Today we had to wake fairly early at 6 AM to get to Philadelphia with a lot of time to explore. We were not fully rested but were able to make the one and a half hour trip bearable while we listened to music and watched the scenery change. We were on an Amtrak train that arrived at Philadelphia station which is another gorgeous station similar to Grand Central. They both have exquisite architecture and are extremely busy stations. There are lines formed everywhere at the Philadelphia Station, but the lines move fairly quickly. From there we were off to explore the rest of Philadelphia. It was my first time in Philadelphia so I was excited and nervous, since I did not know what to expect.
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| Independence Hall along with the base of a former room. |
From the station we had to catch a cab but since we are seven people, we can't fit in just one. Thus it was decided that Elena, Emily and I would share a cab while the other three would go with Mrs. L. This cab ride was one of the most intriguing rides I have ever had in a cab. The story is that this guy did not speak English very well and he did not have change for a $20 but we had nothing less. He decided to be rude and we were saved by Mrs. L. We promptly exited the cab and she paid him with the change she had. Looking back it was pretty funny but at the time I thought he was really rude. That was just a minor incident, and we were quickly back on track to Independence Hall.
Sadly we were not able to get tickets to get inside the hall but the outside was really nice. I personally think it would look better if there were not so many buildings behind it but it was still breathtaking. I loved the way the buildings looked since they are made of stone which is so different from the ones in California. Normally we don't see buildings like that or buildings that have so much history in California. There was also a lot of security around all of the buildings, rangers and police officers were walking around everywhere. We were also able to see the liberty bell from the outside because the line was extremely long to see it in inside one of the buildings. We had to hurry with these pictures because we needed to go to the National Constitution Center and then to U Penn.
We got to the Constitution Center and were able to enter the 1968 exhibit. This exhibit is fairly new and has all the important moments in 1968, split by month in the exhibit. The pieces range from videos about the Vietnamese War to the advancement of film and television. I would never had thought that so many things occurred in the year 1968 alone. I mean, I had learned about it in history class but seeing all of it first hand was a totally different experience. I honestly that someone could spend hours upon hours looking at all the pictures and videos in the room. There is such a variety of items that everyone would be able to find something that they like. We also had to hurry with the exhibit in order to make it to a short presentation that was about the constitution. Through pictures and videos, one man was able to describe what We the People really means and how America has really progressed. After this presentation I felt like I should go do something and change something for the better; it was extremely inspiring. We also walked through the rest of the center which had information and photos from the beginning of America to now.
We had to meet the U Penn admissions officers and current students at a restaurant at noon but there was some traffic so we arrived just a couple minutes late. Everyone was very open and described the life and culture in U Penn. We also went over the admissions process which some of the current students agreed with me on, it is pretty nerve wracking. The way the admissions officers put it made it seem so much easier. They told us to make sure it shows us, and it paints a picture of us for the officers. Also, it should be our voice not the voice of the thirty people who edited our paper. I think these were really interesting points that many students do not give importance to. People just want to make the essays the best they possibly can be, and forget that the essays should showcase the person. One interesting fact that I learned was that the mascot for U Penn is actually the Quaker, who knew?
Once we were done with our lunch we went on to the U Penn campus to go on a short campus tour led by two current students who also attended the lunch with us. We were shown around the beautiful campus. Well I think most things on the East Coast are interesting and beautiful because I am not used to seeing them on the West Coast. The campus had huge high rise dorms and exquisitely designed class room buildings. The stone on some buildings was also green, which I had never seen before! Some of buildings even looked like they should belong in a movie, like Harry Potter. U Penn is so different from Sarah Lawrence which we visited yesterday. The difference is actually astounding. It is surprising how many types of colleges there can be. U Penn seems very interesting to me right now. I am going to research more about the programs regarding biology and medicine. I also like how U Penn is very focused on research and how it has so many different clubs and opportunities to volunteer, intern, or work! There are so many things to do on and off campus. Also, we were told to go to Insomnia Cookies which makes the best cookies ever! We all decided to get a "cookiewich" which is an ice cream sandwhich. The cookies simply melted in your mouth and were very delicious and the ice cream was as well. That is a gem in U Penn. After our short tour, we attended an information session about U Penn and I learned that it it does not give academic or merit scholarships but they are need based. I think this is a unique concept and I really like it.
