March 29, 2017 by The Daily Pennsylvanian

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

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Yaneli Arizmendi

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iinside

Camilo Toro

Alexa Salas

William Fry

Engagement and Innovation Class of 2017

Meet the prof. teaching a class on existential despair The class will read in silence for 4.5 hours and eat dinner together LEXI LIEBERMAN Staff Reporter

Some students struggle to sit through an hour-and-a-half lecture. But what if the class went on for seven hours straight? Professor Justin McDaniel, the chair of the Department of Religious Studies , will be teaching an experimental class in fall of 2017 called“RELS256: Existential Despair.” McDaniel has perviously taught unconventional classes such as “Living Deliberately: Monks, Saints, and the Contemplative Life,” colloquially referred to as the ”monk class Since “Existential Despair” is classified as a Benjamin Franklin Seminar, the class will be capped at around 18-20 people. No prerequisites are needed, save for a love of reading. It will meet once a week on Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m. until midnight. The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with McDaniel about his upcoming class. This interview has been edited for brevity. Daily Pennsylvanian: What is the purpose of having a 7-hour class? Justin McDaniel: Oh well there’s lots of

Selamawit Bekele

Antoinette Zoumanigui

Ian McCurry

Marcus Henderson

Winning proposals include making coding more acessible, and improving health among the homeless OLIVIA SYLVESTER Staff Reporter

roposed initiatives to make coding more accessible and the homeless healthier are among this year’s President’s Engagement and Innovation Prize winners. The prizes provide Penn seniors $100,000 in addition to faculty support to help launch their proposed post-graduation projects. Three projects — which include seven students total — won the Engagement prize: College senior Alexa Salas, College senior Camilo Toro and Nursing senior Yaneli Arizmendi won

for their project, “Lanzando Líderes”; Nursing seniors Marcus Henderson and Ian McCurry won for “Homeless Health and Nursing: Building Community Partnerships for a Healthier Future”; and College seniors Antoinette Zoumanigui and Selamawit Bekele won for “Project Y.V.E.T.A.” College and Wharton senior William Fry won the Innovation prize for his project “SolutionLoft.” Through their project “Lanzando Lideres,” Salas, Toro SEE PRIZEWINNERS PAGE 2

SEE Q&A PAGE 3

All undergrads can now apply early to Wharton MBA A donation from alumni made the program possible NINA SELIPSKY Staff Reporter

FILE PHOTO

The Wharton School will now allow all undergraduates to apply early for an MBA, thanks to a program set up under a $10 million donation.

A $10 million donation will establish a deferred-enrollment program for Penn undergraduates seeking early admission to the Wharton School’s MBA program. 1980 Wharton graduate and 1981 Wharton MBA graduate Ken Moelis and 1981 Wharton graduate Julie Taffet Moelis provided the funds to establish the Moelis

Advance Access Program. The program will allow students from all four undergraduate schools to apply and gain admission to Wharton’s MBA program during their senior year. The program will enable students to enter the workforce for two to four years knowing they will be able to return to Wharton to pursue an MBA. Ken Moelis completed Wharton’s submatriculation program, earning his undergraduate degree

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Panhel. works to adopt more inclusive transgender policy

Trans students question policy’s effectiveness

no … partners in sorority houses and just small things that you can change to help create a more supportive environment.” While Panhellenic can attempt to make the recruitment process more inclusive for all students, individual chapters do not have

complete control over potential membership. “Membership in any Greek chapter is determined by the national organizations, not by OFSL or individual chapters at Penn,” director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life Eddie

Banks-Crosson said. However, President of the Panhellenic Council and College junior Caroline Ohlson said that individual chapters can advocate for more inclusive policies. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with members of our community and I’ve definitely been encouraging people that if they feel strongly about it they should write letters to their national organization expressing that it’s something they’d like to see,” Ohlson said. “We are the members of this community and we are the future of this community and it’s a matter of being vocal about what we want to see from our national organizations.” Currently, the national organizations of Kappa Alpha Theta, Delta Delta Delta and Alpha Phi have publicly acknowledged that they would like to make their chapters open for any member who identifies as woman. However, Allen noted that there is not a formal policy accommodating transgender students. In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Director of Communications for the national organization of Kappa Alpha Theta Liz Rink affirmed the

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release. Henderson and McCurry also plan to stay in Philly and work with the Bethesda Project, a nonprofit focused on assisting the homeless. With help from their mentor Terri Lipan, the assistant dean for community engagement and professor of nutrition in the School of Nursing, Henderson and McCurry plan to integrate health care case management into Bethesda’s programs. Through Project Y.V.E.T.A.

