Philadelphia toasts Rodin with red and blue party

The inauguration was almost a month ago, but for University President Judith Rodin the parties just keep coming. More than 900 University alumni from the Philadelphia area crammed the second floor of City Hall yesterday evening for a lavishly catered reception honoring Rodin. The event was sponsored by the General Alumni Society, which sent out more than 55,000 invitations. "It is an honor to do this," said Philadelphia Mayor and University alumnus Ed Rendell, who introduced Rodin. Rendell's wife, Midge Rendell, a federal judge and also a University graduate, also spoke. Mayor Rendell noted that the University and the city share a "beautiful relationship," and have much in common, including a great debt to the public service of Benjamin Franklin. He also said that the city is economically dependent on the University, which is the second largest employer in Philadelphia, next to the city government. Rendell joked that hopefully the University will soon be the bigger institution. The mayor also lauded the cooperation between the city and the University over the issue of Mayor's scholarships. "The Mayor Scholarship program is better than it has ever been historically," Rendell said. "We are helping the kids of Philadelphia more than ever before." Rendell also complimented Rodin on her intellect, noting that during the course of her 20-minute "inspiring inaugural speech" she looked down only one time per page. Rodin said she was thrilled by the large crowd. "This city is red and blue," she said. For two hours yesterday evening, it seemed Rodin was right. City Hall was decked out in red and blue lighting and television screens displaying University promotional videos lined the normally drab hallways on the second floor. Tables draped in red and blue tablecloths were set up in courtrooms as well as in the historic and elegant Mayor's Reception Room and Conversation Hall. Rodin highlighted the relationship between the city and the University during her short speech. "We talk in so many ways about the relationship between Philadelphia and Penn," she said. "Penn's economic impact on the city today is really enormous, but that impact is leveraged by all of your presence in the city." And like Rendell, Rodin emphasized Franklin's influence on both Philadelphia and the University. She said the University has lived up to Franklin's ambition to create a school that teaches both the theoretical and the practical. Rodin said she wanted all of the alumni to realize the impact University students have in Philadelphia through the volunteer work they do in local communities. "People ask me if students are afraid to go here because of Philadelphia," she said. "But students come here because of Philadelphia." Rodin, playing to the crowd and picking up a theme from Rendell's previous remarks, talked about the University's athletics. "As a kid, I always thought the greatest thing in the world would be to own a sports team," she said jokingly. "Now I own several." Rodin, referring to herself as "the first alum," concluded her speech by asking all those present to work "together for Penn and for Philadelphia." Following her remarks, Jack Reardon, president of the General Alumni Society, presented "Penn's number one cheerleader" with a framed photograph of the PECO building sign displaying the message "Welcome President Rodin." As jazz musicians played in the background, the alumni reminisced about old times and feasted on a menu that included grilled vegetables, clams and oysters on the half shell, scallops and chocolate truffles. Several University administrators and faculty circulated among the well-dressed crowd, along with several city officials, including Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, who represents University City.

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