Meeting Formula 1 Driver Alexander Rossi Before the US Grand Prix in Austin

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Yesterday I arrived in Austin from Los Angeles, excited to visit this fun city, spend some time with my sister and her husband, catch up with friends from high school, and….attend the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas this weekend!

We attended the first USGP (U.S. Grand Prix) at COTA (Circuit of the Americas) in 2012 and had a blast. Our schedules have not allowed us to return, until now.

When I arrived at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport yesterday afternoon (a really cool airport, by the way. Live music, a Longhorn fan store, free WiFi for 1.5 hours, lots of plugs for charging and eats from The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que and Amy’s Ice Creams to name a few highlights), I was greeted with ads from Mobile 1/Honda/McLaren.

I like this one on the stairs leading up to the airline club lounges. Note also the Dell signs to the right. Apparently there’s a Dell conference of some sort this week (Dell headquarters are in Round Rock, north of Austin), and their ads were quite clever.

After I picked up my bag, I checked my twitter feed and I saw something about Manor F1 driver Alexander Rossi cooking/serving at the Chi’Lantro BBQ truck starting at 2:00 PM. I still had to retrieve my rental car, but I thought I might be able to get there.

I rushed over, arriving slightly after 3:00 PM to learn that the truck was closed for the day. Bummer. But, sitting at the picnic tables in front of the truck was Alexander Rossi.

Recently, Rossi, who was a reserve driver for the Manor F1 team, was named a driver for Manor F1 at several of their final races for this season. There has not been an American F1 driver since 2007 when Scott Speed raced for the Toro Rosso team. As this is the US Grand Prix, there is a quite a bit of excitement for an American driver to race in front of American fans at Circuit of the Americas!

Meeting Alexander Rossi

Rossi was talking to the crew from NBC Sports as they had just concluded an interview with Will Buxton and Jason Swales. I was able to chat with him for a few minutes before he had to leave for more PR engagements, and we talked about the sound of the new engines. He said that you can hear different things now that the engines are quieter, like the tires. I’m excited to hear the cars tomorrow during the first two practice sessions.

He graciously posed for a picture with me – I couldn’t believe how tall he is once he stood from the table. He said he’s 6’2″!! That is quite tall for a racer.

I also asked to pose with Will and Jason, who were fully decked out in Texas attire!

Three years ago at the first USGP, Will hosted, “Buxton’s Big Time Bash,” at a local bar. It was a fun time meeting fellow F1 fans before the race weekend. I was excited to meet the man behind the fake Charlie Whiting twitter account, and I also met Will! It was fun to see him again yesterday, and he said that we must attend his fourth annual bash as there are many drivers planning to attend and surprises in store. The bash is tonight at the Rattle Inn. More information can be found here.

Here’s a photo of me and Will at the first bash in 2012.

To cap off my drop by Chi’Lantro, I met Blair Soden, the executive producer of the NBC Sports show, “Off the Grid,” and a Penn alumna! We had a bit of a moment when Will asked us about Penn State!

Needless to say, but I was quite excited to meet all these folks yesterday afternoon. We are looking forward to the Formula 1 Fan Forum and Will’s bash tonight, and then tomorrow the fun begins on the track with practice sessions (fingers crossed the predicted rain holds off).

Sharing Weddings Around the World for #FriFotos

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

This Friday is the last #FriFotos. The weekly twitter trending hashtag was started five years ago, and the #FriFotos hosts decided that it is time to end this weekly fun. Each week a theme was announced on Tuesday and everyone on Twitter was encouraged to share their photos around the theme. I always enjoyed thinking about my travel photos in a new way – instead of gathering all of my pictures from one particular trip, the theme made me think about things I saw on many trips. For the final #FriFotos, the theme is #memories – get your photos ready to share on twitter – and to see the memories that others share as well!

Back on July 10 of this year, the theme was weddings. It’s always a happy time when you see a wedding party no matter where you are, and I especially love spotting weddings when I am on a trip. Here are some of the photos I shared in July – some are from weddings of friends here in the U.S. In all of them, everyone is very happy for the couple and their life journey ahead.

