February 5, 2015

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2014

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Alum Doree Shafrir takes on Buzzfeed Doree Shafrir is the Executive Editor of the Culture section of Buzzfeed DIA SOTIROPOULOU Staff Reporter

Among the gaggle of bankers and consultants that seem to

overwhelmingly comprise Penn’s alumni pool, 1999 College graduate Doree Shafrir cuts a unique figure.

Her position as executive editor of Culture at BuzzFeed has the ring of an emperorship to it — after all, the site is a pulsing pop culture dynamo, a byword for quirk whose content has become a staple of the Internet diet of millions.

Despite her position near the top, Shafrir described the process of BuzzFeed’s content production as a highly collaborative one, involving constant feedback to writers and an active exchange of ideas.

And meetings. Lots of them. “The increasing number of meetings,” she said, is “the sad little secret of advancing your career.”

Anne Helen Petersen, a former academic and current BuzzFeed staff writer who works regularly with Shafrir, outlined the details of the process. Petersen writes both long-form features and short ideas pieces, and “whenever I have an idea for a shorter thinkpiece,” she said, “I SEE BUZZFEED PAGE 2

College sophomore Luke Hoben navigates Penn in a wheelchair JEFFREY CAREYVA Staff Reporter

You may have seen him zip down Locust Walk or Spruce Street outfitted in a sock monkey hat.

You may have even had a philosophy class with him. You might have read one of his jokes in the The Pennsylvania Punch Bowl or his byline online on The Sports Quotient. Many students have seen College sophomore Luke Hoban zoom around campus in his wheelchair, but may not know that he lives with Congenital Muscular Dystrophy.

Despite his disease, he has few problems getting around campus, except for a few inconveniences, he said. Hoban has also stayed active by playing wheelchair hockey for the Philadelphia PowerPlay for 10 years, participating in tournaments across the U.S. and Canada.

Hoban was born with the disease, which affects the way that his brain communicates with his muscles, preventing them from being used and causing them to atrophy. He said it is “like when you take your arm out of a cast finally, you’re going to have a hard time moving it for a while.

For me, it’s the same basic premise, but everywhere.

“The only thing it doesn’t affect is my heart, thank God,” Hoban added.

Hoban grew up outside of Philadelphia and got his first motorized chair at the start of kindergarten.

“I remember being drunk with power when I first got my chair,” he said. “I could drive around with it, say ‘ha-ha’ and feel pretty cool.”

TIFFANY PHAM | PHOTO MANAGER

ON A ROLL

SEE LUKE HOBAN PAGE 3 EMILY CHENG | NEWS DESIGN EDITOR

Early decision round fills over half of the Class of 2019

DRUGS

Philly relaxes marijuana laws, U. stands firm

This is the second consecutive year the majority of a class was selected before the regular decision round

Penn follows federal laws on the drug to ensure funding for work-study and research grants

CAROLINE SIMON Staff Reporter

ANNA HESS Staff Reporter

Early decision applicants will fill 54.4 percent of the Class of 2019 — the largest portion in Penn’s history.

This year marks the second consecutive year that Penn has accepted more than half of its class from the early decision pool, though the number of early decision applications has also been growing. This admissions cycle saw a total of 5,489 early decision applications, Penn’s all-time high and a five percent increase from the previous year.

With over half of the Class of 2019 admitted early decision, Penn’s commitment to forming a socioeconomically diverse class is called into question. Early decision applicants tend to have more affluent backgrounds since they can afford to commit to Penn before discovering their financial aid packages.

“A good percentage of applicants in the early round are not asking for aid,” Bev Taylor, founder of The Ivy Coach, a New York-based college consulting firm, said.

However, Dean of Admissions Eric Furda cited the reason for the rise as increased financial flexibility among early decision applicants, as a result of grant policies, recruitment and programs like

Although Philadelphia has decriminalized marijuana for possession of under 30 grams, not much will change in how Penn handles drug policy violations.

University policy continues to forbid marijuana use and possession on campus and in college houses.

Philadelphia’s decriminalization of marijuana is distinct from legalization,

COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

CRIMES ON CAMPUS PAGE 5

SEE EARLY DECISION PAGE 3

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Penn needs more transparency in its community engagement efforts before it continues to tout them as adequate alternatives to PILOTs.”

Vice President of Public Safety Maureen Rush said. It still remains illegal to use or possess any amount of marijuana in Philadelphia; however, possessing under 30 grams earns a citation rather than being an arrestable misdemeanor offense. This means that, if caught in possession of a small amount of SEE MARIJUANA PAGE 2

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BuzzFeed >> PAGE 1

email [Shafrir].” The two go back and forth, discussing the idea and putting the piece through multiple rounds of editing once it’s in progress. “We do it all remotely, too,” she said.

Petersen is based on the other side of the country in New York, and the two share a Google Doc which is continually retweaked.

Shafrir’s edits play a huge role in enhancing and developing her pieces; recalling one article, Petersen said “[Shafrir] kind of performed surgery on it, in a pretty substantial way.” After each piece is completed, the two always start a new conversation to “fling ideas back and forth.” And so the process renews itself.

Before arriving at the Internet’s premier supplier of workplace distractions, Shafrir was a high schooler growing up outside of Boston, writing and editing for her high school newspaper. She joined The Daily Pennsylvanian “right away” upon her arrival at Penn, eventually becoming the Editor-InChief of 34th Street, Penn’s arts and culture magazine. A double major in English and History, Shafrir returned to the University shortly after graduating to begin a doctoral degree in the latter.

Leaving after three years with a master’s, she worked at

MARIJUANA >> PAGE 1

marijuana on or around campus by a police officer, the offender could still be brought to a police station for citation paperwork.

However, Rush said that Penn Police rarely arrests students or staff for narcotics charges — which includes marijuana and harder drugs. In 2014, only one

Philadelphia Weekly for about a year and a half before enrolling in the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Then followed her extensive ricocheting through New York’s media biosphere, where she confesses she didn’t really know anyone after she graduated.

“I had kind of a funny career, in that there was a lot of a two-stepsforward, one-step back kind of thing,” she said. Her employment history, though, is an impressive cross-section of the culture-mag industry — she interned first at Radar magazine, now defunct, which she described as nearing a combination of “the old Spy magazine and Vanity Fair.” She then moved on to Slate magazine, then scored her first full-time writing position at media and pop culture guide Gawker, where she stayed for a year. There followed a stretch at the New York Observer, some freelancing and a spell at Rolling Stone before she moved out to BuzzFeed’s Los Angeles offices.

