January 28, 2016

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

’ GETS SMOKEY (JOE S)

WHERE IDENT IDEN ID DE D E NT I T Y

Wharton curriculum adapts to tech fields

IS

Changes will bring technology and finance closer ALIZA OHNOUNA Staff Reporter

Wall Street and Silicon Valley may be 2,562 miles apart, but at Penn, finance and tech are becoming increasingly intertwined. Eric Bradlow, a professor in the Marketing Department at the Wharton School, sees business strategy and technological competency, particularly in the way of data science, as inextricably linked skills for jobs in the modern economy. “People that can take statistical modeling and big data and turn it into corporate strategy — that’s what firms are looking for today,” he said. Bradlow cited recent changes that Wharton has made in its curriculum to keep up with the needs of the changing job market. Wharton re-named its Operations and Information Management Department (OPIM), the Operations, Information and Decision Department (OID). This department offers more than just a new acronym. It seeks to rigorously blend computerbased data analytics and business management SEE WHARTON PAGE 6

Schuylkill cleanup continues days after spill

Deaf, ASL students find lack of recognition in Wharton policies VIBHA KANNAN Deputy News Editor

OVERLOOKED As her teammates lowered their hands to signal the rugby play, College senior Sophia Hu moved towards the ball. An American Sign Language interpreter stood nearby to sign the coach’s instructions. After she made a goal, Hu turned towards her teammates to be greeted with a sea of hands in the air, twisting side to side — it was the ASL sign for applause. “One of my rugby teammates had been learning ASL and she told the rest of the team to do that,” Hu said. “One of the most heartfelt gestures that someone can make towards a Deaf person is showing interest in ASL and their culture.” When Hu and College senior Connor McLaren first stepped onto Locust Walk four years ago, they were the first signing Deaf students

to enter Penn in over 15 years. Both Hu and McLaren had gone to mainstream, hearing schools for most of their lives. However, when it came to choosing a college, both considered hearing and Deaf schools. “My mom and I actually visited Penn before I even applied. We talked to Student Disability Services, and they gave us a tour of their interpreters, CART services and all those things,” Hu said, referencing Penn’s Communication Access Realtime Translation service that provides note takers to transcribe lectures. She was impressed with the resources and decided to apply to Penn a few months later. “I think the disabilities office ended up spending more time with my mom than me when we visited

MITCHELL CHAN Senior Reporter

SEE OIL SPILL PAGE 2

‘Something that is part of my identity’ Despite their involvement in other activities on campus, both students found a community in each other and other students interested in ASL. Hu a nd McLa ren con nected

with each other before coming to campus through Student Disability Services. Once they entered Penn, they both became involved in Pennin-Hand, an ASL club. Through silent dinners, ASL sessions and social events, Hu and McLaren met students who were interested in the Deaf community. Both of them identify as culturally deaf, or Deaf with a capital “D,” which refers to physical hearing loss as well as the culture that accompanies deafness. Deaf students like Hu and McLaren not only face a physical barrier but also a cultural divide. Morevover, socially, both Hu and McLaren still face communication barriers. “If I go to a party, sometimes I’ll SEE DEAF PAGE 7

Former Philadelphia Mayor Nutter to teach at Columbia

4,200 gallons of oil spilled into the river in gas tank leak on Monday

Cleanup efforts in University City are still underway following an oil spill in the Schuylkill River on Monday. While much of the oil has been removed from the river, land cleanup is projected to continue throughout the week. The spill occurred near the Chestnut Street Bridge at a facility owned by telecommunications firm CenturyLink, located at 2400 Market Street. Following a malfunction in an emergency generator, a gas tank in the facility leaked 4,200 gallons of heating oil, of which about 250 gallons spilled into the Schuylkill River and onto the river’s banks, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a press release. Bystanders in the area recalled seeing large amounts of what looked like “red dye” in the

because she was so worried,” Hu said, chuckling. However, despite the strength of Penn’s academic resources, Deaf students still face many social barriers that the University is unable to bridge. Some students also say that the awareness of deafness on campus is still limited due to certain administrative policies. Wharton remains the only undergraduate school with a language requirement that cannot be satisfied by ASL.

Nutter’s term as mayor ended on Jan. 4 MITCHELL CHAN Senior Reporter

COURTESY OF AD MESKENS/CREATIVE COMMONS

Although a Wharton alumnus, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter will be turning to Columbia to teach courses on professional practice in urban policy.

CLASSROOM CULTURE

DP ARCHIVED

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Former Philadelphia mayor and 1979 Wharton graduate Michael Nutter is now the newest faculty member at Columbia University. After eight years at City Hall, Nutter will begin teaching this semester as a professor of professional practice in urban policy at Columbia’s renowned School of International and Public Affairs. The Columbia appointment comes

… it was heartening to see a prepared and well-executed effort by the University…”

shortly after the completion of Nutter’s second term as mayor of Philadelphia, which ended on Jan. 4. Nutter, who grew up in West Philadelphia, graduated from Wharton in 1979 with a concentration in management. While at Penn, he worked as a DJ in a local nightclub and was part of the Friars Senior Society. Throughout the years, Nutter has maintained strong ties to his alma mater, including speaking at a Penn Democrats event in September 2014. During that event, he recalled that SEE NUTTER PAGE 6

LET’S PLAY TWO BACK PAGE

- Daily Pennsylvanian Editorial

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