“Yea-a-a … Who?”

Ever wondered where “Rowbottoms” came from, why they call it “Hey Day,” or what flings in the spring? Here are attempts at explanations—with illustrative excerpts—of some Penn traditions past and present.

The Student View

From freshman “dinks” to women’s “streaks”—and beyond. Some glimpses of campus life over the decades, as seen by the Gazette’s student columnists.

A Museum of One’s Own

Judy and Laurence Cutler were looking for an architectural masterpiece in which to set their immense collection of American illustration art. They found that at Vernon Court—along with a few disgruntled neighbors and a couple of missing doorknobs.

The Century in Sports

Whether the cry from Quaker fans has been "Hurrah!" or "Help!" the Gazette has been there to record the wins, the losses, and the would/could/should have beens.

Bob Bigelow’s Full Court Press

The former Penn men's basketball standout and NBA journeyman knows what's wrong with organized youth sports in this country and has made a career out of delivering the news to the perpetrators of the crime: Parents.

First Visit, Last Farewell

In this excerpt from her new memoir about her “multicultural marriage,” the author writes of her son’s first trip to his father’s country of El Salvador and the death of a family patriarch.

Zahi Hawass and the Secrets of the Pyramids

Archaeology’s answer to Carl Sagan has generated unprecedented interest in Egypt’s past and believes that science and history can “create love between countries.” In a world of increasing tensions, he says that mission is more important than ever.

Making the Most of the Material Past

A stint as a “trainee mortician” set Penn English Professor Peter Stallybrass on the path to scholarship. These days, he prowls old bookstores and library stacks in search of the objects that make the past come to life.

The Big Picture

Muralist Jane Golden brings her vision of art as a medium for social change to Penn—and to one wall in the Mantua neighborhood north of campus.

The Boy Chemist at 75

Well over a half-century and one Nobel Prize later, Penn Professor Alan G. MacDiarmid still possesses—and communicates to students—the energy and enthusiasm of a 10-year old with his first chemistry book.

Hello, Dr. Chips

An emeritus English professor and frequent Gazette contributor looks at how Penn's faculty has been portrayed in the magazine during its first century.

Browsing Penn’s Cyber Stacks

Scattered collections, brittle diaries, rare artifacts, handwritten plays, and more are flashing across computer screens worldwide, via the University's groundbreaking digital library project.

James Thomson and the Holy Grail

In 1998, graduate alumnus Dr. James Thomson won the race to isolate and culture human stem-cells for a sustained period—one of the holy grails of medical science—but he can’t outrun the controversy generated by his work. Increasingly, he isn’t trying.

School’s In

It still doesn’t have a name, but the Penn-assisted public school opened in September. Here are some pictures, plus a talk with Principal—and Penn alumna—Sheila Sydnor.

Harold Stassen and the Ivy League

The former Minnesota governor and future perennial U.S. presidential candidate wanted a big-time football program at Penn, but his battles over a boycott by other Ivy Schools and televising of football games actually helped create the Ivy League.