January 24, 2017

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

CAROLINE LU | DESIGN ASSOCIATE

NEC adds seats for under- or misrepresented student groups Election process occurs over the course of an entire semester ESHA INDANI Staff Reporter

Last Friday, the Nominations and Elections Committee opened applications for nine seats on the University Council to student groups at Penn that feel mis- or underrepresented.

Opening this number of seats on the University Council to representatives of these groups has become a customary practice for the NEC over the years. A semester-long election process is held annually to fill the seats. In the past, these seats have been allocated to student organizations such as the 5B — umbrella organizations that represent minority groups on campus — and the Penn Association for Gender Equity.

Vice Chair for Nominations and College senior Samantha Rahmin said the importance of these seats lies in the voice that they lend to groups at Penn that have issues they feel need to be addressed.

“It’s my personal belief that if you come to SEE NEC PAGE 3

LEGENDARY CANCER RESEARCHER DIES PAGE 2

Penn may lose funding for use of the term ‘sanctuary campus’ MADELEINE LAMON Deputy News Editor

“If I am an MCAT test-taker before anything else then I must admit I have my priorities in the wrong order.”

Penn could stand to lose millions of dollars of state funding due to its adoption of the label “sanctuary campus” last semester.

On Nov. 30, Penn joined the ranks of numerous colleges and universities that have declared themselves to be “sanctuary campuses.” Many schools have not adopted this label because of its relative lack of legal significance. This label could also have negative repercussions for schools within Penn that receive large amounts of state funding.

“A sanctuary, either a city or a campus, is a symbolic label to say that the University stands with undocumented students

and wants to protect their right to an education and that they can learn freely,” Amada Armenta, assistant professor of sociology said.

In December 2016, state Rep. Jerry Knowles (R-Pa.) declared his intention to introduce a bill which would cut off state funding to self-declared “sanctuary campuses” if they refuse to fully cooperate with the federal government.

If approved, House Bill 14 would withhold funding to institutions that refuse to provide the information of undocumented students to the federal government, direct their staff to not cooperate with the federal authorities or fail to allow federal agents

on campus wit hout a war rant. The bill currently has over 30 co-sponsors from both parties.

This legislation threatens to cut off millions in state funding to Penn if passed.

Ac c ord i ng to t he Un iversity’s Office of Budget and Management Analysis, Penn received SEE FUNDING PAGE 3

- Joe Tharakan PAGE 4

TORGERSEN’S TIME TO SHRINE

What’s in your dining hall burger?

Penn Dining classifies all of their meat as “humane” CATHERINE DE LUNA Staff Reporter

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DP FILE PHOTO

In general, Bon Appétit only gets meat from animals that were treated humanely, meaning the animals were not raised in confined spaces.

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Every day hundreds of students file in and out of dining halls, most of them consuming some type of meat. But where exactly is this meat coming from?

Penn Dining works with Bon Appétit Management Company to both purchase and cook the cuisine served in dining halls and retail locations.

They classify all of their meat as “humane.”

In order to give their products this label, Bon Appétit uses third-party verification. Each meat industry, from poultry to beef, is radically different and these third parties act as checks on the inside workings of each specific company that campus food comes from.

“We are not necessarily the experts in raising and all that, so we look to third party experts to tell us what we should be buying or who is doing it the best,” Bon Appétit Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Daniel Connolly said.

The third parties used vary for each specific meat industry and can be found on Bon Appétit’s website.

Generally, Bon Appétit gets their meat from animals that have not been raised in confined spaces or given antibiotics or water additives.

Resident District Manager of Bon Appétit Stephen Scardina emphasized that there are restrictions to provide quality control at a higher level of purchasing. This assures that Bon Appétit, and subsequently Penn Dining, is adhering to its sustainable goals.

“When our chefs go to purchase, they are restricted based on these SEE DINING PAGE 2

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Graduate students can shape their government A new class is available to help redesign GAPSA NATALIE KAHN Staff Reporter

A new graduate class at Penn will give students the chance to redesign their student government — the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly.

Called “Applications of Systems Thinking and Design Methodologies: Emergent Governance Models,” the class is run through the College of Liberal and Professional Studies’ Organizational Dynamics program.

Coursework will culminate with the class presenting their final design to GAPSA. GAPSA president Gaurav Shukla clarified that GAPSA is not holding this course to stop itself from any sort of impending implosion. In fact, he said it’s quite the opposite. Because GAPSA is celebrating its 10-year

anniversary, this seemed a fitting time to re-assess the effectiveness of its structures that have been in place a decade.

“Every system has a life cycle,” the course’s professor, John Pourdehnad said. Pourdehnad is an affiliated faculty member of Organizational Dynamics. “GAPSA has been in place for many years while everything around it has been changing.”

Pourdehnad said that it’s possible that members of the class could design GAPSA in the same way as it already exists. In that case, he said, it would prove GAPSA’s current structure best suits its purpose.

Shukla illuminated another problem that the class could ameliorate — graduate students often become pigeonholed in their own departments and research, such that they seldom regard their graduate student community on a grand scale. Pourdehnad

stated that the course could involve more students in following GAPSA, the government that’s supposed to work in their interest.

“By definition, GAPSA is every graduate and professional student at Penn,” GAPSA finance chair Paul Welfer reminded.

