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NSO 2011 Preceptorials
Welcome to Penn, Class of 2015! A wide variety of preceptorials will be offered during New Student Orientation, so open your mind, explore your new surroundings, and let the games begin!Click here to register via Penn InTouch
For registration, the course ID for preceptorials is PREC followed by the preceptorial number.For NSO, if you are registered for the preceptorial on Penn InTouch, you are enrolled in the preceptorial, so please be sure to attend. We look forward to seeing all of you at NSO!
Sign up for multiple preceptorials
All preceptorials are free of charge
The NSO Preceptorials time slots and course IDs are as follows:
Outside of the 4 time slots ~ PREC 001-099
Time Slot 1 - Thursday, September 1, starting between 4 and 6 p.m. ~ PREC 101-199
Time Slot 2 - Thursday, September 1, starting between 7 and 9 p.m. ~ PREC 201-299
Time Slot 3 - Friday, September 2, 3:30-5:30 p.m. ~ PREC 301-399
Time Slot 4 - Saturday, September 3, 3:30-5:30 p.m. ~ PREC 401-499
NSO Preceptorials taking place outside of the 4 time slots ~ PREC 001-099
PREC 001.001 Theatre in Philadelphia: The Pig Iron Theatre presents Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night"
PREC 002.001 Of Elephants and Roses: Encounters with French Natural History, 1790-1830
NSO Time Slot 1 - Thursday, September 1, starting between 4 and 6 p.m. ~ PREC 101-199
PREC 101.001 Shakespeare Reinvented
PREC 102.001 Gayborhood Tour
PREC 103.001 Thinking Beyond Capitalism
PREC 104.001 Music and the Brain
PREC 105.001 Does Religion Matter? Ancient and Modern Perspectives
PREC 106.001 Language and Game Theory
PREC 107.001 Customer Analytics for Fun and Profit
PREC 108.001 Mad Potter's Wheel
PREC 109.001 Emerging Trends and Future Careers in Biopharmaceutical Research
PREC 110.001 Quantum Computer and Information Science
PREC 111.001 Walking Tour of West Philly
PREC 112.001 CPR Certification
PREC 113.001 Where Are You From?
PREC 114.001 Penn in Washington
PREC 115.001 The Chess Mind - Dutch Contributions
PREC 116.001 The Paradoxical World of Probability
PREC 117.001 American Dialects
PREC 118.001 More Than Twinkies, Desis, and FOB's: Penn's APA Community
PREC 119.001 Proofs and Games
PREC 120.001 The Educational Matrix of Social Media
PREC 121.001 Emerging Infectious Diseases
PREC 122.001 Learn to Bhangra with Penn Dhamaka!
PREC 123.001 Asobou! Games in Japanese Culture
PREC 124.001 The Business of Sports
PREC 125.001 Go Green: Transit Options for Penn and Philly!
PREC 126.001 Textbooks in a Digital World
PREC 127.001 Music and Mirth: Songs of the University of Pennsylvania
PREC 128.001 Religious Life at Penn
PREC 129.001 Before the Big Bang
NSO Time Slot 2 - Thursday, September 1, starting between 7 and 9 p.m. ~ PREC 201-299
PREC 201.001 The Future of Biofuels and the Biofuel Dilemma
PREC 202.001 Why Business Ethics Must Solve Problems Created by International Law
NSO Time Slot 3 - Friday, September 2, 3:30-5:30 p.m. ~ PREC 301-399
PREC 301.001 Social Etiquette and Leadership
PREC 302.001 W.E.B. Du Bois and "The Philadelphia Negro"
PREC 303.001 Mating Games
PREC 304.001 Penn Students in the Community
PREC 305.001 Historical Tour of Old City and First Friday Gallery Crawl
PREC 306.001 Getting Started in Undergraduate Research at Penn
PREC 307.001 Environmental Sustainability at Penn
PREC 308.001 The Earliest Writing: The Development of Cuneiform Writing in Ancient Iraq
PREC 309.001 Swords, Sandals, and Cinema: Gladiators and Games in Hollywood
PREC 310.001 Local Archaeology and Penn Undergraduates
PREC 311.001 Bioethics: Where Did It All Begin?
