THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019 VOL. CXXXV
NO. 13
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
FOUNDED 1885
PennDesign renamed after icon Stuart Weitzman
Wharton China Business Society banned
The Wharton grad is a renowned shoe designer
The group was banned for two years for hazing
SARAH FORTINSKY Executive Editor
CONOR MURRAY Staff Reporter
Penn’s School of Design will be renamed for fashion icon and 1963 Wharton alumnus Stuart Weitzman, whose donation to the school will free it from its years-long struggle to sustain its high costs given limited research funding and gifts. PennDesign will be renamed “the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design,” Penn President Amy Gutmann announced in an email to the Penn community Feb. 26. The sum of Weitzman’s contribution to the school will remain confidential, but “his incomparable support of the School of Design aligns his own lifetime body of work in design with his ongoing commitment to the University in a meaningful and impactful way,” Gutmann wrote. The funds will go toward financial aid and academic programming, as well as toward PennDesign’s central plaza, which will undergo “significant redesign and renovation in the upcoming months,” Gutmann wrote. The plaza is located between Meyerson Hall and Fisher Fine Arts Library, next to College Green. “This is my way of thanking the University of Pennsylvania for the education that was the foundation of my long and incredibly enjoyable career in de-
threatened the institutions. The president graduated from Wharton in 1968 after transferring from Fordham University in 1966. The testimony, which took place in front of the Committee, centered on Cohen’s attacks against his former employer Trump. Cohen appeared before the Committee to discuss Trump’s 2016 campaign and his business’ financial
The Wharton China Business Society was banned from campus for two years after the University determined that a required activity for new members involved hazing practices. The club held a mandatory “quiz activity” for new members on Oct. 13, 2018 which involved drinking. An investigation by the Office of Student Conduct found that the activity violated the University’s Anti-Hazing and Alcohol and Other Drug Policies, according to the University of Pennsylvania State Required Hazing Report 2014-2019. “During a required event on October 13, 2018, new members engaged in a quiz activity that included drinking,” the report read. “OSC sent findings to The Wharton School for sanctioning.” President of the Wharton China Business Society and Wharton junior Emily Zhao did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Wharton Director of Media Relations Peter Winicov did not respond to request for comment. Sanctions for the Wharton China Business Society included the two-year suspension and the cancellation of all upcoming trips and conferences. Board members were also required to write apology letters to new members. OSC Director Julie Nettleton declined to comment on the in-
SEE TESTIMONY PAGE 7
SEE BANNED PAGE 2
SEE PENNDESIGN PAGE 7
LINDA TING
Cohen says Trump directed him to threaten Penn over grades Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, testified in Congress Wednesday morning that he sent a letter to Penn to stop them from releasing Trump’s grades, threatening civil and criminal actions against the University. “When I say con man, I’m talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges, and the College Board to never release his grades or
Trump’s former lawyer said he told Penn to not release grades MAX COHEN AND GIOVANNA PAZ News Editors
SAT scores,” Cohen said in his opening testimony. During his testimony, Cohen said he provided the House Oversight and Reform Committee with copies of letters he wrote at “Mr. Trump’s direction” that
Penn won’t reclassify Economics as STEM major, despite previous considerations Admins suggest majoring in math economics CLAIRE OCHROCH Staff Reporter
In January 2018, Penn administrators were considering reclassifying economics as a STEM major, which would help international students navigate the work visa application process. But more than a year later, the department is no longer exploring the option. Penn’s economics department is sticking to its current classifications, Associate Dean of the College and Director of Academic Affairs Kent Peterman wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “My understanding is that they have a STEM major and are happy with the current configuration of options for students interested in Economics,” Peterman wrote. “Those who want to pursue a STEM major should declare Mathematical Economics.” Students are currently able to major in mathematical economics, which has a significantly heavier mathematics course load and is four course units more than the traditional major. The major was created to satisfy the STEM classification for international students,
AVA CRUZ
Economics Undergraduate Chair Holger Sieg wrote in an emailed statement. “The Penn students should be pleased that we made every effort to come up with a STEM degree more than five years ago,” Sieg wrote. “Anybody who wants to study Economics and needs the STEM classification because of immigration related issues, we
recommend that they should get a degree in MathEcon.” Dean of the College Steven Fluharty told the DP last year that Penn was still considering the change after Yale University designated its economics major as a STEM program. “The Department of Homeland Security classifies ‘Econometric and Quantitative Economics’ as
EDITORIAL | Social media isn’t activism
“Our current era allows us to much easily become ‘slacktivists’ — low-effort, often social media-based messengers of change.” - DP Editorial Board PAGE 4
SPORTS | Downed by the champs
Penn women’s basketball fell to Princeton to move into a tie for first-place in the League. The Quakers need one win to clinch an Ivy Tournament berth. BACKPAGE
a STEM field for the purpose of a STEM OPT Extension, and the SAS Ph.D. program in Economics is now classified in this category,” Fluharty wrote in an emailed statement. “The Economics department has begun exploring whether it is appropriate to seek this classification for its undergraduate program.” Fluharty, however, wrote in an
NEWS Engineering changes submatriculation policies
NEWS Security guard wage increases to $15
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email Feb. 21 that he had “nothing further to add” to the comments of Peterman and Sieg. Many of Penn’s peer Ivy League universities, including Cornell University, Columbia University, Brown University, and Princeton University, have recently designated their economics majors to be classified as STEM programs. The changes came after the Depart-
ment of Homeland Security designated “Econometric and Quantitative Economics” as a STEM degree program in 2012. The reclassification to STEM major is especially significant for international students who are permitted by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to use their student visa to remain and work in the United States. Most student visas are valid for up to a year after graduation during the Optional Practice Training — but majoring in STEM-designated programs allows students to extend the OPT period an extra two years. Despite Penn’s decision to stop exploring the option, international students still advocate for the economics major to be reclassified as a STEM program. “I think [it should be reclassified] because in economics, although it’s in the social sciences, there are a lot of maths and analysis that requires the skill of STEM majors that apply to economics as well,” said College freshman Ramona Sripitak, an international student from Thailand. The OPT extension is important for international students because it provides opportunities for them
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM
Business leaders stress importance of data analytics at panel The event was called “The Future is Now” ANNA DUAN Contributing Reporter
Students should consider pursuing the growing field of data analytics, prominent business and education leaders said at a panel hosted by Wharton on Tuesday night. During the event, titled “The Future is Now: Closing the Data Analytics Skills Gap,” panelists emphasized that data analytics is increasingly important in fields ranging from health care to business and nonprofit work. Companies use data analytics to gain unprecedented access to information, which allows them to track consumer behavior and expand in new directions. The event was co-hosted by the Wharton School and WorkingNation, a nonprofit campaign that helps prepare Americans for the changing economy. Speakers included LinkedIn co-founder Allen Blue, Morgan Stanley Chief Technology Officer Tsvi Gal, and Comcast Senior Vice President of Marketing Ravi Kandikonda. In his keynote address, Blue said LinkedIn data scientists tracked the job search process of employees who lost jobs in the recession to map the changing skill gaps and opportunities in the economy in 2009. Afterwards, a panel of industry leaders discussed the role of data analytics in the substantial expansion of their fields. Gates Foundation Deputy Director of Quantitative Sciences
STEM
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to gain experience working in the United States along with benefits that people may not be able to get in their home countries, College junior Gehna Nandwani said. Given the mathematical eco-
ANANYA CHANDRA
ANANYA CHANDRA
Speakers included LinkedIn Co-Founder Allen Blue, Morgan Stanley CTO Tsvi Gal, and Comcast Senior Vice President of Marketing Ravi Kandikonda. The event was co-hosted by Wharton and WorkingNation.
Allen Blue, the co-founder of LinkedIn, delivered the keynote address at the event titled “The Future is Now: Closing the Data Analytics Skills Gap.”
