I just got an anonymous tip that supposedly, a major motion picture will be filming extensively on Penn's campus this summer.

Click to find out which film!

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Friday, November 9, 2007
8am-5pm
PA Convention Center

The time has come for us to stop talking about the problems in our neighborhoods and start acting. This year’s conference is inspired by the community activists and youth leaders who work hard to make our neighborhoods places of opportunities where people excel, ideas grow and dreams are realized. By bringing together young people ages 14-21 and adults from around the region, we will begin to create real solutions to the many challenges in our communities. Workshops and interactive sessions will empower youth to effectively address the challenges they face everyday and enhance adults’ capacity to nurture the potential of every youth. We invite everyone, both youth and adults, interested in making a positive and lasting impact in their community to “Step Up!” and “Be the Change”.

**This year’s conference will feature an exciting keynote speech by Ephren W. Taylor, CEO of City Capital Corporation and the youngest African-American CEO of a publicly traded company ever!**

*The conference will also feature a lunchtime comedy performance by Philadelphia’s own Keith from Up Da Block!*

For more information, or to register, visit us online at www.greatsettlements.org or call Amanda at 215-925-7875.

What Do You Do After You Pray:
The Church's Response to Gun-Violence in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA – With more than 250 murders after the first half of 2007, the city once known as the City of Brotherly Love has instead quickly become known as Kill-a-delphia, forcing many residents to live and operate in fear as a result of the gun-violence inflicting the city.

On Saturday, August 25, 2007, Philly Koinonia Ministries (pronounced koy-no-NEE-yah) will organize its initial effort dealing with this problem, the "2007 Gun-drive and City Fellowship". This will be an outdoor effort beginning at 10 a.m. taking place at the Dorothy Emmanuel Recreation Center, located in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. To effectuate a change in our culture, we must not solely rely on the power of prayer, but also take responsibility with our actions to address the stronghold embattling our city; for our actions speak louder than our words. The organization identifies fear as the stronghold that simultaneously creates gun-violence, and results from gun-violence, and therefore will focus using this effort to present an understanding of God’s love to combat the stronghold of fear dwelling in this city as a result of gun violence; for God is love (1John 4:16) and in love there is no fear (1John 4:18).

In addition to the gun-drive (individuals will receive a gift card in exchange for their gun), this effort will also include an appearance by Mayoral Candidate Michael Nutter; messages given by local Pastors, such as: Bishop Keith W. Reed, Pastor Kevin M. Aiken, Pastor Chandra I. Williams, Pastor Daniel Sutton, Pastor Larry Anderson, Pastor Eric Mason, among others; performances by local choirs and other guest artists; and also a nonprofit/vendor area featuring more than 30 tables of advocates, businesses, and non-profit organizations that offer programs and services related to the focus of this effort.

For more information, please visit www.PhillyKoinonia.org.

As part of the get to know the Sons of Ben series, we interviewed 3 of the Sons of Ben Elders (officers). Enjoy.

1. The #10, who despite his high salary has seen his performance decline down the stretch, has just clanged a penalty off of the post in stoppage time, the goal would have tied the game against your rival, what do you do?
• Dave Flagler - After I stopped crying? Probably yell at bit, then have a beer.
• Mark Dunfee - I'm still cheering for the team, gotta get that goal!
• Andrew Dillon - With the potential to be loud and vocal, and allow the players to hear us, I would start a chant in honor of #10, letting him know the SoB appreciate his efforts and he should not hang his head in shame.

2. What has led you to be so involved in the movement to bring MLS to Philadelphia?
• Dave Flagler - I see the passion that the sport evokes in places like DC and Toronto and I want our city to be a part of that. Judging the passion that Philadelphia shows for it's existing pro teams, I don't think an MLS club would be any different.
• Mark Dunfee - Beer-centric get-togethers
• Andrew Dillon - After offering my services to help materialize Bryan's idea for the SoB logo (aka The Jolly Franklin), my involvement kept increasing as I provided more and more input. Couple that with the opportunity to start something of this magnitude from square one, and having no prior involvement with a Major League Soccer supporter group.

3. Name one song that would provide a good tune to a supporters song
• Dave Flagler - "You'll Never Walk Alone!"
• Mark Dunfee - Oh man, I'm not musically-inclined (but uh, rhythmic). Freak on a Leash by Korn?
• Andrew Dillon - "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC

4. Mummers or Snoop?
• Dave Flagler - Drop it like it's hot.
• Mark Dunfee - I'm a suburban boy, never understood the Mummers. Gonna have to go with the D-O-double G.
• Andrew Dillon - Stringbands all the way.

5. Last night on Wife Swap, a Buckeye fan went ballistic when his stand-in wife hid the remotes. If Philadelphia FC were in the Final, and he was a fan, would it have been justified?
• Dave Flagler - Absolutely. There are some things you just don't do.
• Mark Dunfee - I'm hoping our fans will be smarter than to join a silly reality show. Plus, if he were a real fan he'd be at the game...
• Andrew Dillon - This situation would never happen, as the true fan would be AT the final cheering his team on until the final whistle. Plus, who actually watches Wife Swap?