PREC 312.001 Agents, Games, and Evolution: Dealing with the Problems of Play
PREC 313.001 Two Rivers: Many Voices
PREC 314.001 Latino/Hispanic Life at Penn and in Philadelphia
PREC 315.001 Highball to Hey Day: The Penn Experience
PREC 316.001 DANCE101: Introduction to Social Dancing
PREC 317.001 Studying the History of Eurasia
PREC 318.001 Games That Track Your Every Move – Current and Future User Interfaces
PREC 319.001 Mathematics of Shoelaces
PREC 320.001 Walking Tour, Olde City Philadelphia
PREC 321.001 The Ethics of Belief
PREC 322.001 West Philly Art Connection
PREC 323.001 Zebrafish! Science that Excites our Community
PREC 324.001 Experiencing the Arts in Philadelphia
PREC 325.001 Money Matters and Protecting Your Information
PREC 326.001 Admissions, Access, and Opportunity in Higher Education
PREC 327.001 An American Odyssey: The Warner Collection of American Art
NSO Time Slot 4 - Saturday, September 3, 3:30-5:30 p.m. ~ PREC 401-499
PREC 401.001 French versus American Differences in Attitude to Food
PREC 402.001 Big Pictures in West Philly
PREC 403.001 Initiating Independence in Foreign Language Learning
PREC 404.001 Hurrah, Hurrah, Pennsylvania
PREC 405.001 DANCE101: Introduction to Social Dancing
PREC 406.001 Nutrition 101
PREC 407.001 Leadership Strategies for Penn Freshmen
PREC 408.001 The College House Experience
PREC 409.001 Avenue of the Arts Tour
PREC 410.001 Chinatown Tour
PREC 411.001 Historic Philly Tour
PREC 412.001 Rittenhouse Square Tour
PREC 413.001 South Philly Tour
NSO Preceptorials taking place outside of the 4 time slots ~ PREC 001-099
PREC 001.001 Theatre in Philadelphia: The Pig Iron Theatre presents Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night"
Description: Join Dr. James Schlatter, member of the Penn Theatre Arts Faculty, in an introduction to theatre in Philadelphia by attending Pig Iron Theatre's radically reinterpreted, experimental production of Shakespeare's classic play, "Twelfth Night." Prior to the performance at the Philadelphia Theatre Company, Dr. Schlatter will give an introduction to this production.
Preceptorial Leader: Dr. James Schlatter, Theatre Arts Department
Preceptorial Organizer: Amalya Lehmann
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 8, 5-10 p.m.
Location: DRLB 2C8
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 002.001 Of Elephants and Roses: Encounters with French Natural History, 1790-1830
Description: The American Philosophical Society is one of the oldest learned societies in the country, founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin to "cultivate the fine arts and improve the common stock of knowledge" in the British colonies. This preceptorial will center on an exhibition at the museum of the APS: "Of Elephants and Roses: Encounters with French Natural History, 1790-1830." In the first part of our meeting, we'll discuss the history of the APS and its role in fostering the development of the arts and sciences in the colonies, and we'll look at some of the illustrious figures involved in this organization. We will also explore some of the interconnections of art and science in early Philadelphia and the city's artistic and scientific exchanges with Paris in the early 19th century. In the second half of our meeting, we will travel to the APS museum and view the exhibition. Among the exhibits we will see, there are fossilized mastodon teeth sent by Thomas Jefferson from the White House to French scientist Georges Cuvier, the founder of paleontology; the score for a revolutionary song played for two elephants in the Paris menagerie to encourage them to breed; various artifacts celebrating a giraffe who walked 800 kilometers across France to greet the king; and more. This 2-session preceptorial will be led by Professor Michael Leja of the History of Art Department, who specializes in the history of American art.
Preceptorial Leader: Dr. Michael Leja, Professor of American Art, Department of the History of Art
Preceptorial Organizer: Jamie Soo
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 2, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Location: Jaffe 113
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
NSO Time Slot 1 - Thursday, September 1, starting between 4 and 6 p.m. ~ PREC 101-199
PREC 101.001 Shakespeare Reinvented
Description: A hands-on look at how Shakespeare's plays have been altered over time. See Shakespeare's famous First Folio and other rare editions of his plays—in real and virtual form—and follow the changing shape of "Romeo and Juliet" from its first performances to recent films. Get to know the library's rare treasures, and learn how you can use these books yourself to read Shakespeare in a whole new way.
Preceptorial Leader: Dean Rebecca Bushnell, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Professor of English
Preceptorial Organizer: Julia Wong
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: Meyerson Conference Room, 2nd floor of Van Pelt Library
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 102.001 Gayborhood Tour
Description: This tour encompasses the Washington West "Gayborhood," the heart of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) community. It features nightclubs, sidewalk cafes, theaters, and community centers. Some say the LGBTQ rights movement began in Philadelphia on July 4th, 1964, when, outside of Independence Hall, the first "Annual Reminder" was held protesting America's treatment of gays and lesbians. Since then, the LGBTQ community has become integrated with the entire city, but this neighborhood remains its most vital scene.