— Youth for Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture — Zoumanigui and Selamawit plan to establish a school to “empower the marginalized youth of Senegal called Talibés,” according to the press release. They, their faculty mentor History professor Cheikh Babou and the Senegalese Ministry of Agriculture are seeking to provide these children with basic numeracy and literacy, but also with specialized training in agriculture and

ESHA INDANI Staff Reporter

The Panhellenic Council is working towards making sorority recruitment more accommodating for transgender students. College junior Sesana Allen, the recently appointed vice president of diversity on the Panhellenic executive board, is currently working with Penn Non-Cis to host a roundtable discussion for all sorority chapters to better educate members on issues transgender students face in Greek life. “Trans women who want to join Panhellenic — it’s not their job to be the spokesperson for trans women in sororities,” Allen said. “That’s something we should discuss and not force upon a woman that is out and wants to be in a sorority.” Allen added that she hopes that members who have attended the roundtable discussions are encouraged to make changes within their own chapters to be more supportive of transgender members of their community.

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The Panhellenic Council is aiming to make the annual sorority rush process more inclusive of transgender students rather than putting the burden on transgender students to speak out.

“Maybe going back to their chapters and saying how they can change the rules within their chapters to make it more open to people,” Allen said. “For example, I guess this applies more to sexuality, when they say no men upstairs in sorority houses, it really means

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and Arizmendi plan to establish an after-school program in South Philadelphia for Latino high school students. They, and their faculty mentor Dean of Nursing Toni Villarruel, are looking to develop an “experiential, bilingual, culturally-inclusive curriculum” for specifically Latino immigrant families, but also the community as a whole, according to the press

organization’s commitment to inclusivity. “Kappa Alpha Theta welcomes as members, in accordance with the laws of the Fraternity, college women, without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, disability, or other characteristics protected by applicable law,” Rink said. “Those who identify as women are eligible for membership in Kappa Alpha Theta.” Delta Delta Delta and Alpha Phi did not respond to requests for comment. Logan, a College junior and member of Penn Non-Cis who asked to be referred to by his first name out of fear of discrimination, said that while education on transgender students is a step in the right direction for Greek organizations, it may not address all the concerns of non-cisgender students who would like to join a sorority or fraternity. “I don’t think it’s a complete solution by any means,” Logan said. “I think there are still a lot of barriers trans people will face when thinking about joining Greek organizations, and being aware of those barriers and discussing them is a good start, but it is still just a start.”

agri-entrepeneurship. Fry founded SolutionLoft, a company focused on making code more accessible especially to those with little technical skills or low socioeconomic status. The press release said that he has designed a “proprietary code engine that enables code to be re-used” with help from his mentor Jeffrey Babin, associate professor of practice in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics.

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Rise and shine: Penn students enjoy starting off their days early Many Penn students tend to avoid 9.a.m. classes, but not these students CATHERINE DE LUNA Staff Reporter

Penn classes at 9 a.m. are usually met with tired eyes and irritable students. But for some, these early mornings are the best part of the day. “I try to have 9 a.m.’s all week,” Wharton freshmen Angelica Zhou said. “It is nice to have the whole rest of your day free.” Zhou is what many would call an “early riser” and admits the latest she has woken up in college is 9:30 a.m. Her mornings are used for studying and recharging for the day. “It is nice to wake up with the sun,” Zhou said. For Zhou, sleep is a vital component to her well-being.

Q&A

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purposes for it. Again, I’d rather it be eight hours. A little background is that … in any class I teach, I’ll throw out the name of a book that I assume students will have read, kind of basic literature. And I’m shocked, like 90% of the students I will mention a book to, they haven’t heard of it. And I’m talking books that are in several top 100 list of the 20th century … And I think it’s not because students aren’t bright, they clearly are very bright, they’re just hyper-bright students who don’t read for pleasure. And another thing is that rarely do students read a book cover to cover. You are assigned 30 pages of this, and the first two chapters of this … A lot

The Detroit native said health is her “number one priority” and getting enough sleep allows her to work more efficiently in the mornings and throughout the day. She added that many Penn students do not get enough sleep due to academic stresses. Wharton junior Tiffany Yung is also an early bird, waking up between 6:30 and 7:30 each morning. After making herself coffee, Yung often heads to Huntsman Hall to do work and answer unread emails and text messages. “There is nobody there, it’s actually really nice to work,” Yung said. “I check the other rooms in the building and there are, like, no lights.” Yung says, for her, waking up early is a habit. Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., Yung went to high school across the River in Manhattan and mentioned that she used to wake up at 5:30 a.m. in order to commute to class.