She went for coffee one day with Ben Smith, the current editor-inchief of BuzzFeed, with whom she “hit it off right away;” he shared his vision for the site and she got onboard, winding up the overseer of what is arguably the company’s beating heart — the entertainment, music and ideas sections.

She is most heavily involved with the third, which requires “constant communication by email and IM”

University-affiliated person was arrested for a crime involving any type of unspecified narcotic. “The hardest drug of choice for us is alcohol,” Rush said.

The biggest consequence that students face for marijuana use on campus is the staunch University policy on illegal and controlled substances. Executive Director of College Houses and Academic Services Martin Redman said that

with writers, as well as copious brainstorming.

Shafrir finds herself at the West Coast company in the midst of its bold reorientation. In August of 2014, its editorial team was restructured into three sections — BuzzFeed News, BuzzFeed Life and BuzzFeed Buzz. The last of the three continues to produce what Shafrir called “traditional BuzzFeed content” — the hyperspecific lists, elaborate quizzes and curiously mesmerizing composites of gifs that are its signature product.

The emerging News section, however, is “covering everything from the conflict in Ukraine to the 2016 presidential race,” she said, and “[the] investigative team is doing very ambitious articles on everything from domestic abuse to national security.”

It’s a refreshed, omnivorous model of content presentation — “an opportunity for us to grow both horizontally and vertically,” Petersen, the BuzzFeed staff writer, said. “All of us have the same mission,” she added, “to be the place you go to get not only the news, but a recipe for dinner, a movie review” — in addition to the beloved standard of cat memes.

Half of BuzzFeed’s audience is between the ages of 18 and 34, Shafrir said, and more than half view the site on their mobile devices. “We’re getting people who might not necessarily have paid attention in the same way [to news]

University policy will not reflect Philadelphia’s decriminalization.

“For Penn, and most educational institutions, federal law supersedes local because we receive federal funds for work-study and research grants,” Redman said. He added that all 11 college houses follow the University’s Code of Student Conduct when it comes to marijuana use and possession.

First-time offenders of illegal

Present

Through A Lens Darkly:

Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People A film screening and discussion with Film Director

Thomas A. Harris and Co-Producer

Dr. Deborah Willis

Inspired by Deborah Willis’s book Reflections in Black and featuring works by Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, Anthony Barboza, Hank Willis Thomas, Coco Fusco, Lyle Ashton Harris, and many others, Through a Lens Darkly embraces the historical material of African-Americans who were slaves, who fought in the Civil War, were victims of lynchings, or were pivotal in the Civil Rights Movement. The film is a cornucopia of Americana that reveals deeply disturbing truths about the history of race relations while expressing joyous, life-affirming sentiments about the ability of artists and amateurs alike to assert their identity through the photographic lens.

Monday, February 9, 2015 • 6:00 pm

h

Annenberg School for Communication 3620 Walnut Street • Room 109 Co-sponsored with the Annenberg School for Communication

FREE and OPEN to the Public

For more information, If you require reasonable contact the Center for Africana Studies accommodations, please at 215-898-4965 or africana@sas.upenn.edu provide at least 5 days notice.

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

before,” she said. “[The] older generation doesn’t understand that you can have two types of articles on the same page,” that is, lighthearted content alongside more somber, nuanced news coverage.

The company’s strategy stands to dramatically change the information environment of its religiously devoted audience, who come for its lowbrow thrills but may now stick around for the current affairs spinach. Shafrir, meanwhile, will remain the gatekeeper of those thrills, whose appeal isn’t likely to wane any time soon.

Her advice to future journalists was to “be as curious about the world as you can be, and seek out experiences that will make you a more knowledgeable and interesting person,” she said. It’s fine to follow the typical trajectory of getting an internship and landing a job, she added, but sometimes those who seek out a different kind of experience “form a different base of knowledge [and] actually make better journalists.” Moreover, she said, you should be “a good listener, genuinely curious about your subjects,” and “ask good questions.”

Finally, those who succeed at BuzzFeed are “enthusiastic and ambitious,” and “coming up with their own ideas.” There is a fine line between this sort of ambition and “seeming entitled,” she said, but having some of it is necessary to succeed in journalism. It’s safe to say we can take her word for it.

and controlled substance policies are admonished and educated about the danger of drug and alcohol abuse, Redman said. Certain college houses, including Ware and FisherHassenfeld College Houses, have their own disciplinary committees made up of peers from the college house and house faculty advisors.

One freshman student, who wished to remain anonymous, described his experience facing the Ware disciplinary committee alongside several friends when they were caught with marijuana and drug paraphernalia. “We sat down in front

1. Doree Shafrir

Irina Bit-Babik Buzzfeed’s Executive Editor of Culture Doree Shafrir spoke at Penn last semester.

of the disciplinary committee, told them our story. We were all truthful,” he said. “They let the first time people off with a warning.” Some of the student’s peers were secondtime offenders and were required to attend meetings with counselors at the University’s Office of Alcohol and Other Drugs Program Initiatives.

Redman said that those who break University drug policy more than twice can be sent to the Office of Student Conduct, which has the right to enforce consequences ranging from the student’s removal

from on-campus housing to expulsion from the University. However, Redman added, the University evaluates these violations on a caseby-case basis.

Above all, Redman said that the college houses seek to approach student controlled substance misconduct as a learning experience and as a way of identifying substance dependency. “We’re not a court system, we’re an educational institution,” he said. “We want to encourage behavioral change and give students the help that they may need.”

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EARLY DECISION

regular decision applications that Penn receives allows the admissions office to build the diversity of the inQuestBridge, which provides educa- coming class, despite the segment that tional opportunities for low-income, has already been filled in the early dehigh-achieving students. cision round.

“I do feel like there’s been a fun“There are enough applicants in damental shift, and a lot of that has the regular round to make that class to do with the financial aid policies,” a very diverse class, ethnically, soFurda said. “If Penn cioeconomically, is your first choice, geographically,” you can really see Taylor said. that the financial aid However, Taylor is going to work.” questioned Penn’s If early decision Furda added claim that it does not could look like what that the admissions consider financial we want the class to office admits stuneed. “As much as look like in regular dents with an ideal colleges say they’re decision, I’ll admit class in mind. “If need-blind, I’m not the whole class early decision. early decision could believing it,” she ” look like what we said.

- Eric Furda want the class to She added that in Dean of Admissions look like in regular order for students redecision, I’ll admit questing aid to have the whole class early decision,” he a high chance of being accepted early said. decision, they must have a “compelStudent Registration and Financial ling enough case.”