“This is a student government; this is self-governance. It needs positive feedback loops that engage the overall constituency.”

The class also has larger aims, Pourdehnad said. Although student governments act in the interest of those they govern, he said, insiders such as the GAPSA executives need feedback mechanisms to see how their actions affect those on the periphery.

Governance then becomes, to Pourdehnad, a conflict of “doing the right thing and doing the thing right.” He said that holding this class is a way to determine if GAPSA is “doing the right thing.”

Pourdehnad relayed a quote from one of his professors while he was a graduate student at the Wharton School: “The righter you do the wrong thing, the wronger you become.”

This new class is not limited to students studying Organizational Dynamics. Although students need permits to take the class, Welfer hopes that it pulls from across all 12 graduate schools.

“Anyone who is a stakeholder has the requisite knowledge to design a better system,” Welfer said.

Welfer added the significance of the course in the School of Arts and Sciences’ mission to “bridge theory and practice” in the classroom.

“You have the opportunity for the academic and the applied real world to synergistically meet and result in a renewed GAPSA,” he said. “This is not just aspirational dreaming but actually building a better community.”

PETER RIBEIRO | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

This class will allow GAPSA to receive feedback on their effectiveness of the structures they already have in place.

Penn Med alumnus and legendary cancer researcher dies at 88

Nowell identified genetics as a cause of cancer HALEY SUH Staff Reporter

Peter C. Nowell, a former Penn professor and 1952 graduate of the School of Medicine who revolutionized cancer research, died at the age of 88 on Dec. 26 in Newtown Square, PA. He died from complications from Alzheimer’s disease, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Nowell’s work helped identify genetics as a viable cause of cancer for the first time. His discovery fueled years of scientific research that eventually led to the creation of Gleevec — a drug that transformed chronic myeloid leukem ia from a deathly disease to a chronic one

that could be kept under control for a long time.

Together with David A. Hungerford, who at the time was a graduate student at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Nowell discovered the “Philadelphia chromosome,” one of the 46 chromosomes that is abnormally short in every patient with chronic myeloid leukemia.

The two scientists’ discovery led to two major realizations.

The first was that genetic change was an important factor in cancer development. The second was that cancer could form from a single cell that had the abnormality.

Despite the monumental implications of his findings, many resisted Nowell’s study at first.

During the time of his discovery in the late 1950s, few scientists

believed that flawed genes could cause cancer. Most believed viruses to be the cause.

“If you look back at the history of cancer research and advancement, back to the 1950s, very little was known about the mechanism that really stimulated cancer,” Penn professor and director of the Abramson Cancer Center Chi Van Dang said. “[Nowell caused] a major shift in the thinking that cancer was caused by the DNA sequence within the cells.”

Nowell was eventually recognized for his contributions to cancer research. He received the Lasker Award, widely k nown as t he A mer ica n Nobel, in 1998. At Penn, he was awarded the School of Medicine’s highest honor, the Distinguished Graduate Award, as well as the Lindback Award

for Distinguished Teaching, and the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Award of Merit.

He served as the Gaylord P. and Mary Louise Harnwell Emeritus Professor and former Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laborator y Medicine at Penn Medicine from 1967-1973. He was also the first director of the Penn Cancer Center, now known as the Abramson Cancer Center.

“He was always a revered pioneer here,” Dang said. “We always really proudly tell everyone that the cancer center [at Penn] started with the first director being Dr. Peter Nowell.”

His colleagues at Penn remembered Nowell as a scholar who remained modest and stayed true to his professions of being a scientist and a professor.

“He had very little interest in administration and little interest in anything but his teaching, his research and his family, he was a very admirable individual.”

“He was seen as someone who was full of ideas,” David Roth, a

DINING

>> PAGE 1

standards. They can go to our different suppliers, but they will only see the product that meets the company’s specification,” Scardina assured.

In addition to working with these third-party verifiers, Bon Appétit has a governing company called Foodbuy, which does quality assurance inspections on specific operations to make sure standards are met.

“We take it very seriously,” Scardina said resolutely.

These specifications are especially important when it comes to buying and serving food in bulk.

University spokesperson Barbara Lea-Kruger mentioned this as a core reason for Penn and Bon Appétit’s partnership.

ZACH SHELDON | SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR

Nowell received the Lasker Award, the School of Medicine’s Distinguished Graduate Award and the Penn Alumni Award of Merit.

Penn professor and director of the Penn Center for Precision Medicine, said. “He liked to take walks around the biopond

with faculty or trainees … was an incredible mentor, and just a really good guy. He [was] seen as scientist’s scientist.”

“We [found that we] could serve lots of meals in a sustainable and humane way … it is possible to do this.”

Lea-Kruger also emphasized Bon Appétit’s focus on farmworkers’ rights. The company works with various farmer advocacy groups, such as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, to insure acceptable working conditions.

In terms of connections to campus organizations, Penn Dining’s and Bon Appétit’s relationship with the Penn Vegan Society is longstanding. They work together to “veganize” dining options.

“We have always insured that there are choices for the veganvegetarian population,” Scardina explained. “It actually ties into our company culture.”

Even with this extensive

process, some Penn students are skeptical of the “humane” label.

College freshman and vegan Mavis Athene U Chen expressed her views on dining hall meat.

“It is kind of weird that way because you are still eating [animals],” she said. “I guess if [Penn Dining] is making a conscious effort to do that [be sustainable], it is better than not doing anything.”