A happy couple after posing along the water in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2005. It was a beautiful summer day and there were brides and grooms everywhere taking photographs. If you look behind this couple, right along the water, you can see the white of another bride’s dress.

St. Petersburg, Russia with Peterhof in the background.

Here is another couple on that same day in St. Petersburg.

Kissing along the water in St. Petersburg, Russia.

When I was in Hong Kong for business in 2006, I wandered around exploring the city and by chance came across city hall. There, there were wedding parties everywhere! The entire courtyard was full of brides, grooms, bridesmaids, groomsmen and family and friends. As you can see from the photos below, every where I turned was another wedding party!

Here are some photos of my friend’s weddings.

My high school friend married outside in Park City, Utah on a lovely summer evening.

My dear college friend Marianne married in the fall in a castle in Maryland.

The picture is blurry, but I love how happy Marianne and Jon are as they make a toast.

While preparing this post I remembered some additional wedding photos I snapped while in Italy in 2013, and I thought it would be still fun to share them here.

We saw this couple in Naples posing for photos with a photographer and videographer.

Bride and groom in Naples with their camera and video crew.

In Positano, we saw this couple as they exited a church as newlyweds and then posed for photos.

Happy couple in Positano leaving the church.

Posing on the steps in front of the church in Positano.

This couple is almost hard to spot on the Spanish steps in Rome, until they pose for the photographer.

Can you spot the bride and groom on the Spanish steps?

New to #FriFotos? Here’s a quick guide on the rules by Jeffrey Epstein. Remember, the LAST FriFotos is this Friday, October 16, 2015. The theme is MEMORIES!

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and Spencer Spellman (@SpencerSpellman). Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

Flashback: A Toast to Penn in Northern California

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Fall in the Northeast conjures images of brightly colored leaves on trees, cool nights, pumpkins and warm apple cider. Fall in California means it’s a perfect time to visit a winery!

Here is a post I wrote about a wonderful event organized by the Penn Club of Northern California – a wine tasting at the private winery of alumnus Phil Schlein – back in 2012.

Enjoy!

This post was originally published on the Frankly Penn blog on October 4, 2012.

A Toast to Penn in Northern California

By Kiera Reilly, C’93 @KieraReilly

A few weekends ago, I traveled one bright sunny Saturday afternoon to the wine country north of San Francisco. There, the Penn Club of Northern California hosted a wine tasting made possible by the generosity of Phil “Spike” Schlein, C’57.

Spike opened his family vineyards and gardens in Oakville, Napa Valley, for touring and a wine tasting. The Schlein family (Spike’s children Kathy, C’83, and Ted, C’86, are also alumni) honored the club with a similar event three years ago, and were happy to welcome local alumni again.

Spike helped facilitate the wine tasting, and shared his story of becoming a winemaker, and the history of the vineyards that he’s owned for over thirty years. Everyone enjoyed the garden setting and delicious lunch buffet. Beth Topor, W’80, vice president of membership and communications for the club, shared information about upcoming events, and club co-president Tom Eliaz, ENG’02, encouraged alumni to share their ideas for future events and to get involved with activity planning. Alexandra Feinson, C’11, undergraduate admissions counselor for Northern California, attended and spoke to the group about Penn admissions. After lunch, Spike led everyone through a tour of the vineyards.

The Penn Club of Northern California thanks Phil Schlein for opening up his winery and all the alumni who attended and contributed to our Club Book Scholarship Program. They raised $1,855 and with Phil’s generosity providing the food and beverages, 100% of the proceeds goes to scholarships for local Penn students! We also thank Arthur and Lindsay, two of their past scholarship recipients who spoke on the value of your donations. If you were unable to attend the event and would like to contribute to scholarships, click here, every dollar helps!

What a treat to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in a beautiful setting and enjoy the conversation of fellow alumni.

Here’s a toast to Penn! And a toast to Phil Schlein!

Hurrah, Hurrah!

Click here to join the Penn Club of Northern California, sign up for their email newsletter and get involved with the club. You can also find the club on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @NCPennClub.

For more information on Schlein Vineyards, click here.

