernadette talked about adoption in a more positive light, and offered to set me up within the week with a lawyer who can advocate on my behalf, for free, with an adoption organization. “It’s a really courageous act,” she told me.

“It’s very selfless. You can even start going through the process

of setting up an adoption plan before you make a decision, just so you know that it’s there if you decide you want it.”

She was pushing me, but only subtly. I was surprised that there wasn't yelling, berating, shaming, bullying, or any sort of scare tactics going on inside this crisis pregnancy center.

Crisis pregnancy centers operate with subtlety at all levels— not just from the outside, but

students covered by the Penn Student Insurance Plan, although Stella says that most students choose the off-campus options if they can. An abortion at PEACE requires a visit to the operating room at 3400 Spruce Street, while Planned Parenthood and the Philadelphia Women’s Center specialize in outpatient services.

“I even had one student go over to a Planned Parenthood in New Jersey a few years ago,”

Today, roughly 87% of counties in Pennsylvania donʼt have an active abortion provider. during intimate consultations as well. If I were less informed about the logistics of getting an abortion, her quiet denial of Planned Parenthood’s services would seem like an omission of crucial information about my healthcare.

.

.

.

The counselors at the Community Women’s Center don’t like talking about the Planned Parenthood next door.

Bring it up, and they’ll balk, dodge the question entirely, or suggest that student health services at local universities offer cheaper options.

It’s an ironic runaround, given that the majority of pregnant students who seek abortions after visiting Penn’s Student Health Services actually end up going to Planned Parenthood.

Although SHS doesn’t provide abortion services, SHS Women’s Health nurse practitioner Perri Stella has seen countless students over the years who came to SHS first after learning of an unplanned pregnancy.

“We counsel students with regards to options,” says Stella, “then refer them to either PEACE, Planned Parenthood, or the Philadelphia Women’s Center.”

PEACE, the family planning center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, is often the cheapest option for

says Stella. “New Jersey doesn’t have the same required meeting with the 24–hour wait, so she felt more comfortable traveling over there.”

Dr. Asher has only seen two women in her 29 years at Student Health who chose adoption.

“If someone wants to have an abortion, they’re going to have an abortion,” she says. “Our big concern is that they be physically

and emotionally safe. Abortion can be emotionally difficult, even when it’s the right decision.”

“I’ll tell you the biggest health risk someone faces when getting an abortion—and I’m being completely un–ironic here,” says Dr. Asher. “It’s driving or crossing the street to get to the abortion center.”

.

.

.

Operating abortion–providing facilities under a mountain of legislation is challenging, and many clinics have been forced throughout the decades to shutter their doors. Today, roughly 87% of counties in Pennsylvania don’t have an active abortion provider.

In the 13% of counties with abortive services, women are besieged with insults when they approach clinic doors.

The protesters get too close nearly every time a patient walks into the building. “You are committing murder!” they shriek. “These people don’t care about you or your baby!”

If the patient walking in looks

even vaguely Latina, they yell the few phrases they know in Spanish: “Jesús te ama! Por favor salva a tu bebé!”

If the patient is black, they will repeat the same warning until they are hoarse: “They target black people in there, ma’am!

Don’t listen to those yellow– vested vultures!”

The majority of the escorts are white, and the majority of patients are not. Not only does the clinic murder, they believe, but it murders with a eugenic purpose, one that we escorts are in on. A massive sign that Pat used to hold out front of the clinic was designed to hammer this idea home. On four lines, it read: LIVES MATTER BLACK LIVES POLICE LIVES ALL LIVES One day, Pat left it behind.

The Children’s Village, a non– profit preschool that shares the building with the Philadelphia Women’s Center, stole the sign and destroyed it.

$$$ GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR GROUP $$$

The Trustees’ Council of Penn Women (TCPW) is accepting applications for its Annual Grants Program and encourages members of the University community to apply.