U Chen thinks that there are better ways to publicize how Penn Dining acquires its food. She mentioned Sweetgreen’s practice of listing the source of their ingredients and thinks Penn Dining could do something similar.

In response to student concerns, Lea-Kruger said, “We are really open to student suggestions … I feel like our students really don’t feel like they can do that.”

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How Penn reacted to former professor’s arrest Rafael Robb was released from prison on Jan. 7 ALEX RABIN Staff Reporter

As rush reaches its conclusion and coursework begins to intensify, the spring semester appears to start off like any other, save for one bizarre and ominous twist — the former Penn professor who killed his wife in 2006 just walked free from prison.

Rafael Robb, a former Penn Economics professor, was released from prison on Jan. 7 after serving 10 years behind bars for the killing of his wife.

Few on Penn’s campus can recall the tragic events that stunned the University a decade ago. Even fewer are willing to speak openly about them.

The Daily Pennsylvanian reached out to the former

NEC

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me saying you’re mis- and underrepresented, you are mis- and underrepresented and deserve to have a seat on the council,” Rahmin said.

In the past, groups have used their seats to push through projects such as the Muslim Student Association’s initiative to have halal food in a dining hall at Penn.

College senior Brianna Krejci, who previously served as a PAGE representative on the University Council, said that the NEC was integral to facilitating communication between the school administration and the student body.

“I think they are an essential part of the process,” Krejci said. “You need a body to put some order on the process of being on the University Council.”

The NEC receives numerous applications every year that they assess on what they call “A to J” criteria. These selection guidelines consider factors that stretch beyond the basic characterization of being mis- or underrepresented. The NEC also considers, for example, what issues the group could bring to the University Council in the coming academic year.

In addition to the nine primary undergraduate seats chosen by the NEC, the committee also negotiates with the Undergraduate Assembly to allocate the remaining three “flex seats” to groups they feel had strong applications and clear agendas.

In past years, the NEC has often found it difficult to coordinate effectively with the UA to designate these flex seats to student representatives. Vice Chair for Nominations and Wharton sophomore Caleb Carter said that this was due to the lack of an official process to determine how the seats should be allocated.

UA Com mu n icat ion s Director Michael Krone confirmed in an email that these flex seats “can be allocated by

Economics Department head and eight professors who taught economics at the time. Only one agreed to an interview.

Ellen Gregory Robb’s body was found on Dec. 22, 2006, shortly after she had initiated the process of divorce. Although her husband initially claimed innocence, the police arrested him the next month.

“I would say the police immediately considered him a suspect,” Economics professor Petra Todd said. “Since I live in the suburbs, I thought it highly unlikely that someone would break in and murder this woman, so I suspected that it was him from the very beginning.”

Many Penn professors, however, viewed the situation differently.

“Some faculty thought he was innocent,” Todd explained. “For

the UA or the NEC depending on the conditions that year.”

He went on to say that the UA and NEC work together and take into account a number of considerations to ensure that the final allocation best represents the undergraduates on the UC. “In the past two years it has gone poorly,” Carter said. “There is no guideline in the Penn Student Government constitution to say how the three seats should be allocated.”

Krone pointed out that rather that there is no unifying PSG constitution, only ones for individual branches, like the UA constitution available on the UA website. It does not outline a process for designating flex seats.

Carter added that the difficulties faced in the negotiations process between the NEC and the UA were due to the conflicting goals of the two groups.

“I guess there are competing tensions,” Carter said.

“We aim to have the maximum representation of the underrepresented, whereas the UA wants to represent by majority.”

Carter and Rahmin also said that while a seat on the University Council would allow a representative to speak during meetings, there are other ways for groups to get involved with both the council and the NEC, regardless of whether they are allocated a seat on the council.

The NEC holds pre-meetings before every University Council session that are open to all undergraduates. These sessions provide an opportunity for groups without seats on the council to familiarize themselves with the council’s agenda and voice concerns that could be presented on their behalf by a representative of a group who holds a seat.

“We want them to have an impact,” Carter said. “That means we’re doing our job well.”

COURTESY OF MATT ROURKE

Economics professor Petra Todd notes that before his arrest, former prof. Rafael Robb seemed like a normal, friendly person.

he was friendly,” Todd said.

“Sometimes, he actually did nice things. We had a student who needed to buy some data, and he paid for her data. It was a couple thousand dollars ... and he just did it voluntarily. He seemed like a normal person.”

“He was always approachable [and] accommodating. I was really astonished,” Seungha Ku, a College junior at the time, told the DP in 2007.

Todd said that disagreement over Robb’s potential guilt discouraged discussion of the topic in the Economics Department for much of the year.

An expert in game theory, Robb made a shrewd calculation in 2008 by pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter, which carried a sentence of five to 10 years in prison, instead of continuing to plead not guilty to first and third-degree murder

charges, for which he could have spent life in prison, according to a 2008 article in the DP. Todd described the atmosphere in the department as one of “relief” after Robb’s conviction.

“It’s nice to know exactly what happened and to have the truth out,” she said.

“He seemed like a normal person, so it’s really hard to predict that something like this would happen,” Todd said.

“Each person has different aspects of their life. There’s the professional life and the personal life, and the person might be very different in their professional life and be able to function fine, even though they’re having tons of problems in their personal life.

