It's all about the Benjamin's

Oh, kids and their college decisions. A brief article came out this week in a local CT paper about why a high school senior chose UConn over (U)Penn. Though the author claims her decision was based on the overall price tag, obviously her choice didn’t take Penn’s most important qualities into account: constant free food (free food. free food.) and occasional free exercise to burn it all off. Plus, Philly is definitely ill compared to anywhere in Connecticut.

But on the realz, we do feel for her. The cost of a Penn education is prohibitive to many so let’s all take a moment to thank whatever higher being we believe in (A-Gut?) for allowing us to toast to dear old Penn, or if you’re talking money, perhaps dear old Ben.

Tragically, jazzercise isn't among the offerings - might we suggest Zumba?

Attention fitness gurus and lazy asses alike: all group exercise classes at Pottruck at completely FREE through July 2nd. If you have a valid PennID on hand (recent grads, we think this still includes you), just waltz right in and take a trial run of that Body Pump class you’ve been too stingy to indulge in. If you’re the more aggressive type, we suggest taking the next step to Body Blitz, and if that doesn’t do it for you, try BODY COMBAT! Spinning is also being offered, which (we hear) is great if you’re a mom. Check out the full class listings and schedule here.

This is off his forthcoming mini-mixtape, The Diamond Cuts.

Your friendly neighborhood Penn-rapper-turned-Penn-alum-rapper Hoodie Allen is at it again this summer. He’s sent over his newest track to UTB, presumably because he knows we’re funky-fresh.

You can listen to it right here, and then to download just right-click it and choose “Save Link As.” Pump this one on the way to the beach, your swanky internship, the liquor store, or wherever you’re at, and then demand Hoodie make more songs about Penn. Graduation is not an excuse to stop rapping about college!

You Are Not A Robot (feat. Marina & The Diamonds)

According to our friendly neighborhood tipsters,  Wawa is handing out  adrenaline coffee fo’ free all day today. Looks like they feel pretty bad about leaving us without caffeine and provisions yesterday and are trying to make up for it. We guess we’ll forgive them.

Tea for two?

Looking for a way to beat the heat (oh, and support art history?) The History of Art Department tea is today at 5 pm outside of Jaffe for students and faculty. Never been to a tea? Worried your top hat and white gloves are at the dry cleaners? Fear not. It’s basically a fancy word for ice cream, cookies, fruit and mingling. And it’s all FREE! Definitely a classy alternative to other campus food options. Options. Options. Have we made our point?

That’s right. Your favorite late night cookies can now be accompanied by cupcakes! Insomnia is currently offering three flavors: vanilla, chocolate and red velvet (fancy!). And for a limited time you don’t even have to pay to try one. Enter the code ‘CUPCAKE’ on Insomnia’s website to get a free cupcake with any cookie order. Cookies and a free cupcake without leaving the comfort of your bedroom? Sweet.

The folks at the Auntie Anne’s Pretzel outpost by CVS on Walnut are in a really good mood today. A really good, free regular or cinnamon sugar pretzel day kind of mood! When tipster Paige Rubin inquired as to the occasion, a worker replied, “Oh, just to celebrate! We want everyone to try a fresh, hot Auntie Anne’s pretzel!”

Update: Looks like the give-away was from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oh well.

Sometimes, using regular sentences can just be so boring. That’s why all you need to find out the first Fling artist is letters!

This Monday, all throughout the day, letters in the first artist’s name will be scattered around campus. They can be on a banner, chalked on somewhere, or made out of a pile of SPEC kids (we hope)– pretty much anywhere that letters weren’t already present.

As soon as you spot one, hurry and hit us up at tips@underthebutton.com, because apparently SPEC thinks we’re good spellers (wi duno wot their talkin abawt). We’ll post the letters you find throughout the day until the whole name is revealed.

As if real-life Boggle wasn’t cool enough, you can also win prizes! The first tipster to send in a picture of each letter wins a free wristband for floor access to the concert. But before you ask, no- you can’t have the country of origin.

Let’s get ready to rumble recycle! Penn’s latest green campaign, RecycleMania, kicks off this Monday in Houston Hall from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. with the Recycling Bin Rally. The first 200 Penn staff/students to show up get free personal recycling bins, and, assuming they have any sense of beauty in this world, will immediately go home and Bedazzle them. Running through March 28th, RecycleMania includes panel discussions, brown bag lunches, and plenty of tips and tricks to become a full-fledged member of the Green Fad Movement.