Yung’s habits also make her daytime hours more organized and productive. “Past midnight, I just can’t get anything done,” Yung said. “I like to plan ahead.” In contrast to Yung’s enviable study discipline, Nursing freshma n Theresa Dierkes classifies herself as the “worst procrastinator.” Dierkes is one of eight children and tries to wake up around 7:30 a.m. “My mom would always try to get up us early,” Dierkes explained. Dierkes soon began to adopt her mother’s sleep tendencies and now sometimes uses her mornings to exercise. “I’m realizing more and more that even though it is hard to wake up earlier and it’s easier to wake up later, it [morning] is the most productive time.” Dierkes said. “I just feel like I waste a day if I wake up late.”

Nursing freshman Theresa Dierkes and Wharton junior Tiffany Yung both buck the stereotype of lazy college students sleeping in by actually enjoying waking up early for their classes.

of people will tell you a lot of things about an author or about a musician or about an artist, but actually the process of just seeing the painting or just listening to an album or reading a book without acquiring information about the background or the author or the context or the social impact of it or the message of it and the importance of that book at the time … is very different from the process of just picking up a book and reading it … Just pick up a book, start at page one, and read it straight through. DP: What will a typical day of class be like? JM: There will be no cell phones allowed in the class. You will put your cell phone in a box when you enter the class. There will be no checking of email. There will be no breaks where

you can do this. There will be two bathroom breaks, that’s it. And we will sit and read a book all together. That’s it. In silence. We can get about 4 1/2 hours to read the book … There will be a half an hour to eat. You will bring a meal, either you can buy a meal or you can make it yourself, cook it at home, and you will not eat that meal, though, you will give it to a partner you have in the class … They will make something for you, or buy something for you. We’ll talk about food allergies and preferences and all those things. And the eating will be done in silence … so five hours to eat, to go to the bathroom, and to read … Then we will have a very, very intense discussion. There will also be writing exercises. They will be in class, and they will all be hand-written. No typing, no

computers in the class … And there will be escorts to take people home at midnight. Then you will leave the class, and you will have no homework, you will have no writing, you will have no reading, no research, no projects, and you will come back next week and we will do it all again with a very different book. DP: What types of books will the class be reading? JM: We’re looking at when people have faced moments of trauma or existential despair … There’s going to be poetry, memoir, essays, and primarily novels, not really philosophical reflections or things like that, but no biographies or things like that. And they will be on different themes each week. DP: How will the class be graded? JM: The class will be graded

PHOTO FROM THERESA DIERKES (LEFT) & ANGELICA ZHOU (RIGHT)

on about 75% participation and about 25% writing. You can’t miss a class. Unless it’s a medical emergency, if you miss one class you lose a whole grade. DP: What do you hope students take away from the class? JM: We’re going to be reading really, really good literature. Really kind of devastatingly profound and beautiful literature. And so, to return a love of reading to people, hopefully. Second is the theme of what is trauma, and how have people in different religions in the past faced the kind of crisis of meaning in their life, crisis of purpose in their life, the crisis of what does it mean to be alive. Especially when things go wrong, not when things go right. And again to help students prepare for trauma … This might be a chance for people

to think hard about, what does it mean to survive as a human? … How have people dealt with this in the past, and what can we learn? DP: Is there anything else you would like people to know about the class? JM: I’m not looking for a particular type of student. I’m looking for a diverse class, I want nurses and engineers and Wharton and the College , and I don’t want all English majors or all religious studies majors… I don’t want all seniors or all freshmen. I want to have a nice balance of gender, and so I’m looking for people who love to read and want to return to that and want to think hard about difficult subjects. One thing I should also note: there will be absolutely no napping.