“Obviously he had a lot of problems in his personal life, but we didn’t see that,” she said.

some people, it was a surprise when he admitted it a year later.”

Todd said that Robb had many friends among Penn faculty.

Some professors even visited him in prison and attended his wife’s funeral before he pleaded

guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

After Robb’s arrest, professors and students alike struggled to grasp the true identity behind Robb’s familiar face on campus.

“He was not super social but

FUNDING

However, the organization does not support the proposed legislation that could punish and defund sanctuary campuses.

“From a legal perspective, sanctuary campus is a meaningless term, so these actions by legislators achieve nothing except the further inflammation of tensions,” he said in an email. “We strongly oppose the defunding (or funding) of universities and their teaching and research on a partisan basis.”

Other institutions across the nation have chosen to reject the label.

In a meeting in early December, Harvard University president Drew Faust announced that her university would not label itself as a “sanctuary ABBY GRAHAM | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER campus.” She criticized the designation as lacking in legal Penn faces potential loss of state funding as a result of its use of Houseand Bill Double 14 is approved. significance and argued that the term “sanctuary Flexiblecampus” Leasing •if Single Rooms • “it risks drawing special attenIndividual Leases • All Amenities and Utilities Included tion to the students in ways that Penn has also been criticized the real problems,” Armenta could put their status in greater by state Rep. Andy Harris (R- said.

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Md.), who announced federal “The problem is not that some 215.662.0802 Pennsylvania State Univer- legislation which would cut off universities have chosen to make sity, which depends heavily upon federal funding to “sanctuary” public declarations Email in support state funding, chose not to desig- universities. of their undocumented students nate itself a “sanctuary campus” “I think it’s incredibly disap- AxisLeasing@AltmanCo.com — the problem is that we have late last year. Penn State Presi- pointing that representatives so many undocumented students Stop in dent Eric Barron warned that the spend their time threatening because Congress has refused South 36thimmigration Street term is “ambiguous” holds universities don’t likeRooms to 20 pass sensible Flexibleand Leasing • Singlewhen andthey Double • “no legal validity.” their politics, rather than fixing reform for decades,” she said.

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$31.514 million in state funding in the 2016 fiscal year and $32.927 million in the 2017 fiscal year. State funding represented less than 1 percent of the University’s overall budget in 2017, but the consequences would fall disproportionately on some schools rather than others. For instance, losing state funding could badly hurt Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

Penn Vet is supposed to receive nearly $30 million in state funding for the 2017 fiscal year, which represents 22 percent of its the annual budget.

Office of University Communications Vice President, Stephen MacCarthy, declined to comment on the subject beyond Penn President Amy Gutmann’s original email. Penn Vet also declined to comment on the topic.

In addition, the School of Dental Medicine and the Perelman School of Medicine could lose $527,000 and $2.7 million respectively in state funding.

In a statement posted on his website on Jan. 10, Knowles specifically referenced Penn’s adoption of the sanctuary label.

“It is my belief that the schools declaring themselves sanctuary campuses are blatantly disregarding federal law and thumbing their noses at the taxpayers of Pennsylvania,” the statement read.

Last fall, College Republicans also criticized the use of this label.

Following Gutmann’s announcement, t he College Republicans’ official Facebook page linked to a DP article covering the announcement, captioning their post with the hashtag, #NotMyPresident.

“President Gutmann’s decision to declare Penn a ‘sanctuary campus’ was disappointing,” Owen O’Hare, the political director of College Republicans, said in an emailed statement. ”‘Sanctuary campus’ is a purely symbolic term which offers undocumented students no meaningful protections against lawful action by immigration officials.”

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No one handles the settlement/judgement for my case.

DEAL WITH ME. Case #209-cv-05846-LP for me.

Francis “Hank” P. Madden Jr. 1. There is nothing mentally wrong with me.

2. No one has power of attorney for me.

3. No one handles my money or is my payee. A judge signed a judgement in federal court, a judgement YOU SWITCHED, GOT CAUGHT, AND WENT TO JAIL. 4. The amount at the time was $500 TRILLION plus penalties and interest with the federal laws. BAD FAITH CLAIMS. No one is my lawyer, deal with me.

5. I will not give any money or percent to any group, anyone, any government, or any college.

6. I did not give anyone the right to handle anything for me, take anything from me, or make any medical decision for me.

7. I DO NOT WORK FOR ANYONE and no one is my agent for sports.

8. I DID NOT SIGN OVER ANYTHING I RECEIVED FROM MY PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A CENT YET. 9. I have changed addresses since the judgement.

Hankfpm9@gmail.com

4

OPINION

A risky situation STRANGER THAN FICTION | Confronting sexual assault on campus

TUESDAY JANUARY 24, 2017 VOL. CXXXIII, NO. 7 133rd Year of Publication CARTER COUDRIET President DAN SPINELLI Executive Editor LUCIEN WANG Print Director ALEX GRAVES Digital Director ALESSANDRO VAN DEN BRINK Opinion Editor SYDNEY SCHAEDEL Senior News Editor WILL SNOW Senior Sports Editor CHRIS MURACCA Design Editor CAMILLE RAPAY Design Editor JULIA SCHORR Design Editor RONG XIANG Design Editor VIBHA KANNAN Enterprise Editor GENEVIEVE GLATSKY News Editor TOM NOWLAN News Editor ALLY JOHNSON Assignments Editor

Year after year, stories reach the news about sexual assault on college campuses across the US. Yet, my response remains different than the narratives I see presented by the media. I’m shocked, but not surprised. I say this, not because I subscribe to a “boys-will-be-boys” ideology, but because I cannot help but consider the ways social forces play a role in creating this epidemic of sexual assault.