Services Communications Direc“Penn has the money to spend on tor Marlene Bruno echoed Furda’s students like that,” Taylor said. sentiments. “Both the Office of UnWith over half the freshman dergraduate Admissions and Student class determined in the early deciFinancial Services fully support sion round, the regular decision pool Penn’s commitment to increasing becomes more competitive, with access,” Bruno said in an email. “As more applicants vying for increasI recall, last year’s Class of 2018 was ingly fewer spots. Last year, Penn one of the most socioeconomically saw a record low regular decision diverse classes enrolled in the Univer- acceptance rate of 7.3 percent after sity’s history.” receiving a record high 35,788 regular Taylor suggested that schools like decision applications.

Penn might fill the socioeconomic Regular decision results for the gaps with regular decision applicants. Class of 2019 will be released on She added that the large number of March 31 at 5 p.m. >> PAGE 1

Percent of Each Class Filled From Early Decision Pool

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

NEWS 3

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

54.4% 53.7% 49.4% 47.4% 49.4% 49.6% 48.2% 47.8% 48.3% 49.2% 48.3% 45.0% 47.0%

SOURCE: theivycoach.com GRAPHICS BY KATE JEON/NEWS DESIGN EDITOR

Two thumbs up for New Yorker TV critic Emily Nussbaum spoke on path to becoming TV critic

that talked about sex. While it might be awkward for some to hear Lena Dunham and Patrick Wilson’s sex scene described so graphically, Nussbaum brought the room to a chuckle with her closing comment.

“What has two thumbs and really loved this episode?” she asked. “This critic.”

Starting her career as a poetry critic for The New York Times

Book Review, Nussbaum was uncomfortable writing critical reviews of poetry made “from one person, with no money, with no audience.” She is comfortable writing critically about TV shows because they are collaborative works meant for large audiences.

Nussbaum is best known for creating the Approval Matrix at New York Magazine. The charticle plots out cultural and political

events of the previous week and categorizes them vertically from “highbrow” to “lowbrow” and horizontally from “despicable” to “brilliant.”

“It’s a deliberately infuriating thing,” she said, adding that it is the anger that often causes people to love the matrix.

As a critic, Nussbaum understands that it is impossible to write an unbiased review and appreciates the negativity that often goes with critiquing.

“I have a distaste for people who write as if they don’t feel anything about the art,” Nussbaum said. “There’s something fun about reading a really critical review.”

Wharton freshman Peishan Huang enjoyed Nussbaum’s talk.

“She made me feel that it’s okay to take TV very seriously [and] allowed me to appreciate TV as a medium [for creative expression],” Huang said.

As for TV recommendations, Nussbaum suggests finding a new show and watching three episodes and if it does not “kick in,” drop it. Nonetheless, she feels everyone should try Freaks and Geeks and My So Called Life.

the maniac,” Hoban said with a laugh. “It was difficult at first to avoid running into people. I’ve gotten better at it over time, and I’m pretty good at it now, but nobody’s perfect.”

Penn aims to make Hoban’s path through college as smooth as possible. Hoban said he has been satisfied with campus accessibility and Student Disability Services for the most part. He has lived in accessible housing on campus for the past two years and has a clicker to open his dormitory door without keys. Hoban is also allowed a laptop in all his classes to take notes.

There are, however, some speed bumps along his path to an Ivy League education. He noted that there are two major inconvenient locations on campus.

“I can get into the buildings, but some of them require detours that are inconvenient,” he said.

He mentioned Van Pelt Library, which has a small door near the bottom of the steps, meaning he must wave and hope someone will let him inside.

“Some places require you to swipe your PennCard to get in, but I can’t do it, I don’t have the strength to do it,” Hoban said. “I have to get someone’s attention inside and have them do it … which is inconvenient.”

Another particularly inconvenient building to enter is Stiteler Hall. In order to get to the accessible entrance from Locust Walk, “I have to go all the way around because of one step,” Hoban said. “I have to take a long detour when I’m coming up through

campus, and it’s especially inconvenient when it’s cold out.”

He also said that elevators could sometimes cause trouble.

“Some of the elevators and entrances are better than others, but it’s something I’ve been doing all my life. It’s just not a concern for me,” Hoban said. “The only elevator that’s legitimately terrible is the one in the Quad. That is the worst elevator I’ve been in in my entire life.”

Hoban lived in the Quadrangle for his freshman year, but said that he could only get into the Cafe at McClelland and his own hall. “The Quad is by far the least accessible building on campus,” he said. Hoban now lives in Harrison College House, which is much easier for him to get around.

ANNA HARDCASTLE Contributing Reporter

Do not worry, Netflix bingewatchers — you can turn your love for television into a career, just like Emily Nussbaum did.

On Wednesday, Nussbaum, a critic for The New Yorker, spoke at the Kelly Writers House and shared her experiences reviewing television shows. The event was the third and final installment in the Writing About TV series.

As Nussbaum prepared to open with a reading of a column — one she wrote about an episode of HBO’s Girls — she revealed that she had never read her work aloud before.

“Criticism by nature has this very ephemeral quality ... so I’m curious about how things hold up when you read them out loud,” she said as a disclaimer.

Nussbaum was excited to write the piece since the episode was met with such visceral responses to an “ugly girl” sleeping with a “hot guy.” She wanted to write something emotional and specific

LUKE HOBAN >> PAGE 1

But his new mobile powers were not unlimited.

He recalled being pulled out of kindergarten to go to the dentist against his will. When he tried to escape, “My parents just [turned off] my chair and I was stopped in my tracks. I was not happy,” Hoban said.

Hoban’s current wheelchair can go seven miles an hour, allowing him to traverse the Philadelphia cold faster than most students walking.

With great speed comes great responsibility, however.

“I run into people a ton. People always apologize, saying ‘oh, I’m so sorry,’ but really it’s my fault.

I know how fast I’m going — I’m

SOPHIA LEE/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Television critic Emily Nussbaum spoke at the Kelly Writers House on Wednesday

4

OPINION

Have your own opinion? Send your guest column to Opinion Editor Shawn Kelley at kelley@theDP.com.

