The Pennsylvania Punch Bowl is a humor magazine published by students at the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1899.
In answer to a question about his advice for the young, University of Pennsylvania alumnus Ezra Pound refers to the Punch Bowl in a 1962 issue of The Paris Review. "In fact the University of Pennsylvania student Punchbowl used to have as its motto, "Any damn fool can be spontaneous."
The magazine was intermittently published during the twentieth century, appearing in only 70 of the years from 1899 to 1999. The magazine is currently printed three times a year, coming out at the end of each semester and when the students arrive at school in the fall.
In fall 2006, the magazine created a new website, which adds new humor pieces every day. In addition to its regular set of student columnists, the Punch Bowl features new contributors each Friday. Recurring pieces in the magazine and website include "Letter from Amy Gutmann" and "Pokémon University."
The Winter 2008 Issue - "The Racism Diversity Issue" - attracted attention and created a minor controversy on campus because of pieces inside that certain student groups saw as unfairly targeting or aiming a disproportionate number of jokes at certain racial groups., The University's campus newspaper later criticized these student groups for their overreaction to the issue. As a result of this minor ordeal and to better assuage the offended parties, the Punch Bowl made their Spring 2008 issue "43% less racist."
Famous quotes containing the words pennsylvania, punch and/or bowl:
“The Republican Party does not perceive how many his failure will make to vote more correctly than they would have them. They have counted the votes of Pennsylvania & Co., but they have not correctly counted Captain Brown’s vote. He has taken the wind out of their sails,—the little wind they had,—and they may as well lie to and repair.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“There are two kinds of fathers in traditional households: the fathers of sons and the fathers of daughters. These two kinds of fathers sometimes co-exist in one and the same man. For instance, Daughter’s Father kisses his little girl goodnight, strokes her hair, hugs her warmly, then goes into the next room where he becomes Son’s Father, who says in a hearty voice, perhaps with a light punch on the boy’s shoulder: “Goodnight, Son, see ya in the morning.””
—Letty Cottin Pogrebin (20th century)
“One bowl is quiet; two bowls will clang together.”
—Chinese proverb.