Steven Kern said scientists at the foundation analyzed global genomics data in an attempt to locate common factors contributing to stunted growth in various countries. “If you don’t know data science today, it’s a cement ceiling,” Marketing professor and 1988 Wharton graduate Eric Bradlow said in a second panel that discussed education. Penn Medicine Executive Vice President Kevin Mahoney also explained how health care providers have used data collected
munity College of Philadelphia President Donald Guy Generals, said modular education and micro-credential programs allow students to learn practical skills in small pieces rather than pursuing an entire college degree. This trend allows more non-traditional students to enter data analytics related fields. “The opportunities are really there when you embrace the idea that it’s about [your skills] and not the quality of paper your degree is written on,” Schwartz said.
nomics major’s STEM classification, international students feel pushed towards the major. “The visa side of things definitely had a decent amount of influence on my decision to do mathematical economics,” said College freshman Shivin Uppal, an international student from In-
through smart devices, such as Fitbit watches, to determine optimal times to treat patients. “This is going to reduce costs and improve the human condition,” Mahoney said. While panelists touched on how the data analytics boom has advanced the economy, they also explored the implications for those left out. Wharton Dean Geoffrey Garrett spoke at the event and pointed to a “tension between the opportunities and dislocations” related to the data analytics boom. Other
dia. “But to be fair I think I’ve always been the kind of person who’s liked math and econ individually as subjects.” But Uppal does see an issue with the mathematical economics major because of the large amount of required math courses that are not focused on the study
speakers added that, particularly in the finance sector, jobs involving data science are only open to people with college degrees. In the second panel, speakers also discussed how to better incorporate data analytics in education. 2008 Wharton MBA graduate Jake Schwartz discussed co-founding General Assembly, an educational institution with campuses around the world that teaches technology skills to business professionals. Schwartz, along with Com-
Philadelphia School District Chief Information Officer Melanie Harris also said the district is incorporating data science in their curriculum by teaching concepts like patterns, coding, and research ethics as early as elementary school. “It doesn’t matter what you’re doing,” Blue said. “For you to be able to do your job well in the future, not only do you need to understand these technologies, but you need to learn new technologies as they come on board.”
of economics. “My parents sent me here for education for four years and it’s a big, huge, investment,” said Nandwani, who is also an international student from India. “I’m not just here to get a degree and go back home. I want to do something with my life.”
Major Dinners
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March 11 @ 6:00 PM | RSVP by March 5
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Sociology
W.E.B. Du Bois College House
March 14 @ 6:00 PM | RSVP by March 11
Environmental Studies & Earth Science Rodin College House
March 18 @ 6:00 PM | RSVP by March 13
French, Italian and Spanish Ware College House
Each semester, the College in collaboration with the College Houses and academic departments and programs holds a series of dinner discussions on majors, minors and academic programs. These dinners provide an opportunity to meet with faculty and upperclass students in a small, relaxed setting, and are free of charge. Please RSVP by the required date at the URL below. Contact Ashley Banks at asbanks@sas.upenn.edu with any questions.
http://www.college.upenn.edu/dinners/
cident in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “The OSC’s practice is not to comment on incidents. However, in general when working with student organizations, the OSC works with the appropriate offices on campus to determine sanctions and next steps,” Nettleton wrote. “Sanctions are determined on a case by case basis depending on the relevant details.” University spokesperson Stephen MacCarthy declined to provide further comment. “We can’t provide any additional information on the cases,” MacCarthy wrote in an email to the DP.
Penn has recently cracked down on hazing in past months. Penn’s only Asian-interest fraternity Lambda Phi Epsilon was kicked off campus indefinitely after being suspended by the national chapter in December 2018, following an investigation which found “significant evidence” of hazing. In October 2018, OSC also found that Penn’s Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter violated university policy after board members invited potential new members to a “drinking game competition” at their residence. The fraternity later received four educational sanctions that had to be completed before new member recruitment and pledging, according to the report.
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NEWS 3
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
Engineering changes submatriculation policies
Mayor announces $15 wage for Penn security guards
Students say the changes are too restrictive
The new wage results from union efforts
GORDON HO Deputy News Editor
The School of Engineering and Applied Science announced a new policy barring students from being accepted into its sub-matriculation program if they spend more than eight semesters as an undergraduate at Penn, a significant barrier for many engineering students who choose to take an extra semester at Penn. SEAS changed its sub-matriculation policy on Feb. 25, which previously allowed engineering students to enroll in the Accelerated Master’s Program. The program allows students to begin their master’s program while still completing their undergraduate coursework, fast-tracking their graduate degree at Penn. Now, undergraduate students who want to apply for a bachelor’s and master’s degree will need to complete all undergraduate coursework within eight semesters — an inconvenience for the mass of engineers who spend an extra semester or year at Penn. The policy also blocks students pursuing uncoordinated dual degrees from being accepted into the program. SEAS Director of Student Life and Undergraduate Education S. Sonya Gwak made the announcement Monday in an email to Engineering freshmen. The changes will only affect undergraduates entering Penn in fall 2018 or later. Coordinated dual degree students under the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology and Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research, however, have a slightly longer timeframe to complete the undergraduate requirements. Instead of an eight semester limit, the students will have 10 semesters to complete their de-
grees. If students cannot finish their undergraduate degree in eight semesters, their application to the accelerated master’s degree will be withdrawn. The earliest that students can apply is after at least two semesters. Administrators say the policy change is meant to decrease students’ coursework and stress. But engineering students have criticized the new policy as unreasonable and overly restrictive. Boon Thau Loo, Associate Dean of the Master’s and Professional Programs in the Engineering School, said the new policy is designed to make students think twice about their decision to apply for the Accelerated Master’s Program. While the existing sub-matriculation program does not have a time limit, Loo said the new policy will ensure students are not stretching out their course load more than the typical eight semesters. “There is something to be said about going deep in-depth and really learning something, than trying to cram a lot,” Loo said.” Even if you get good grades you might not know the material in a deep way.” Engineering junior Pranjal Goel said the shorter time limit will actually cause students to overload classes and become more stressed, especially because students can only double count up to three courses for both their undergraduate and graduate requirements. “This is a restriction on gaining education,” Goel said. Many seniors also choose to stay at Penn for an extra semester or year, said Engineering senior Victoria Huang, who will graduate with a masters and uncoordinated degree in cognitive science and computer science this year. Even if Penn is concerned with the coursework that uncoordinated dual degree students face, some are able to handle the
work, said Engineering junior Diana Marsala, who is currently in the school’s sub-matriculation program. “I enjoy what I am doing. I am not ultra-stressed all the time,” Marsala said. “I am able to handle it and I know what my limits are.” Marsala is also a first-year master’s student pursuing an uncoordinated dual degree in linguistics and computer science. “If your rule is we don’t want people to overload on credits and we don’t want people to take seven credits or more a semester, okay, you can debate that separately,” Marsala said. “But blanket excluding uncoordinated dual degree students is just not right.” Loo said although the policy bans uncoordinated dual degree students from applying, Penn may consider applications from “rockstar” students who are able to handle the workload. But Loo added that the school still does not encourage students to follow this path. Engineering freshman Joshua Nouriyelian posted screenshots of the email announcement to CIS@Penn, Penn’s Computer and Information Science Facebook group, which was how upperclassmen were informed of the new policy. Current freshmen and future undergraduates must have a 3.2 cumulative GPA and must submit an academic plan approved by the undergraduate chair to apply to the Accelerated Master’s program, according to the new application form. The deadline to apply is the drop period in a student’s seventh semester. “As you go to the higherlevel courses, the coursework actually gets easier and more manageable and lighter. It’s really the intro courses that are really heavy with a lot of work,” Huang said. “So I don’t see taking more classes as you go higher as a problem.”
DANIEL WANG Staff Reporter
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney set a new policy in place Tuesday to increase the wages for security guards to $15 — a significant wage hike for Penn’s security officers. Kenney announced the higher prevailing wage for security officers at a Tuesday press conference held at Temple University by the Local 32BJ branch of Service Employees International Union, which covers Philadelphia and Delaware. Julie Blust, deputy communications director of 32BJ SEIU, said the current starting wage for security guards at Penn is $11.88 and the average wage for officers overall is $12.78. About 95 percent of the security guards in the city are represented by the SEUI, Blust said. The new law will affect about 2,000 security officers at Penn, Temple University, Drexel University, and other publicly-subsidized institutions. It will take effect July 1. Kenney’s announcement Tuesday comes after years of union advocacy to increase the average wage for security guards. “Working class Philadelphians should not have to struggle to support their families if they are employed, especially by world-class institutions,” Kenney said to a cheering crowd. “I’m excited that our institutions will be providing a livable wage at $15 an hour for all of our security officers and building service workers.” Penn’s security guards are employed by Allied Universal Secu-
FILE PHOTO
Penn’s security guards are employed by Allied Universal Security Services through a contract with the University.
rity Services through a contract with the University. The security officers are managed under the Penn Division of Public Safety’s Security Services department. University spokesperson Stephen MacCarthy did not respond to requests for comment. Prevailing wages are determined by the government as the local hourly rate for workers who hold jobs in the public sector. The prevailing wages for each industry are often related to rates negotiated by unions. Inclusion of security officers in the prevailing wage law became policy in 2016 as a result of advocacy efforts by 32BJ SEIU. “The idea behind the prevailing wage is that entities that get public money should not be using it to provide poverty jobs,” Blust said. This announcement follows steps taken by Illinois and New Jersey to raise their overall minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 and 2024, respectively. Philadelphia has had a prevailing wage law for decades, affecting different industries such as con-
struction. In 2016, Kenney signed a bill to expand the city’s prevailing wage law to include service workers — including security guards — at publicly-subsidized institutions. “What we felt was a lot of low wage workers, particularly security officers that guard different institutions in the city, were not benefitting from the prevailing wage even though they make up such a large workforce and really need the wages to live,” Blust added. The new prevailing wage comes as part of the Kenney administration’s broader efforts to increase minimum wage, advocating for higher wages for airport workers, food service workers, and other service industries in the past. “People that secure buildings in the city and make the city go that aren’t earning the living wage that they should be,” Blust said. “Part of this effort is to make sure that everyone benefits from the prosperity that the city is seeing right now, and especially those that live right here in Philadelphia neighborhoods.”
Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, February Term, 2019, No. 190102799. Notice is hereby given that on January 25, 2019 the petition of Felicia Anderson was filed, praying for a decree to change the name of FELICIA FREDRICA ANDERSON to Felicia Fredrica Anderson. The Court has fixed March 1, 2019 at 11:30 A.M., in Room 691, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19107 for hearing. All persons interested may appear and show cause if any they have, why the prayer of the said petition should not be granted.
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4
OPINION Social media isn’t a substitute for student activism on campus
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2019 VOL. CXXXV, NO. 13 135th Year of Publication JULIA SCHORR President SARAH FORTINSKY Executive Editor BEN ZHAO Print Director SAM HOLLAND Digital Director ISABELLA SIMONETTI Opinion Editor MADELEINE NGO Senior News Editor THEODOROS PAPAZEKOS Senior Sports Editor GILLIAN DIEBOLD Senior Design Editor ALICE HEYEH Design Editor JESS TAN Design Editor LUCY FERRY Design Editor TAMSYN BRANN Design Editor GIOVANNA PAZ News Editor MANLU LIU News Editor MAX COHEN News Editor DEENA ELUL Assignments Editor DANNY CHIARODIT Sports Editor MICHAEL LANDAU Sports Editor WILL DiGRANDE Sports Editor KATIE STEELE Copy Editor TAHIRA ISLAM Copy Editor DANIEL SALIB Director of Web Development
THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN EDITORIAL BOARD
F
or nearly a century, student activism has been a hallmark of the college experience for many — and Penn’s campus is no exception. It’s hard not to feel strongly whenever Penn’s administration implements a controversial new rule or mandate. Most students have an opinion, and there is often backlash. But resistance comes in many forms. Signing a petition is different from debating a hot topic with friends, which is different from angry reacting on Facebook on a news article. Emailing Amy Gutmann is different from attending a protest, which is different than leading said protest. We are part of a generation that values social media activism. But often, this isn’t enough to make the change we need on campus. On Aug. 23, 2018, The Daily Pennsylvanian published The Wharton School’s decision to change Huntsman Hall’s previously 24-hour operations, describing the new policy to close the building at 2 a.m. Wharton Dean Geoffrey Garrett described the change as part of an effort to improve mental wellness on campus. The decision received immediate and strong backlash from students. Nearly 600 people reacted to The Daily Pennsylvanian's article on Facebook, over 250 comments were made, and
KC MILLER
Members of minority student groups plastered Penn’s LOVE statue with flyers describing experiences of Asian-American women on Feb. 21.
the post was shared over 40 times. The reactions and comments were overwhelmingly negative. Within hours, students created a petition to reverse the decision. Two weeks later, after classes had begun, students scheduled a sit-in to protest the new closing time. You may remember the headline: “More than 300 marked 'going' to the Huntsman Hall protest on Facebook. Eight showed up.” Huntsman Hall currently closes at 2 a.m. In 1989, Wharton tried to change Steiny-D's hours in a similar move. But after a multi-day sit-in by
students, the decision was reversed — as a direct result of the protests. The two situations aren’t directly comparable. The motives behind the decisions were different. They were made by two different administrations. And the two protests happened 29 years apart. But our current era allows us to much easily become “slacktivists” — low-effort, often social mediabased messengers of change. It’s much easier to retweet something you agree with than participate in a march. We need to remember that hands-on activism is effective. It has the power to raise awareness
about certain issues in a tangible way that is hard for administrative figures to ignore. In the past few weeks alone, there have been multiple attempts to lobby the administration to make changes. On Feb. 26, 15 student groups held an open forum in solidarity with Penn Hillel's Falk Dining Commons workers after Penn canceled their traditional Black History Month event. Five days earlier, members of Asian Pacific Student Coalition, Penn Association for Gender Equity, and Spice Collective covered Penn's LOVE statue with notes describing the experiences of Asian-American women, specifically as they relate to fetishization. Undergraduate Assembly members are currently lobbying to bring on-site Counseling and Psychological Services clinicians to the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Nursing, and the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Since the beginning of the semester, leaders of the 6B have been meeting with Penn administration to petition for more space on campus beyond ARCH basement — and progress appears to be coming. And this is just what has been reported on in the immediate past — student groups across campus are constantly working to make change. Fossil Free Penn is making a new, focused, proposal to get the
University to divest from coal and tar sands, and Penn’s IFC and PHC leaders are directly challenging Penn’s new sophomore on-campus housing rule. Influencing or reversing a policy made by the administration may seem like an impossible task, but it has certainly been done before. We must continue to advocate for the change we want through hands-on activism. Numerous protests about the lack of adequate mental health resources on campus and Penn’s stressful academic culture prompted the University to repeatedly increase CAPS’ funding and make a clear commitment to campus-wide mental wellness — participating in two Campus Conversations surrounding mental health, in the fall of 2017 and spring of 2018. After consistent student and faculty-led efforts to preserve the Asian American Studies Program at Penn, an interim director was hired in the spring of 2018 and a full-time ASAM lecturer was hired in the fall. This being said, “slacktivism” isn’t necessarily bad: social media is a powerful and necessary tool in activist efforts. Keep changing your profile picture template, and sharing and commenting on articles that are important to you and you think should be read by others. But understand that there is more to be done.
OPINION ART
AVNI KATARIA Audience Engagement Editor CHASE SUTTON Senior Multimedia Editor MARIA MURAD News Photo Editor ALEC DRUGGAN Sports Photo Editor SAGE LEVINE Video Producer SAM MITCHELL Podcast Editor REMI GOLDEN Business Manager JAMES McFADDEN Director of Analytics JOY EKASI-OTU Circulation Manager LAUREN REISS Marketing Manager THOMAS CREEGAN Senior Accounts Manager SHU YE DP Product Lab Manager
THIS ISSUE CECELIA VIEIRA Copy Associate DANA NOVIKOV Copy Associate LILLIAN ZHANG Copy Associate AGATHA ADVINCULA Copy Associate
VERONICA FENTON is a College sophomore from Penn Valley, Pa. Her email address is fentonv@sas.upenn.edu
NICK AKST Copy Associate SAM MITCHELL Copy Associate OLIVIA ZHA Design Associate MICHEL LIU Design Associate
Penn’s room selection is an insult to students on financial aid STIRRING THE POT | I know that there has to be a better process, and frankly, I demand it
SYDNEY LOH Design Associate AVA CRUZ Design Associate WINNIE XU Design Associate LINDAY TING Design Associate MONA LEE Associate Photo Editor ERIC ZENG Associate Photo Editor SON NGUYEN Associate Photo Editor ALEXA COTLER Associate Photo Editor
LETTERS Have your own opinion? Send your letter to the editor or guest column to letters@thedp.com. Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. Editorial Board, which meets regularly to discuss issues relevant to Penn’s campus. Participants in these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on related topics.
