It’s official. I’m ready for winter in Philadelphia. I’ve unpacked my sweaters, scarves, gloves, and most importantly, my heavy down-filled jacket. I know what you’re thinking: “Give me a break! Philadelphia winters are not THAT cold!” Well, for someone that has spent their last two winters in Jordan, temperatures below 40 degrees are unbearable! That being said, I’m confronting the winter months head on! A little snow is not going to get me down! I laugh in the face of ice-covered sidewalks …Ok, so truthfully, my strategy for staying warm this winter is to stay inside as much as possible. Thankfully, Penn offers numerous speakers and lectures that are open to the public. Sometimes, these events feature free food! In case you don’t already know, graduate students love free food and will hunt it down like lions after a wildebeest! The Annenberg School for Communication is known for hosting a number of events each month that attract students from all over campus. On November 27, for instance, I am going to a lecture entitled, “Making News in the Era of Digital Information.” This lecture will be given by Dominic Boyer, a visiting scholar from Cornell University. Because I will be out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday, I’m going to unfortunately miss a talk entitled, “Off the Record, The Press, the Government, and the War over Anonymous Sources.” The speaker, Norman Pearlstine, is talking about his book on the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame’s identity. His work is considered controversial, so it should be a very interesting talk! I’m disappointed that I can’t make it. This talk is sponsored by the law school. Fortunately, events like these will keep me indoors, and hence, will enable me to stay warm. But I have to venture outside, I’m ready