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OPINION Community, Campus Culture, Collaboration: Michelle and Jay for UA GUEST STATEMENT BY MICHELLE XU AND JAY SHAH

WEDNESDAY MARCH 29, 2017 VOL. CXXXIII, NO. 39 133rd Year of Publication CARTER COUDRIET President DAN SPINELLI Executive Editor LUCIEN WANG Print Director ALEX GRAVES Digital Director ALESSANDRO VAN DEN BRINK Opinion Editor SYDNEY SCHAEDEL Senior News Editor WILL SNOW Senior Sports Editor CHRIS MURACCA Design Editor CAMILLE RAPAY Design Editor JULIA SCHORR Design Editor VIBHA KANNAN Enterprise Editor GENEVIEVE GLATSKY News Editor TOM NOWLAN News Editor ALLY JOHNSON Assignments Editor

We want to be your elected Undergraduate Assembly president and vice president because we have a vision for Penn’s future, and we’re the ones to make it happen. Our platform consists of five of the biggest issues we believe face Penn students today. We want to promote a campus climate that emphasizes and prioritizes mental wellness, reduce the costs associated with attending Penn and participating in student life, ensure that Penn is a responsible, safe and inclusive environment for all of its students, fight for academic initiatives that our peers want and meet students’ needs by better utilizing spaces on campus. In terms of mental wellness, we want to critically examine ongoing initiatives and work on creating more tangible solutions that better address our school’s culture. This past year, we partnered up with the Student Activities Council to pass a set of club recruitment policies that will ensure student groups are more conscientious as they recruit new

members. We also want to increase awareness of resources such as Counseling and Psychological Services early on in students’ experiences by incorporating mental wellness resource programming into New Student Orientation. For reducing costs associated with attending Penn, we want to focus on three things: cutting tuition increases, lowering course costs and making Penn Traditions more affordable. We plan to lobby for reductions in annual tuition increases by working with the Board of Trustees. We want to focus on course costs by working with professors so they do not request the newest, most expensive edition of every textbook and utilize Canvas functions instead of using expensive one-time only online course codes. Finally, through Michelle’s work this past year as student body treasurer we reduced the costs of participation in highly visible Penn traditions like Hey Day from $35 to $20 in partnership with the Class

Boards. To ensure that Penn is a safe and inclusive environment, we have been working on partnering with the Penn Violence Prevention office

We want to fight for academic initiatives that we know our peers want. Michelle has worked on pushing departments to record class lectures on nation-

As you can tell, the projects that we are most passionate about are those that bring this community together and emphasize that we have the power to shape the Penn experience.” and SAC so more students on campus are educated about being active bystanders and preventing interpersonal violence. Along with this, we want to publicize and expand UA legal services to survivors of sexual assault. Most importantly, we want to collaborate more with organizations on campus this year to listen to and address wide-reaching concerns.

ally recognized holidays so students who have to miss class are not disadvantaged. We also want to work with faculty to create more halfcredit courses on current events, fitness, arts and other exploratory ideas. Along with this, we want to advocate that faculty accommodate their students better by providing alternative options to students who have three midterms in one day.

Additionally, we want to continue pushing for the University to modify underutilized spaces to increase space for student groups to use Something that we want to refocus on and communicate to the student body this year is that the Undergraduate Assembly we hope to lead will strive to truly represent your needs. Oftentimes, many people on this campus either do not understand what we do or think of the UA as an isolated entity. We are here to listen to and pinpoint the issues that our peers have and to turn those ideas into tangible and solid projects. We are here to lend our peers support in times of need and to inform the administration of real undergraduate wants and needs. We want the UA to be a resource for everyone in the Penn undergraduate community. Although we come from very diverse backgrounds, our experiences at Penn are shared. As you can tell, the projects that we are most passionate about are those

that bring this community together and emphasize that we have the power to shape the Penn experience. Both of us have worked long and hard since our freshmen years on the Undergraduate Assembly and truly believe that we have the necessary experience, understanding, and work ethic to represent the amazing students on this campus. Please reach out to us at michx@sas.upenn.edu and shahjay@sas.upenn.edu for any input, concerns or questions about our campaign and check out more details at michelleandjay. com. We’re looking forward to the year ahead and what Penn can be under our leadership. MICHELLE XU is a College junior studying mathematical economics and JAY SHAH is a College sophomore studying Biological Basis of Behavior. They are running for UA president and vice president respectively. Their email addresses are michx@ sas.upenn.edu and shahjay@ sas.upenn and their campaign website is michelleandjay.com.

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TOMMY ROTHMAN Sports Editor AMANDA GEISER Copy Editor HARRY TRUSTMAN Copy Editor ANDREW FISCHER Director of Web Development DYLAN REIM Social Media Editor DAKSH CHHOKRA Analytics Editor ANANYA CHANDRA Photo Manager JOY LEE News Photo Editor ZACH SHELDON Sports Photo Editor LUCAS WEINER Video Producer JOYCE VARMA Podcast Editor BRANDON JOHNSON Business Manager MADDY OVERMOYER Advertising Manager SONIA KUMAR Business Analytics Manager MARK PARASKEVAS Circulation Manager HANNAH SHAKNOVICH Marketing Manager TANVI KAPUR Development Project Lead MEGHA AGARWAL Development Project Lead

BRAD HONG is a College freshman from Morristown, N.J. His email is bradhong@sas.upenn.edu.