W
hen I f i rst visited Penn, what caught my eye, odd ly enough, wasn’t the stunning architecture of the quad, where I currently happily live, but the high rises. Maybe it was because the “NYC” in me thought it was the closest thing to living in an apartment building in Manhattan, or maybe it was because I thought the large number of floor-to-ceiling windows would provide a beautiful view of the Philadelphia skyline. Whatever it was, I knew that I wanted to live in them for at least one year. My dream came true, but at a huge cost. This year’s housing process was extremely flawed. In typical Penn fashion, the lottery-based time slots fostered unnecessary competition among students, and when coupled with unexpected differences in housing prices, resulted in extreme inequities. Step one was to consider the desired building and room constellation and create a group of
roommates based on that. Nowhere in Penn’s on-campus housing brochure did it list the prices for the rooms, nor did it suggest that the prices would be different for different rooms, which I later found out, after speaking with Penn Residential Services, was intentional — the more information on the brochure, the less visually effective. Naturally, students assumed they could choose whichever room they wanted. Only after the groups were already wellestablished did students learn from checking the website that there were, in fact, pricing differences among the different buildings and room types, and huge ones at that. It turns out that, while a single, double, and three-bedroom quad in the high rises cost $10,200 for the academic year, any other type of room in the high rises, including the more plentiful four-room quads, cost an additional $4,000 per person, which, to boot, would not be covered by Financial Aid. Clearly midterm exams and papers are not enough stressors for students; they should now have to worry about
paying for on-campus housing. Chaos ensued. Those who didn’t want to spend, or couldn’t afford, the extra $4,000, had to shift gears entirely. While it was possible to stay in a group of four and hope to live in the less expensive Du Bois, Gregory, or New College House, those buildings had very few quads. Another possibility would have been three-bedroom quads in the high rises, but that would have required two people to share a room. To increase the odds, smaller groups — for singles and doubles — were formed. Next came the time slots for selection — doled out based on seniority, and then assigned randomly within each class. A few hours into day one, the doubles in the high rises were gone, and shortly thereafter, the singles disappeared as well. The next logical step for these frustrated students would have been to re-create the groups of four and go back to the previously rejected $10,200 three-bedroom quads, but of course, group formation changes were not permitted at this stage.
So perhaps the groups of ones and twos could select rooms within the cheaper quads, and wait for others to fill the remaining rooms. But Penn did not let that happen either, claiming that each dormroom had to be completely filled. The waitlist became the next best option, or at least it appeared that way until “open selection” rolled around, and being on that waitlist was the next impediment to choosing a room. Then came a hurried series of phone calls and emails to the housing office, after which the students were taken off the waitlist, but not before they watched room after room disappear right before their eyes, their chances to live in the affordable room they wanted disappearing as well. I know that there has to be a better process, and frankly, I demand it. I’m all for a lottery, as first-come-first-served would likely lead to repeated website crashes and unnecessary competition amongst the students. But if people receive time slots randomly, how can the room prices be different? And how
HADRIANA LOWENKRON is Student Financial Services not forced to pay for the higher-priced room, if that was the only room available? Either make the rooms all cost the same and continue with the lottery process, or make it so that those who receive financial aid and those who simply don’t want to spend an extra $4,000 get priority for the less expensive rooms. Or sit back and watch everybody take their money and move off campus. I know that’s my plan for next year. HADRIANA LOWENKRON is a College freshman studying Urban Studies and Journalism. Her email address is hadriana@sas.upenn.edu.
5
Stop complaining about room selection CHRISTY’S CORNER | We aren’t sleeping in libraries, converted janitor’s closets, and vehicles, like some other college students are 5:20 p.m. It was time. My prospective roommates and I huddled around my computer, anxiously awaiting the launch of our room selection application. We sped through the questions, and less than a minute after, our collective silence transformed into collective celebration. A huge weight had been lifted off our chest — we had acquired the room of our choice. Penn Housing, especially within the past few months, has developed a somewhat poor reputation, due to an extensive case of mold in the Quad, recent floods in the high rises, the controversial second-year housing requirement, and a string of other mishaps. Students often complain, and rightly so, because Penn, indeed, has a long way to go in improving their housing situation. But, we must be aware that in comparison to many other colleges, Penn’s housing services are well above average. Penn’s second-year housing requirement stirred strongly adverse responses, but if it had happened at fellow Ivy League school, Cornell University, there might have been the opposite reaction, where high demand for on-campus housing is met with low supply. Like Penn, upperclassmen at Cornell who wish to live on campus enter a housing lottery where time slots are assigned randomly. But students have described it as “Housing Hell” and the “Hunger Games” of room selection because preferred housing is never ensured, especially for students with later time slots. Thus, the lottery ensues fierce competition and intense anxiety. While many Penn students embrace the opportunity to live off campus after freshman year, the situation is not always ideal at Cornell. With a limited number of on-campus beds, students must rely
on off-campus housing, only to be met with excessively high prices. Those that are affordable lie on the outskirts of campus. Moreover, students living off campus are often met with unprecedented difficulties. In a specific case, one Cornell student abandoned his apartment, due to a months-long dispute with his landlord, and began sleeping in a library on campus. Last August, new students at Purdue University were reported to be sleeping in segmented, officelike spaces, known as “temporary” or “auxiliary housing.” Created due to the excess of admitted applicants, a handful of new students spent their first few weeks of college in public arenas that house up to ten students. This form of housing, though only publicized this past summer through Buzzfeed Media, has been
in practice at Purdue years before. In 2008, a female freshman remained in temporary housing 12 weeks into the semester, initially expecting it to last up to four weeks. In 2013, one student made a new home in a converted janitor’s closet. Such housing is an anomaly at Penn, where every freshman from
into upperclassmen years, students are provided with options of gaining a kitchen, living room, and private bathroom, while others who opt-out of on-campus housing pursue more affordable private housing nearby or luxury housing, such as The Radian and Domus. Students aren’t concerned with finding housing —
Students aren’t concerned with finding housing — they’re concerned with deciding on the best choice.” the start of New Student Orientation has a room, either suite-style or traditional dorm-style. Moving
they’re concerned with deciding on the best choice. We have the privilege of not worrying about whether
we’ll have housing in future years, as Penn has subsided any possibility of a housing crisis. Unfortunately, at UC Berkeley, a school many of my friends from high school attend, a notorious housing crisis has existed for decades. On several occasions, they’ve lamented over their housing situation — a lack of security, little to no amenities, and high costs, both on and off campus. Compared to Penn’s minimum rate of $10,200 and maximum rate of $14,284, UC Berkeley’s prices range from $13,495 for a single room housing four people up to $20,485 for a one-person single room suite. Oncampus housing is only guaranteed for about a quarter of undergraduate students, leaving some to resort to forms of homelessness. An official housing survey conducted in 2017 found that at some point since
FILE PHOTO
CHRISTY QIU arriving to the university, 10 percent of respondents had experienced homelessness by not having stable or reliable housing, causing them to live in vehicles, short-term rentals, couch surf in other people’s homes, or make other sleeping arrangements. On the other hand, students at Penn complain about minor details. I, for one, have worried about whether my room would be above the tenth floor, whether it’d have a large window in the living room to view the Philadelphia cityscape, and whether it’d be within a one mile radius to the closest Starbucks. I understand that everyone’s process varies, and I sympathize with fellow students who may be struggling with severe difficulties related to room selection. But, at the end of the day, those of us pursuing housing, either on or off campus, typically end up in perfectly comfortable situations. As room selection nears to an end, let’s look past our trivial concerns and keep in mind how lucky we are to have viable and relatively affordable options. Allow room selection to be a time free from discontent and, instead, full of excitement. CHRISTY QIU is a College freshman from Arcadia, Calif. studying architecture. Her email address is christyq@sas.upenn.edu.
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6 NEWS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM
U. establishes policy on background checks for working with children Individuals will undergo three-part background check MANLU LIU News Editor
Penn has established a new policy centralizing background checks for students, faculty, staff, and volunteers who have direct contact with minors. The Protecting Minors On Campus Policy, effective since Feb. 19, mandates that individuals working with children must undergo a three-part background check. Penn has also established a new full-time coordinator position, which will oversee the program regarding minors on campus in the Division of Human Resources, Recruitment Services. The new policy was established to be in compliance with Pennsylvania law, which requires three background checks for Philadelphia residents who
interact with minors. “All University faculty, staff, postdoctoral trainees, students and volunteers having direct contact with children in connection with University activities are required to undergo a threepart background check consistent with Pennsylvania law,” the policy states. “The check will be in addition to any standard background check applicable to an employee at the time of hire.” Despite the new coordinator role, each school and center within Penn is still responsible for determining which individuals fall under the scope of the policy. The policy is a compilation of policies that were previously housed under individual schools, Senior HR Communications Specialist Wendy Harris wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “Background checks for pro-
FILE PHOTO
Penn students (above) work with children through the program “After School Arts at Penn.” Penn has also established a new full-time coordinator position, which will oversee the program regarding minors.
grams involving minors had been conducted on a decentralized basis,” Harris wrote.
“However, based on anticipated University outreach and increasing demand, the decision was
made to centralize the process.” Harris added that the background checks will continue to
be funded by individual schools and centers. Under the policy, people may not work with minors if they were previously convicted of crimes including homicide, child endangerment, and sexual assault. Individuals are also excluded from working with children if they were convicted of a felony offense under The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act within the past five years. The policy also outlines that individuals in leadership and supervisory positions on Penn’s campus are responsible for reporting suspected cases of child abuse. The cases must be reported in three ways: an oral or written report to the Division of Public Safety, an oral report to the Department of Human Services, and a written report to the department or county agency assigned to the case.
