Penn 101: One Quad hall experiences a crash course in college life, Penn style.

and Liz Goldhirsh The freshman dorm experience isn't for the squeamish. Close quarters, shared showers and the possibility of major personality conflicts are what combine to make the first year of college life so exasperating. And so memorable. This year, The Daily Pennsylvanian will chronicle the lives of one family of freshmen as they experience the highs and lows of the first-year experience, from drinking to sex, academics to athletics. Along for the trip are the diverse mix of 18 girls and 22 guys who make their home on the second floor of the Quadrangle's Speakman section. And what a mix it is: There are athletes who play a variety of sports; a student who was born in England and educated in the Philippines; a table-tennis champion; people from 15 states, and towns big and small; musicians and more. Not to mention a resident adviser who juggles several positions on high-profile campus organizations with dedication to his kids. "My job is made easier by the fact that [the students] bonded really fast, which is impressive," said College junior Bryan Grossman, who became an RA because he enjoys helping freshmen find their way at Penn. "And I like the Quad atmosphere." On a recent weekend, Grossman taught the freshmen the Penn fight song before accompanying them to their first home football game. It is just one of many firsts the group will experience on their rollercoaster journey. And if first impressions are any indication, it's going to be quite a ride. Far From Home On the floor, everyone is trying to get by despite facing their own personal challenges. Wharton freshman Frank Callaghan was born in England and lived in the Philippines before joining his hallmates in the Quad. He came to Penn for its top-rated business program. "It's a lot more of a party school than I expected," he said, adjusting his silver-rimmed glasses and tousling jet-black hair. "The general atmosphere isn't academically oriented." Still, Callaghan, who is taking five courses, said he finds his classes interesting and his professors engaging. From fifth through 12th grade, Callaghan attended an international boarding school in the Philippines where he spoke only English. He said he finds dorm life to be a fairly familiar experience, but the move to America offered somewhat of a culture shock. "The Philippines is known for its hospitality, but here in the states the thing that hits you pretty hard is people's individualism," he said. "Everyone is very concerned with the image they portray and try to seem confident in themselves and who they are." A colorful Filipino blanket on Callaghan's wall reminds him of home. "It's a big change, but it's getting better." Athletic Fit Callaghan's roommate, Engineering freshman John Carroll, also felt the shock of moving to a new environment --Ethis time from familiar high school surroundings to an intimidating Ivy League university. Carroll, who attended high school in the small town of Minoa, N.Y., said he is impressed by the academic talents of his fellow classmates, and aware that for the first time in his life he is competing with his peers. "Where they're from they were at the top of their class, too," Carroll said. "Everybody can't get straight A's here." The competition at Penn may be intense, but Carroll is no under-achiever. His muscular build and well-worn lacrosse stick attest to his accomplishments on his high school lacrosse team, which he captained for two years. Also his school's table-tennis champion, Carroll has issued an open invitation to anyone at Penn who wishes to challenge him in the game. A fellow athlete, College freshman Molly Meehan, hails from the Philadelphia suburb of Lansdale, Pa., where she grew up throwing a softball. "Basically, I learned to play when I learned to walk," she said, explaining that her father was the commissioner of her local youth league. Recruited to play varsity softball for Penn, Meehan is struggling to balance the sport and her workload. "It is sort of difficult, but I think I can handle it," said Meehan, who has long brown hair and green eyes. "The older girls on the team have been really helpful in giving me guidance in how to survive." Munchies and Majors Down the hall, another pair of roommates, Melissa Barry and Anne O'Neil-Henry, both of the College, quickly worked to transform their sterile dorm room into a comfortable home. Matching green bedspreads complement their green carpet, and glow-in-the-dark stars dot the ceiling. The roomies plastered the walls with black and white posters of favorite movies -- Gone With the Wind, Say Anything and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Barry, who sports short reddish hair and checks in at a few inches over five feet tall, came to Penn from Rockville Centre, N.Y. O'Neil-Henry is taller and quick with a smile as she gives the name of her hometown, Walla Walla, Wash. Munching