Grants ranging from $1,000-$4,000 will be available to individuals or organizations which promote: • women’s issues • the quality of undergraduate and graduate life for women • the advancement of women • the physical, emotional and psychological well-being of women Favorable consideration will be given to projects that: • affect a broad segment of the University population • foster a greater awareness of women’s issues • provide seed money for pilot programs that have the potential to become ongoing self-supporting programs To apply, visit the TCPW website at www.alumni.upenn.edu/tcpwgrants and download the application from the grants page. Applications must be submitted no later than February 12, 2018. Awards will be announced in the Spring of 2018 and funds will be distributed in July/August 2018 for projects in the 2018-2019 academic year.

J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E 17

highbrow ego food & drink film feature music arts lowbrow highbrow ego food & drink film feature music arts lowbrow highbrow ego food & drink film feature music arts lowbrow

FILM FILM FILM

34 3434

ST STST

ST YLE

How How How Penn Penn Penn Students Students Students Watch Watch Watch Movies Movies Movies

DO DO DOYOU YOU YOUPAY PAY PAYPER PER PERVIEW? VIEW? VIEW?

Borrow Borrow Borrow from from from Library Library Library

Film Film Film polled polled polled you you you totofitond fifind nd out out out how how how you you you are are are getting getting getting your your your Sunday Sunday Sunday afternoon afternoon afternoon BYBY ANTHONY BYANTHONY ANTHONY KHAYKIN KHAYKIN KHAYKIN movie movie movie fixes. fifixes. xes.

Here’s Here’s Here’s what what what wewe we learned. learned. learned.

24.6% 24.6% 24.6%

Don't Don't Don't Watch Watch Watch Movies Movies Movies Theaters Theaters Theaters

TT T

Free Free Free Streaming Streaming Streaming hough hough hough wewe all weall know allknow know thethe thewatch watch watch Hugo Hugo Hugo in in theaters. intheaters. theaters.

And And And weweweyou you you guess guess guess then then then that that that Penn Penn Penn stustustu47.7% 47.7% 47.7% 16.9% 16.9% 16.9% Paid Paid Paid Online Online Online Services Services Services Internet Internet Internet is isfor is forfor porn porn pornfit fithis tfithis t this mold mold mold of of overworked ofoverworked overworked IvyIvy Ivydents dents dents would would would prefer prefer prefer to to get toget their gettheir their (thanks (thanks (thanks Avenue Avenue Avenue Q),Q), Q), thethe theLeague League League students students students well, well, well, with with with only only onlyRomCom RomCom RomCom fixfionline xfixonline online with with with freefree free bedroom bedroom bedroom is no isisno longer nolonger longer thethe the only only onlyabout about about 17% 17% 17% of of Penn ofPenn Penn undergrads undergrads undergradsstreaming streaming streaming websites websites websites likelike like SideReel SideReel SideReel 9.2% 9.2% 9.2% area area area being being being ceded ceded ceded to to digital todigital digital territerriterri-watching watching watching movies movies movies at the atatthe Rave theRave Rave ev-evev-and and and Ch131 Ch131 Ch131 rather rather rather than than than paypay pay forforfor tory. tory. tory.

ForFor For every every every girlgirl with girlwith with daddy’s daddy’s daddy’seryery semester. erysemester. semester. services services services provided provided provided byby Netfl byNetfl Netfl ix and ixixand and AmEx, AmEx, AmEx, window window window browsing browsing browsing ononon ButBut But how how how about about about thethe other theother other ste-steste-Redbox?

Redbox?

Redbox?

1.5% 1.5% 1.5% Photos by Autumn Powell Fifth Fifth Fifth Avenue Avenue Avenue hashas been hasbeen been replaced replaced replacedreotype, reotype, reotype, thethe one theone one that that that says says says all all colallcolcol- While While While 75% 75% 75% of of usofus watch uswatch watch movmovmovwith with with online online online shopping. shopping. shopping.

And And Andlege lege lege students students students areare poor? arepoor? poor?