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THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN
NEWS 7
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
Gov. Tom Wolf gauges support for marijiana legalization
Student creates ‘Affirmation Tree’ to promote positivity
Penn’s marijuana ban remains
The wire sculpture is displayed around campus
CAMI DOO Staff Reporter
DANIELLE CAPRIGLIONE Contributing Reporter
Despite the Pennsylvania governor’s move toward legalizing marijuana in the state, administrators say Penn’s marijuana ban is here to stay. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D) and Lt. Governor John Fetterman (D) are traveling around the state to gauge the public’s reception to legalizing recreational marijuana. The Governor and Lt. Governor have also received support from residents at local town halls, WHYY reported. Medical marijuana is currently legal in the state for those with physician-approved illnesses, yet recreational use of the drug is illegal. As Pennsylvania was opening its first medical marijuana dispensaries in January 2018, the Penn administration said the drug would still be prohibited on campus — the same stance the University holds now. “Under the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, which is a federal law, college campuses nationwide are unable to permit the use of medical or recreational marijuana, even on campuses where there are legal marijuana programs at the state level,� Noelle Melartin, director of the Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Program Initiatives, wrote in an email this month to The Daily Pennsylvanian. Under the Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is illegal. Schools who violate this law are at risk of losing federal funding, according to the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989. However, Inside Higher Ed reported that this threat to funding has never been formally implemented. Despite the federal barriers, Wharton Cannabis Business Club
In Fisher Fine Arts Library, a wire tree has leaf-shaped notecards with self-affirming messages dangling from its branches. The project, called the Affirmation Tree, was created by a Penn student to encourage positive self-reflection among students. College senior Elana Burack, who launched the project Monday, said self-affirmations are statements that help people remember their values and their positive traits. Next to the tree, a sign asks students prompts including “What do you value, and why?,â€? “What is meaningful to you?,â€? and “I am proud of myself because‌â€? and calls on them to pen their responses and hang the notecards on the tree. To decide prompts for the tree, Burack reached out to Adam Grant, a management and psychology professor in the Wharton School, and Andrew Ward, a psychology professor at Swarthmore College. She said the professors helped point her towards self-affirmation research and suggested directions for the prompts. The Affirmation Tree will remain in the lobby of Fisher Fine Arts until the end of this week. Burack said she plans to move the tree every few weeks to various locations around campus, including Houston Hall, Van Pelt Library, and Weingarten Learning Resources Center. Burack said she first encountered self affirmations when she was dealing with bullying in the eighth grade. When she remem-
CAROLINE GIBSON
Medical marijuana is currently legal in the state for those with physician-approved illnesses, yet recreational use of the drug is illegal.
board member and second-year Wharton MBA student Colin Keeler said he believes the majority of Penn students would support marijuana legalization. Keeler also said state legalization would further promote legal cannabis education and connect students with opportunities in the legal cannabis business. “[Legalization will] make our mission a whole lot easier, as long as cannabis is legal in Pennsylvania,� Keeler said. “We need to anticipate full legalization in the next few years.� Political Science professor Marc Meredith also said there would be a strong level of support among students, regardless of ideology. “Marijuana legalization would be overwhelmingly supported among both Penn students who identify as Democrats, students who identify as Republican, and Penn students who identify with neither of the two major parties,� Meredith said. He said students would support legalization because of easier ac-
cess to marijuana and the benefits of moving the drug trade into a more legitimate market. Despite his view that marijuana legalization has strong support among Penn students, Meredith said the process still faces hurdles in Pennsylvania. “For laws to change, given the Republicans control the legislature, there’s going to have to be at least some Republican buy-in to the changing law too,� Meredith said. “Until there’s evidence that that’s happening, I wouldn’t expect there to be much immediate policy change.� While speaking in front of Philadelphia’s Chamber of Commerce in February, Gov. Wolf referenced New York and New Jersey’s push towards marijuana legalization and questioned how Pennsylvania could respond. “We can do one of two things. We can duck our head in the sand, or we can put our heads up and ask what is happening here,� Wolf said. “And is it time for us to start thinking differently about this?�
>> FRONT PAGE
practices. Cohen also disclosed the letter he addressed to Fordham University’s current president blocking the institution from releasing the president’s grades. [Was Trump really a top student at Wharton? His classmates say not so much.] A spokesperson for Fordham University, in a statement to Inside Higher Ed, confirmed that the school received a letter from a Trump attorney stating they would “take action against the university� if Fordham released Trump’s records. “Our stance remains the same: we obey federal law and don’t release student records to anyone but the student/gradu-
BIRUK TIBEBE
PENNDESIGN >> FRONT PAGE
sign. It is my privilege to support new scholarships, and to invest in the overall academic mission of the School, including the advanced technologies and systems so essential to the future of design,� Weitzman said in a press release. PennDesign has been one of the most tuition-dependent schools at Penn for the past several years, PennDesign As-
sociate Dean for Administration Leslie Hurtig told The Daily Pennsylvanian in spring 2018. At the time, Hurtig and PennDesign Dean Frederick Steiner said they had plans to increase fundraising and diversify the school’s funding as a way to ensure the school’s survival. In 2017, 65 percent of the school’s budget came from tuition and fees, and Hurtig said that percentage was projected
to increase to 67 percent in the 2018 fiscal year. Greater tuition dependence indicates higher financial risk, since more of the school’s funding is vulnerable to changes in enrollment size. “This is a transformational time for the University and for our School of Design, as we educate future leaders in architecture, city and regional planning, design, fine arts, historic preservation, landscape architecture, and related disciplines,� Gutmann wrote.
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bered the self-affirmation technique at the beginning of her senior year, she realized it was a tool Penn students could benefit from. “We’re in this hyper-competitive environment, and encouraging people to take a moment and reflect on themselves and reflect on things bigger than themselves is a key to surviving and thriving here,� she said. College senior Michelle Cossette, who attended the launch, agreed that it was important for students to stop and reflect on their positive attributes. “I do think that when you say something to yourself, about yourself, or a goal you have for yourself, if you say it out loud or write it down you’re more likely to believe it, and to make sure that it can come true,� Cossette said. Burack said this past fall, she made a two-dimensional tree for her apartment wall and encouraged visitors to place their affirmations on it. She wanted the project to be an interactive piece, however, that could move around campus. Through a mutual friend, she reached out to Julia Magidson, a sculptor in her final year of the coordinated dual de-
gree program between Penn and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Magidson and Burack started planning the project last semester and worked together to build the sculpture. “I always really loved self compassion. I didn’t know what affirmations were, but when Elana told me what they were they seemed pretty in line with selfcompassion and it’s definitely something that I think about in my own art,� Magidson said. Burack said she drew inspiration for her project from the “Wall of Rejection� that appeared in the Annenberg School for Communication in February 2017. Burack said the wall, which attempted to normalize rejection, was a way for students to “engage with things we don’t normally engage with,� and she hopes the Affirmation Tree will play a similar role. The project was also sponsored by Penn Wellness and the Sachs Program for Arts Innovation. “I think it’s kind of taboo to say positive things about yourself in a very genuine The way at PennYork in Times New particular,� Burack said. “But I 620 Eighth Avenu For Informatio think that’s a very important psyFor Release chological tool and I hope people will take it as a resource.�
Crossword
TESTIMONY
PennDesign’s central plaza (pictured), will undergo “significant redesign and renovation in the upcoming months,� Gutmann wrote. The plaza is located between Meyerson Hall and Fisher Fine Arts Library.
SOPHIA DAI
Burack, who launched the project Monday, said self-affirmations are statements that help people remember their values and positive traits.