on baby carrots and rice cakes, the girls named the one aspect of Penn life they don't delight in -- dining. "Definite thumbs down," said Barry, who will skip a full meal in favor of Rice Krispies. "But we go to SaladWorks every Sunday night," said O'Neil-Henry. "It's really good food. It's going to be a tradition." O'Neil-Henry does aerobics at Gimbel Gymnasium during the week and works out there on Saturdays. "We're big on the negative 15," she said, referring to the fabled "freshman 15" pounds which she doesn't plan to put on. But she and Barry, who say they are in no way fanatical about their weights, laughed at the thought of the health-nut image they portray simply by being responsible exercisers and eaters. Besides, the girls have other topics on the brain -- like choosing a major. Both are decidedly undecided. Their friend and neighbor Melody Meyer, of the College, is also undeclared. "I think I put Psychology on my application here, but I want to be pre-law, so maybe Poli Sci. But then again, that will probably change next week." Meyer, wearing a long black skirt and a rubber band to tie back equally long dark brown hair, said that she came to Penn because she wanted to try new things. In Wayland, Mass., where she was part of a graduating class of 170, Meyer had never heard of things like intramural ultimate frisbee, a popular Penn extracurricular activity. Meyer is a self-diagnosed America Online Instant Messenger addict and said she refuses "to lose touch with my high school friends." This includes her boyfriend of seven months, to whom Meyer writes frequently. But keeping up a long-distance relationship, she has learned, is not as simple as e-mailing. "He told me that he realizes that I have a completely separate life here that doesn't involve him at all," she said, recalling a recent conversation. "That was hard." Dali vs. Pinup Girl Lounging in his room across the hall, College freshman Jim Miller explained why he came to Penn. "I loved the architecture," he said. "Once I saw the Quad, I knew I had to live here." The Salvador Dali poster that hangs over Miller's bed has almost a mathematical quality to it, hinting at his interest in equations and calculations. "I like the clearness of math. It always makes sense," he said, noting the influence his father, a mathematician in Brooklyn, has had on him. But his roommate stressed that Miller is not your typical Calculus nerd. "Yes, even Jim puts away his math book sometimes," Robbie Smith said with a chuckle. "Oh, yeah," said Miller, responding to the jest with an afterthought, "the roommate situation is horrible." Their banter betrayed the easy camaraderie that has already developed between the roommates. Which is not to say that the two don't have their differences. While Miller is partial to his Dali print, Smith's side of the room features a somewhat more low-brow poster, one which involves a plaid skirt, some nudity and the slogan "Study Hard." "Some people don't get it," he laughs. Furthermore, Miller is a math type, while Smith played varsity tennis for his Florida high school. After moving to the often-frigid northeast, however, Smith has turned to indoor sports. "I just came back from my first lesson of Tae Kwon Do," he said, showing off a recently-learned lunge move. Atheism Unlike Smith, College student Greg Wong does not expect to play any sports this year. Which doesn't mean that he won't be busy. Wong is currently campaigning to be his floor's hall representative to the college house government, and also hopes to be a tour guide for Penn. Plus, he plays the trombone and is considering writing for the DP. Where do academics fit into these busy plans? "The one subject I consistently enjoy is Computer Science," Wong said. "But I'm more interested in English and history than math or science." Wong, perennially cheerful, advertises his musical tastes through the large Dave Matthews Band and Mighty Mighty Bosstones posters hanging above his bed. There are no religious symbols hanging in his room, though, and for good reason: Wong is a self-described atheist. "I see no concrete evidence for the existence of a higher being," he explained. The Cool RA Much of the social success of the second floor of Speakman is attributable to Grossman, the RA. In addition to those duties, he works for UTV13, is the vice president of production and programming for the Social Planning and Events Committee and is co-director of the campus' biggest party, Spring Fling. Sporting a Penn baseball cap, denim shorts and a constant grin, Grossman admitted that he will overlook floor quiet hours in favor of an occasional 3 a.m. Busta Rhymes festival. And his freshman charges couldn't enjoy it more: they use adjectives like "awesome" and "very cool" to describe him. He also gets the highest compliment an RA can hope for: Grossman's charges refer to him, affectionately, as "just one of the guys."

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