We were very tired after all our exploring so we decided to call it a day and we got back on the Amtrak. We were split up, not too far but we could not sit next to each other because the train was sold out. There weren't many people who got off in New York City but the subway was jam packed! There was barely any space for anyone to get on or even to get off. There was no such thing as personal space on the subway. Everyone pushed and shoved to get on and off the subway which seems normal for the New Yorkers but not for us Bay Area folk. We all want to say "Excuse me, pardon me or please." I was just glad to get off the subway and get some air! The cohort wanted a day to relax a little so we decided to eat in our hotel. We got pizza and all of us hung out for an hour, watching Youtube videos and laughing our butts off. It was a nice way to end the day and to bond with the members of the cohort! I hope we can do it again soon sometime but right now it's time to rest since we have to tour Vassar tomorrow!
We got to the Constitution Center and were able to enter the 1968 exhibit. This exhibit is fairly new and has all the important moments in 1968, split by month in the exhibit. The pieces range from videos about the Vietnamese War to the advancement of film and television. I would never had thought that so many things occurred in the year 1968 alone. I mean, I had learned about it in history class but seeing all of it first hand was a totally different experience. I honestly that someone could spend hours upon hours looking at all the pictures and videos in the room. There is such a variety of items that everyone would be able to find something that they like. We also had to hurry with the exhibit in order to make it to a short presentation that was about the constitution. Through pictures and videos, one man was able to describe what We the People really means and how America has really progressed. After this presentation I felt like I should go do something and change something for the better; it was extremely inspiring. We also walked through the rest of the center which had information and photos from the beginning of America to now. We had to meet the U Penn admissions officers and current students at a restaurant at noon but there was some traffic so we arrived just a couple minutes late. Everyone was very open and described the life and culture in U Penn. We also went over the admissions process which some of the current students agreed with me on, it is pretty nerve wracking. The way the admissions officers put it made it seem so much easier. They told us to make sure it shows us, and it paints a picture of us for the officers. Also, it should be our voice not the voice of the thirty people who edited our paper. I think these were really interesting points that many students do not give importance to. People just want to make the essays the best they possibly can be, and forget that the essays should showcase the person. One interesting fact that I learned was that the mascot for U Penn is actually the Quaker, who knew?
Once we were done with our lunch we went on to the U Penn campus to go on a short campus tour led by two current students who also attended the lunch with us. We were shown around the beautiful campus. Well I think most things on the East Coast are interesting and beautiful because I am not used to seeing them on the West Coast. The campus had huge high rise dorms and exquisitely designed class room buildings. The stone on some buildings was also green, which I had never seen before! Some of buildings even looked like they should belong in a movie, like Harry Potter. U Penn is so different from Sarah Lawrence which we visited yesterday. The difference is actually astounding. It is surprising how many types of colleges there can be. U Penn seems very interesting to me right now. I am going to research more about the programs regarding biology and medicine. I also like how U Penn is very focused on research and how it has so many different clubs and opportunities to volunteer, intern, or work! There are so many things to do on and off campus. Also, we were told to go to Insomnia Cookies which makes the best cookies ever! We all decided to get a "cookiewich" which is an ice cream sandwhich. The cookies simply melted in your mouth and were very delicious and the ice cream was as well. That is a gem in U Penn. After our short tour, we attended an information session about U Penn and I learned that it it does not give academic or merit scholarships but they are need based. I think this is a unique concept and I really like it.
We were very tired after all our exploring so we decided to call it a day and we got back on the Amtrak. We were split up, not too far but we could not sit next to each other because the train was sold out. There weren't many people who got off in New York City but the subway was jam packed! There was barely any space for anyone to get on or even to get off. There was no such thing as personal space on the subway. Everyone pushed and shoved to get on and off the subway which seems normal for the New Yorkers but not for us Bay Area folk. We all want to say "Excuse me, pardon me or please." I was just glad to get off the subway and get some air! The cohort wanted a day to relax a little so we decided to eat in our hotel. We got pizza and all of us hung out for an hour, watching Youtube videos and laughing our butts off. It was a nice way to end the day and to bond with the members of the cohort! I hope we can do it again soon sometime but right now it's time to rest since we have to tour Vassar tomorrow!
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