Whenever I see a fraternity or a sports team in the news, I begin to think about group polarization. Group polarization is a psychological phenomenon defined as the “tendency for a group to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of its members.” So, if individuals, who hold morally questionable views on their own, band together, it is likely that these views will become even more polarized.

This phenomenon was initially studied by MIT student James Stoner in 1961.

He called the phenomenon “Risky Shift” because he noticed that the decisions of a group were riskier than those

of lone individuals. This theory has been empirically demonstrated on multiple other occasions by social psychologists over the last 50 years.

One notable example is known commonly as the “Stanford Prison Experiment.” In 1971, Dr. Philip Zimbardo created an experiment in which students at Stanford University were assigned to be prisoners or guards. The actions the “guards” ended up committing towards the “prisoners” were morally unconscionable and completely unexpected given that, only two days prior, most of the students considered themselves friends.

Zimbardo’s take-away was to heed the “power of the situation” through grouping that enabled these malicious behaviors.

When I consider the significance of this phenomenon in relation to sexual assault on campuses, it becomes shockingly unsurprising. If you put a large group of young men in a house and fill them with alcohol, it makes sense that disgusting behaviors will start to show.

According to the theory behind group polarization, the decisions that groups choose to make will become increasingly risky and polarized towards the pre-existing beliefs held by a majority of the group. If separately, members

definition could be applied to administrations addressing the problem of sexual asault at their schools.

Part of the reason we continue to see misogynistic acts perpetrated by men in fraternities, as well as acts of

Rather than disbanding fraternities and similar organizations, consider including a diverse range of perspectives when forming them.” were to consider disrespecting women even somewhat acceptable, then as a group they will likely be even more accepting of such a culture and the actions that it manifests.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Since we continue to see incidents of sexual assault occur on college campuses, it is becoming increasingly clear that this

cruel punishment commonly referred to as hazing in group organizations, is because of the social structures which bring together these individuals. If they consider these acts even remotely appropriate, they will continue to exist without any consideration of the effects of their unregulated existence.

It is not currently appropriate to expect or call for a full

dissolution of fraternities or organizations of like-minded individuals. However, I think it is crucial that the dialogues we have in response to these incidents consider more of the social forces at play.

We should recognize that the situations people are placed in have a vast impact on their actions. Lest we allow these social forces to push us to depths we never considered imaginable as a society, we must be critical of the power the situations we put ourselves in have over us.

One possible solution to counteract the potential for negative social influence would be to surround oneself with people with dissenting views. Integrate this into the membership of organizations.

Promote the idea of always having a devil’s advocate in some capacity.

Rather than disbanding fraternities and similar organizations, consider including a diverse range of perspectives when forming them.

If all those perspectives are involved in decision-making processes and given the power to dissent, the potential for the

MIKE PALAMOUNTAIN social forces like group polarization to manifest negative outcomes can be mitigated.

We may not be able to completely extinguish the threat of sexual assault on college campuses. But if we begin to examine the institutions that affect the actions of the perpetrators, along with efforts such as teaching perpetrators never to act this way in the first place, we may be able to take another step in fully combating it.

M I K E P A L A M O U N TA I N is a College senior from Philadelphia, studying psychology. His email address is mpal@sas.upenn.edu.

“Stranger Than Fiction” usually appears every other Tuesday.

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CUP O’JOE | A common goal, without satisfaction

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For the last month, whenever someone has asked me, “What are you up to?” I’ve always given them the same reply: “I’m studying for the MCAT.” God only knows how many conversations I’ve defaulted to that lazy small talk.

Sitting for the MCAT is a notable event that many students study several months for. It requires a significant amount of time and effort to prepare for, more than most things a college student does at any given time.

It makes sense that I think about it a lot.

Perhaps I shouldn’t think about it so much. When I’m on my deathbed I won’t be thinking about this test.

And an unhealthy obsession over school and jobs and careers and the elusive goal of “professional success” is symptomatic of an unfulfilling life.

Every time I am given an open-ended conversation starter like, “How are you?” or “How is your semester going?” I automatically,

albeit subconsciously and unwillingly, inform them that I’m taking the MCAT soon. This test is no longer a thing I sit for and then leave behind. For better or for worse, I now define myself as an MCAT test-taker.

What a sad life to lead, where a standardized test not only dominates my time, but also my thoughts away from it. Where it creeps into my social life and haunts my everyday interactions. Where I am compelled to sneak in that one sentence to everyone from close friends to casual acquaintances.

I’m sure I’m not the only one on this campus anxious about his or her upcoming MCAT or LSAT or GRE or interviews or grad school applications. We are Penn students and we care about our future careers — that’s why we go to a university like this in the first place.

We all want the best chance at success we can get. You certainly won’t see me complaining about that or try-

ing to get in anyone’s way.

But there is a tendency among the students of this campus to never leave school or careers behind.