Looking past PILOTs EDITORIAL | Penn needs more transparency in its community engagement efforts before it continues to tout them as THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 VOL. CXXXI, NO. 11 131st Year of Publication

MATT MANTICA Executive Editor JILL CASTELLANO Managing Editor SHAWN KELLEY Opinion Editor LUKE CHEN Director of Online Projects LAUREN FEINER City News Editor KRISTEN GRABARZ Campus News Editor CLAIRE COHEN Assignments Editor STEVEN TYDINGS Social Media Director PAOLA RUANO Copy Editor RILEY STEELE Senior Sports Editor HOLDEN MCGINNIS Sports Editor

adequate alternatives to PILOTs

A

midst the controversy and emotional appeal, many have taken strong stances on the issue of whether Penn should pay PILOTs — payments to the City of Philadelphia in lieu of property taxes, from which the University is exempt because of its non-profit status.

SLAP, the student activist group that spearheaded the “PILOTs at Penn” campaign, is currently pushing Penn to pay $7 million per year in PILOTs. SLAP’s campaign is centered on the city’s massive public education funding gap, which has led to a number of school closures, loss of essential services and an overall failure of the public education system to properly serve the city’s children.

If Penn were to pay PILOTs, much of the money could be lost in the maze of education bureaucracy, with very little of it actually reaching the classrooms themselves. Penn would es-

sentially be handing over a check to the city of Philadelphia with a prayer that it helps the city, and specifically schools, without the ability to trace where the money actually ends.

Some of the money may indeed work to serve the public good, and some of it may even end up helping the city’s children. Even so, $7 million simply does not have the capacity to make the large-scale infrastructural changes that many are hoping to see and that the district so desperately needs.

According to the 2015 Budget report, the “District is operating a budget that is approximately $770 million less than what would be required for adequacy,” meaning PILOTs from Penn would encompass less than 1 percent of the deficiencies in the district’s education budget.

The University’s position seems to be that its civic duty to the city should be about more than just writing a

check. Penn has taken numerous steps to facilitate university-community partnerships, and the message from University officials seems to be that through these programs, Penn does a great deal to help the city and has earned the title of “the civic Ivy.” Howev-

public, neighborhood school, meaning it is open to the children in the areas immediately surrounding the school.

However, Penn Alexander’s catchment area is largely occupied by professors, Penn-affiliated individuals and others who can afford

Penn does boast a number of programs though the Netter Center and Civic House that work with local public schools and community organizations, many of which serve underprivileged and otherwise grossly underserved populations. We

The University’s position seems to be that its civic duty to the city should be about more than just writing a check.”

er, there is so little transparency from Penn, we must ask the question: whom do these programs actually serve, the City or the University?

We need look no further than the Penn Alexander School, Penn’s shining symbol of its commitment to the city. The University gives up to $750,000 per year to the local district elementary school it first partnered with in 2001. Penn Alexander is a

the expensive housing of the Spruce Hill neighborhood.

Travel just five blocks west and you will find the Lea Elementary School, a school marked “intervene” in all but one measure of school performance. Penn Alexander ranks as a “model school” in half of these categories.

What is most clear about the Penn Alexander school is that it does not serve the city’s neediest children.

do not doubt the intentions and motivation of those who dedicate their considerable time and energy to these programs. However, many of these programs lack the transparent structure and consistent evaluation necessary to be accurately upheld as successful.

We must also remember that, ultimately, truly significant changes in public education funding will come at the

state level, where state legislators have the power to determine our city’s education budget. To actively engage and enact change, we need to turn out to vote for what we believe in, pressure our state legislatures to adopt a Fair Funding Formula in Pennsylvania for public education and study the intricacies of the issue both in our classrooms and in the real world through active and meaningful engagement.

Before we can even look at paying PILOTs as a yesor-no issue, there are many questions that need to be answered. From the effectiveness of Penn’s community programming to the City’s allocation of PILOT funds, these concerns need to be addressed as part of the much-needed conversations regarding the status of public education in Philadelphia and the University’s relationship with the community.

LAINE HIGGINS Sports Editor COLIN HENDERSON Sports Editor

CARTOON

ANALYN DELOS SANTOS Creative Director EMILY CHENG News Design Editor KATE JEON News Design Editor JOYCE VARMA Sports Design Editor HENRY LIN Online Graphics Editor IRINA BIT-BABIK News Photo Editor ILANA WURMAN Sports Photo Editor TIFFANY PHAM Photo Manager CARTER COUDRIET Video Producer CLAIRE HUANG Video Producer MEGAN YAN Business Manager TAYLOR YATES Finance Manager SAM RUDE Advertising Manager EMMA HARVEY Analytics Manager CAITLIN LOYD Circulation Manager

THIS ISSUE ANNA GARSON Associate Copy Editor EVAN CERNEA Associate Copy Editor

ANNEKA DECARO is a College freshman from Austin, TX. Her email address is annekaxiv@gmail.com.

LUCIEN WANG Associate Copy Editor AUGUSTA GREENBAUM Associate Copy Editor

A different kind of diversity

THOMAS MUNSON Associate Sports Editor ANNA DYER Associate Sports Editor CATHERINE SAID Social Media Producer SANNA WANI Social Media Producer COREY STERN Deputy News Editor BROOKE EDWARDS Editorial Board REBECCA HEILWEIL Editorial Board SHUN SAKAI Editorial Board

Unsigned editorials appearing on this page represent the opinion of The Daily Pennsylvanian as determined by the majority of the Editorial Board.

All other columns, letters and artwork represent the opinion of their authors and are not necessarily representative of the DP’s position.

P

olarization ain’t just for Congress anymore.

Political polarization — the “concentration about opposing extremes of groups or interests formerly ranged on a continuum” according to Merriam Webster — has plunged into our everyday lives. Taking a strong stance and crafting some sort of political identity is part of our culture now. “Who did you vote for?” has replaced “What’s your sign?”

It’s easy enough to get shocked by the data. This past June, the Pew Research Center released a study on “Political Polarization in the American Public” that showed just how radically polarization has intensified. The study found that 92 percent of Republicans are to the right of the median Democrat, while 94 percent of Democrats are to the left of the median Republican … Not exactly optimistic news for the hope of ideological compromise.

What’s worse, though, is that roughly a third of members in

THE DANALYST | Political polarization instills prejudices, even at a school as tolerant as Penn each party have extreme views about their political counterparts: 27 percent of Democrats and 36 percent of Republicans

ence to another polarization study. In 1960, only about 5 percent of Americans said they would be “displeased” if their

Political extremism isn’t news to anyone.

The shocking part, at least for me, comes when those statistics translate into cultural consequences.” see the other party as “a threat to the nation’s well-being.”

Even for a study on extremism, that’s surprisingly strong wording.

As frightening as these numbers are, they just corroborate what we already know. Political extremism isn’t news to anyone. The shocking part, at least for me, comes when those statistics translate into cultural consequences. Last week, while I watched “The Daily Show” in an attempt to justify my procrastination by “educating myself on current events”, I gaped at Jon Stewart’s refer-

children married someone of the opposite political affiliation.

