THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF PENNSYLVANIA
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014
And the second Fling performer is...
RA RA RIOT The SXSW regulars will add their “feel-good sound” to the concert BY KRISTEN GRABARZ Staff Writer
New dean announced for School of Social Policy and Practice Professor John Jackson currently has appointments in Annenberg and SAS BY FOLA ONIFADE Staff Writer
JOHN JACKSON Incoming Dean of the School of Social Policy and Practice
Courtesy of the Social Planning and Events Committee
Ra Ra Riot, announced today as the Fling concert’s second act, was formed in 2006 at Syracuse University and is known for its indie take on orchestral sound.
COUNTDOWN TO
FLING 2014 Spring Fling is going to be a riot. The Social Planning and Events Committee announced today that “indie-pop darlings” Ra Ra Riot have been added to the Spr ing Fling lineup as the second opener on April 11. K nown for their songs “Beta Love,” “I Shut Off” and “Boy,” the group is associated with a signature “indie-band with orchestral strings” sound, although their most recent album, “Beta Love” marked a shift toward a synth-pop aesthetic. “It was our aim this year to craft a diverse lineup and to represent different genres of music that students are interested in with our openers that may not have had a place in Flings past,” SPEC Concer ts Co -Director and Nursing
21
SEE DEAN PAGE A6
DAYS
APRIL 11-12
senior Melody Chiang said . Current band members include Wes M i les on voca ls, R ebecca Zeller on violin, Mathieu Santos on bass, and Milo Bonacci on guitar. Originally established in 2006, the group came together while students at Syracuse University, where they began their stage presence by performing at houses and venues across campus. Ra Ra Riot’s recognition developed from their early live shows, where Miles’ vocals coupled with integ rated orchestral ar rangements created a unique sound that caught fans’ attention. Their f irst t wo albums, “ The R humb Line” and “The Orchard” were
QUICK FACTS ABOUT RA RA RIOT From: Syracuse, New York Hit songs: “Beta Love,” “I Shut Off” and “Boy”
BY SAM BYERS Staff Writer
SEE RA RA RIOT PAGE A5
BY JODY FREINKEL Assignments Editor The race for student body president is heating up, with candidates taking shots at each other at last night’s debate. Presidential candidates Joyce Kim and Gabe Delaney, both College juniors, faced off last night at the 2014 Undergraduate Assembly Presidential Debate in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. The event was co-hosted by the Nominations and Elections Committee and The Daily Pennsylvanian and was moderated by College junior Fiona Glisson, the DP’s Campus News Editor. Throughout the debate, Kim, a former UA secretary, mentioned results
achieved by her work as a member of the UA. She said that Delaney, the current UA vice president, has not delivered on promises he made during last year’s campaign. “My job is specifically to be the external [representative for] the UA. And that job I have done very well, I think,” Delaney said. “I have worked on the same projects this year with you, Joyce. ... I’ve been as active as you are.” Delaney cited his work on a centralized Penn mobile app, which is currently in production, and said that he recommended the mental health task force to Penn President Amy Gutmann, although his original suggestion was based on her presidential commission on student alcohol consumption. Mental health on campus was a continued theme of the debate. For SEE UA DEBATE PAGE A7
Editorial (215) 898-6585 • Business (215) 898-6581
Sophia Lee/Staff Photographer
Undergraduate Assembly presidential candidates Joyce Kim and Gabe Delaney, both College juniors, debated student issues last night in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall.
Visit us online at theDP.com
Law grad’s campaign leaves impact on Pa. race John Hanger withdrew from the governor’s race, but current candidates now share his views
Albums: “The Rhumb Line,” “The Orchard” and “Beta Love”
Candidates face off at UA presidential debate College juniors Joyce Kim and Gabe Delaney are vying to be next student body pres.
John Jackson, the Richard Perry University professor at Penn, will be the new dean of the School of Social Policy & Practice, effective July 1. Jackson, a senior advisor for diversity in the Office of the Provost, is a cultural anthropologist, author and documentary filmmaker. He will succeed Richard Gelles, who has served as the school’s dean since 2001. “John is a distinguished teacher, a renowned scholar, and a visionary leader whose work crosses traditional academic boundaries and involves community partners in understanding and confronting societal challenges around the nation and the world,” Penn President Amy Gutmann said in a statement. “He is the best person to advance the School of Social Policy & Practice toward its goal of becoming
Even though 1984 Penn Law graduate John Hanger withdrew from the Democratic gubernatorial primary last week, he believes that his campaign’s message had a lasting impact on the dialogue between the candidates. The former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection withdrew from the race last Thursday because he no longer saw a path to victory in the primary. Despite no longer being a contender for governor, Hanger is pleased that the remaining candidates have adopted some of his stances on various issues, such as marijuana legalization, the environment and education. His views on marijuana reform were the most liberal of all the Democratic candidates — something he was wellknown for in the field. His ultimate goal was the full legalization of the substance. “We made marijuana an issue in this race when it wasn’t before,” Hanger said. Several other Democratic challengers to Republican Governor Tom Corbett have come out in favor of steps one and two in Hanger’s marijuana reform plan: medical legalization and decriminalization of the possession of small amounts of the drug. The remaining candidates do not support legalization to the same extent SEE HANGER PAGE A2
Send story ideas to newstip@theDP.com