Maroons take Manhattan

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A far cry from Jimmy’s Woodlawn Tap—the dark, smoky, one-room bar many U of C students frequent—the New York City nightclub Strata has two floors, wood paneling, and candles glowing on every table.

But words like “Sosc” and “Hum” and names like Machiavelli and Leo Strauss could be heard at Strata last Friday night. Young alumni living in New York City had come for Phoenixphest, an annual event held in 14 cities—including Chicago, Houston, and London—that gathered graduates from the last 15 years to eat, drink, and network.

“It was a lot of fun, very good food and drinks,” said Matt Chin, AB’07, an economics major who is now a Citigroup analyst. Alumni crowded an open bar serving beer and wine and snagged miniature hamburgers, tiny crab cakes, and beef teriyaki from the roving waiters’ platters.

Abby Sheldon, AB’07, termed the event “very classy.” A math and French major, Sheldon works as a paralegal at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. Friday night she ran into some friends she hadn’t expected to see in New York and met some new people. She also realized that she missed Chicago.

“At the time I didn’t appreciate how much fun I was having,” she said, “and now I look back at it, and it was the best four years of my life.”

Jenny Fisher, AB'07

Photo: Phoenixphest 2007 brought together young alumni from 14 different cities.

October 3, 2007