This post was originally published on the Frankly Penn blog on October 4, 2012.

Mass in Central Park with Pope John Paul II

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Watching the news coverage and seeing so many social media postings of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States this week, I am remembering the first time I saw the pope. It was Pope John Paul II, twenty years ago, when he visited New York in October, 1995, and said mass at the Great Lawn in Central Park.

Surprisingly, I found a picture of my friends that attended the mass and the altar where Pope John Paul II celebrated the mass. My friend Nora was able to secure tickets to attend – not an easy task as everyone wanted see the pope – and I was so honored and grateful that she invited me to join her and her friends Christine and Jen.

I asked Nora if she remembered how she was able to find tickets, and this is what she wrote, “I had a theory that they mailed out tickets and some of them had to have been returned due to wrong addresses and whatnot — turns out I was right! I called the Diocese the day before and got four tickets.”

I must admit I do not remember much about the entire experience other than needing to get there early, it being a bit chilly, and the crowd chanting, “John Paul II! We love you!”

Nora shared a funny anecdote. She asked me, “Remember the guy on his cell phone talking about the Ave Maria?” I had to admit I didn’t. She said, “It was this big guy and in the middle of one of the prayers he called someone on his cell and was bragging about being at the mass and hearing the Ave Maria (sung by Jon Secada???) it was totally annoying and rude!”

I wonder now if the big guy she’s referring to is the man in the red jacket and baseball cap in my picture up above. I have one other photo of the altar, and he is squarely in front of it, blocking the view.

I do remember the distributing of the body of Christ – how we were all in sections on the lawn and priests came to each section and the whole process went much more quickly and orderly than I imagined it would.

I also remember it being a joyous feeling. Everyone was peaceful and happy.

Here are some articles I found recounting the visit. The NY Daily News provides an overview of his visit to greater New York City, while The New York Times reports on the mass itself which brought back many memories for me. And, to confirm Nora’s report of Jon Secada singing, The Baltimore Sun reported,

“Yesterday morning as the skies lightened, the music began. Roberta Flack sang “Amazing Grace.” Natalie Cole appeared with the Boys Choir of Harlem. Placido Domingo sang during Communion. Latino pop singer Jon Secada followed Kathy Triccoli, a Christian pop star.

But the star, the crowd made clear, was Pope John Paul.”

I also found this video on YouTube, shared by John Saffire, at the start of Mass with the Ode to Joy playing.

It is hard to put into words what being in the presence of the Holy Father feels like, but watching Pope Francis on television, my heart is filled with love, and I can not help but tear at the grace, beauty and joy that you can see in everyone’s faces.

I hope that everyone that sees Pope Francis during his visit, either in person or on television, remembers it for many years to come.

Flashback: Time to Eat the Doughnuts!

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

I used to travel to Seattle and Portland at least once a year, and while I was there for work, I always found time to explore the food and coffee offerings of the Pacific Northwest, which are bountiful.

During one trip in 2012, I decided to visit doughnut shops. Just re-reading my initial post and seeing the pictures is giving me a serious doughnut craving, even though it is 6:00 PM.

Since my original post, I added another donut/doughnut must-visit in Portland. My friend Debbie highly recommended Blue Star Donuts, and she was right to do so. After my visit there last year, I have since told friends visiting Portland that it is a must-stop!

I remember this blueberry bourbon basil donut fondly (how can you not love a donut that has bourbon and blueberries – my favorite fruit?).

Blue Star Donuts’ #blueberrybourbonbasil donut.

I remember trying at least one other, but I had to eat it before taking a picture. The donuts are inventive and sophisticated, their website has a picture of the Cointreau Creme Brulee donut for example, but the basics of a delicious brioche style donut are executed perfectly. A recent article in the Los Angeles Times suggests that Blue Star Donuts will be opening a location in Venice, CA, so I will be able to sample these delights closer to home soon!

Want to read about my original doughnut trip? Here is my post which appeared on the Frankly Penn blog on June 29, 2012.