Preceptorial Leader: Dr. Erin Cross, Associate Director of the Penn LGBT Center
Preceptorial Organizer: Priyanka Anand
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: LGBT Center (3907 Spruce Street)
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 103.001 Thinking Beyond Capitalism
Description: Is capitalism the final stage of human development? (Probably not.) Are there viable alternatives -- within and beyond capitalism? (Probably yes.) Join Professor Lamas for a session in which you will be invited to think critically (and even radically) -- outside the confines of conventional discourse -- about these questions and the issues of local/global poverty, inequality, culture and religion, economic justice, human needs, and sustainable development.
Preceptorial Leader: Professor Andrew Lamas, Urban Studies Department, School of Social Policy and Practice
Preceptorial Organizer: Julia Wong
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: DRLB A4
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 104.001 Music and the Brain
Description: Without exception, every known human culture, both today and throughout recorded history, makes some form of music. Why? And why, given the infinite possibilities for combining sounds, do so many far flung cultures make music in such fundamentally similar ways? Experiments in neuroscience and psychology of music suggest a possible biological basis for these musical universals and near-universals.
Preceptorial Leader: Dr. Michael Kaplan, Laboratory Instructor, BBB Program
Preceptorial Organizer: Amalya Lehmann
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: DRLB A5
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 105.001 Does Religion Matter? Ancient and Modern Perspectives
Description: Has the purpose of religion changed with development in modern society? Despite similar fundamental teachings of many religions, why are religious conflicts so recurrent? A preceptorial led by Dr. Reed to provide an overview of religion that will be interesting and reflective.
Preceptorial Leader: Dr. Annette Yoshiko Reed, Professor of Religious Studies
Preceptorial Organizer: Soon Jae Kwon
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: DRLB 2C4
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 106.001 Language and Game Theory
Description: Linguistic meaning arises from the strategic use of language; speakers coordinate their behavior by sending signals. This preceptorial will develop the hypothesis that language is a kind of coordination game. It will look at two case studies: tracking the reference of pronouns in a discourse and politeness---the use of strategic indirectness to accomplish a goal.
Preceptorial Leader: Professor Robin Clark, Professor in Linguistics Department
Preceptorial Organizer: Dorothy Ahn
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: CHEM B13
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 107.001 Customer Analytics for Fun and Profit
Description: Professor Fader will describe Wharton's newest research center, the Wharton Customer Analytics Initiative (www.wharton.upenn.edu/wcai), and provide some examples of how they are working with a variety of data-driven companies to develop new methods and important managerial insights across a wide range of industries (including interactive media, financial services, pharmaceuticals, telecom, and public utilities). He will then focus on a specific application, looking at donor behavior over time for several nonprofit organizations. He will also discuss relevant courses around Penn for students interested in developing skills in this area.
Preceptorial Leader: Professor Peter Fader, Professor of Marketing, Co-Director - Wharton Customer Analytics Initiative
Preceptorial Organizer: Julia Wong
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: Huntsman Hall, F55
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 108.001 Mad Potter's Wheel
Description: Interested in playing with clay? Join us as we go through the basics of pottery and learn about the art of throwing vases, bowls, and cups! This preceptorial will teach you how to craft a beautiful bowl from scratch. Professors from the Department of Fine Arts will guide us through the steps of clay wheel throwing from preparing the clay to shaping. Come discover the artist within you or just have fun with the spinning clay!
Preceptorial Leader: Ms. Sumi Maeshima, Department of Fine Arts
Preceptorial Organizer: Julia Wong
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: Addams Hall, Room 304
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 109.001 Emerging Trends and Future Careers in Biopharmaceutical Research
Description: Nowhere else will you get an as up-to-date (everything up to the morning you rise to attend this preceptorial) overview and data on Drug Development. We will talk about trends toward 2020 and beyond, and how students can prepare themselves for careers in this industry. We will also discuss how to be a successful student at Penn, since all of you are investing much in pursuing a college education. There will be lots of graphics, and every question will be answered.
Preceptorial Leader: Dr. Albert Giovenella, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Drug Delivery
Preceptorial Organizer: Soon Jae Kwon
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: CHEM 102
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 110.001 Quantum Computer and Information Science
Description: We present an overview of an exciting subject that combines Quantum Physics with Computer and Information Science. If Quantum Computation becomes a practical reality, then we will be able to efficiently solve several very interesting classes of problems, which seem, at present, to be beyond the reach of classical computation. For example, we will be able to efficiently factor large composite integers and thereby render useless the present encryption technology known as RSA public key encryption. This presentation is meant for general audiences. We do not assume prior study of either quantum mechanics or computer science.
Preceptorial Leader: Dr. Max Mintz, Professor of Computer and Information Science
Preceptorial Organizer: Soon Jae Kwon
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: Towne, Room 100 (Heilmeier Hall)
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 111.001 Walking Tour of West Philly
Description: Join Eric Schneider from the Urban Studies department for a look at the West Philadelphia beyond campus! Learn a bit about the history of the area while you scope out the surrounding scene of great restaurants and coffee shops. A great tour for those who want to see what there is west of the freshman dorms, and are ready to explore their new city!
