Meet Ben Plantan

A triple major in international relations, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, concentrating in Korean Studies, and Economics, Ben still finds time to help lead the International Relations Undergraduate Student Association and the Penn Outing Club to new and exciting places.

What made you choose the College?
"This is the only school that I applied to. I chose early decision to Penn primarily because I grew up in West Philly and my parents both work here. I have had a lot of exposure to the university and I've fallen in love with the place going to football games and cooking BBQ with Monroe's Ribs at Spring Fling. My dad works for the International Relations Program and because of that I got to tag along on study abroad programs, such as Penn in Leuven and Penn in Seoul, before I even came to Penn."

What did you think you would major in before arriving at Penn?
"I was pretty sure that I wanted to do international relations, mostly because I'm very widely-traveled and I've always had an interest in it. Since coming to Penn, I found a lot of interests through my coursework in economics and Korean studies, which I later added as majors. Kind of as a supplement to all of that, I'm pursuing a history minor. It's really just a result of exposure to excellent professors that I had in those fields. If you have the desire, you can make the schedule work."

What do you like most about being a student at Penn?
"I guess one of the best things about coming to a university like Penn is that you get exposed to amazing resources, including speakers that come to campus like Gorbachev, Clinton or even Erin Brockovich. Because Penn is a presitigious institution, you end up having exposure to programs, speakers and events that aren't available at other institutions where you can get a good education but you may not get the same access to such resources."

What was your favorite class at Penn and why?
"Oddly enough it wasn't a class that was in any of my majors. My favorite class is probably Contemporary Humans and Their Environment (BIOL 140) which is taught by Dan Janzen. He's a world-renowned scholar and a phenomenal man. His lectures were enthralling. There's not a lot people in the world that can give a two-hour slide presentation in a dark room in the morning and at the end of the lecture have a roomful of wide-awake students. It was really hard but probably one of the most enjoyable classes that I've taken."

How have you pursued your studies outside the classroom?
"I studied abroad in Korea at Yonsei University, an experience that definitely greatly enhanced my studies. I'm currently vice president of the International Relations Undergraduate Student Association. I'm also editing the Journal of International Relations. I also do things like the Penn Edison Partnership, which partners Penn students with high school students in Edison Fareira High School to work on their writing skills and college admissions. I'm also a member of the Kite and Key Society, which is a group that does a lot of interaction with alumni as well as participates in some community service projects from time to time. One of the things that I'm probably most involved in is the Penn Outing Club. We do everythng from camping and rock climbing to spelunking and kayaking."

What is so great about Philadelphia?
"I'm from Philadelphia! Everything is great about Philadelphia. The fact is that it's a wonderful city that unfortunately not enough Penn students take the time to really get to know. If you have the desire to leave campus and go do really interesting things, you can find a lot of things in Philadelphia that you wouldn't find in other places. I spent my whole life here. I think it says a lot that I only moved two miles away from home to go to college. I like to go down to the art galleries on Second Street. The museums in Philadelphia are first class. There's also great Latin and swing dancing."

What advice would you give to incoming students?
"Be adventurous, but all in moderation. This is a place where you can get an incredible education and have a good time while you're at it. I think you need to remember you're here for a life experience. You will come out of this school a better person if you do more things than sit home all of the time. Enjoy life and discover what it is about this place that makes it so attractive to everyone."

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