Theme Communities Open to First-Years

KC3 houses the community of the dual-degree Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. The program integrates a liberal arts and business education, as well as advanced foreign language training. The program fosters global awareness and understanding of economic, cultural, social, linguistic, and technological issues in the international arena. Huntsman students select one of the eleven official target languages: Arabic, Mandarin, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. All first-year students accepted into the program live together in Kings Court English College House during their freshman year. This allows Huntsman students to learn from a wide variety of languages and nationalities. Moreover, Huntsman students create lifelong friendship bonds between each other.

Extending beyond Kings Court English House, the Science and Technology Wing (STWing) is a network of over two hundred undergraduates, graduate students, professors, and alumni from the University of Pennsylvania whose members share a strong interest in the science and technologies that permeate everyday life. While its reach is campus-wide, however, STWing’s simultaneous status as a residential program helps maintain a flourishing intellectual and social community foundation both for the College House and the larger society. A great synergetic learning community, STWingers are always getting together to build something – from blimps to space cameras – relying on their collective knowledge of physics, engineering, computer science, as well as art and sense of humor to do so. In addition to these inventive pursuits, the pioneering residents of STWing have for years owned and maintained their own timesharing servers, raised money to fund a research fellowship, and helped produce a science journal of undergraduate research. Throughout the year the program hosts a dinner-discussion series to which University faculty, staff, and interesting non-Penn guests are invited, as well as purely social events planned by students. The program is entirely student run by its Continuum (Student Governance), though students often work closely with faculty on their projects and with House staff in planning their social activities. 

Goals: STWing sets out to provide its members with the connections, structure, and resources (financial and otherwise) necessary to pursue projects of their own interests. The network of faculty and alumni associated with the program provides a personalized mentoring experience within this community context. The program teaches students to dare, but also to have fun and be collaborative in the process.

For more information: E-mail info@stwing.upenn.edu.

Chinese House welcomes any Gregorian interested in exploring Chinese language and culture. While some proficiency in Mandarin is preferred, all are encouraged to participate. Besides language, we will also enjoy films (with English subtitles), calligraphy, games and, yes, authentic Chinese food.

Chinese House is the Mandarin Chinese Language component of the Modern Languages Program, based in Class of 1925. TThis program is staffed by Graduate Resident Advisors (GRAs) who are accomplished graduate students (and often native Mandarin speakers) chosen to promote the goals of language immersion and cultural exposure. Each group meets weekly for meals, chats, media screenings and excursions. This close-knit community has members from all four class years, with some returning Gregorians taking on a leadership role; many participants are interested in international business, law, or careers in diplomacy, and often plan to study abroad while at Penn. Both beginners and those with considerable Mandarin Chinese fluency are welcome; dedicated residents often show great improvement in their speaking skills.

Program Goals: The program aims to provide students with regular Chinese language practice and diverse cultural experiences.

The Film Culture Program (FCP) is devoted to movie lovers interested in expanding their knowledge of the art form beyond just summer blockbusters and Oscar winners (though we like those too).

Our intimate, newly-renovated cinema lounge hosts a packed schedule of screenings and discussions (often more than 150 per year) covering  the medium’s history and the scope of world cinema today. (We post the trailers for the films we screen on our Facebook page— check out our current lineup!) This low-pressure program also sponsors a student-made film festival, takes regular trips to Philadelphia-area theaters (sometimes for advanced screenings), and encourages participants to write screenplays and try their hand at film-making. Even better, FCP members can choose to enroll in the program for academic credit and receive a grade for their active participation.

Program Goals: The program aims to introduce students to a wide range of films and to provide considerable practice discussing the art form.

Requirements: Although we hope all participants will participate in screenings and discussions from time to time, there is no formal expectation except for those residents who opt to enroll for credit.  For enrolled students, requirements include attendance at in-House screenings and excursions, along with active engagement in discussions.  Detailed requirements will be outlined in the course syllabus for students participating for credit.

The Music and Social Change program explores the many ways in which individuals use music in their everyday lives to develop who they are and, often subconsciously, to advance their own social and economic position. Through an academic course, volunteering in music classrooms in West Philadelphia, and attending concerts together, participants will investigate how music is used to construct larger social and economic networks that we call culture. The ongoing interdisciplinary debate about the value of popular, Western “classical,” and transnational music in the education and everyday lives of young people will be a focus.
 
This residential program is special in two ways- first, it requires that residents donate 3 hours per week to volunteering in a West Philadelphia music class for the entire academic year and second, all residents take a Freshman Seminar together spread across the first-year (as a .5cu course in Fall and Spring terms). In addition, the program includes attending concerts together across Philadelphia in a wide range of genres and styles, exploring the history of West Philadelphia's educational and musical institutions, and having dinner discussions with academics whose work specializes in the ties between music, social class, race, and economic mobility.
 
The volunteer component of the residential program will take students either to The Workshop School to work with choir or general music classes or to Henry C. Lea Elementary School to work with an after school music program with band, orchestra, choir or homework help.  In past years, participants have been able to work around their own academic schedules but our typical volunteer options are Mon-Tues-Wed between 3-6pm at the Elementary School or Fridays between noon-3pm at the High School.  The program will work around students' schedules as best we can, and some students have been able to assist school-day teachers at alternate times as well.
 
The residential program is also supported by a very knowledgeable residential associate, who will either be a graduate student in Music or an undergraduate who has been through the course or residential program before.  The residential associate lives with all participants and plays a crucial role in helping to organize concert outings, leading group activities, and providing ongoing support to students in the program.
 
Students in the Music and Social Change program are not required to read music or to be accomplished performing musicians, although participants must have a passion for music, an interest in working with youth in our community, and the willingness and flexibility to try new things.  Participants who have musical skills and are interested in taking on leadership positions, such as more hands-on teaching, will be encouraged to do so.

Participants in the Riepe Mentors Program form a unique team dedicated to serving children in West Philadelphia public schools and community-based programs. Under the direction of senior faculty at Penn's Graduate School of Education and with the support of the Netter Center, participants mentor children in elementary, middle, and high schools, devoting at least two hours a week to such activities, as well as attending monthly dinners with faculty to discuss their experiences. Participation in the Mentors Program is available to all residents of Riepe College House.

Goals: The Mentors program aims to familiarize its residents with West Philadelphia by connecting them with children who live and attend West Philadelphia schools. In the process, mentors learn about the challenges facing kids in Philadelphia’s educational system, while also learning about the talents and great potential of these students. Throughout the year, mentors have the opportunity to develop their own leadership skills, gain exceptional pre-career experience, and discover the rewards of community service.