The The The freefree freeiesies online, iesonline, online, nearly nearly nearly 50% 50% 50% paypay pay forforfor FYEs FYEs FYEs everywhere everywhere everywhere have have have virtuvirtuvirtu-movement movement movement of of information ofinformation information made made madeit. it.Iit.hear I Ihear hear Horrible Horrible Horrible Bosses Bosses Bosses ——a—a a Why Why Why dododo you you you gogogo totothe tothe the movies? movies? movies? allyally ally been been been rendered rendered rendered useless useless useless (pun (pun (punpossible possible possible byby the bythe interweb theinterweb interweb makes makes makesnew new new release release release onon iTunes oniTunes iTunes —— is— hysisishyshys- 3.1% 3.1% 3.1% 6.3% 6.3% 6.3% intended) intended) intended) with with with thethe the existence existence existence of ofof terical, terical, terical, butbut is butisis Other Other Other Whose Whose recommendations recommendations recommendations do do you doyou take? youtake? take? thethe multifarious themultifarious multifarious iTunes iTunes iTunes store. store. store. Whose it it worth itworth worth thethe the It'sIt's a It's way a way atoway hang to to hang hang outout with out with friends with friends friends 25% 25% 25% Things Things Things areare no areno different nodifferent different here here here 50 50 50 1.51.5 1.5 salads salads salads at atat 47.7% 47.7% 47.7% Other Other Other It'sIt's a It's good a good a good study study study break break break 40.6% 40.6% 40.6% at atPenn, atPenn, Penn, where where where thethe the Rave Rave Rave gets gets gets Sweetgreen Sweetgreen Sweetgreen 40% 40% 40% 40 40 40 A Friend A Friend A Friend It makes It makes It makes youyou feel you feel relaxed feel relaxed relaxed andand happy and happy happy nearly nearly nearly half half half thethe the traffi traffi traffi c for c cforfor thethe the it it it would would would Cinema Cinema Cinema Studies Studies Studies 25% 25% 25% midnight midnight midnight screenings screenings screenings of ofblockofblockblock- 30 3026.2% have have have cost cost cost if if if Required Required Required for for Class for Class Class 30 Major Major Major 26.2% 26.2% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% Caroline Harris buster buster buster hitshits hits likelike like Twilight Twilight Twilight as Hulu asasHulu Hulu I Ihad had seen seen seen it it it Professor Professor Professor or TAor or TA TA I had does does does thethe the dayday day after after after thethe the newest newest newest 20 20 20 in inin theaters? theaters? theaters?

Street Street Street episode episode episode of of30 of30Rock 30 Rock Rock airs. airs.

This This This 10and Looking for aairs. sleek resit is glorious.

Th e new and Alcoholic Bubble Tea Ramen Ramen Ramen noonoonoo- the gruffest food critics. An crackers, smooth edamame 10 10 *Students *Students *Students surveyed surveyed surveyed werewere were allowed allowed allowed to choose toBut choose to more choose more moredles makes makes makes sense. sense. sense.

We We Penn Penn Penn students students students dles dles aren’t aren’t aren’t esice es seven esseven seven movies, movies, movies, more more more orguests or less, orless, less,fillings, and of course the fataurant toWe impress a first restaurant offers Taiwanese– ($12). the appeal goes sculpture greets thanthan onethan option. oneone option. option.

0 0 0 areare are too too too busy busy busy procrastinating procrastinating procrastinating that that that bad, bad, bad, I I I every every every semester. semester. semester.

Simple Simple Simple arithmearithmearithmedate or a self–proclaimed style street food and 20 beers far beyond the drinks. at the door. The interior mous melting vinaigrette. onon Penn onPenn Penn InTouch InTouch InTouch and and and designdesigndesignguess. proves tic proves proves that that that it’smusic, it’s $40 it’s$40 $40 cheaper cheaper cheaper As the meat–eater of the foodie friend?

