It’s Homecoming Weekend at Penn this weekend, and for the first time in a long time I will not be there. Today, the campus will be full of alumni, parents, friends and families walking through College Green on the way to a lecture, art show or the football game. There will be Red and Blue everywhere and hopefully crisp fall weather.
Here is a post from a few years ago, when I met two lovely women who met at Penn and returned to campus many years later, still the best of friends.
I hope everyone has a fantastic time on campus this weekend. And let’s cheer for our Penn Football team – Beat Princeton! Let’s Go Quakers!
This post originally appeared on the Frankly Penn blog on October 26, 2012.
Jacqui and Jackie at Homecoming
By Kiera Reilly, C’93 @KieraReilly
In case you didn’t know, it’s Penn Homecoming Weekend! The foliage is blooming, Locust Walk is abuzz and alumni young and old are returning to campus to experience and participate in the Arts & Culture at Penn (as well as a little Penn Football and other athletic contests – Go Quakers!).
As I sat at the Homecoming registration tent (on Locust Walk right across from the Sweeten Alumni House), I met two enthusiastic alumnae, Jacqui Schneider, CW’47, G’49, and Jackie Wiegand, CW’48. They met at Penn many years ago, and remain friends to this day. Jackie said she was the maid of honor in Jacqui’s wedding, and Jacqui was the matron of honor in her wedding.
They were looking for Van Pelt Library, so I pointed them in the right direction, but they also wondered about Bennett Hall – is it still here? Yes, it is, but now it’s Fisher-Bennett Hall, and since its renovation a few years ago, it’s in wonderful condition. Jacqui remembered a coffee shop that used to be at 34th and Walnut that’s long gone. They wondered about their old dorm. They were looking forward to seeing the woman that was the Dean for Women when they were students – she’s going to be at the Old Guard Brunch tomorrow morning.
Jackie asked about Smokey Joe’s – is that still around? Yes, it’s now at 40th and Locust Streets. She then told us that her brother took her there when she was a freshman and she had her first alcoholic drink there…I bet she’d still get carded today!
Welcome Home Jacqui and Jackie, and welcome home to all Penn alumni, who always seem to be young at heart when they return to Penn.
And, Go Quakers! Beat Brown!
Kiera Reilly 