Office of New Student Orientation & Academic Initiatives

NSO

Daily Digest

Friday, August 21, 2026

Hello Class of 2030!

Below you'll find more information about today's events. Events bolded and marked [MANDATORY] are events that you must attend.

Last Chance to Submit Your Question for the Penn Reading Project Panel

The Penn Reading Project panel presentation is a mandatory session where Penn faculty and students discuss the sometimes-contentious formation of American history, and the ongoing questions about democracy today.

Use the form linked here to submit a question to the PRP panelists by 12pm TODAY, Friday, August 21.

If your question is read at the session, you’ll win 2 tickets to the Phillies vs. Braves game on Friday, September 4!

Submit Your Question Here!

Today's Calendar

[MANDATORY] PHINS Group Activities & Lunch: Lunch, Safe Living Presentation & Penn Violence Prevention Consent Circles

See www.mymandatoryevents.com for PHINS Group Info | 9:45am-4:30pm

PHINS Orientation Group Activities allow first-years to meet with their orientation leader and members of their orientation group. As a group, first-years attend orientation events, meals, and more!

Safe Living at Penn offers first-years a chance to hear from campus resources who provide support services throughout their undergraduate career. Speakers include representatives from Public Safety, Campus Health, PVP, and more!

PVP Consent Circles build community, share resources, & normalize conversations on consent and supporting individuals who have experienced interpersonal violence.

Penn Bookstore Social

Penn Bookstore | 5pm-7pm

Welcome to Penn’s comprehensive and comfortable bookstore—a great place to shop and hang out. Enjoy music, desserts, and raffle drawings in the 2nd floor café.

Night at the Rec

Pottruck Health and Fitness Center | 7pm-9pm

Kick off the year with Penn Campus Recreation! Explore all five floors of Pottruck and jump into everything Campus Rec has to offer.

This year’s lineup is our biggest yet. Watch teams go head to head in Canoe Battleship in Sheerr Pool, compete in our Super Smash Bros. tournament, and take on the sports inflatables. Scale the Climbing Wall, meet dozens of student clubs at the Sport Club Expo, and recover in style with massage guns and compression boots. Jump into Reformer Pilates, group fitness, and fitness challenge demos along the way.

Live DJ, Photobooth, Smoothie Bar, and a free T-shirt (as supplies last). Learn about student employment opportunities at the event!

NSO Events Calendar PDF

Events Calendar Webpage

View Your Mandatory NSO Schedule Here

Penn Disability Services

If you would like to request any specific accommodations including fully accessible transportation to any NSO event, please contact Penn’s Disability Services.

PHONE: 215-573-9235
TTY: 215-746-6320
Email: vpul-sdsmail@pobox.upenn.edu

Dining Café Hours For
Friday, August 21

Dining café hours throughout the week of NSO can be viewed on the Penn Dining website. The options for today are listed below.

Breakfast: 7am-10am

Hill College House, 1920 Commons, and Kings Court English House (Halal available)

Lunch: 11am-2pm

Hill College House, 1920 Commons, Lauder College House, Kings Court English House (Halal available), and Falk Hillel (Kosher available)

Dinner: 5pm-8pm

Hill College House, 1920 Commons, Lauder College House, Kings Court English House (Halal available), and Falk Hillel (Kosher and Shabbat service available)

Visit Penn Dining Website

Looking Ahead: Penn Reading Project

The Penn Reading Project (PRP) was conceived in 1990 as a shared experience that introduces students to Penn’s vigorous intellectual life. Since then, it has been a significant part of the New Student Orientation experience.

This year, with the theme of America250 all around us, rather than a single book, we’ve put together a selection of readings through our Canvas platform that explores both the history of our nation, and our current understanding of democracy in action.

The on-campus portion of the PRP is in two parts. On Saturday evening, a celebratory visit to the National Constitution Center is an immersive exploration of these topics. The PRP concludes on Sunday with a mandatory session in Zellerbach Auditorium. Penn faculty and students will discuss the sometimes-contentious formation of American history, the ongoing questions about democracy today, and the evolution of universities in America.

Sunday, August 23 - Penn Reading Project Panel Session Times

PHINS Groups 1-30, 91-120: 1:15pm-2:45pm
PHINS Groups 31-60, 61-90: 3pm-4:30pm

Last Chance to Submit Your Question

Use the form linked here to submit a question to the PRP panelists by 12pm TODAY, Friday, August 21.

If your question is read at the session, you’ll win 2 tickets to the Phillies vs. Braves game on Friday, September 4!

Read Lecturer and Panelists' Bio

Submit Your Question Here!

Looking Ahead: NSO Preceptorials

NSO Preceptorials are not-for-credit educational sessions designed to showcase the University’s intellectual richness, further develop a sense of belonging to our shared community, and help students define their Penn experience. These sessions focus on these key areas: Academic Life, America 250, Civic Engagement, Community Building, Cultural Awareness, and Wellness. NSO Preceptorials will take place on Saturday, August 22 from 10am-2pm.

Learn More About NSO Preceptorials

Looking Ahead: PennTrack Walking Tours

PennTracks Walking Tours are free guided tours led by our PHINS Orientation Leaders throughout the city of Philadelphia for our first-year students on Saturday, August 22, from 2pm to 5pm.

Read more about PennTracks Walking Tours and sign up below! Since all PennTracks Tours will be happening at the same time, please only sign up for one slot.

Learn More About PennTracks Walking Tours