Look no fur- on tap, plus wine and cockDanlu has guess. a guess. self–con- ticistic thumping amber inging ing funny funny funny lacrosse lacrosse lacrosse pinnies pinnies pinnies for for for entertainment entertainment entertainment accessible accessible accessible and and and The The The average average average Penn Penn Penn student student student to to watch to watch watch said said said movies movies movies on on Netfl on Netfl Netfl ix ixixgroup, I’m tasked with samther. Danlu recently opened tails. Street’s personal favor- sciously urban feel, with an light, hardwood tables and thethe the clubs clubs clubs we’re we’re we’re involved involved involved in in to in to to inexpensive inexpensive inexpensive to to anyone to anyone anyone with with with an an an (who (who (who is anything is is anything anything but but but average, average, average, if if if than than than at at the at the the Rave, Rave, Rave, and and and an an addian addiaddi-pling the Peking duck sandon 36th and Market Streets, ites? The Sake Sangria ($11) ambiance that would satisfy string lights. There are bold leave leave leave thethe comfort thecomfort comfort of of our ofour our beds beds beds to totoAirPennNet AirPennNet AirPennNet account. account. account.

Wouldn’t Wouldn’t Wouldn’tyou you you askask Amy askAmy Amy Gutmann) Gutmann) Gutmann) watchwatchwatch-tional tional tional $20 $20 $20 less less less on on iTunes on iTunes iTunes (cost (cost (costwich ($5). This is the best murals on the wall, hexagoof of popcorn of popcorn popcorn and and and Mike Mike Mike and and and Ikes Ikes nal flooring, and, to top itIkesduck sandwich I’ve had in notnot included included included in inthese inthese these calculacalculacalcula-Philly. The duck is paired allnot off , a fascinating architions). tions). tions).

The The The low low low cost cost cost of of watchof watchwatch-with cucumber, scallions, tectural design. inging seven ing seven seven movies movies movies on on iTunes on iTunes iTunes for “Danlu” means “Nectar”forforshiso peanut brittle, >>>> >> Total Total Total amount amount amount ofhoisin ofof lessless less than than than 3030 bucks 30bucks bucks is worth isisworth worth thethe thesauce, and sriracha for a kick in Taiwanese.

Danlu’s menu money money money spent spent spent in in movie inmovie movie many many many conveniences conveniences conveniences that that that online online onlineof spice. All these ingredients features small plates, large theaters* theaters* theaters* byby Penn byPenn Penn paid paid paid services services services afford afford afford us: us: not us: not not be-bebe-are elegantly draped across a plates, noodles, rice dishes, students students students each each each semester semester semester inging ing interrupted interrupted interrupted by by by incessant incessant incessant Chinese sandwiches and doughy steamed bun. buffering buffering buffering and and and commercials, commercials, commercials, thethe the Next up: the sea salt– raw compositions.

To preimmunity immunity immunity to to computer to computer computer viruses viruses viruses pare the menu, Chef Pat- crusted shrimp pad thai and and and most most most importantly, importantly, importantly, not not havhavhav-($17). The tofu and shrimp rick Feury and his not partners inging ing to towait towait wait 545454 minutes minutes minutes after after after ate and drank their way are cooked to perfection. >> Total Total Total amount amount amount of ofof watching watching watching 7272 minutes 72minutes minutes of of a of movie a amovie movie >>>> through five cities in Tai- Crunchy peanuts contribute money money money spent spent spent watching watching watching onon Megavideo. onMegavideo.

Megavideo. wan and China. (Ed. note: a nice opposing texture. To online, online, if all if ifall people allpeople people who who who Not Not Not to to mention, tomention, mention, it’sit’s ait’ssmall a asmall small online, How do I sign up?) It’s an say the pad thai was divine paid paid forfor online foronline online services services services price price price to to pay topay pay when when when you you you look look look at atat paid offshoot of Berwyn staple would be an understatement.

Dine-In, Dine-In, Dine-In, Catering Catering Catering &&Delivery &Delivery Delivery used used iTunes* iTunes* iTunes* thethe big thebig picture bigpicture picture —— the —the combined thecombined combined used Nectar; they share an ex- If I were a bolder woman, I savings savings savings of of the ofthe the 47.7% 47.7% 47.7% of of Penn ofPenn Penn Happy Happy Happy Hour: Hour: Hour: Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri 5-7 5-7 5-7 ecutive chef. students students students who who who paypay for payfor their fortheir their online online onlinewould bring in tupperware Thrather e rather result is pure services services services rather than than than going going going to perto the tothe theto take home some of the Lunch Lunch Lunch Special: Special: Special: Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri $8.95 $8.95 $8.95 fection.

