Oh No, Everything’s Under Control

For those still on campus, tipsters report a power outage on the 3800 block of Walnut street. The po-po are directing traffic, so don’t panic when the stoplights don’t work and everything’s gone to madness. If you squint your eyes and try really hard, it can be as exciting as your favorite zombie invasion/alien takeover/apocalypse!

Side x Side: Things We Realized While In Mexico

Mexican Alley x Pine Arms

Pennetration’s Pause

Since it’s Spring Break, there’s no Pennetration this Monday. But we want to implore you to get off your computer and go do something scandalous! Just remember enough of your adventures to send them in for next time.

As always, you’ll be totally anonymous by spilling to contact@underthebutton.com. Bonus points if they involve a sombrero, a ski instructor, or both.

Psst, PostSecret

While you were getting that first sunburn of spring break, Penn was busy on the internet with a PostSecret cameo. For those who’ve missed out, the site is like Shoutouts, but to the entire world, more emo, and entirely less fun. Application fail!

ECAASU AND Quest WHO?!

Yesterday, we learned that ECAASU (East Coast Asian American Student Union) was hosting its annual conference at Penn this year. Read: 1,000+ students descending on Penn’s campus for a mega Asian American fest. While most of us are long gone by now (which makes us wonder why ECAASU chose this weekend), the conference is sure to please those of us who are sticking around.

Tonight’s Opening Ceremony at Irvine, in addition to giving ECAASU an Olympic-like feel, will show off some of Penn’s finest. Pan-Asian Dance Troupe hopes to show their fellow Asian Americans how Penn Asians roll. Former Excelano Project and ex-EOTW Ben Alisuag will also be in the house, spitting some serious poetry.

ECAASU is topping it off with an after-party at Shampoo, where we hear America’s Best Dance Crew winners Quest Crew will be performing.Tearing down all sorts of Penngineering Asian stereotypes, Quest Crew is very likely one of the coolest groups thats been loosely associated with Penn–ever. Better yet, Penn’s South Asian dance troupe Dhamaka is the opening act for the ABDC winners.

Penn Asians FTW!

Tom Green On Campus

We heard a while back that Tom Green was coming to Penn to perform at SPEC and Mask and Wig’s ComFest last night. You can read about the actual event in today’s DP – but we’re more interested in hearing about Tom’s night after the show. Word is the comedian got his drink on with the Mask and Wig kids at Blarney post-show before heading to an off campus after-party where we hear Tom enjoyed some Green (see what we did there?). Later on he was spotted at Philly Diner where tipster Christian Lunoe snagged this pic. Yeah, we know it’s not the best camera work around…would you buy that the blurriness symbolizes his state of mind? No? Send in more photos if you got ‘em!

PSA from Dr. Oz: “Getting Wasted in the Heat”

As Thursday classes wind down (and, duh, who has classes on Fridays anyway?), everyone’s starting to get into a spring break state of mind. So whether you’re packing for Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta or Jamaica, here’s an important PSA from one of our fave Penn celebs, Dr. Oz.

Putting his Penn Med/Wharton MBA double-whammy of a background to good use, “America’s Doctor” dishes on “getting wasted in the heat”:

Side x Side

Allow me to introduce a new phenomenon (and UTB’s newest feature!) my friends and I discovered a few months back: the side by side. Exactly as it sounds, the side by side showcases people or places that look strikingly similar. I started documenting side by sides on a tumblr blog, and realized soon in that a lot hit close to home. Here at Penn we like to think we’re one of a kind, cream of the crop, unparalleled in every way. In reality? Lots of people and places ’round these parts look EXACTLY THE SAME. Now that you’re privy to side by sides, send in any Penn-related lookalikes to UTB and we’ll post ‘em weekly. For our first UTB side by side, we give you a Penn Comm professor and a cross-dressing nanny. Enjoy!