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Building bridges: Justin and Calvary for UA GUEST STATEMENT BY JUSTIN HOPKINS AND CALVARY ROGERS

COSETTE GASTELU Copy Associate JULIA FINE Copy Associate JEN KOPP Copy Associate SAM EICHENWALD Photo Associate GISELL GOMEZ Photo Associate TIFFANY PHAM Photo Associate IDIL DEMIRDAG Photo Associate LUCY FERRY Design Associate SABINE NIX Design Associate KOBY FRANK Design Associate

LETTERS Have your own opinion? Send your letter to the editor or guest column to letters@thedp.com. An article in Monday, March 13’s paper entitled “Faculty members support graduate student unions” contained two errors. The group title “GETUP” was incorrectly identified and one quotation from a group member was misattributed to another member. The DP regrets the errors.

Every year during the season of Penn Student Government elections, the student body is bombarded with signatures, platforms and the opportunity to elect a new president, vice president and general body of the Undergraduate Assembly. While the election is usually met with mild disinterest from the student body, we believe that the UA president and vice president have the platform to shift Penn’s culture for the better each and every day. We are Justin Hopkins and Calvary Rogers, and we are running for UA president and vice president to establish a more effective, transparent and collaborative UA. We are running for UA president and vice president because we believe this campus needs a renewed sense of community, founded on bridges built between the differing voices, opinions and identities of our student body. Nonetheless, we have worked day in and day out to categorize our platform into five major themes: tuition costs, valuing minorities, transparency between the UA and student body, academic policy and mental health.

Every year, student tuition increases by a rate of 3.9 percent, as approved by the University Board of Trustees Budget and Finance committee. With new UA access to Trustees through this committee going forward, the undergraduate voice over our tuition would be strengthened more than ever before through advocacy for a lower rate. The reasons for doing so are manifold, including that these increases directly impact the lives of so many students on a day-to-day basis with farreaching implications. While Trustees establish tuition costs three years ahead of time, we know that our advocacy will at the very least allow our Penn successors to see the change for which we can begin to push. On another note, we are running to establish a stronger sense of collaboration and support for underrepresented students and organizations. If we are fortunate enough to be elected, we look forward to holding biweekly one-onone meetings with various umbrella organizations and their constituents, specifically underrepresented groups, as a way to be able to discuss proj-

ects the UA is working on, can work on and should be working on, as well as things on which we can partner. This collaboration also will help us establish a genuine relationship that we feel past UA administrations have lacked from an executive level. We believe it is not just important for us to establish a deep rela-

publish on a consistent basis what the UA is working on so that students have a better idea of what their UA representatives are doing. As the relationship between the DP and UA is in desperate need of strengthening, we hope to be able to work out the details of this partnership if elected. Regarding academic policy,

We are running for UA president and vice president because we believe this campus needs a renewed sense of community, founded on bridges built between thediffering voices, opinions and identities of our student body.” tionship with minorities, but to also amplify their voices by giving them a direct seat at the table. Given an extensive transparent and effective relationship to the general student body, we seek to partner with The Daily Pennsylvanian to

we hope to tangibly expand upon the work of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education and Calvary this year through advocacy within the Vice Provost’s Office of Education that entails expanding half-credit course listings, easing stringent exam

policies and broadening passfail course structure. Because we hope to foster collaboration with other student government branches, we want to deepen the UA partnership with SCUE to maximize the efficiency of academic change through transparency. Finally, as recently highlighted in the DP’s analysis of Penn vacation days last week, mental health issues continue to grip this campus. First, we want to work with the administration to establish Counseling and Psychological Services Satellite Offices to help deal with its limited physical space on Market Street and allow easier access for students across campus, especially for preliminary appointments. Furthermore, we will push for any initiatives that decrease stress and competitiveness on a policy-wide level, like the club guidelines for new membership that the Student Activities Council and Wharton Council have recently established. Regarding Penn’s vacation schedule, we believe that working with the Trustees committees we can develop immediate changes to the next considered budget

and schedule. We recognize substance abuse on campus is a major issue as well, and look forward to partnering with CAPS, Student Health Service and Student Intervention Services to tackle the issue through mentorship and counseling that promotes second chances. Throughout these past few years at Penn, we firmly believe that we have demonstrated what an efficient, collaborative and transparent vision to empower students on campus can truly entail. For more about us and our platform, check out bridgesforpenn.squarespace.com. Your opinion, your identity, your community, your voice and your vote matters. Vote for us this week for a UA that works not just for you, but with you. JUSTIN HOPKINS is a College junior studying political science and CALVARY ROGERS is a College sophomore studying political science. They are running for UA president and vice president respectively. Their email addresses are justh@sas. upenn.edu and calvary@sas. upenn.edu and their campaign website is bridgesforpenn. squarespace.com.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