Time to eat the Doughnuts!

by Kiera Reilly, C’93 @KieraReilly

This week I traveled to Seattle and Portland to visit our Penn Alumni Clubs in each city. While there, I was able to visit and taste some of the best doughnuts in the country – as so deemed by Travel + Leisure. It turns out, T+L thinks many of the country’s best donuts (doughnuts) are on the West Coast. I’ll do my best to report back in the coming months as I’m able to sample them!

On Monday, while in town to meet with the Penn Club of Seattle board, I first took a morning walk to Top Pot Doughnuts and sampled the old fashioned. Top Pot has several locations around Seattle, but I wanted to visit the original storefront. While I enjoyed the doughnut, there was a little too much glaze for my taste. Click here to see what T+L liked.

For lunch, after an obligatory stop at Starbucks, I met with Kristine Tan Wright ’94, Belinda Bentzen Buscher ’92 and David Blum. We discussed the club’s upcoming incoming student send-off , plans for bringing a faculty member to the club in the coming year, and of course, the dreary weather (it is Seattle!).

Before driving to Portland, I made a super quick stop at another Seattle “best of” doughnut location – Mighty-O Donuts. North of downtown, also in a residential neighborhood, Mighty-Os are organic and vegan, but oh they are good. Crisp and crunchy on the outside, and a delicious not too sweet cake on the inside, I have to say, these are some of the best doughnuts I’ve ever had. Here is why T+L liked Mighty-O.

In Portland on Tuesday morning, it was time again for stretching my legs…and stopping by Voodoo Doughnuts, where they say, “the magic is in the hole.” I had visited Voodoo before and loved their maple bacon doughnut (2 whole pieces of bacon on each one). This time I tried a Portland Cream and chocolate. Mmmmmmmm…. Click here to see what T+L had to say.

At lunch, the Penn Club of Portland welcomed Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor Jonathan Moreno for a presentation and interactive discussion with alumni, parents and local friends. Everyone enjoyed his talk and is looking forward to the club’s annual Summer Lawn Party where new students and their families are welcomed to the Penn family.

I always enjoy visiting our alumni clubs in the Pacific Northwest, but when I’m able to have a few free minutes to sample some local goodies, it makes the trip extra special! I encourage alumni in Portland and Seattle to grab some doughnuts and then call or email the local alumni clubs and stay engaged with Penn! Do you have a favorite doughnut spot? I hope to visit more best donuts soon – and report back!

This post originally appeared on the Frankly Penn blog on June 29, 2012.

Running for Rover Rescue on July 4th

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

We ran the 4th of July 5K and raised $825 for Rover Rescue!

To celebrate Independence Day in the USA, we once again participated in the 22nd Annual Village Runner 4th of July 5K. My dogs Koa, Lau Lau, and I pledged to raise money for Rover Rescue, a local dog rescue organization in Redondo Beach, California, by participating in the race and asking friends to donate money to show their support.

Over 100 dogs are put to sleep in overcrowded Los Angeles area animal shelters every day. Many of these homeless dogs have been abandoned, abused or neglected, without ever knowing the love of a caring human being. Rover Rescue saves dogs from overcrowded Los Angeles area animal shelters, and fosters or boards each rescued dog until the right owner is found. While in their care, dogs are walked, socialized and given loving care. Dogs that are sick or injured are given proper medical attention and vaccinated, spayed or neutered. All of Rover Rescue’s support comes from donations and volunteers, and they keep working, “until every dog has a home.”

We met and adopted both Koa and Lau Lau through Rover Rescue, and we believe in their mission to match prospective owners with the right shelter dog so that the dogs will never be homeless again.

We hoped to raise $700 for Rover Rescue, and I posted on Facebook, tweeted and sent emails to friends and family asking for their support. I am thrilled that we raised $825 for Rover Rescue through Crowd Rise’s online donation platform. We are still able to accept donations, and we would greatly appreciate any amount you can give to Rover Rescue via Crowd Rise.

On race day, the boys were excited by the crowds of people gathered at the start line. We started slowly, but soon Koa was ready to run, and we alternatively ran and walked the entire course. We did much better and beat last year’s time of 42:04 by completing the course in 37:37! It’s not fast compared the overall race winner’s time of 15:22, but we still had fun seeing other dogs on the course, passing some people and waving and cheering for the leaders.