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8 SPORTS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM
Key matchups: men’s swimming preps for Ivy Championships Tennis and lacrosse seek to continue hot starts to season
not just senior Mark Andrew — to the NCAA Championships. “Mark Andrew has made it [to NCAAs] the last three years; hopefully some other guys will join him this year,� Schnur said. “It will be nice to send a team to the meet, not just Mark.� Andrew has been arguably the best swimmer for the Quakers over the past four years. He has consistently performed at a high level, but in this meet, other swimmers and divers will also have an opportunity to shine on a big stage. Women’s tennis vs. the outdoors Penn women’s tennis (6-2) will also take a trip down south during spring break. The Quakers will play four games in Florida against Tulane (5-7), South Florida (5-6), Miami (Ohio) (2-6), and UCF (92). Before the Ivy League season starts, the team will focus on making sure it is ready in all aspects. “One thing that is going to be interesting is transitioning from indoor tennis to the outdoors, and [it’s] something we’re really looking forward to,� coach Sanela Kunovac said. The Red and Blue have played most matches indoors, but as the weather gets warmer, more and more will take place outdoors. The
MAX HAN Contributing Reporter
For most students, spring break is a time of relaxation to be spent with one’s family or friends, but for student athletes, break can be crucial. As winter teams aim to finish their seasons on a strong note, spring teams strive for a good start to theirs. Here’s a look at the key competitions this weekend. Men’s swimming’s seniors vs. the field Penn men’s swimming (8-2, 5-2 Ivy) competes in the 2019 Ivy League Championships from Feb. 27 to Mar. 2 at Brown. Finishing fifth at the event last year, the Quakers are looking to have a much better performance this time around. Led by five seniors, the team has looked solid all season long, but there is a championship on the line. “I expect the guys to get up and swim the fastest they have all year,� coach Mike Schnur said. “[The seniors] really deserve to go out with a bang.� In addition, the Quakers are also hoping to send more individuals —
Quakers see the Florida trip as a great opportunity to get used to playing outside so that they will be well positioned to thrive after the break. Aside from the transition from indoors to outdoors, Penn does not have much to worry about. Last weekend, the team beat William & Mary and put up a great fight against a strong No. 19 Old Dominion squad. Penn feels confident in its potential to stay competitive for the rest of the season. “When you look at it — physical preparation, competitive edge, mental toughness — we kinda check all the boxes that we should at this time of the year,� Kunovac said. Kyle Mautner vs. Alexis Galarneau Although it is still early in the tennis season, Penn men’s tennis (10-2) has already shown sparks of greatness. The team is ranked No. 23 on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rankings and has yet to drop a match at home. The Quakers will visit No. 29 North Carolina State (9-3), UNC-Charlotte (4-7), No. 47 UNC-Wilmington (6-5), and No. 50 Duke (5-5) on a road trip over spring break before returning home to play Clemson on
March 10. With three of its opponents ranked in the top 50 — in addition to the Quakers’ 1-2 away record — the North Carolina road trip should be both a test of Penn’s strength on the road and a chance to prove it is one of the best college teams in the country. Individually, the matchup between senior captain Kyle Mautner and NC State’s Alexis Galarneau is one to keep an eye on. Galarneau is ranked No. 52 in the nation, so this matchup will have profound implications on both players’ efforts to make the individual NCAA Championships. Ivy League matches start at the end of March, so every game before then is part of the building process for the League matches and the playoffs. The Quakers have set their eyes on the Ivy League Championship and on making a run in the NCAA Tournament. “At the beginning of the season, we already had a big goal of making the semifinals in the NCAAs, so this [road trip] is just a stepping stone towards that goal,� freshman Kevin Zhu said. Women’s lacrosse vs. Yale After starting the season with two straight victories, the Quakers
CHASE SUTTON
Senior swimmer Mark Andrew, capping off an illustrious career for the Red and Blue, will be competing in his final Ivy League Championships.
are looking to extend their winning streak against Yale (2-1) on March 2 at Franklin Field. Penn women’s lacrosse currently ranks No. 8 nationally, and after narrowly falling in the Ivy League Tournament last season, the Quakers are looking to bring home the championship trophy this season. The home opener against Yale on Saturday will set the tone for the rest of the Ivy League season. Yale has won two consecutive games, scoring 18 points in each
victory. The Quakers will need to be strong on the defensive end in order to secure the win. But the higher-ranked Penn team should be the favorite in this matchup. Yale won’t be the Quakers’ only opponent during spring break, however. Drexel and No. 18 Georgetown will also visit Franklin Field during spring break. Although these games are not Ivy League matches, each contest is important to the team’s at-large hopes for the NCAA Tournament.
Ivy League adopts rotating campus schedule for basketball tournaments Harvard’s Lavietes Pavilion will host 2020 Ivy Madness
host the 2020 edition. “Each Ivy League campus presents its own aura and distinctive traits,� Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris said. “With this rotation, we look forward to sharing the atmosphere and energy of our basketball tournaments with each of our campus communities and giving all of our devoted fanbases an opportunity to experience Ivy Madness in their own venue.� After Harvard gets its turn in 2020, the Tournaments will be hosted by Princeton, Brown, Cornell,
WILL DiGRANDE Sports Editor
In line with this year’s Ivy League season-ending basketball tournament moving from the Palestra to Yale’s Lee Amphitheater, the League announced Tuesday that Ivy Madness will move throughout the conference through at least 2025. Harvard’s Lavietes Pavilion will
Dartmouth, and Columbia in the years 2021 through 2025, respectively. If the League office decides to continue that order, Penn’s next turn will come in 2026. The early responses from Penn fans and alumni have been overwhelmingly negative. Star junior forward AJ Brodeur and 2018 captain Darnell Foreman were among those who took to Twitter to protest the decision. The Ivy League has made a series of controversial decisions regarding the Tournament in recent
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years. Many fans outside of Penn circles disagreed with the decision to keep the Tournament at the Palestra a second year, and Penn fans were upset when it was announced that it would move to Yale this season. The original move to New Haven, Conn. came after Penn hosted the inaugural two tournaments. The Palestra attracted packed crowds to the event in both years, but critics claimed the Cathedral of College Basketball controversially provided home-court advantage to the Quakers, who won the women’s title in 2017 and the men’s in 2018. With the Bulldogs currently sitting atop the men’s standings at 8-2 and on the brink of a spot in the women’s tournament, we’ll see how important playing on their home court is come mid-March.
CHASE SUTTON
The Palestra played host to the Ivy League Tournaments in 2017 and 2018, but the arena will not be the venue for at least another seven years.
PRINCETON
teams found ways to make shots; as the buzzer expired to end the first half, Parker missed a short floater and Penn went into the half trailing 33-31. The second half did not start according to plan for the Red and Blue. Alarie scored the Tigers’ first eight points of the third quarter before Penn could get on the board. Another Princeton run extended the lead to 43-31 and McLaughlin called a timeout to allow his team to reset. “They came at us in the second half, and I don’t know if we responded as well as we’re going to need to down the road,� McLaughlin said. The Quakers went cold — they went just 6-for-21 from the field in the third quarter — but eight offensive rebounds in the quarter alone led to 10 second-chance points. Seniors Ashley Russell and Princess Aghayere contributed seven points apiece to trim the deficit 50-46 as the teams went into the last period of play. For the fourth time on the evening, the Red and Blue started a quarter slowly. They opened with two consecutive shot clock violations while giving up two straight buckets to the visiting Tigers. The Princeton lead grew to 10 points when Alarie again converted inside, forcing Penn into a timeout with 6:05 remaining on the clock. The Quakers tried everything to stop Alarie in the second half;
they rotated Parker and Aghayere in addition to giving minutes to sophomore forward Tori Crawford and junior center Emily Anderson against Princeton’s star. When other Tigers stepped up — sophomore guard Carlie Littlefield converted a four-point play to take an 11-point lead with 5:32 left to play — the game’s result was all but determined. “To beat a quality opponent, you have to be really good in all areas,� McLaughlin said. “I don’t think that was the case tonight.� Next up for the Red and Blue is a Friday evening home matchup with Harvard (14-9, 7-3), where Penn will look to rebound against a team to whom it fell in double overtime on Feb. 16. Parker had a double-double last time out against the Crimson, but she knows that there’s much to improve before the Red and Blue return to the Palestra. “We played a tough one against Harvard last time, so we’re going to focus on our shooting and ways to score on offense,� Parker said. “We struggled from the perimeter, so we should pick that up, and definitely defense. That’s what we’re going to take away from this game for sure.� The Quakers also play Saturday against Dartmouth (12-11, 5-5). They already hold a double-digit victory over the Big Green this season and will look to revisit that success.
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as well as total blocks and rebounds with 34 and 177, respectively. “We have a big test ahead. At Harvard, at Dartmouth — it’s probably the biggest weekend for us of the year. Both hostile environments to play, we just have to take it a game at a time,� Woods said. Donahue has not found it necessary to stress the obvious importance of these games to his squad.
“I don’t think it helps you to say, ‘Hey, it’s really important.’ What’s important is that we come in here, everyone doing whatever they can to get each other better. We have great energy, great enthusiasm, and try to do something a little bit better to help us this weekend,� Donahue said. On the road, the Quakers will do everything they can to stay alive in the Ivy League race this weekend.