Mrs. Doubtfire x Kathleen Hall Jamieson


Public Figures, They’re Just Like Us: Harold Ford Jr. Wrote Op-Eds In College

As you may have heard, Penn grad Harold Ford Jr. isn’t running for New York Senate. But before Ford was broadcasting his thoughts on the New York Times Opinion page, he was doing it in the Daily Pennsylvanian. And thanks to excellent archiving, we have two Op-Eds for your enjoyment. (We know the New York Daily News wrote about this a while back, but they didn’t share the goods.)

Both articles in full, after the jump.

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The Penn Monlogues: Pennetration, Real Life Edition

Shout it out.

Missing the Vag Mons already? Fear not. And meet the Penn Monlogues.

According to a bombardment of emails, “The Penn Monologues is a brand new performance composed of monologues written by Penn students, faculty, and staff, and set to debut in April (Sexual Assault Awareness Month).” Otherwise known as Pennetration, spoken word style. The Penn Monologue crew has officially put out a call for submissions; they’re asking for 2-5 minute monologues focused on women’s issues, but all perspectives (yep, that includes dudes) are welcome. Anonymity is allowed, but not encouraged (but come onnn, we want to gossip about who you are!).

Oh, and if you want to read your own monologue, they’re allowing that too.
Submissions are due March 17 to submissions.monologues@gmail.com.
Anyway, we’re interested to see how this plays out.

Launched And Loaded (With Penn Talent)

The latest Penn-related website to jump on the social networking bandwagon launched on Monday– and it’s called PennLaunch. It’s a searchable database for Penn students, staff, and faculty to advertise their skills and find groups and/or projects to join.

We really like the concept here (as well as the half-crescent-half-people on the logo), and the PennKey login gives us a comforting dose of legitimacy. But PennLaunch does seem a little discriminatory–at least according to their self-description. The site might as well post a sign that says: “No talents. No quirks. No service.” What happens to the run-of-the-mill Econ major? I guess time will tell, but better pick up some origami or  C++ skills real quick if you stand a chance in PennLaunch.

PennCard Access Codes Change

Sometimes we forget the UA does things besides film cheesy videos and make amendments to a Constitution we never knew existed. Things like heighten security and privacy measures – all for you! The most recent enhancement? PennCard Access Codes, the number you punch in before you enter Penn residential buildings, will no longer be the last four digits of students’ Social Security numbers. Rather, students will be assigned a random four-digit code and will have the ability to change it to something easier to remember. And if you’re up to the challenge of decoding new PennPortal, existing PennCard Access Codes can now be changed under “Privacy Settings”.

So what does this mean for you? We’re still trying to figure out what in the world we could do if we got our hands on half of someone’s SSN anyways. But hey, at least now stumbling into the Quad should be a lot less complicated!

It Ain’t Hip To Be Cubed

The new logo.

The dessert truck artists formerly known as Sugar Cube have officially changed their name to Sugar Philly Truck. Our guess is this would be the result of some copyright issues related to the Old City boutique of the same name.

Hey Rotunda, Way To Rep The Illadelph

Dr. Dog, a West Philly-based folk/rock/”The Beatles … if they had started recording again in the new millennium” band that everyone seems to have “heard once, maybe”, is headlining tonight’s SPEC Jazz and Grooves show at the Rotunda. War on Drugs guitarist and Philadelphia local Kurt Vile is opening the 7:30 p.m. show.

Sounds like the perfect (random, but cheap) study break to us! Tickets are $5 at the door.

Drive Us Crazy

While the majority of our school is frantically putting the finishing touches on Cabo/Acapulco/New Jersey diets, one last exciting opportunity appeared in our inboxes today. Good news for late folks that still don’t have spring break plans- you can now be the proud driver of an Alternate Spring Break vehicle! What could be more thrilling than driving do-gooders around North Carolina or Virgina?

No application necessary, so we’ll be taking that as no experience or driving ability necessary either.

The icing on the cake comes to the tune of $75 off these two ASB trips. So you can pay less to schlep people. Sweet?

Full email after the jump.

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