We are so thankful for everyone that donated to our race, especially our four-legged friends Travis and Leinie. Most importantly, we are grateful for the work that Rover Rescue does to find every dog a loving home. We hope if you plan to add a dog to your family that you adopt a dog from a local rescue organization or shelter…until every dog has a home!

More photos from our day are below. Please “like” Rover Rescue on Facebook, and see more photos from the race at the Village Runner 4th of July 5K Facebook page.

Approaching the start line so we can line up behind it for the race.

The race begins! We started at the back of the pack with the other dogs and walkers.

Running along the Esplanade in Redondo Beach with the Pacific Ocean to our left.

Running back along the Esplanade, here we are turning to return to Riviera Village and the home stretch!

Koa and Lau Lau take their race pace very seriously.

We stopped by to see our friends at Rover Rescue after the race.

Patiently waiting for a treat to celebrate finishing the race!

Thank you for considering a donation to Rover Rescue!

A Colorful FriFotos

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Here are some of my photos from last Friday’s #FriFotos theme: colorful. This week’s theme is roads. Start posting your road photos on Friday, June 12, 2015!

My first trip to Ireland was in March, and I was there for St. Patrick’s Day. Many of the buildings around Dublin were lit in green for the holiday as part of Tourism Ireland‘s campaign to #GoGreen4PatricksDay.

Dublin went #GoGreen4PatricksDay

My friend Claire first told me about Liberty London when I was planning my first trip to London about fifteen years ago. After almost yearly trips to London, I had not visited in almost nine years, so when I arrived, one of my first stops was to visit Liberty and see their iconic prints – on scarves, on blouses, dresses, notepads, cards and makeup bags. I will be back in London in July, and I will be sure to visit Liberty again (the store itself is beautiful too).

Scarves at Liberty London.

While in London, I also visited another iconic department store, Harrods. The food halls at Harrods offer just about anything you can imagine, and I enjoy walking around to see the delicious foods and desserts. This marble cake looked particularly pretty.

Marble cake at Harrod’s.

During my trip to Britain in April (see Liberty and Harrods photos above), the weather was beautiful. I think I only used my umbrella one day during my fourteen day trip. When we arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland, after a long day of driving, I needed to stretch my legs. Luckily, our hotel was near the Scottish Parliament building, and close to Holyrood Park. Even though it was late afternoon, I was determined to climb to Arthur’s Seat. It was windy and chilly, but perfect weather for walking, and the light was spectacular.

Climbing to Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park.

My final photo is one my friend Laura took. Over Memorial Day weekend, three of my high school girlfriends and I traveled to New Orleans for a girls weekend. On our final day, we went to Commander’s Palace for their Jazz Brunch. As the jazz trio played for our table, Laura took this picture of me surrounded by musicians, a colorful way to end our weekend of fun!

Jazz Brunch at Commander’s Palace.

New to #FriFotos? Here’s a quick guide on the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

Tzatziki, Peonies and Gin!

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

It was a rainy and unusually humid day in Los Angeles today. Luckily I purchased these peonies two days ago, and they are just now starting to open up and brighten up the kitchen despite the clouds outside.

While I gazed at the pretty peonies, I decided it was time to make one of my favorite summer dishes: tzatziki, a greek dressing or dip, that I usually eat with pita chips. When I do not have time to make it on my own, I purchase a container from Trader Joe’s. But I like my homemade version the best. The dip is pretty easy to make as I don’t even have a recipe to follow but just mix a few simple fresh ingredients together.

First, I put a coffee filter over a strainer and a bowl, and then spoon some Greek yogurt into the filter. I let it sit at least a half hour so that the excess water is extracted. When I first read about making tzatziki, some recipes called for using a cheese cloth during this step, but I found that the coffee filter works pretty well too.

While the yogurt is sitting, I prepare the other ingredients: lemon juice, dill and garlic.

Dill, garlic and lemon. Note the dish is from Portugal – I love making use of items I purchased while traveling.