Each bite fi nishes movie movie movie theater theater theater is somewhere isissomewhere somewhere be-bebe-scrumptious goodness. with a textured crunch.

We We rounded out our feast tween tween tween $196,136 $196,136 $196,136 and and and $295,344, $295,344, $295,344, >> >> >> Total Total Total amount amount amount of of of Early Early Early Bird: Bird: Bird: Sun-Thur Sun-Thur Sun-Thur $10.95 $10.95 $10.95 begin our feast withthey Danlu the mango and chocodepending depending depending onon whether onwhether whether they they useuse usewith money money money spent spent spent watching watching watching crispy potstickers sorbet ($7). The key to Netfl Netfl Netfl ix ix orixedamame or iTunes, oriTunes, iTunes, respectively. respectively. respectively.late online, online, online, if all if ifall people allpeople people who who who ($9).

Chef Patrick Feury dish’s deliciousness is Moral Moral Moral of of the ofthe story thestory story is: is: we is:we won't we won't won'tthis paid paid paid for for online for online online services services services greets us, explaining that its contrast. Chocolate and judge judge judge if you if ifyou you justjust just stay stay stay in in bed. inbed. bed. used used used Netflix* Netflix* Netflix* the delicate ginger vin- mango are in firm juxtapoaigrette was barrel–aged • 215.387.8533 • •215.387.8533 *A *A*A simple simple simple random random random sample sample samplesition, while the black and PattayaRestaurant.com PattayaRestaurant.com PattayaRestaurant.com 215.387.8533 *$12.50/ticket *$12.50/ticket *$12.50/ticket the atatthe Rave theRave Rave a onsite.

Th e potstickers are sesame at tuile provides of of 100 of 100 100 Penn Penn Penn undergrads undergrads undergrads were were werewhite • University • •University 4006 4006 4006 Chestnut Chestnut Chestnut Street Street Street University City City City *$3.99 *$3.99 *$3.99 rent totorent arent movie a amovie movie on on iTunes oniTunes iTunes delightful, with crunchy of tothe unexpected. surveyed surveyed surveyed to to collect tocollect collect data data data about about aboutnote *$7.99/month *$7.99/month *$7.99/month on on Netflix onNetflix Netflix 8 88 their their their film film fiviewing lmviewing viewing habits. habits. habits.

Danlu Review:

Best Taiwanese Food Street’s Ever Had

UCity's restaurant scene gets a major upgrade with Danlu.

BY BY BYTHE THE THE NUMBERS NUMBERS NUMBERS

$153,701 $153,701 $153,701

34TH STREET Magazine December 1, 2011 34TH STREET Magazine December 1, 2011 34TH STREET Magazine December 1, 2011

$196,136 $196,136 $196,136

$295,344 $295,344 $295,344

1 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8

ST YLE

Dear Style readers, Today, we give you the newest addition to our section, the column that you’ve been waiting for.

We ask you to join us as we take a stroll down sexy 69th Street. It is an unexplored and erotic area of our neighborhood.

May this new section pique your interest, answer your questions, quell your concerns, and ultimately, improve your sex and love life. And remember to submit!

Fear of the unknown often drives the romantic endeavors of people our age. We tend to pursue people we’re familiar with, whether it be from classes, our freshman halls, or previous hookups. This way, nothing is ever too unexpected or uncomfortable. We (the authors? The sexperts?) firmly believe that there is much to gain from going on bad dates. We also firmly believe that you are not too good for people outside of Penn—actually you’re definitely not. You’re only hurting yourself by limiting your options. And unless you’re moving to Manhattan with the rest of Penn after you graduate, your bubble will burst someday, and you’ll be pressed to forge romantic connections with new and unknown people. So, why not get some practice in early?

