WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Muslim students speak out
Terrorist attacks sparked resurgence of Islamophobia ESTHER YOON Deputy News Editor
In the weeks since the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris that killed at least 130 people, some of the Republican Party presidential candidates have lashed out
against Islam, making life especially uncomfortable for Americans who happen to be Muslim. In the heat of this political drama, with Republican candidates like Trump warning that Muslims pose a threat in the United States, what is it really like to live as a Penn student of Muslim faith in today’s contentious climate? For College sophomore Saadia
Akram, Islamic Education Co-Chair of the Penn Muslim Student Association, the toughest part of being a Muslim at Penn is simply not having enough people who understand Islam or the basic tenets of what Muslims truly believe. “While Penn is a diverse community, I still think people are simply just not educated about Muslims and Islam,”
Akram said. “This lack of education can seem rather alienating as a Muslim student.” On Dec. 7, GOP presidential candidate and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” SEE ISLAM PAGE 3
FREE SPEECH CONTESTED Open Expression Panel tackled race, safe spaces CHERRY ZHI Staff Reporter
The terms “safe space” and “trigger warning” are familiar to college students across the nation. In light of recent events on college
campuses like the University of Missouri and Yale University, several student groups at Penn organized an open panel to discuss the different — and often conflicting — aspects of open expression. The event, titled “Laws Without Morals Are Vain: Open Expression,” references Penn’s motto and questions the validity
of free speech inside and outside the classroom. As part of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemorative Symposium on Social Change, the event recognized Penn’s commitment to being an environment conducive to open discourse and debate. Panelists at the event also discussed whether steps need to be taken to ensure
that minority voices and interests are also heard and protected. Panelists included University of Pennsylvania Law School professors Anita Allen — who is also the vice provost for faculty — and Stephanos Bibas. Students on the panel included College senior Gina Dukes, co-founder of Students Organizing for Unity
Penn-bound conservative columnist threatened
SEE PANEL PAGE 3
Jump in CAPS funding reflects U.’s focus on mental health Funding has increased by 24 percent over the past 4 years
Central High student penned editorial criticizing racial justice protest
JENNA WANG Staff Reporter
SOPHIA LEPORTE Staff Reporter
When Central High School student Michael Moroz sat down before winter break to write an editorial for his school paper, The Centralizer, he only expected the article to reach a couple hundred views. He never foresaw that he would soon be receiving death threats for his work. Moroz, who will be attending Penn this fall, penned an argument against the protests for racial justice at the University of Missouri. The article was published next to an article supporting the protests. Both pieces were titled “Racism in Missouri.” “There’s a pattern in college campuses of protest movements forming,” Moroz said. “They’re calling for things like racial standards for professors getting hired, and diversity classes. I think those kind of infantilize the student body, so that prompted me to write the article.” In his piece, Moroz described Michael Brown as “at worst, justifiably killed, and at best, a thug.” He went on to refer to the demands of students protesting at Mizzou as “nonsensical.” After the article was published, it drew immediate reactions. Within a few days, the article became the second most viewed in the history
and Liberation; Wharton junior Colin Henderson, president of The Daily Pennsylvanian; and College and Wharton junior Jennifer Knesbach, president of the Penn College Republicans and co-chair of the Penn Political Coalition. “‘Safe space’ is an elastic term
DP FILE PHOTO
CAPS has seen steady increases in funding from the university with most of the funding going toward additional personnel.
KAYVON ON THE RISE PAGE 2
SEE COLUMNIST PAGE 5
FOLLOW US @DAILYPENN FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
Over the past four fiscal years, funding for Counseling and Psychological Services has seen a 24 percent leap, an increase that reflects Penn’s increased focus on mental wellness. Between fiscal years 2014 and 2016, the University increased CAPS funding by around $860,000. During this period, funding was increased more for CAPS than for
...the premed track is misaligned with what practicing medicine actually requires.”
almost any other area of the budget for student activities or services, said Vice President for Budget and Management Analysis Bonnie Gibson. “Almost every year, there have been requests for additional funding for CAPS, and almost every year, those requests have been granted,” Gibson said. The University determines funding for services like CAPS through an annual budgeting process. The school takes the budget from the previous fiscal year and typically SEE CAPS PAGE 6
PAIN AT THE PAVILION BACKPAGE
- Joe Tharakan
PAGE 4
ONLINE 7 DAYS A WEEK AT THEDP.COM