Or to obsess about OCR or some internship or club elections or every 0.01 fluc-

taker before anything else then I must admit I have my priorities in the wrong order. If there are any premeds out there who spend more time thinking about medical school admissions than thinking about healing

This test is no longer a thing I sit for and then leave behind. For better or for worse, I now define myself as an MCAT test-taker.” tuation in our GPAs. Hence, our reputation as an overly pre-professional school.

A school so ridiculously hyper-competitive that our student-run clubs have multiple interview stages.

A school so cutthroat that there have been 12 suicides in the past four years.

If I am an MCAT test-

the sick, then you also have your priorities in the wrong order. If there are any prelaw students out there more excited to go to a T-14 school than to fight for truth, justice and fairness, then you also have your priorities in the wrong order.

This list can go on forever.

I imagine many on this

campus were obsessed with SAT scores and GPAs and having the perfect combination of extracurriculars as they were applying to Penn.

But in retrospect, how often do you think about those things now? Do you plan on telling your grandchildren the heroic story of how you got an A-minus instead of a B-plus?

You, by virtue of being a Penn student, are already professionally successful.

How many high schoolers spend their days dreaming of attending a university like this? Still, I imagine that all across this campus we are dealing with the same problems we were before — a chronic and lingering feeling that we are not good enough, that we do not measure up in the dimensions of life by which we judge ourselves.

The lesson I am trying to impart to you, after God knows how many practice passages and flashcards, is that professional success, while a good thing to have,

JOE THARAKAN is not a worthwhile goal on its own. It is merely a means to an end. A fulfilling life, one with meaning and purpose and pride, uses academic skills and extracurricular experiences for some higher calling.

Perhaps that won’t get you the highest GPA or score or into the best firm, but you’ll feel a lot better when you get there.

JOE THARAKAN is a College senior from The Bronx, N.Y., studying Biological Basis of Behavior. His email address is jthara@sas.upenn.edu. “Cup o’Joe” usually appears every other Tuesday.

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017

NEWS 5

6 SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Quakers’ bench is making key contributions W. HOOPS | Team depth

coming in handy with loss of Lauren Whitlatch GRIFF FITZSIMMONS Staff Reporter

If you rode I-195 all the way up to the Jersey Shore, you’d find yourself at a small private school by the name of Monmouth University. If it sounds familiar, maybe you’re remembering their men’s basketball team, whose bench went viral last year because of their eccentric and elaborate celebrations.

That’s a bench that got a lot of press. Here’s one that might deserve more: Penn women’s basketball, a bench whose depth will be tested like never before after a last-m inute change to move junior guard

SHRINE GAME >> PAGE 8

His strong practice performances earned him the starting position for Saturday’s game, an epic defensive battle that ended with a 10-3 loss for the East. While under center, the Penn senior made four completions on seven attempts for 44 passing yards. Even still, commentators continued to be wooed by him. *** “My biggest takeaway was just knowing that I can play with guys from bigger schools and upper level divisions,� he said. “That was something that I thought was going to be my biggest issue coming in, adjusting to the speed of the game.

This week showed me that I’m capable of doing that.�

Armed with newfound confidence, Torgersen returns to Philadelphia with renewed

Beth Brzozowski into the starting lineup.

The first thing you should know about Penn’s reserve squad, however, is that it’s got as much heart as any team in the nation. “You always have to be ready to go, you always have to be excited,� said Deja Jackson, a sophomore who’s logged about 20 minutes on the season thus far, and hungry for more.

Because she wants to play?

Sure. But more importantly because she wants to make a difference, she wants to see Penn win. And until her name is called, she’s doing her part from the sidelines. “You want to make sure there isn’t a dull moment on the bench; it keeps the energy going, especially when we’re on defense. It’s really annoying when other people have to

guard us and we’re just yelling at them the whole time.�

Princess Aghayere, the sophomore on whom everyone has had their eyes trained since her breakout game against UC Riverside over winter break, is another substitute who has been fighting to earn her time on the court since day one. “I think it was her time and I think it was her turn,� he remarked. “We were determined when we went out to California to start playing this bench. I probably held her back a bit too long but to her credit she stayed with it, she’s worked hard, she’s gotten better and she’s embraced the role. I think good things are ahead for her.�

Okay, sure. These are hardworking girls, who are going to do everything in the power to support their teammates. Who would expect anything less out

of a program like Penn’s? But it makes you wonder what happens when there’s stagnation in the lineup. After all, no one wants to ride the bench forever.

How does a coach that has to make so many tough decisions deal with blowback from those who get the raw end of the stick?

Well McLaughlin, who is now in is eighth season coaching the team, seems to have found a system that works for everyone. He tries to be as transparent as with his players as he can, and he meets with them regularly to allow them voice their concerns. “I’m the kind of coach that believes I’m gonna need all of them at some point,� he explained. “I want them to want to play. I don’t want them to sit here and be happy with it.

However, when we leave that

focus to make his NFL dreams a reality — dreams he did not even consider until recently. “I didn’t really think about it much this year for my senior season. I kind of just wanted to play football and have fun out there,� he said. “I just wanted to win a championship.�

The veteran quarterback’s narrow-minded focus paid off, as he tallied 17 passing touchdowns, 8 rushing touchdowns and 2,750 total yards of offense en route to a second consecutive Ivy League Championship.