People should never feel like their lives are less full without a relationship. Honestly, relationships can dull people. But if it’s something you want, here’s the thing: finding somebody who you like, and who likes you back, is a numbers game. The more dates you go on, and the more comfortable you become with bad ones, the more likely it is that you’ll stumble upon a diamond in the rough. And if you don’t, that’s okay, too. But stop thinking you’ll meet somebody in the library like you imagined and play the field—it’s what real people do!

Navigating an interaction

Illustration by: Gloria Yuen

with a complete stranger is an art form, and by seeking out uncomfortable and potentially boring or odd interactions, we can master it. After our fair share of bad dates, we can tell which people will laugh when John mentions he wet the bed until he was 12, and which people will find his late–stage nocturnal enuresis off–putting, or who will be okay with Hannah explaining that her “most potent sexual awakening was season two episode six of Skins when Tony goes to boarding school.” On second thought, maybe we are other people’s bad dates sometimes—and if that’s the case, we’re not sorry, and we hope you’re reading this.

Bad dates are not necessarily catastrophic. More times than not, they’re just a drink’s worth of boring back–and–forth and a side–hug goodbye. Exposing ourselves to more people like this helps us better understand what we are and aren’t looking for in a potential partner. For example, thanking a server for refilling a glass of water is a good sign. Repeatedly making the joke that they “don’t have Hepatitis C, haha …” is not!

Knowing what doesn’t work for you will eventually get you to what does. There are over a million people in this city. Take advantage of that while you can!

Go forth and date some of them!

We hope you don’t enjoy it.

AT THE CORNER OF 33RD & CHESTNUT IN THE STUDY AT UNIVERSITY CITY HOTEL A NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT TO NOURISH THE SOUL 20 S 33RD ST | PHILADELPHIA, PA | 19104 COOPPHILA.COM | 215-398-1874

J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E 1 9

ARTS

REVIEW:

Impressions in Ink

at the Arthur Ross Gallery Sophie Burkholder From now until March 25, the Arthur Ross Gallery is hosting Impressions in Ink, an exhibition of prints from artists like Cézanne, Manet, Matisse, and Toulouse– Lautrec.

Prints and printmaking are a form of visual art that is too often overlooked by museum– goers and art history novices.

Renowned artists Rembrandt and Durer, for example, were both masters of the printmaking process, but are primarily remembered for their oil paintings. And while painting with oil comes with its own required set of skills, printmaking demands a level of expertise in drawing as well as a familiarity with

the chemical and physical properties of the art.

That being said, what makes Impressions in Ink so intriguing is the way in which it displays the signature styles of these artists in a form of media that is rarely seen from them. All but two of the prints in the exhibition are stripped of color, yet each

Authentic and Classic Italian foods served with only top-shelf ingredients

Sun - Thurs Special: 2 Course Meal for $23.95* Party of 12 and up Cash Only BYOB friendly! lafontanadellacita.com | 1701 Spruce Street | 215-875-9990

* not including tax and tip 2 0 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8

Photo by Autumn Powell

piece is still successful in its artistic effects.

The etchings and lithographs lack a sharpness in minute detail, just as larger impressionist paintings do.

Two of Manet’s prints in the exhibition, "The Absinthe Drinker" and "Portrait of Berthe Morisot," reveal the ways in which his style helped advance the art world from realism to impressionism.

Both are more focused on the contrast and effect of light on the subjects than with a fully accurate depiction. In the portrait, Morisot’s eyes look almost like smudged dots and the shape of her hat is indistinguishable, yet Manet still successfully communicates her demeanor.

Similarly, "The Absinthe Drinker" is one of the darkest prints in the collection with almost the whole image in shadows, but as a result, it effectively displays its subject as someone of questionable character.

Manet is just one of many prominent artists whose style and influence is revealed by the prints of this collection.

Two prints by Matisse show his love of line and curvature

of figures, an element of his style that is sometimes lost in the loud colors of his signature fauvism. Cézanne’s prints reiterate his obsession with basic shapes, and the way he sees everything as being composed of triangles, squar es, and circles. Gauguin’s woodcuts echo his distinct Tahitian paintings that deviated from mainstream impressionism at the time.