I chopped a tablespoon or two of dill, minced three to four cloves of garlic, and squeezed the juice out of a half lemon into a bowl. Then I added the yogurt (it becomes even thicker once the water drains), mixed it all together and added salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes I add olive oil too.

I chill the dip in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow all the flavors to blend together. Just before serving, I chopped up a Persian cucumber to give the dip a crunchy texture.

Finished tzatziki! I served it in a bowl from Sorrento, another purchase from my travels.

Since I’m in a gin phase, I decided to quickly make some gin and tonics (using my new favorite tonic Fever Tree) and serve them with the dip for a pre-dinner snack.

What is your favorite go-to fresh summer dish?

Taking Flight for #FriFotos

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Last week, the theme for #FriFotos was FLIGHT. Finally I was able to share some of the photos I took from an airplane! I used to always want to sit in an aisle seat when flying, for easy access to the bathroom and to be able to stretch my legs. But, once I was seated at the window after a long-time of aisle-only seats, I saw that being by the window was fun – looking at landmarks, seeing the airport during take-off or landing, and spotting other planes in the sky.

Here are some of my photos from last Friday (May 30th). This week’s theme is colorful, so get your photos ready to post on Friday, June 5, 2015!

Aer Lingus planes in Dublin.

This bird is taking a break from flying and resting on the Manhattan Beach Pier.

Resting on the Manhattan Beach Pier, January 2015.

Here is a view from my seat flying from San Diego up to San Francisco. Whenever I fly up the California coast, I try to sit in a window seat on the right side of the plane.

Flying San Diego to San Francisco in October, 2013.

Leaving Los Angeles (LAX) and going east across the country, most planes bank to the south and then fly over the Palos Verdes peninsula. It was a beautifully clear day in December when I took this photo (en route to Newark).

Beautiful view of the Palos Verdes peninsula. Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach – the “South Bay” are just up the coast.

Arriving into Los Angeles, the approach is from the east. Here, as the sun sets, you can see downtown LA in the distance and the beautiful mountains.

Approaching LAX, December 2014.

One of my happiest views from an airplane is when we fly to Hawaii, especially when we visit Kauai, our favorite island. Even though it was overcast and rainy the day we landed, we were excited to return for a relaxing stay.

Arriving into Kauai, December 2013.

Do you have any fun photos from your flights?

New to #FriFotos? Here’s a quick guide on the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

Flashback: 70 Years Since Graduating and He’s Still Got the Hurrah for Penn!

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Today, May 18, 2015, the University of Pennsylvania held its 259th Commencement ceremonies. Each year, while working as a staff member for Penn Alumni Relations, my colleagues and I would help alumni dress in academic regalia to prepare for the alumni processional into Franklin Field for Commencement. It was always one of the happiest days on campus as new graduates officially received their degrees and joined the ranks of Penn Alumni, and the alumni class representatives walking in the procession cheered the new graduates as they walked through the alumni flags lining Locust Walk in front of the Sweeten Alumni House.

This is my first time since 2001 that I am not at Commencement, but I watched the live webcast and followed along on social media with the hashtag #PennGrad. U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power delivered the commencement address, and she received an honorary degree along with Arthur K. Asbury, Lee C. Bollinger, Joan Myers Brown, Rita Moreno (Rita Moreno!!), Ellen Ochoa, and Cass R. Sunstein. You can read more about the honorary degree recipients here.

Last year, I wrote a post about Penn’s 258th Commencement, which featured the commencement address by John Legend, C’99, and the happy times I shared during the ceremony with my colleague Casey Ryan, C’95, and alumnus Harry Gross, W’44.

My former colleague Steve Hamilton caught up with Harry Gross, W’44, who I highlight in my post below, again this year. Steve notes, “Among other things, Harry hosted WWDB’s ‘Speaking of Your Money,’ and wrote a regular newspaper column. He always was and still is a great guy and perfect gentleman.” I am very happy to see that Harry is still waving his class flag proudly at Commencement!