Ethan Gomberg of Florida is a long-time soccer fan and the brains behind the wildly successful name of Philadelphia's Supporters Club. We chatted with him recently to get some insight.

What inspired the name Sons of Ben?

What can I say? Basically it came down to 3 things. Philly fans have a tradition of being...aggressive and ummm.. loud to uphold. Also, Brother Ben is probably the most famous resident of Philly ever. Plus he was a ladies man. Perfect for us. Finally, I thought we needed something different than a military like name (like Sam's Army, or Battalion or Brigade). Hence the Sons of Ben aka SoBs was born.

What has led you to be so involved in movements to bring MLS to places like Salt Lake and Philadelphia?

MLS expansion has always fascinated me. So I have always wanted to help out. Since I live far away from any MLS team and wanted to pick a team, I choose RSL. Another reason is I have a lot of friends in Utah as well. I helped them set up the first RSL fan website and that got me some nice perks and associations with MLS and the RSL front office.

But Philly is far closer to my heart. My family is all from there and I was raised in PA. I also went to Penn State. So there was already alot of love for Philly. My father played soccer at Philly Textile & Science, so got my love of soccer from him.

When I heard in 2005 that MLS was scouting for a stadium site in Bucks County (where my sister lives) I jumped in with both feet. Since then I have had a lot of fun bringing a lot of different types of soccer fans in Philly together for a common goal. MLS in Philly!

Name one song that would provide a good tune to a supporters song

Yankee Doodle?

Complete this rhyme

I am blind
And I am deaf
Of course I am
because I'm a ref

Last night on Wife Swap, a Buckeye fan went ballistic when his stand in wife hid the remotes. If Philadelphia FC were in the Final, and he was a fan, would it have been justified?

Violence against a spouse is never justified. But guess whats going to happen to my wife's Gilmore Girls collection?

Since MLS started in 1996, the fans have had different experiences based on the owner's view of traditional soccer fans. DC United has been successful on the field and in the stands and their management has had a huge role in both. Not only did they bring in great players, but they let the fans make the atmosphere by not drowning the atmosphere with piped in music. The result is a stadium filled with 16,000+ weekly who are soccer educated and chant and cheer all match long.

That is what the Sons of Ben want in Philadelphia. These are some of our hopes for the new team and relationship with management.

Philadelphia has been left without a Major League Soccer franchise for the first twelve seasons of the league's existence. A combination of factors seems to have worked against the effort to complete the Atlantic Seaboard foursome. The metro areas of Boston, New York City and Washington DC all had investors in place in 1995 in conjunction with natural grass stadia, while Philadelphia could have had interest, the artificial surfaces at the Vet and Franklin Field weren't conducive to the game, and both were already shared by multiple teams.

The league skyrocketed at the beginning with curious viewers joining the hard core fans. DC United opened in front of 30,000 plus fans on a cold night in April 1996, despite losing their three previous matches, including an absolute drubbing at the hands of Brian McBride's Crew at Ohio Stadium. Attendance is on a steady climb back up after a sharp drop. The league's business model is well thought out and teams are starting to realize profits in their soccer specific stadiums. Yet, even though Lincoln Financial Field was sold as a stadium that could host soccer, it has only hosted "events" and Jeffrey Lurie appears disinterested in bringing a team to his stadium.

Philadelphia is a huge market for youth and adult participation in soccer and though we know all too well that participation has yet to equal attendance for MLS teams, it does make the case that the sport at the grassroots level has taken hold. Quantifying the level of support for a franchise is difficult at best, but if one uses the big soccer forum activity as a guide, the Philadelphia market clearly outpaces all cities that have never been fortunate enough to have an MLS franchise. Combined with Philadelphians fierce loyalty towards all things Philly, you have the perfect storm of support and passion knocking at the door of Don Garber.

Philadelphia would complete the league's Atlantic Seaboard market penetration by having a franchise in each major city. There are pre-existing rivalries that would galvanize the new support and encourage travel between all four cities for away matches, further cementing the fantastic atmosphere that MLS supporters create in the stadiums. Imagine two thousand Philadelphia fans in Red Bull Park. Imagine the same number of New Yorkers in Philly. Philadelphians already travel to Mets games in good number, imagine a caravan and a dedicated seating for all Philadelphians and the noise we could create. The travel would be just as easy to DC's Poplar Point or RFK and United's fans travel in greater numbers than any supporters in the league.

Proof of the passion for soccer can be found locally with the Sons of Ben. Started in January 2007, the group has grown to over 350 members in just 6 months. The SoB's will be the fans standing and singing for the entire 90 minutes once a team arrives and have already appeared in Sports Illustrated and the UK's biggest soccer magazine, Four Four Two. Learn more or sign up at sonsofben.com.