Knowing that impressionist paintings are always crowd– pleasers, museums around the world push new, but slightly derivative, exhibitions featuring them every year.

And though Impressions in Ink is an examination of that same style, its feature of prints makes it a unique experience. One can only see so many of Monet’s Haystacks before getting tired eyes. This exhibition, particularly in its lack of color and focus on drawn as opposed to painted line, reminds viewers of why impressionism is so popular in the first place for the way even a rough, slightly blurred, colorless sketch can convey the ambiance, effect, and, well, impression of its subject.

ARTS

How Penn Dental Acquired an Empress' 19th–Century Carriage The story of the horse carriage in the dental school's foyer.

Naomi Elegant

When the last Empress of France needed to flee from both an invading Prussian army that had captured her husband and an angry citizen uprising engulfing Paris, she turned to her dentist.

Under fake passports, Empress Eugenie and her dentist, Philadelphia native Thomas W. Evans, escaped in Evans’ carriage, traveling to the French coast before embarking on a ship to England and safety.

Today, that carriage sits in the foyer of Penn Dental School.

According to Penn Dental School Dean Denis Kinane, Evans was one of the most influential dentists of the nineteenth century. In addition to being a pioneer in Western dentistry, Evans also maintained close relationships with Europe’s royal families in countries ranging from England to Russia. He even served as unofficial American ambassador for Emperor Napoleon III and his wife Empress Eugénie.

“He would go around to the kings and queens of Europe and talk to them about politics, about Napoleon’s views, while fixing their teeth,” Kinane said.

“The best way to view Evans, I think, is a little like Benjamin Franklin, but one hundred years later.”

Despite his years mingling with the upper echelons of European society (while filling their cavities), Evans remained committed to his hometown of Philadelphia. When he died, he left his entire, vast fortune to Penn to found Penn’s dental school—now housed in the Thomas W. Evans Museum and Dental Institute.

Along with the money for the dental school, Penn also inherited the four–wheeled

black Landau carriage in which Empress Eugénie and Evans escaped Paris. It stood in the school’s atrium for many years, until it was loaned to France in 1993 for what was intended to be a temporary exhibition.

But when Denis Kinane became the Dental School Dean 16 years later in 2009, he discovered that Evans’ carriage was missing. Lynn MardsenAtlass, the current Arthur Ross Gallery Director, came to the same conclusion: the carriage was still somewhere in France.

"It had never been returned to the University, and was never requested for return," said Mardsen–Atlass.

In July 2013, after some difficulty and "many unanswered letters," Mardsen-Atlass tracked the carriage down to the Château de Compiègne, 50 miles north of Paris. Five months later, Kinane traveled to the château to meet with the museum’s curator, armed with the legal contract confirming that Penn was the carriage’s rightful owner.

“We had a very cordial discussion, but also quite an insistent discussion, that the carriage had to come back to Pennsylvania,” Kinane said.

The mission was a success: the “Rolls Royce of its time,” as Kinane calls it, was shipped back to Penn.

Kinane arranged for Amish craftsmen in Lancaster County to help with repairs, which his own family funded in "a small [act] compared to the importance of the carriage.”

Five years later, the Dental School and the Arthur Ross Gallery partnered for a University–wide celebration to mark the return of the carriage, which coincided with the hundredth anniversary of

the Dental School’s founding.

Apart from the carriage, the Dental School’s museum currently houses Evans’ impressive collection of art, jewelry, and other objects from his time in the royal courts of Europe–including a silver gilt tankard that Queen Victoria’s son King Edward VII dedicated to Evans in 1877 and a painting depicting the Empress's famous escape.

Beyond their aesthetic value, Evans’ art collection has considerable historical significance. Associate Professor of History of Art André Dombrowski explained that the paintings in the Evans Collection exemplify the tastes of bourgeois Parisians of the time.