In 2010, that percent soared — with 49 percent of Republicans and 33 percent of Democrats admitting they’d be upset.

At a place as open-minded as Penn, I want to say we’re above the national trend. But polarization colors even those who claim to be accepting. I consider myself to be a tolerant person. At the same time, I’m quick to draw conclusions about someone based on their stated political preference. I try to catch and correct myself, but I’m worried our biases

manifest in ways we’re not even aware of. There are unconscious elements of every form of discrimination. It’s possible that we close off options — be it friends, classes or even job opportunities — based on perceived political affiliations.

We should be better than that. While the largest political group on campus is the nonpartisan Government and Politics Association, there are far more affiliated than non-affiliated clubs at Penn. Moderates have a hard time finding a political home, especially amidst petty clashes between opposing groups.

We need to start seeing political affiliation as another form of diversity. We’re a campus that’s stunningly diverse — 45 percent of my freshman class self-identifies as minority — and we confront any student or school action that’s even remotely tinged with discrimination: PhiDelt anyone? Penn’s environment has conditioned me to call anyone out on their misogyny, cultural appropria-

tion or heteronormativity, but when someone tells me they’re part of Penn College Republicans, I automatically associate them with the extreme and negative aspects of the Republican party. I’ve found Penn students to be tremendously accepting of those with different races, genders and social classes.

Why do we draw the line at political parties?

Instead of dividing into separate echo chambers, we need to focus more on generating productive political debate and dialogue. We can all agree there should be more compromise in Congress; we should hold ourselves to that same standard.

With any concerns about Penn, of course, there are concerns about the future after graduation. I’m torn between putting my involvement with Penn Democrats on my resume or not. I’d feel dishonest not including a component of what I do on campus, but I’m worried about the automatic assumptions employers will make. I

DANI BLUM don’t want to strike a negative chord with a conservative employer, but as someone passionate about politics, I feel like my political identity is an integral part of who I am. Still, I wonder if that sense of ownership is just another symptom. Maybe I should spend less time hanging up “Ready for Hillary” bumper stickers and more time searching for a cure.

DANI BLUM is a College freshman from Ridgefield, Conn. Her email address is kblum@sas.upenn.edu. “The Danalyst” appears every Thursday.

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Gutmann shares views on community college plan

/ CRIME LOG VANDALISM

DUI

At 6:46 p.m. in the University City Sheraton Hotel, a witness observed two suspects discharge fire extinguishers. One juvenile suspect was apprehended.

At 5:38 a.m. on the 3400 block of Spruce Street, police observed a vehicle crashed on side of the road.

The female driver had blood shot eyes, slurred speech, poor balance and an odor of alcohol on her breath. An open container of alcohol was found in the vehicle.

The driver was arrested.

Jan. 28

ROBBERY Jan. 24

COURTESY OF PETER OLSON/CREATIVE COMMONS

President Amy Gutmann​believes that society would greatly benefit from having more students attend community college.

Obama’s plan parallels Penn’s goals for access COREY STERN Deputy News Editor

NEWS 5

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

of the direct cost of a Penn education,” she said. “So as high as that sticker price is, even the sticker price is subsidized by our operating budget.”

Gutmann has made several media appearances to voice her support for increased access to community college. On Jan. 18, she appeared on CNBC’s “On the Money,” and on Jan. 23 she spoke to Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo from the World Economic Forum in Davos alongside Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust and Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber. All three administrators were supportive of Obama’s plan, but at the same time they were skeptical about the now-dropped proposal to tax 529 college savings plans.

Created by Congress in 1996, 529 plans encourage mainly middle class families to invest savings for higher education expenses. Earnings from the plans are not subject to federal taxes and are usually subject to reduced or no state taxes. The Obama administration had proposed ending the federal tax exemption in order to raise funds for the community college plan.

“We should be encouraging everybody to save right now for a college education and the 529 plan has been an important way of doing that,” Eisgruber told

Bartiromo. “I don’t think we should be attacking these problems with mechanisms that divide the American people into classes ... Education is in the interest of everybody.”

After political backlash from both sides of the aisle, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Obama dropped the tax plan — something Gutmann was pleased to see.

“I would like to think that by [my] being early in saying that this was a bad idea, the president decided to abandon it,” Gutmann joked. “I don’t claim credit for that, but I am on record early on before a lot of the critics, saying that I was not pleased with the idea.”

While it is not yet clear whether or not an institution like Penn would benefit directly from the Obama administration’s proposal, Gutmann believes the plan would “certainly add to the goals that are absolutely consistent with our goals as an institution of higher education.”

“We can’t educate everybody and we want to have good company, not only in the Ivy Plus group, but also in community colleges,” Gutmann said, adding that society would greatly benefit from having more students attend community college and set higher goals for themselves.

Penn President Amy Gutmann is not yet sure how the Obama administration’s proposed community college plan will affect Penn, but she supports it.

Obama’s plan, which was unveiled on Jan. 8, would make community college free for students who attend at least halftime, maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA and are on track to complete their degrees. Though the plan is in its earliest stages of development, it has gained a lot of attention, particularly from leaders of higher education like Gutmann.

“The plan hasn’t been fully fleshed out, but anything that enables hardworking young people to get more and better education and get a college degree is a good thing in this country,” Gutmann said.

Gutmann, who faced financial hardship after her father died when she was in high school, is open about the role financial aid has played in her life. She is grateful for the full need-based scholarship she received from Radcliffe College at Harvard University and has since strongly advocated for need-based financial aid.

When asked if she was confident Penn was doing everything in its power to control tuition costs — now at $61,132 per academic year, including fees — Gutmann gave a firm yes.

“I am completely confident that we are doing not only everything we can, but more and more to bring tequila for control costs and to make Penn affordable,” she said. “And I am also Margaritas confident that we will continue to work really hard at it. I will never say mission accomplished.”

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At 1:00 a.m. an unaffiliated 49-year-old man reported that he was approached from behind by an unknown suspect who grabbed his arm on the 3700 block of Chestnut Street. A struggle occurred and the victim said he heard a loud bang.

He stopped struggling and handed over his watch to the suspect.

OTHER OFFENSES

Jan. 25

BURGLARY Jan. 24

Around 4:20 a.m. an affiliated 19-year-old woman reported being awakened by an unknown person entering her room in the Quadrangle.

Jan. 29

Jan. 25

A male suspect caused a disturbance in a shop at 4201 Chestnut Street. The employees advised the suspect not to return.

