"Laws Without Morals Are Useless" A College Crash Course @UPenn

By: Sean Massa

Motto: “Leges Sine Moribus Vanae” -” Laws without Morals are Useless (in Vain)”

The University of Pennsylvania, know to many as UPenn or Penn, is an Ivy League university situated in the heart of Philadelphia. Established in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin. Penn is one of nine colonial colleges that predate the founding of the United States and is the first U.S. university to have a medical school.

From the university's $10.1 billion endowment, Penn students benefit from an impressive pool of academic and institutional resources. According to Forbes, Penn has minted the most billionaire alumni in the nation. After four long years, Penn graduates also join one of the most powerful alumni networks that includes Warren Buffet, John Legend, Donald Trump, John Huntsman Jr., Sharon Stone, Mehment (Dr.) Oz, Andrea Mitchell, and more recently Naomi Biden (granddaughter to Vice President Joe Biden) and Tiffany Trump (daughter of Donald Trump). But is the University of Pennsylvania right for you?

Academics
Penn academic departments consistently rank in the top of their fields for business, nursing, communications, education, engineering, and medicine among others. Incoming undergraduates apply directly to one of the four schools that best fits their interests and academic goals: College of Arts and Sciences, Wharton School of Business, School of Engineering and Applied Science, or the School of Nursing. For students interested in cross-disciplinary studies, Penn offer curricular flexibility across the four schools and includes a number of dual degree programs.


Traditions
As one of the oldest American universities, Penn has kept a number of traditions alive. From its unique Pennsylvania state history, the university adopted the oxymoronic “Fighting Quaker” as its official sport's mascot. During football games, Penn students throw a big toast to dear old Penn - literally. From all directions, students toss thousands of pieces of toasted bread into the air and towards the field from the bleachers. A more recent tradition that takes place in the spring is the Penn Spring Fling, which has brought artists to campus including Ke$ha, Kygo, and David Guetta to name a few. Penn students even have a right-of-passage from the junior-to-senior transition. During Hey Day, a day long celebrations filled with bright red shirts, top hats and canes, students parade down the Locust Walk with their classmates to College Green, where the university president officials bestows the senior title to them. Throughout a student's four-year stay at Penn, these are only a glimpse of the many rich traditions that thousands of students have participated in over hundreds of class generations. The Penn traditions continue.


Intellectual Exploration
Just as Ben Franklin was known for his interests in many subjects, so Penn provides its students with multidisciplinary opportunities to make the most of their education. For those interested in integrating useful business skills in other sectors, Penn'c College of Arts and Sciences offers a number of dual degree programs: The Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business, Life Sciences and Management, and Technology and Management. Additionally, undergraduate students can take advantage of course offerings from any of the four schools, including some of the best business, engineering and nursing programs in the country.


Innovation
For students who want to be on the forefront of emerging fields, Penn provides generous programming and resources for their intellectual and professional development. Penn's newest Networked and Social Systems Engineering program is the world’s first program to fully integrate the disciplines needed to design and analyze the complex social networks. Students in the program study the interplay of computer science, economics, and sociology while participating in cutting-edge research in networks, markets, optimization, and information management. Additional programs include the Vagelos Program in Energy Research and a program focusing on Artificial Intelligence through the School of Engineering. For graduating seniors, Penn offers a unique chance for students to apply their education with real-world application through the President's Engagement and Innovation Prizes, both providing winner with up to $150,000.


One thing is certain - the University of Pennsylvania through its bountiful resources invests in the academic and intellectual success of its students during their four years as undergraduates and beyond. To learn more about other colleges and universities, stayed tuned for more College Crash Course articles on the Hillview Blog!



Sources:
http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/genlhistory/brief.html
http://www.businessinsider.co.id/notable-upenn-alumni-2014-12/
http://www.businessinsider.co.id/colleges-with-richest-alumni-2015-9/?r=US&IR=T
http://www.thedp.com/article/2015/01/top-infamous-and-famous-alumni
http://www.pennpep.upenn.edu/
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-pennsylvania-3378
https://penncurrent.upenn.edu/2005-09-22/record/record-toast-throwing-tradition
http://articles.philly.com/2016-05-17/news/73129416_1_donald-trump-vice-president-biden-joe-biden
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2016/07/06/the-28-schools-that-mint-the-most-billionaire-alumni/#43934d796512
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-pennsylvania-215062/overall-rankings
http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/traditions/heyday/entry.html
https://fission.sas.upenn.edu/col/annex/app.php/nosso/majors/view