Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - Where do people in your community gather or socialize?
  - How and where does your community access services (healthcare, transportation, educational services, etc.)?

Examples of activities and services: Shopping areas, schools and universities, libraries, parks, lakes, rivers, places of worship, healthcare services, public transport, local nonprofit organizations, etc.

Your response: While University City is part of West Philadelphia, Penn, Drexel, and other universities make it a point to set boundaries between themselves and the larger West Philadelphia community. In West Philly, there are gatherings in Clark Park and all down Baltimore street, but many students don't know about this. Most students tend to stick between the Pine & Chestnut and 33rd & 40th streets, the predominant locations of campuses. The shops between these blocks get the most service from my community

Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - What are the cultural bonds in your community?
  - If your community has a shared history, what is it?

Examples of cultural or historical interests: Religious groups, ethnic groups, languages, age groups, immigration status, historic or arts districts, etc.

Your response: The most common sense of belonging in my community is not to Philadelphia but to the University. I feel like not many students are that invested in Philadelphia's overall health and safety as a city because they see it as a stepping stone or simply a background for their college experience. Because of this, I think Penn, as one of the largest contribution of inhabitants of the city, breeds a certain ignorance in not making more of an effort to connect the Penn community to Philadelphia itself.

Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - Where are residents employed?
  - If there are environmental concerns in your community, what are they?

Examples of economic or environmental interests: Tourism industry, agricultural workers, mining town, manufacturing center, polluted natural resource, unemployment problem, etc.

Your response: As a student of the University of Pennsylvania, my relationship to the economic community around me is somewhat complicated. On one hand, I am part of University City and contribute directly to the book stores, food halls, and other associated services directed by Penn. Penn is one of the largest landowners in Philadelphia and also one of the largest employers, but beyond that there are many restaurants, stores, and shops that rely on either the university or its student base for business.

Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - What should politicians and/or map drawers know about your community?
  - What are the needs of your community?
  - Is there anything else you want to tell us about your community?

Examples of needs or concerns: Keep community in the same district or separate into multiple districts, shared policy concerns, need for a social service, relationship to other nearby communities, issues with current district lines

Your response: While a lot of students may not be in touch with the rest of the Philadelphia community, I do think that some students are very passionate and care about Penn's relation to Philly, as there is now a movement to encourage Penn to pay PILOTs and contribute back to the West Philly community. I am interested to see how the culture in the student community changes, and therefore, how voting priorities and engagement change, in the coming years.