The suspect returned again later that day at 12:14 p.m. and continued to cause a disturbance.

The suspect was given a citation.

At 9:05 a.m. a male suspect was shouting in Wawa and asked to leave the premises by management. The suspect refused to leave and was arrested.

Jan. 24

Around 4:20 a.m. affiliated 18-year-old woman reported hearing a noise at her door and observed a man looking into her room in the Quad.

At 7:21 p.m. on the 3200 block of Walnut, a man was observed urinating in public. He was given a citation.

DAVID CAHN | STAFF REPORTER

Jan. 24

EMILY CHENG | NEWS DESIGN EDITOR

6 SPORTS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Freshman to star in second Ivy weekend

ANOTHER TUNE-UP TRACK & FIELD | Quakers head to Penn cornerstone of this team, freshman Candace Taylor

State for final meet before Heptagonals

BY THOMAS SPRATT Staff Writer

W. HOOPS | Quakers look to keep

momentum via second Ivy sweep

BY LAINE HIGGINS Sports Editor FRIDAY

Home, sweet home.

The Palestra will see its first 7 p.m.

Ivy action of The Palestra the year from Penn women’s basketball as Saturday the Quakers Columbia take on Cornell on Friday and (6-12, 0-4 Ivy) Columbia on Sat7 p.m. urday.

The Palestra Although the Red and Blue (11-6, 2-1 Ivy) are heading into this weekend’s doubleheader on a three-game winning streak, including the program’s first road sweep of conference foes Dartmouth and Harvard since 2004, coach Mike McLaughlin is not letting his team get too far ahead of itself.

“We talked about each game being separate and playing each game for 40 complete minutes,” McLaughlin said. “We have to take the one in front of us as the most important.”

Penn’s first test will come from a Big Red squad that has barely faltered all winter long. Cornell (12-6, 3-1) was undefeated in the month of January, although its six-game winning streak was snapped last weekend with a close loss to Yale.

“I just think that Cornell is very well-coached,” McLaughlin said. “We’re going to have to handle a little bit of pressure.”

Next comes Columbia (6-12, 0-4), a team McLaughlin describes as “hungry” despite its winless conference record. The key to taming the Lions lies with shutting down sophomore forward Tori Oliver, who currently is third in the Ancient Eight with 17.3 points per game.

“Each [team] offers a different challenge,” McLaughlin said. “But at this point we’ve seen a bunch of teams: We’ve seen some fast teams, some athletic teams, some structured teams and we’ve played all different styles, so hopefully we’ll be able to adapt pretty quickly.”

The pressure won’t just come from adapting to the offensive schemes of the Big Red or the Lions, however. This weekend will be the first conference game in the Cathedral of College Basketball for the Quakers’ four freshmen.

Cornell (12-6, 3-1 Ivy)

COLIN HENDERSON | SPORTS EDITOR

Freshman point guard Anna Ross had a breakout game against Harvard, pacing the team with 19 points.

One freshman in particular has heavy expectations on her shoulder: Anna Ross.

“She’s had a huge responsibility at point guard,” McLaughlin said. “She has really developed in terms of her basketball maturity, her basketball study and her kind of play at this level.”

If last weekend was a test of Ross’ growth on the court, shepassed with flying colors. After going nine-for-nine from the line and pacing the team at 19 points, the point guard earned Big 5 Player of the Week honors.

But heading into the games against Cornell and Columbia, the freshman is not dwelling on her accolades. “[Against Harvard] I was taking more of a leadership role as a point guard, which is something I need to work on,” Ross said. “During the Ivy season, we really need people to take charge of this team.”

At the beginning of the season, that role fell to returning players like senior guard Kathleen Roche and sophomore center Sydney Stipanovich. But as the winter months have worn on, the freshman trio of Ross, forward Michelle Nwokedi and guard Beth Brzozowski have stepped up to match the vigor of the Quakers’ veterans in the paint.

“All three of them showed they can handle any situation, which really gives us a lot of options,” McLaughlin said.

That versatility will be key for the weekend ahead if the Red and Blue want to keep their proverbial brooms a-sweeping.

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After a monumental performance at the Armory Invitational this past weekend, the Quakers are yearning to continue their campaign at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge Cup in State College. From hurdles to pole vaulting, long jumping to meter relays, this upcoming meet will provide another opportunity for the Red and Blue to assert their excellence.

In years past, several Penn athletes have shattered records at this prestigious event. Recent graduates Maalik Reynolds and Mike Kiley are the current holders of the high jump and steeplechase events. Coach Steve Dolan is looking for the team to repeat this past success to rewrite the record books once more at Penn State.

Among the competition, there will be 11 other teams battling against the Quakers this weekend.

Junior Thomas Awad and sophomore Carey Celata will spearhead this talented squad on the road to State College.

Awad recently broke the 42-year-old school record in the indoor mile with a staggering time of 4:00.20. Celata has already managed to secure the second best all-time school record of 2:49.00 in the indoor 1000-meter run.

While the older members have proven to be the

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continues to showcase her talent at every turn. In the first month of spring competition, she soared through the 500-meter run in just one minute and 12 seconds, earning her the third-best mark in school history.

The sophomore class has energized this determined team as well, as both Ashley Montgomery and Brendan Shearn continue to impress with sub5:00 miles and historic finishes in the 5000-meter run, respectively. The Red and Blue should continue to benefit from this dynamic roster in their last few events of the season.

This event will be the last competition for the Quakers before the Ivy League Indoor Heptagonal Championships. Last season, the Red and Blue performed well with the men’s and women’s teams finishing fourth and seventh, respectively. In order to ignite more explosive results this year, commanding performances from the entire team will be essential.

Even with the top runners competing at the highest caliber, Penn will need impressive results from everyone to complement these notable outliers.

When asked about the keys to success this weekend in State College, mid-distance runner Ella Wurth said they would need “to stay aggressive from the gun and race with confidence.”

The Quakersuse the meet at Penn State as another opportunity to prepare themselves for Indoor Heptagonals, which will be held on the last weekend of the month.

Sophomore runner Brendan Shearn was one of Penn’s top performers throughout the cross country season and has had a strong start to the indoor track season. He will look to continue his streak of excellence at Penn State.

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M. HOOPS >> PAGE 8

including a split of its own Ivy doubleheader last weekend. The Big Red followed up their win over Columbia on Jan. 24 with an eightpoint win over Brown on Friday, before falling to Yale — the only team still undefeated in Ivy play.