Torgersen’s ultimate season for the Red and Blue earned him unanimous first team AllIvy honors and even the notice of Sports Illustrated, which pegged him as the tenth-ranked quarterback prospect entering the 2016 NFL Draft.

While the senior certainly made a good impression at the East-West Shrine Game, the road ahead of him to an NFL roster is still long. “Next would be trying to get

a[n NFL] Combine invite, either for a workout as a quarterback or just being a throwing quarterback,� he said. Additionally, Torgersen plans on attending local pro days in the spring to pique scouts’ interest.

As a promising NFL prospect, the Quakers’ quarterback is in rare company, as only six former Penn players have been signed by NFL teams in the last ten years. Of those, the only Penn alum to see action on Sundays is 2013 graduate Brandon Copeland, who currently plays for the Detroit Lions.

Torgersen still has nearly four months to impress NFL teams before the draft takes place in Philadelphia on April 27-29. With luck, he’ll join the ranks of an illustrious group of Quakers’ alumni in professional sports. “I’m just hoping to get my name called,� he said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I just kind of want to go all in and enjoy it.�

Penn football’s star quarterback Alek Torgersen got a chance to show his worth to NFL scouts last week, impressing at the East-West Shrine Game, and perhaps more importantly, at open practices the week before.

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against Princeton to seal the deal — and being vocal on and off the court.

But from here on out, after Lauren Whitlatch’s knee injury, she’ll have a different role on the team: starting shooting guard.

So what’s changed for Brozozowski? Nothing at all, it seems. In her words, she’s still going in with mindset of “be the energy player� and “what’s my role and how am I going to best help my teammates.�

As the Quakers head into the second half of the season, it’s becoming more and more clear that getting their bench players involved won’t be a choice in the weeks to come. The teams ahead on the schedule will test Penn women’s basketball in ways they haven’t been tested before. But the Quakers aren’t going to play nice either.

GRIFF FITZSIMMONS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

at:

No. 1220

8

office and have that conversation about a role, you have to buy into the role.�

Ashley Russell is a bench player that plays a particularly unique role. Her versatility as both a skilled guard and one of the team’s most physical rebounders makes her a player who has seen significant court time this year. More importantly, she knows how to make the most of it. “The starting five is always going in, throwing the first punch.� Russell said, “but if they need an extra spark ... I just try to go in and do my best for whatever time I get.�

And finally, there’s Beth Brzozowski. She’s been the ultimate sixth woman, racking up almost 18 minutes a game, coming in clutch during for close wins — it was her who hit those three clutch threes

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THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

PHOTO FEATURE

FORCE AND FINESSE, SIDE BY SIDE On Saturday afternoon, the Palestra played host to its first-ever wrestling-gymnastics meet, with both Penn teams competing simultaneously on the same floor. Both teams won their meets, with gymnastics winning in a thrilling comeback.

ZACH SHELDON | SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR

SPORTS 7

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017

PETER RIBEIRO | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

ROOKIES >> PAGE 8

production from this talented class has been the atmosphere in which these freshmen operate.

“We’re all really great friends. We hang on and off the court. We can talk to each other about anything,” Goodman said. “We get advice from each other and give advice to each other. We really are a family, and that will show on the court as we move on.”

The nightly dinners and constant companionship reflect the culture that coach Donahue is attempting to build, a culture that the freshmen have absorbed and spearheaded.

“The kids have done a great job buying in,” Donahue said. “They all work really hard. They’ve all had great academic first semesters. They’re really learning what college is about, and they’re doing it together.”

The cohesive nature of the group will play a crucial role as the rookies begin their first experiences with the physical and emotional gauntlet that is Ivy League play. Their talents have allowed for Donahue to throw them into the proverbial fire, an experience that should only strengthen their bond as well as their play.

As far as future accomplishments for the class, Donahue was hesitant to speculate, but it is apparent that these freshmen have major aspirations.

“I want this class to be one of the very best to come through Penn,” Goodman said. “I think we have the talent to do it.”

Pairing that abundant talent with a familial environment just might be the winning formula for this program, and these freshmen have the next four years to prove it.

Perhaps Donahue put it best: “It’s a class that could help us hang another banner here.”

ZACH SHELDON | SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR

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THIS BENCH IS ON FIRE

FORCE / FINESSE

With the loss of Lauren Whitlatch, women’s basketball’s bench is conveniently contributing

Penn wrestling and gymnastics showed off their style in the Palestra, seen in this photo gallery

>> SEE PAGE 6

>> SEE PAGE 7

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017

A CHANCE TO

SHRINE

Rookies starting to make waves in big ways M. HOOPS | Brodeur, Betley and

Goodman are all coming into their own

BREVIN FLEISCHER Associate Sports Editor

FOOTBALL | Torgersen

plays in Shrine Game, seeks NFL Draft bid

LAINE HIGGINS Associate Sports Editor

I

f there were ever a football version of on-campus recruiting, the East-West Shrine Game would come pretty close.

Every year, 121 players with NFL ambitions from the nation’s top FBS and FCS programs are invited to play in the All-Star game preceded by a week of practices and one-on-one interviews with professional scouts from all 32 NFL franchises in St. Petersburg, Fla. For the first time in 28 years, Penn was represented in the game’s elite company, as senior

qua r terback A lek Torgersen earned the Quakers’ first official invitation since Joe Valerio in 1991.