Preceptorial Leader: Dr. Eric Schneider, Urban Studies Department
Preceptorial Organizer: Monika Wasik
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Location: Meet in front of Huntsman Hall (on Locust Walk) at 4:30 p.m.
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 112.001 CPR Certification
Description: Come get CPR certified in one quick session! Taught by trained instructors from Penn's Medical Emergency Response Team, the course will run for three hours and you will leave with a certificate! Knowing how to perform CPR is a useful skill that will make you feel safer, and that could help save someone's life. No previous experience required!
Preceptorial Leader: MERT, Student Group
Preceptorial Organizer: Monika Wasik
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-8 p.m.
Location: Houston Hall, Ben Franklin Room
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 113.001 Where Are You From?
Description: The way we answer this simple question tells much about the image we wish to project. Geographic self-identification sets the tone for social and business relationships. Let’s talk about how we answer this question and why.
Preceptorial Leader: Dean Georgette Chapman Phillips, Vice Dean, Wharton Undergraduate Division; Professor of Real Estate
Preceptorial Organizer: Julia Wong
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: Huntsman Hall, Room F38
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 114.001 Penn in Washington
Description: This preceptorial will inform students of the resources and organizations available on campus that will prepare them for a future or interest in public policy. Additionally, students will learn about the Penn in Washington program, which provides opportunities to intern or spend a semester in Washington, D.C.
Preceptorial Leader: Dr. Deirdre Martinez, Fels Institute of Government
Preceptorial Organizer: Kristy Willard
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-5:30 p.m.
Location: Houston Hall, Griski Room
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 115.001 The Chess Mind - Dutch Contributions
Description: Examining the literature on the chess mind, such as De Groot's ""Thought and Choice in Chess,"" Daaim Shabazz's ""Metaphysics of the Chess Mind,"" and Jacob Aagaard's ""Inside the Chess Mind,"" this preceptorial will discover the strategies and thought processes of players of different levels during their games. We will find out how participants of this preceptorial solve some classic chess problems. Which parts of the brain are involved? Would grandmasters approach these problems differently? And: How have the Dutch contributed to the field of chess and to our understanding of the chess mind?
Preceptorial Leader: Professor Robert Naborn, Lecturer of Dutch and Germanic Languages
Preceptorial Organizer: Ting Cho Lau
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Location: Houston Hall, Class of ‘47
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 116.001 The Paradoxical World of Probability
Description: Vegas, hedge fund interviewers, and the State Lottery Commission exploit the paradoxes of probability to take advantage of our flimsy intuition. Don't be exploited. We'll learn fallacies in probability and why they're fallacious, and you'll see the solution to a few of the most common tricky interview problems. Don't be fooled by math again.
Preceptorial Leader: Emil Pitkin, Statistics Department
Preceptorial Organizer: Jason Tian
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-5:15 p.m.
Location: COHN G17
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 117.001 American Dialects
Description: Do you say soda, pop, or soft drink? Come and learn about different dialects in the United States, their history, and interesting facts about them. The American Dialects lecture will introduce different systems in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
Preceptorial Leader: Professor Gillian Sankoff, Professor in Linguistics Department
Preceptorial Organizer: Dorothy Ahn
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 4-6 p.m.
Location: STIT B26
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 118.001 More Than Twinkies, Desis, and FOB's: Penn's APA Community
Description: Description Nearly 25% of Penn students are of Asian descent, but how do we fit in? Come learn about what it's like to be Asian Pacific American on campus. Learn about the countless student groups, discover great resources such as Asian American Studies, South Asian Studies, and the Pan-Asian American Community House, and meet other students of East, South and Southeast Asian, as well as Pacific Islander heritage. Coordinated by the Asian Pacific American Leadership Initiative and campus APA leaders.
Preceptorial Leader: Ms. Shiella Cervantes, PAACH
Preceptorial Organizer: Priyanka Anand
Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 1, 5-7 p.m.
Location: ARCH, Fireside Room
If you have any questions about this preceptorial, please contact the preceptorial organizer listed and not the professor. Thank you.
PREC 119.001 Proofs and Games
Description: If you are experiencing calculus burnout, this preceptorial might give you a fresh look at math! In celebration of the year of proof, we will be comparing board games to axiomatic systems on which mathematical proofs are based. We'll meet the first time to play board games: Clue, Mastermind, and perhaps Settlers of Catan. We will spend the second session axiomatizing the rules of these games and then comparing them to axioms for Euclidean geometry, real numbers, sets, and equality. In addition, if time permits, we'll discuss some model theory, a branch of mathematical logic also applied in computer science where simple axiomatic descriptions