If the Quakers are to continue their three-game winning streak against Cornell, putting points on the board and converting open shots early will be key. Penn has averaged 18.3 points in the first half of its past three games, never scoring more than 20 points in any of the three.

“Both nights [last weekend], I thought we struggled to score the ball,” Allen said. “But defensively, the difference was that we were able to give ourselves an opportunity to win on Friday.

“I think there’s a lot of parity in this league, and we need to prepare our guys to play 40 minutes at a time and appreciate an 80-minute weekend.”

Penn’s defensive intensity will be thoroughly challenged when

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it returns to Levien to take on the Lions (10-8, 2-2). The last time the Quakers took on Columbia, thensophomore guard Tony Hicks was ejected for throwing a punch, and the Lions blew out the Red and Blue, 74-55.

Even without star forward Alex Rosenberg, Columbia has held its own this year. Despite dropping four of their past six, the Lions came closer than any other Ivy squad to beating Yale last weekend, falling by just four on Friday.

As the Quakers prepare to enter the major haul of their Ivy slate, long bus rides to Ithaca and games on consecutive nights may begin to take their toll. However, those challenges, like the teams Penn plays, are merely obstacles to success in the long run.

“I think [road trips] can be a good thing,” Allen said. “We get away on the road and we laugh, joke, bond and share stories.

“We have a business-like approach to everything, so it’s not vacation time. But we try to make those outings as much about the family, the program and winning as possible.”

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SPORTS 7

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Red and Blue break the ice in winter training upcoming spring season

BY OSCAR RUDENSTAM Staff Writer With a history stretching back one and a half centuries, competitive rowing constitutes one of Penn’s oldest traditions. A familiar image: the bow of a boat calmly — almost effortlessly — cutting through the water surface as it advances on the river.

An image serene but deceiving: To succeed as a rower takes nothing short of a triumph of the physical and mental self.

The men and women of Penn rowing are keenly aware of this.

During winter break, when most students simmer down between the semesters, the rowers are hard at work. To these oarsmen and oarswomen, it’s hardly a break — more like a stepping stone. “It’s cold outside, the river is frozen up, it’s dark and we’re working really hard,� Greg Myhr, coach of the heavyweight crew, said. “Winter training makes or breaks your season.�

WRESTLING >> PAGE 8

Canfora every day in practice. “I can’t ask for a better partner to work out with everyday ... he does it all really,� Canfora said.

It was Cobb’s win against Villalonga that vaulted him into the nation’s top ten at the 149-pound weight class.

If Cobb can string together more matches like that, he is bound to compete for an EIWA title and be in the conversation at NCAAs in March. And while he has faced obstacles this year with injury, the senior has stayed on course and remained poised to reap the benefits.

Tapping Out Cobb’s story is not simply one of a great wrestler with a unique style. At this time last year, he was a teaching assistant, not a collegiate athlete. He was focused, but not on wrestling.

The veteran is not supposed to be in the national spotlight right now because when he called it quits, he meant it. In Cobb’s mind, he wasn’t taking a break; he had decided he would never wrestle again.

The 2013 NCAA qualifier and EIWA runner-up faced numerous doubters when he told them his decision two springs ago, and it was hard for him to break the daily cycle to which he had become accustomed. “A lot of people are wrestling just because of inertia,� Cobb explained. “They’ve been doing it forever. It’s hard to quit. It’s really hard to quit. “There wasn’t one person on my side when I wanted to quit.�

Many had seen his previous success and questioned why he would throw all his hard work away.

Cobb has a simple answer: “What if I was really good at Halo?� he asks. “Does that mean I should play Halo instead of going to class? Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you should keep doing it.�

A 2013 Academic All-Ivy

Positioned after the preparatory fall season, winter training is a pivotal period of the rowing year. It is the period when the coaches take their rowers back inside, a time to perfect their individual and collective oarsmanship for the spring season.

Now in early February, Myhr is making sure his rowers are not wasting any time. For the heavyweights, winter training is like any other competitive season, but rather than facing other crews, they compete against each other. By using an indoor rowing machine, or ergometer — erg for short — they compete to see who can produce the best results. “It is definitely man against man,�

Myhr said. “We rank the list by number.�

For the women’s crew, coach Mike Lane is overseeing the preparations for the spring. He understands the challenge winter training presents for the rowers. “There are always going to be highs and lows, both from a physical and an emotional standpoint,� he said.

The winter, with its cold temperatures, poses a particular challenge to rowers in the form of potential

illness. “We definitely want to try to prevent sickness as much as possible,�

Lane continued, arguing that it is one of the biggest challenges for the rowers during this season.

For many rowers, however, there was also a bit of light in the midst of all the darkness of winter. This year, a training trip to Florida provided an opportunity for on-water practice, team bonding and — importantly — a mental and motivational boost. “From a mental refreshment state, I think the camp was really, really beneficial,� Lane said, describing how the winter break trip constituted a vital training opportunity removed from otherwise constant academic pressure.

Lane also notes how the trip gave the crew a chance to fine tune their technical side, aside from the opportunity for raw practice. “Making adjustments with our stroke and getting the eight to row as one unit — that was the best part of our training,� he concluded.

Myhr found the trip rewarding, as well.

COURTESY OF PENN ATHLETICS “We got more miles in this year While most of the student population was home relaxing, Penn heavyweight rowing than we have in the past six years,� took advantage of winter break by training for the upcoming spring season.

Myhr noted.

selection, Cobb had a lot on his plate and it made him question whether continuing to wrestle — which he says amounts to taking three additional classes — was worth it in the long run. “I was wondering why I was really doing it,� Cobb said. “Because it was obviously making things a lot harder with school. I felt like it wasn’t fair when I looked at my classmates ... they weren’t playing a sport, let alone wrestling.�

Still, these were the people he was competing with for jobs and grades. Cobb says he became wrapped up in the competitive academic culture of Penn and felt like wrestling made it so that he was competing against his classmates with “one hand tied behind [his] back.�

The pressures were getting to Cobb, and he began to forget what made him wrestle. “I didn’t have my heart in it any more,� Cobb explained, “I didn’t like coming to practice. I wasn’t excited.�

In high school, wrestling allowed him to have an edge for

college acceptances. But once he arrived at Penn, Cobb was not sure what wrestling helped him accomplish outside of the sweaty room.

Back and on top That all changed once he had

A wrestling match – it’s a zero sum game. Only one of you is gonna � win.

- C.J. Cobb Penn wrestler

the opportunity to step back and reflect. Quitting allowed him to consider how much he loved the sport. “I realized one of the biggest things I get from wrestling is the friendships that I make and the people that I meet,� Cobb said. And he missed that when he was away.