>> BACKPAGE over three times in the first period and struggled with shot clock awareness — they managed to hit at a 43 percent clip while holding their opponents to just 33 percent on 5-for15 shooting. Nevertheless, Princeton (16-9, 8-2) forced the Red and Blue into multiple tough, low-percentage shots. Senior forward Princess Aghayere’s early foul trouble made it difficult for Penn to establish an inside presence, and Alarie used all of her 6-foot-4 frame to cause problems in the paint for Penn’s Eleah Parker. “[Alarie]’s too good,� coach Mike McLaughlin said. “You have to try to make her work and play in a crowd a little bit more. We didn’t do that enough and in the second half we gave up way too many breakdown lobs to her.� After Alarie blocked Parker under the basket, the sophomore center responded minutes later on the other end of the court to start a back-andforth battle that would continue for the rest of the half. The second quarter saw the Tigers quickly extend their lead to eight, forcing Penn to take a timeout with 6:18 remaining in the half. Ever-determined, the Quakers clawed back, forcing four turnovers in the process, to cut the lead to 24-23 after junior guard Phoebe Sterba hit her first three-pointer of the game For the rest of the quarter, both
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Quakers will travel to Hanover, N.H. to face Dartmouth. In the midst of a four-game losing streak, Dartmouth has four players averaging double-digit scoring. Most notably, sophomore forward Chris Knight has been a dominant force on both offense and defense for Dartmouth. Knight leads the team in points per game with 15.6,
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SPORTS 9
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
The Ivy League just ruined its own basketball tournaments CARTER THOMPSON
This could be the end of the Ivy League Basketball Tournaments as we know them. The Ivy League announced Feb. 27 that the League’s basketball tournaments would rotate to every school in the conference through 2025. This is, simply, a complete travesty. This decision is the ultimate swing and a miss for a conference that claims it still cares about national athletic relevance. They have taken the tournament, a product that for its first two years was a complete success, and ruined it. The Ivy League had the winning formula for its tournaments. It had an iconic venue, the “Cathedral of College Basketball,” in the Palestra. It had the tournaments’ location, Philadelphia, a major and accessible city which also happens to be the most basketball-crazed city in America. And it had what executives for these tournaments desperately crave, a one-of-akind atmosphere. The raucous environment at the championship game last year between Penn and Har-
vard would rival that of any Power Five conference tournament championship game, if not surpass it. What’s better is that tons of people saw the game and Penn fans storming the court by tuning in to ESPN, as it was the only men’s game on Selection Sunday. It was a brilliant move by the conference to showcase Ivy League basketball as the main event on a major network. But the same powers who helped make that brilliant move have now squandered it. When one of the league’s best players, junior forward AJ Brodeur’s immediate reaction is “Big yikes,” nothing else needs to be said. The decision of rotating hosts does nothing to showcase Ivy League basketball on a national stage. It tarnishes the League’s brand by playing the championship game at a random arena every year that people have never heard of. At that point, it’s just another conference championship game and it’s no longer special. It feels like this decision was made to appease all of the parties who have a seat at the table, to make each school happy by giving all of them an equal chance to host. However, the problem is that all of the Ivy League arenas were not built equal. They’re
AVA CRUZ
squandering the league’s best asset, the Palestra, presumably because people thought that asset was too big of an advantage for Penn. I’m not writing to argue why the tournament should be held
CHASE SUTTON
The Ivy League Basketball Tournaments will be rotating around the different schools in the conference, and a schedule for the venues is set until 2025. The Palestra will not be hosting the Tournaments in that timespan.
at the Palestra every year (which it should, by the way). In fact, I understand why it was moved to Yale this season. It felt like a short-term compromise while the League figured out the best long-term strategy for the tournament. But this is the result we ended up with? Certain schools and cities don’t have the capacity to host these kinds of events, and if they do, there’s no guarantee the school hosts it well. A conference tournament in New York City (Columbia) screams logistical nightmare. That’s not even counting the fans. Who is going to travel to Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. when you don’t have skin in the game? What about Cornell? Between the four teams, the coaches and staff for those four teams, and the players’ families, there might not be any places left to stay. If you don’t want to host it at Penn every year, that’s fine. Having the tournament at a high-profile neutral site, such as the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., actually makes a lot
of sense. But it also probably costs a lot of money. It is hard to justify spending that much money when you won’t fill a 20,000-person arena and when you already have a team that plays in a great venue that is the perfect size (see Penn, Palestra). Power Five conferences combat the home-court issue by having a fixed tournament site where they know many people will go and buy tickets, and then travel to different arenas every couple of years or so. The ACC Tournament, for example, is usually held at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. Although it is technically a neutral site, does that give Duke and North Carolina an advantage when the tournament is held there? Of course it does. However, the ACC has recently held the tournament at the Barclays Center (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Capital One Arena (Washington DC) before coming back to Greensboro this year. While the Ivy League likely couldn’t afford these marquee venues, it could have taken a page from these big schools and
not look like they’ve outsmarted themselves. Why not peg the Palestra as the host-site for most years and travel to a new major location every two or three years? It might be expensive given you might not sell out, but it could be affordable if it was only done every few years. TD Garden (in Boston) along with the aforementioned Barclays Center and Prudential Center would have made a lot of sense — too bad it’s too late. In a few years, the Ivy League might realize that this decision killed their own tournament. That it ruined something that could have been really special and nationally relevant every single year. Now it’s just going to be another championship game at a gym no one has heard of. See you at Dartmouth in 2024? I’ll watch it on TV, thanks. CARTER THOMPSON is a College senior from Tallahassee, Fla. and a sports reporter for The Daily Pennsylvanian. He can be reached at dpsports@thedp.com.
Baseball kicks off its season with spring break trip to the South Quakers will play eight road games in a 10-day span REBEKAH CANTY Contributing Reporter
While most students will be enjoying the first full week of rest of the semester, Penn baseball is going to have quite the busy break starting March 1. To get their season in full swing, the Quakers will travel to the South for the majority of spring break to play against several highly competitive teams. The Red and Blue will begin the break by playing UNC Greensboro from Friday to Sunday in the first games of their season. The Spartans (32) are going to be quite the adversary for Penn, as they haven’t lost a game at home so far. Last season, the team had a 39-15 record, with 23 of those wins coming at home. Against a tough UNC Greensboro squad, the Quakers — who went 16-25-1 last season — will have to work hard to get
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higher seed is awarded to the team with the best head-to-head record against the other team(s) in the tie. If this does not resolve the stalemate, the tie is broken by comparing each team’s record against the highest seed outside of the tie and going down the league standings if needed. Combined records are used for a tie with more than two teams. The Quakers have already split their season series with Cornell, and a 92-82 win in Providence, R.I. gives them the leg up over Brown. It could very
off on the right foot this year. Following those games, Penn will travel to Duke (61) for a two-game series on March 5 and 6. After an impressive season last year, the Blue Devils are off to another great start, with all six wins coming at home. Finally, the Quakers will play Winthrop (3-3) in Rock Hill, S.C. to complete the break from March 8 to 10. In their opening games of the season, the Red and Blue will use a noticeably different starting lineup from last year. “You’re going to see quite a few of the first-year players contribute right away,” coach John Yurkow said. “I expect right you’ll see two or three freshman position players in the everyday lineup, at least to start the season.” After a somewhat disappointing season last year, Yurkow has high hopes for the Quakers at the start of this season. “We had a younger club, younger pitching staff that maybe took its lumps early in
the season [with] a lot of freshman and sophomore arms last year,” Yurkow said. “The experience that those guys have that they were able to gain last year will make us better this year as the season starts.”
well be that Penn’s last game of the season against the Bears decides the final entrant into the Madness. It is vitally important for Penn to beat Brown, as the Quakers might not fare well in the latter tiebreaker scenario with a loss. The Quakers have yet to notch a win over one of the top three teams in the league, and defeating Harvard or League-leading Yale will be a tall task. Brown is in the best shape if it were to come to aggregating team records against the highest seeds, as the Bears have gone 2-2 against the top three. Cornell isn’t in much better shape than the Quakers with only one such win.
None of the teams in contention for the fourth seed have beaten Yale, however, and Cornell and Penn both play the Bulldogs over the next two weekends. If Penn can secure a victory and Cornell suffers a loss, the Quakers would make the tournament if it comes down to the second tiebreaker scenario. Picking up each individual win is the paramount concern for the Red and Blue as they hope to avoid the most dark and twisted seeding scenarios anyone can come up with. After two more games for each team this weekend, the tournament picture likely won’t resolve itself, but it will become much clearer.
