That's Rodin College House, I live there. I moved into Rodin as a Graduate Assistant (GA) in January. It was a bit of a whirlwind, but I'm really happy to be there. I was looking to connect more with the undergraduate community at Penn and be exposed to another avenue of higher education/student affairs. I live on the 12th floor and look after 31 or so residents. They have all been remarkably welcoming to me as 'the new guy'. The staff in Rodin College House has made the transition equally smooth and made me quickly feel a part of the team. The floor is mostly juniors and seniors who lead super busy lives - I see many while waiting for the evelator or in passing. Our house events usually revolve around food - pizza, brunch, bagels, barbeque - and conversation in our house lounge. I enjoy hearing about their lives and backgrounds, because they are all so different.
This past weekend, we did a house event to the Penn basketball game. They beat Cornell in what appeared to be an important game in order for Penn to stay on top of the Ivy League standings. It was my first trip to the historic Palestra. It's so old and a great atmosphere for watching basketball. Penn fans are funny - they really get into things. Three members of the team are in my intercollegiate athletics course too, so it was fun to watch them play.
If any of you are interested or have questions about becoming a GA in one of the college houses, please let me know. It has been a great opportunity, with many perks along the way. Visit the College House and Academic Services web site for application information.
In other exciting news - a friend of mine from college, now living in Maine, is visiting this weekend. I haven't seen him since we graduated over two years ago. I'm pumped.