Cobb also missed the competitive juices that at one point had set him on edge. “Usually, I would get nervous, and that wouldn’t feel good,� Cobb remembers. But after returning, he began to welcome the nerves. “I would get nervous, and I would be like ‘wow I miss this feeling. This is f**king awesome.’�

The feeling is one Cobb says is unique to wrestling and perhaps a few other sports. It was one Cobb could not find in a classroom. “People get nervous before a big test, but on a test you can all do well and a test isn’t really fighting against you,� Cobb insists. “It’s just a static thing. “A wrestling match — it’s a zero sum game. Only one of you is gonna win and, I don’t know, there’s just nothing like that.�

As Cobb tells his story with a calm and deliberate tone, it becomes clear why he is such a menace to opponents. He is

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Much like Lane, he found the trip as important for its motivational qualities.

Colin Farrell, coach of the lightweight crew, noted how winter training back in Philadephia differs from regular training. Unable to practice on the water — which is the usual method of choice — rowers must resort to a combination of using machines, tanks and weightlifting — all indoors. “Every day is valuable,� Farrell said. “The work and energy levels are high,� he continued.

Content with the lightweights’ progress so far, both he and the rowers are eager to get back out on the Schuylkill, now only weeks away.

Indeed, spring is pressingly close.

All of the crews are looking to start competitive racing next month.

thoughtful and unfazed. He can think on his feet and react, but he never overcommits.

Cobb now believes that wrestling is worth the pain and time. “Even if I gotta take a little less pay after college or not get the perfect job or the highest GPA ... it’s a fine sacrifice,� Cobb noted. “It’s worthwhile, and it’s fun.�

Cobb should not worry though.

With his skill set, he’s bound to accomplish great things both on the mat and off. “A lot of people say that you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone. Well, it was gone and then it came back, and that was really cool,� Cobb said with a smile.

But now, even though it’s back, there’s no longer a weight on Cobb’s shoulders. “I know at this point that I’m doing it just for me and not because I’m good or because anybody wanted me to do it,� Cobb said. “It’s really just for me.�

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ONE AT A TIME

WINTER TRAINING

After last weekend’s sweep, Penn women’s hoops is out for more success.

Despite the frigid conditions, Penn rowing finds pways to stay sharp in the winter.

>> SEE PAGE 6

>> SEE PAGE 7

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

A FRESH

START

WRESTLING | One senior’s and no one else.

triumphant return

BY THOMAS MUNSON Associate Sports Editor

It’s never easy to step away. It can be difficult to leave the past behind, especially if it’s a glorious one.

Following his sophomore season, C.J. Cobb stepped away from wrestling after a decade and a half of hard work and success. But he does not regret his decision one bit. In fact, it was his decision to walk away that made him fall back in love with the sport.

This year, the 149-pound senior is rejuvenated as he sits atop the Ivy League, ready to make his run at AllAmerican status.

On this go around, Cobb is sure of one thing: he’s wrestling for himself

A dominating grappler Since joining Penn wrestling, it has been obvious that the Williamstown, N.J., native could do special things on the mat. Cobb knows it, his teammates know it and his opponents certainly know it.

“He’s always filled that role as one of the most talented kids on the team,” junior captain Brooks Martino said.

His teammates applaud his quickness and his hips. The combination of the two allows him to gain an advantage when he gets in scrambling positions.

However, Cobb insists that he is not a “funk” wrestler, a label that he has been associated with due to his unconventional style and skill set.

What he thinks sets himself apart from the competition is not his bag of

tricks but his arsenal of attacks. While many wrestlers rely on one or two moves, Cobb boasts five in which he has equally high levels of confidence.

“A lot of people are like ‘watch his single’ or ‘oh, watch his high crotch’ [when discussing other wrestlers],” Cobb explains. “Well I got both and I got a couple of other things.”

As Cobb describes his style of attack, it’s clear that he’s not just a scrambler who improvises. He has a deliberate method of wearing an opponent down and exposing their weaknesses so that he can reach into his repertoire and select the most potent shot.

This unique asset helped him take down sixth-ranked Chris Villalonga of Cornell in January and is what challenges Red and Blue senior Jeff SEE WRESTLING PAGE 7

Penn’s New York State of Mind

ILANA WURMAN | SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR

Saturday’s game at Columbia marks the first time since last season that Penn takes on the Lions, a game in which guard Tony Hicks was ejected for throwing a punch.

SEND STORY IDEAS TO DPSPORTS@THEDP.COM

M. HOOPS | Quakers have

Friday

Saturday

split last six games

Cornell (10-10, 2-2 Ivy)

Columbia (10-8, 2-2 Ivy)

BY RILEY STEELE Senior Sports Editor

8 p.m.

7 p.m.

Ithaca, N.Y.

It’s been a while since Penn basketball played a game away from the Palestra. But after putting together a stretch of the team’s most respectable games this season, the Quakers are looking to continue to piece wins together in the Empire State.

Following a split in their first Ivy doubleheader of the season, the Red and Blue will get back to work when they take on their New York rivals this weekend, facing Cornell in Ithaca on Friday night before doing battle with Columbia on Saturday.

Despite grabbing their second consecutive win and notching their first Ivy victory of 2014-15 in a win against Dartmouth last week, the Quakers ONLINE AT THEDP.COM

(6-11, 1-2 Ivy) were brought back down to earth the following evening. Overwhelmed by a superior Harvard squad, Penn never led, knocking down only 13 shots en route to a 63-38 loss.

But to only focus on the Red and Blue’s drubbing at the hands of the Crimson would sell Penn’s recent five-game homestand short. Following a win on the road against Niagara, the Quakers’ return to the Palestra featured a nearupset of then-No. 5 Villanova and two stout defensive performances against Saint Joseph’s and Dartmouth.

And at this point in the season, with an Ivy win under its belt and a series of winnable games ahead, coach Jerome Allen insists Penn has not

New York City

lost focus, despite the ease with which Harvard handled the squad on Saturday.

“We’re still in the present,” Allen said. “We still have everything in front of us that we want to play for.”

First up for the Red and Blue is Cornell, the only team that finished below the Quakers in the Ivy League standings last season. With the return of senior forward Shonn Miller from an injury that kept him out all of 2013-14, the Big Red (1010, 2-2) have already bounced back significantly from last season’s two-win campaign.

Cornell has won four of its last six, SEE M. HOOPS PAGE 6 CONTACT US: 215-422-4640