For the four days preceding Saturday’s game, Torgersen spent his afternoons practicing for the East under the direction of Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach Brentson Buckner. Dozens of scouts lined the sidelines for each practice to size up the talent.

According to the senior, it was a bit of a scramble to organize players with different schematic offensive backgrounds under one united offense in such little time.

“One of the biggest challenges was adjusting to the game and the speed at which people were playing and getting used to where

they’re going to be at certain points in time,” Torgersen said.

“All-Star games happen so fast in such a short week that it’s hard to learn the whole offense and get comfortable.”

In the evenings, prospective players got exclusive face time with scouts and upper level staff from each of the 32 NFL franchises. The senior described the process as “exhausting,” with meetings lasting as late as 11 p.m.

Despite the challenging week, Torgersen i mpressed scouts early on with his “sturdy” arm, prompting a series of tweets by professionals who liked what they saw in the quarterback.

SEE SHRINE GAME PAGE 6

“There’s no such thing as freshmen anymore.”

This simple phrase has been repeated countless times by Penn men’s basketball coach Steve Donahue to his talented crop of … first-years? Rookies?

Novices?

Regardless of their distinction, his point is clear: Fifteen games into the season, it’s high time for this skilled class to lose the softening nomenclature.

Enabling and facilitating this de-branding process has been the class’s stellar play. Starting with AJ Brodeur, Donahue’s recruits have instantly made an impact. The forward has led the Quakers, averaging 14 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while never missing a start. As a result, he’s quickly morphed into a primary option on offense as well as a top priority on opposing scouting reports.

“Obviously, AJ has played a huge role for us, starting every game, scoring and rebounding,” Donahue said. “He’s been a presence right from the start, but the other kids are developing too.”

For fellow freshman Ryan Betley, that development was never more apparent than Saturday night’s contest against St. Joseph’s, when the sharpshooting guard exploded for 15 points in only 23 minutes of action. For the first time all year, Betley’s athleticism was on full display, as he was able to drive by defenders with ease.

Also contributing to the Quakers’ cause has been freshman guard Devon Goodman, who has started two games and played meaningful minutes in many others.

With those three potentially forming the nucleus of the future, Penn’s outlook is as bright as it has been in years.

Although Brodeur, Betley, and Goodman might be the guys who get the ball rolling, they’d all be quick to tell you that this freshman class has even more in store down the road.

“As far as guys who don’t play as much, [Jakub] Mijakowski stands out as a player that will make big contributions in the future because he’s a tall shooter,” Betley said. “He fits in coach Donahue’s system really well. I think he has a chance to be a very good player.”

According to coach Donahue, Betley’s assessment of the kid they call “Kuba” is on point.

“Kuba, coming from a different country, has had language-oriented issues, understanding terminology and communicating, but in terms of work ethic, size, skills, and athleticism, Kuba has everything you need to be a really good Ivy League player,” Donahue said.

Along with Mijakowski, there seems to be a consensus that Ray Jerome will perform an important role down the road.

“Ray has been sick, which has hampered him, but he’s been really good at times,” Donahue said. “I’m really confident that all these freshmen will end up making an impact on our program.”

A major reason for the successful cultivation of SEE ROOKIES PAGE 7

Lauren Whitlatch out for the season after torn ACL injury

W. HOOPS | Guard started

every game this season

THEODOROS PAPAZEKOS Sports Reporter

Penn women’s basketball’s Lauren Whitlatch is out for the season with a torn ACL. The junior guard had started all thirteen games for the Quakers before her injury leading up to last Wednesday’s 60-48 loss to Big 5 rival Villanova. Additionally, Whitlatch started every game as a sophomore, when Penn set a school record with 24 wins en route to an Ivy League title. Up until this week’s heartbreaking news, the team’s starting lineup featured the same five names for almost two straight seasons.

Fellow junior guard Beth

Brzozowski replaced Whitlatch as the starter in that Villanova game, putting up two points and three assists in 24 minutes on the floor.

Previously, Brzozowski had made a large impact from the bench as the team’s sixth woman, including a game-saving performance at Princeton to give the Quakers their first win in Ivy play this season.

As for backup for Brzozowski, there is a handful of players that could fill in that sixth woman slot.

Ashley Russell is one candidate to back up the junior, while freshman Phoebe Sterba has also made a case with positive contributions from the bench recently.

One thing is for sure, though — Whitlatch won’t be easy to replace.

“It’s tough … She’ll obviously be missed,” coach Mike McLaughlin said. “Surgery is

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pending.”

The junior has contributed 6.7 points per game this season while also grabbing 2.1 rebounds. Additionally, she has established herself as a legitimate three-point threat, having knocked down 25 shots from beyond the arc this season and ranking fifth in the conference with 1.9 treys per game.

Whitlatch was seen at the Villanova game on the bench in street clothes, but McLaughlin refused to comment on the injury at the time, explaining that she had just found out the day before and he wanted to give her a chance to digest the news before it became public.

Whitlatch was at practice to help the team prepare for their upcoming matchup with Temple, but left early for a doctor’s appointment.

ANANYA CHANDRA | PHOTO MANAGER

The loss of junior guard Lauren Whitlatch will surely be felt by Penn women’s basketball. Whitlatch started every game in the past two seasons before her injury, and contributed upwards of seven points per game.

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