CHASE SUTTON
Senior captain and catcher Matt O’Neill will be a key player behind the dish for Penn as the team prepares to start the 2019 season this weekend. The Quakers will look to improve upon last year’s 16-25-1 record.
Yurkow also has a positive outlook on the tough games that the Red and Blue will be
playing over the break. “By playing tough competition early in the season, it
really gets you ready so that when you come back up for the northern schedule, you’ll be equipped to handle those teams and compete at the highest level possible,” he said. Senior captain and catcher Matt O’Neill thinks that the Quakers’ improved cohesion will help them succeed at the start of the season. “Everybody will play a part in North Carolina in one way or another. [We need to] make sure everyone’s locked in [and] ready to go,” O’Neill said. “We have really, really exceptional chemistry. The freshman class has done a great job of coming in ready to give their all.” The Quakers are starting their season against teams that have been playing throughout February and already have some wins under their belt. Despite the tough competition, they are beginning the year with a lot of spirit and optimism.
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Quakers head north in need of two wins M. HOOPS | Penn traveling to Harvard and Dartmouth ZACK ROVNER Associate Sports Editor
W. HOOPS | Alarie scored 33 points for rival Princeton JACKSON SATZ Associate Sports Editor
It wasn’t supposed to go this way. Coming off of two Ivy League victories, Penn women’s basketball hoped to secure another victory at the Pal-
estra, this time against a Princeton team that the Red and Blue defeated back in January. The Orange and Black, however, had other plans. Junior Bella Alarie, who put up 21 points in the last meeting between the schools, exploded for 33 points and 10 rebounds to help the visiting Tigers roll to a 68-53 win. Despite a disappointing first quar-
ter performance on the offensive end of the floor, Penn (18-5, 8-2 Ivy) was able to rely on characteristically solid defense to go into the first break trailing Princeton by just three points, 15-12. When they were able to get shots off — the Quakers turned the ball
ALEXA COTLER
SEE PRINCETON PAGE 8
With four games left in the season, every game feels like a must-win for the Quakers. This weekend, Penn men’s basketball will go on the road to face Harvard and Dartmouth on Friday and Saturday night, respectively. In their previous matchups this season against these two Ivy League foes, the Quakers (16-10, 4-6 Ivy) fell to Harvard (14-9, 7-3) in overtime and narrowly defeated Dartmouth (11-15, 2-8) in a three-point overtime victory. Just how important are these games for the Quakers? Penn is currently in sixth place in the Ancient Eight. In order to make the Ivy League Tournament, the Quakers need to pass Cornell and Brown — both 5-5 in conference play — in the final four games of the season. Penn has one game remaining against Brown. The Quakers split their previous two meetings with Cornell this season. “A lot of people think that it’s dead for us. We still have a chance to get into the Ivy League Tournament, so we just have to take it one game at a time and stay focused,” senior guard Antonio Woods said. Four of the Quakers’ 10 Ivy League games so far have been decided by three points or less, including four overtime contests. These close matchups have allowed the Quakers to become experienced in critical moments of games.
“I think all adversity, if you use it properly, is a great tool for growth. If you sulk in it and have a mentality that it’s very frustrating, then you don’t learn from it,” coach Steve Donahue said. “I believe we have played better, we have learned from it.” In Penn’s previous meeting against Harvard, the Quakers once again went to overtime. In that contest, the Quakers struggled to shoot from the perimeter. The Red and Blue, who have shot an average of 36 percent from long range this season, only made 25 percent of their attempts from behind the arc in that game. In addition, defending the Crimson will be a specific area of emphasis for Penn. “We are going to focus on our defense,” Woods said. “I feel like [Harvard] got to the basket at will at times [in the first matchup]. They got a couple of late offensive rebounds at the end that led to some shots to tie the game. So expect a big emphasis on rebounding and defense.” Penn will have to prepare for Harvard’s star junior guard Bryce Aiken. Aiken, who is averaging 21.8 points per game, scored 25 against the Quakers in their matchup earlier this season. One key to the game for the Red and Blue will be finding a way to slow Aiken down. “They have a lot of guys that know their role and they do it pretty well,” Woods said. “For us, it’s the whole team, it’s a whole team effort. We have to prepare for all of them individually.” After facing Harvard, the SEE MEN’S PREVIEW PAGE 8
WINNIE XU
How Penn still has a chance to reach the Ivy Tournament
What women’s basketball needs to do to clinch the League title
M. HOOPS | Red and Blue likely need to go 3-1 or 4-0
Red and Blue are currently tied for first in Ancient Eight
ISAAC SPEAR Associate Sports Editor
If you thought the madness wouldn’t start until the Ivy League Tournament, you were dead wrong. Largely due to a higher level of competition and the relative balance between teams in the Ancient Eight compared to years prior, there remains a plethora of possible tournament scenarios with just four games left to play for each team.
While it is extremely likely that some configuration of Yale (18-5, 8-2 Ivy), Princeton (158, 7-3), and Harvard (14-9, 7-3) make up the top three seeds for Ivy Madness, the fourth and final slot is well up for grabs. Penn men’s basketball (16-10, 4-6) currently sits sixth in the Ancient Eight standings, but it has a real shot at making the Ivy Tournament for a third consecutive season. Brown (17-9, 5-5) and Cornell (13-13, 5-5) both have a game advantage over the Quakers, but a win last weekend over the Big Red and the chance at a season sweep of the Bears loom-
ALEXA COTLER
Junior guard Devon Goodman has been one of Penn’s most consistent players, and he hopes to help the Quakers get into the Ivy Tournament.
ing in a couple of weeks gives the Red and Blue the opportunity they need to leapfrog both teams. Cornell’s final four opponents are identical to those of the Quakers, while Brown plays both Penn and the Big Red over that stretch. Losing both of those games would likely seal Brown’s fate. If the Quakers go 3-1 or 4-0 over their final four, they have a good opportunity to make the tournament as long as they do not lose to Brown. If they go 2-2, it becomes much more difficult. Brown and Cornell would have to both go 1-3 or worse, and that might not even be enough for Penn to qualify. If the Red and Blue lose at least three of their final four games, their season will be over. The Quakers’ fate is out of their control, as an undefeated run by Cornell would render any Penn progress useless. The Red and Blue can only hope to improve their chances by winning not just games in general but their most important games. Considering the craziness of the Ivy League so far this season, it’s likely that any pair of Brown, Cornell, and Penn (or all three) will be stuck in a deadlock at the season’s end. In the event of a tie, the SEE MEN’S CHANCES PAGE 9
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TYIRA BUNCHE Associate Sports Editor
Going into the last four games of the season, Penn women’s basketball is set to compete with Princeton for the Ivy League title. Penn (18-5, 8-2 Ivy) has been the dominant team in the League all season, but with their loss to Princeton (16-9, 8-2) on Tuesday, the Quakers are set to have to battle against the Tigers for the top spot. Penn and Princeton now have identical conference records and have split their games against one another. Of Penn’s last four games, three are against teams that currently outside of the top three: Dartmouth (12-11, 5-5), Yale (15-10, 5-5), and Brown (9-17, 1-9). The Quakers’ remaining tough matchup will be against Harvard (14-9, 7-3), who the Red and Blue lost to in two overtime periods earlier in the season. If the Quakers are able to win out, they will end with a 12-2 record, which would win them a share of the conference title and potentially put them in position to claim the top seed in the Ivy League Tournament. However, if the Tigers also win out they will be tied with the Quakers for the same record. They also
ZACH SHELDON
At the top of the conference, the Quakers are in a good position to capture their second Ivy League Championship in three years.
would have the same head-tohead record, so the higher seed would go to the team with the best record against the third seed, which will likely be Harvard. If this is the case, the Quakers’ double-overtime loss to Harvard will come back to haunt them, since Princeton would have won both games against Harvard. The tiebreaker would then push Penn to the second seed in the tournament. In terms of Ivy Madness berths, the Quakers are almost guaranteed to be in the tournament. The only scenario in which they were to miss the tournament is if Penn were to lose the rest of their games. Then Dartmouth and Yale, which currently sit in a tie for fourth place, would likely have
to win the rest of their games. The scenario of Penn losing all of its four remaining games seems unlikely, as the Quakers will finish their season against Brown, a team that they defeated by 40 points earlier in the year. In addition, Dartmouth is set to play Princeton on Friday, which is currently on a six-game winning streak. Therefore, the Quakers can clinch a tournament berth as early as Friday if they win or Dartmouth loses. If the Red and Blue continue to win games and control things on their end, they will have no problem claiming a high seed in the Ivy Tournament. However, they likely still need to rely on Princeton to lose one of its remaining games to have a chance at the No. 1 spot.
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