As always, our priority is free stuff, and we’re happy to see Penn’s got us covered with “RecycleMania Mondays” at Au Bon Pain and “RecycleMania 2-5pm Mondays and Fridays” at Accenture and Houston Market. Both events feature free coffee if you bring your own mug, and the Penn Dining spots will even throw in a fountain drink too. Finally, a use for all those stockpiled College House mugs we stole during NSO!

Apparently throughout this we’re also in a really intense competition with the Ivy Plus people to see who loves the earth more. If it’s anything like our other Ivy competitions, we’re not expecting much in the winning department. We placed in a mediocre fifth last year, but hey, we beat Yale!

And the finals perks just keep rolling in! Yesterday Wharton kids got an email detailing how Huntsman is doing their part to make sure you stay caffeinated in quiet rooms. What you need to know:

• Au Bon Pain will stay open until midnight Monday through Thursday, and next Saturday too.
• Free coffee will be provided on those nights, from 8 p.m. until midnight.
• Certain rooms are being made into quiet study rooms between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11:45 p.m. (JMHH 245, 250, 255 and 260 on 12/11-12/13, 12/17 and 12/20-12/22; JMHH 240, 245, 250 and 255 on 12/16; JMHH 350, 355, 360 and 365 on 12/14, 12/18 and 12/19).

And, as usual, only Wharton students can book their own private study rooms in Huntsman. LAME.

Bean bag!

Finals really, really suck. In an effort to mitigate said suckiness, Penn likes to hook students up with the occasional freebie. Houston isn’t the only place to find perks — hit up these spots starting today and continuing through the 22nd:

Mark’s Cafe, Van Pelt: Extra shot of espresso free (plus now they’re open until 2 a.m.!)

Accenture Cafe, Towne Building: Extra shot of espresso free

Houston Market, Houston Hall: Free small soda with any purchase between 4 and 8 p.m.

Burger Stop, Food Court at Commons: Late night breakfast from 8 p.m.-midnight (not free, but we hope they have home fries)

And we’re not quite sure what this means, but Einstein is hosting a “Red Bull Energy Break: Drop in and unwind in a bean bag with Wii video games and plasma TVs! Starting at 3 p.m. on 12/14 and 12/15.” So, you know, there’s that.

Once upon a time, people read books over Winter Break. The English Department seems to think people still do this!

For the literate among you, take note: the English Department will be distributing free copies of Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao today as part of the Winter Reading Project. You can pick up your copy in the Fisher Bennett Hall Faculty Lounge between 3 and 4 p.m.

If you haven’t read the book, it happens to be excellent (and a 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner). Check out a description of the book after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

There is so much really, really weird fun stuff to do at the Penn Bookstore today! Where do we even begin?

1. You can get a psychic reading. “Lisa Barretta will be on-site signing copies of her brand new book, The Street-Smart Psychic’s Guide to Getting the Good Reading. Get a mini-reading and enter for a free, complete psychic reading!” From 12 to 2!
2. You can have a creepy, Walmart-style family portrait taken. Or a solo shot. “Free professional photo in a winter scene setting – one per individual or group photos.” From 1 to 6, today and tomorrow.
3. You can buy yourself another Penn hoodie. There’s 20% off sale “on a wide selection of merchandise.” This includes “toys for babies and tots” as well as “games for family,” so it sounds like a definite don’t miss.

SPEC Film is hosting a free screening of The Fourth Kind Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at The Bridge and it just so happens that they hooked us up with six pairs of VIP tickets. What comes along with that VIP treatment? No waiting on line! Roped off seats! A free poster!

Now, normally we would just invite our 11 closest friends and share an enormous bag of Mike and Ikes while we admire the fruits of Milla Jovovich’s transition from model to queen of the action thriller but we’re going to be so busy blogging! Also, look at that poster. Too scary.

So, here’s how we’re going to do this: the first six people to email us with THE FOURTH KIND as the subject and their name in the body of the message each get a pair of tickets to the screening. Do it right now or you’ll miss out! THE RACE IS ON.