“They are very important in a larger social and political

Autumn Powell sense,” Dombrowski said of the paintings, which have been showcased at The Arthur Ross Gallery in the past.

Although Evans accomplished a great deal in hiås lifetime, Kinane said the image of Evans whisking the Empress Eugénie to safety in his stylish

Landau carriage is still his most iconic legacy.

“It’s quite unusual for a dental school to have a benefactor who’s so famous, so rich, so in with Napoleon III, and who saved Napoleon’s wife," said Kinane. “It’s quite a romantic story.”

$9.99 FAJITAS - THURSDAYS 5PM - 10PM 10 PM to 1 AM

40th & Spruce St., University city • 215-382-1330 • copauc.com J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E 2 1

ARTS

Soul of the Black Bottom: West Philly's Latest Mural West Philly's newest mural at the corner of North Preston and Market streets reminds us of our timelessness.

Sherry Tseng

At the corner of North Preston and Market Street by 40th Street Station, the creams, rustic reds, and light blues that define West Philadelphia are interrupted by a wall bursting with colors of green, blue, red, pink, and orange. Snaking between these hues are contours of black lines. But they aren't lines. They are words.

The wall is actually a mural titled Soul of the Black Bottom by Tunisian– French street artist eL Seed and the black lines are Arabic calligraphy. It’s what eL Seed calls “calligraffiti,” a play on the words calligraphy and graffiti.

The words spell out a quote from W.E.B. Du Bois’ book Darkwater: Voices from the Veil that reads “I

believe that all men, black and brown, and white, are brothers, varying through time and opportunity, in form and gift and feature, but differing in no essential particular, and alike in soul and the possibility of infinite development.” A timeless reminder, especially on the eve of the anniversary of Trump’s inauguration.

Soul of the Black Bottom

New Year, New Beer.

beer springfield distributor

Studying hard?

WEtoo DELIVER

2206 Washington ave, Philadelphia

2 2 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8

(215) 546-7301

Take a break with us.

is part of a larger project initiated by Al–Bustan Seeds of Culture and Mural Arts Philadelphia called (DIS) PLACED. Having started in the summer of 2017, it takes the narrative of twelve immigrants to Philadelphia to tell their stories and express them through artistic means. Apart from eL Seed, other artists involved include Buthayna Ali, a Syrian visual artist, Nazem El Sayed, a Lebanese poet, and Kinan Abou–afach, a Syrian composer and musician.

With the ongoing global refugee crisis and futile political discussions on the merits of immigration, the theme is especially relevant today.

The work specifically, however, is a reflection both of eL Seed’s personal identity and of the ever– changing social fabric today.

Use of “calligraffiti” serves to showcase the dichotomy of eL Seed’s identities both as a Tunisian and a Parisian.

The Arabic calligraphy, which is typically very structured and methodical, represents his roots, but it is stylized as more free flowing and pays homage to his time in Paris and how he’s changed because of it.

As to the piece’s relation to the grander scheme of society, it is an effort to incorporate and engage with the West Philadelphia community. The choice of Du Bois is by no means unintentional either; as a tribute to black history, the quotation speaks to the similarities between us, regardless of race or ethnicity, that should bestow us the same opportunities. Of course, it is not coincidental as well that Du Bois was especially important in Philadelphia, where he spent a year as an assistant professor of sociology at Penn and published his monumental work The Philadelphia Negro.

This is probably why this piece is a personal touch to Penn. Through the involvement of Professor Huda Fakhreddine, assistant professor of Arabic literature in the School of Arts and Sciences, the project received support from Penn’s Global Engagement Fund. As Anisa Hasan–Granier (C ’20), who worked on the project and actually assisted in painting the wall, relates, the piece is the perfect embodiment of how “art can create change and social resistance.”

Photo by Autumn Powell

L A ST PAG E

Graphic by Alana Shukovsky J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E 2 3

G N I S A E L now 8 1 0 2 L L FA

ELEVATE YOUR EXPECTATIONS

215.222.4212 | THERADIAN.COM 2 4 3 4 T H S T R E E T M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 24 , 2 01 8