Alumni Relations’ Steve Hamilton and Harry Gross, W’44, at Penn’s 2015 Commencement

Here is my original post which appeared on the Frankly Penn blog on May 28, 2014.

Congratulations to the Penn Class of 2015!

70 Years Since Graduating and He’s Still Got the “Hurrah!” for Penn

By Kiera Reilly, C’93 @KieraReilly

I always tell people that Commencement Day at Penn is the happiest day on campus, and this year, on May 19 as Penn celebrated its 258th Commencement, was no exception. In Alumni Relations, we help with the alumni processional portion of the event – alumni from every undergraduate class at Penn carry flags from their graduating year and march into Franklin Field after the graduates.

We arrive early in the morning, so we can “get robed” in our caps and gowns, and then wait for the alumni to arrive. The alumni robing is near the academic processional staging area, and I happened to be looking at President Gutmann and commencement speaker John Legend’s, C’99, chairs when the University Mace was delivered. Leslie Kruhly, the Secretary of the University, leads the academic procession carrying the mace.

The staging area for the academic procession. The University mace was just delivered.

Me and my colleague Casey Ryan, C'95. We lead the alumni procession down Locust Walk and into Franklin Field.

My colleague Casey Ryan, C’95, and I are robed and ready to go. We led the alumni procession down Locust Walk and into Franklin Field.

After everyone is robed, we wait a bit before we get the cue to begin. Here everyone is lined up waiting for the academic procession to pass.

The alumni procession waiting for the academic procession outside of the Annenberg Center.

Then we march down Locust Walk to the front of the Sweeten Alumni House. It was a beautiful day and everyone on campus was lining the walk cheering and clapping for the alumni.

Alumni flag bearers line Locust Walk to congratulate the newest Penn Alumni!

The alumni flag bearers then line Locust Walk and wait for the graduates. The graduates march down Locust Walk through our line of alumni flags, and the alumni cheer, clap and congratulate the newest members of Penn Alumni.

Some graduates casually walk by, others pose for pictures with their friends, or their parents and family try to capture a candid moment of them walking to graduate. And in the midst of the several thousand graduates passing us by, at the front of the alumni flag line, was Harry Gross, W’44. Harry graduated in 1944, that’s seventy years ago for those of you having a bit of trouble with the math. He wore a fun Red and Blue hat, and as he sat in his chair holding the Class of 1944 flag, he was arguably the most popular man on Locust Walk. Yes, everyone wanted to wave to President Gutmann and take a selfie with John Legend, but Harry was the star.

Graduates thanked him for coming. They shook his hand, they said wow. And when they said congratulations, Harry simply replied, “Congratulations to YOU!” And then he told them that they’d be in his same spot in seventy years!

Posing with Harry

Congratulations to Penn’s Class of 2014! We’ll see you in 2084 (and we hope every year in between).

Hurrah, Hurrah, for the Red and the Blue!

Commencement from the alumni flag bearer’s view.

Here’s Harry leading the alumni processional into Franklin Field.

Harry Gross, W’44, leading the alumni flags onto Franklin Field for the University of Pennsylvania’s Commencement, May 2014. Photo copyright: University of Pennsylvania.

Watch videos of President Gutmann’s commencement speech and John Legend’s address here (and also photos of the day).

See all the Penn Commencement tweets #PennGrad.

This post originally appeared on the Frankly Penn blog on May 28, 2014.

Kiera Reilly

Planes, Trains and Formula 1

Category Archives: United States

Meeting Formula 1 Driver Alexander Rossi Before the US Grand Prix in Austin

Meeting Alexander Rossi

Sharing Weddings Around the World for #FriFotos

Flashback: A Toast to Penn in Northern California

A Toast to Penn in Northern California

Mass in Central Park with Pope John Paul II

Flashback: Time to Eat the Doughnuts!

Running for Rover Rescue on July 4th

A Colorful FriFotos

Tzatziki, Peonies and Gin!

Taking Flight for #FriFotos

Flashback: 70 Years Since Graduating and He’s Still Got the Hurrah for Penn!

70 Years Since Graduating and He’s Still Got the “Hurrah!” for Penn

Meeting Alexander Rossi

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