Berry Nice | Thanks to Penn perks

With the break only hours away, I started daydreaming about all the Thanksgiving festivities — turkey, apple pie and the typical dinner conversation about what everyone’s thankful for. Impatient as usual, I decided to get a head start on the list with a campus perspective.

Of course, the usual Penn culprits came to mind — like a great education, lifelong friends and the promise of a leg up in the job market. Instead of boring you with the predictable fixins a la stuffing and cranberries, here’s a list of a few campus perks that don’t often get the recognition they deserve. Enjoy.

Penn Security — Sure, incidents like this weekend’s happen on occasion, but students feel safe overall. Plus, the fleet seems to be more concerned with preventing legitimate crime than busting skiddish teenagers. At many schools, when you’re in a tight spot (usually somewhere between sober and unconscious), the police are avoided at all cost. Thanks to Penn’s amiable medical amnesty policy, the neon crew is for the most part seen as protectors rather than as punishers.

World Cafe Live — Some of you may still be reminiscing about seeing Guster at Fling ’09, but others only have to stretch their memories back a few weeks to when they saw the band play a “Free At Noon” concert. The venue hosts a different artist most Fridays and the events are open to the public with reservations.

Penn Transit — New, improved and apparently environmentally savvy short buses are putting around campus. If you’re brave enough to learn the system’s schedule, you could save yourself time and avoid a walk in the cold now and then.

Sweatpants — Why are athletes the only people brave enough to wear comfy clothes to class on occasion? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for putting your best foot forward in life, but at times it’s nice to remember we’re still in college and capable of rolling out of bed when need be. Save the cuff links for post graduation and sport at least a hoodie to class someday. I assure you, you’ll feel strangely liberated.

BYO Restaurants — BYOs are convenient to host Penn students’ pseudo-sophisticated dinner parties. Hit up the legendary Charles Plaza or Don Memo if you’re thinking revelry more than refinery. Or maybe try Audrey Claire for the classier of shindigs.

Penn Course Review — The student-run service has been around since the 1960s to steer students clear of classes voted to be duds. And recently, qualitative evaluations were added to the online system, so an arbitrary number isn’t all you have to go by when deciding how best to load up your course cart on Penn InTouch. Hooray for self-serving feedback.

The World West of 40th Street — Still unknown to a disturbing number of Penn students is the charming neighborhood nestled just past 40th Street. Check out Clark Park (43rd and Baltimore) any given Saturday and you’ll find a quaint farmer’s market. And, restaurants like Rx, Marigold Kitchen and Marrakesh are a fine alternative to the Center City BYO circuit. Leave your freshman-year woes behind and venture past the great Greek Lady-Qdoba divide.

Food trucks — Where else can you have a hearty day’s worth of food for under $12? Breakfast at Bui’s for around $3, lunch at Magic Carpet for $4 and some good ole’ Koja for at most $5. Eating on a budget never tasted so good.

Downtime — I know what you’re thinking, another lazy writer trying to justify her “balanced” lifestyle, but hear me out. Penn (namely the Wharton School) projects a stifling preprofessional vibe that can scare anyone into seeing life in terms of profit, efficiency and opportunity costs. While I’m not opposed to productivity, there’s nothing like a night at Blarney Stone to avoid diminishing returns.

Kensey Berry is a College sophomore from Little Rock, Ark. Her e-mail address is berry@theDP.com. Berry Nice appears on Tuesdays.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.