Quaker Quotes: What’s Your Favorite Spot on Campus?

We asked, you answered. Alums share their memories, thoughts, and ideas with Omnia.

November 21, 2024

Fall/Winter 2024

The tables outside of the Arch building, where I’d share a Magic Carpet order with a friend or absentmindedly do my readings while watching Locust Walk—which then felt like my entire world—go by. –Alice Goulding, C’21

The Ben Franklin statue. It gave me goosebumps when I stared at him. I don’t know why. –Pricha Peter Saengswang, G’65

Fisher Fine Arts Library. I have 50-year-old fond memories of the Design of the Environment drawing class on the top floor and the great beauty of what was then called Furness Building. It has charms like no other place on campus; even the acoustics of the entry are lovely. –Margaret Devaney, C’77, MT’77

My favorite spot on Penn’s campus was the Makuu office. It always felt like a safe place to land. –Dominiqué Bynoe-Sullivan, C’16, GED’17

The reading terrace area on the 6th floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library. What an awesome view of the green. Check it out! –Stuart Shapiro, C’74

I’m a huge basketball fan and entered Penn in the early ’70s when the team dominated. So, it’s no surprise that my favorite place on campus remains The Palestra, the Cathedral of College Basketball. The demise of the original Big 5 format has lessened the excitement, but I still go to several games a year. –William Babcock, C’73

As an English major, Fisher-Bennett Hall was always my favorite spot. It was my academic home on campus. I had at least two classes there every semester and would often spend time studying in the second-floor lounge. I visited campus a few summers ago and was able to sneak in behind an entering student; walking in and immediately seeing the Shakespeare mural and the soaring staircase was like coming home. –Taylor Cook, C’13

The Penn Museum. During my first year at Penn, my anthropology class was there. This was the first time that I visited a museum and was amazed by the many galleries and artifacts. Before class, I would arrive early just to sit in the entrance and enjoy the garden views. My first viewing of the Sphinx was mind-blowing. –John Sims, C’76

It’s a tie. First, the chairs and tables between the Castle and the Arch, where Locust Walk meets College Green—a pretty, shady spot to read, people-watch, and squirrel-watch. Also, the narrow courtyards in Hill, overlooking the atrium—another great reading place, tucked away but filled with light. –Daniel Hartsoe, C’13

My favorite spot on the Penn campus was the Bio Pond [James G. Kaskey Memorial Park]. Such a beautiful and secluded spot to study, read, or just relax. It brought much peace and calm to the hectic campus life of this undergrad. Rarely was there another soul in the vicinity, and the only disturbance was the sound of the wind and wildlife. It all washes over me as I recall these memories. –Steven Mogul, C’80