UA to reduce stress during club admissions processes Proposed guidelines include personalized rejections

official resumes, rigorous interview processes with four or five rounds and students not even being informed if they did not make it into the club. “There’s currently nothing in place deciding how clubs pick their new members,” SAC Chair and

College and Wharton junior Edward Jing said. “[We’re working towards] some form of general guidelines that clubs should be following in the upcoming year.” SAC’s Executive Board deliberated and passed six new guidelines. These guidelines include a

“no-resume rule” for freshmen, personalized rejections, no more than two interviews or auditions for general membership, a more transparent interview process with sample questions, no brain teasers to determine membership and communication with SAC over their processes. The guidelines are not finalized, and the board has not decided yet on exact enforcement of the guidelines. These guidelines come after Wharton Council recently changed its club recruitment process this fall to make it less stressful. SAC is exploring the possibility of enforcing these rules in the upcoming semester by restricting access to the Fall Activities Fair, which are organized by SAC, if clubs do not follow the guidelines. The guidelines come after the UA sent out a survey on Feb. 13 asking students to answer questions about how their recruitment process went. The survey revealed that a lot of students were unhappy with the process and felt it was unfair.

will encourage students to combine liberal arts and business. “I think if you’ve done something else in your undergrad — history, art, engineering, nursing — and then can tag on a Wharton MBA, it would be a phenomenal opportunity,” Moelis said. “With the submatriculation program, we were only marketing to Wharton undergrads.” Much of the gift will go towards merit-based financial aid. All students in the program will be considered for a $10,000 per year fellowship during the twoyear MBA program in addition to other financial aid awards.

“If after two years we see that they have had really quality work experience and their academics are clearly very strong, they will be considered for more financial aid,” 2009 College graduate and Associate Director of MBA Admissions Danielle DeShields said. Admitted students will have access to mentoring during their years away from Penn. “We want to make sure we connect [admitted students] with current MBA students who just recently went through a similar time frame of working, so they can offer some peer-topeer advice,” DeShields said.

Wharton Deputy Vice Dean for MBA Admissions, Financial Aid and Career Management Maryellen Reilly sees differences between this program and those at some of Penn’s peer institutions. “While students are out working in the world, we’re going to have many different ways of staying connected to the MBA program,” Reilly said. “So they bring interesting work experience but haven’t gotten too far from us either.” Moelis also said the program could provide an alternative way for students to combine business and engineering other than dual

KELLY HEINZERLING Staff Reporter

The club culture at Penn can lead students to feel rejected and discouraged, particularly freshmen who may not be accustomed to the level of competition. The Undergraduate Assembly and Student Activities Council have partnered to make club recruitment a less stressful and more fair process. “We wanted to critically examine the pre-professional culture that was happening at Penn and try to see the root of where a lot of students’ stress was coming from,” UA Treasurer and College junior Michelle Xu said. “We found a lot of clubs on campus perpetuate this stress and were practicing certain recruitment policies that weren’t very good.” Some of these policies included requiring freshmen to submit

WHARTON

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and Wharton MBA in five years. His experiences inspired him to make early admission into the MBA program available to all Penn undergraduates, as opposed to only those in Wharton. “We kept asking, ‘Why haven’t we already been doing this?’” Moelis said. “We have a pool of some of the most accomplished people in the world — why not give them a chance to stay at this university to continue their education?” He said he hopes the program

JOY LEE | NEWS PHOTO EDITOR

Many club admissions processes currently involve resume submissions, multiple interviews and other barriers that can cause stress for applicants.

Jing said SAC hopes these initiatives will lead to more changes for club recruitment. “[SAC is] not just here to exclusively fund groups,” Jing said. “We want to improve the quality of student life.” Xu also said she hopes these “baby steps” will help the mental health of students looking to get involved in clubs. “These are tangible steps to actually addressing health and prioritize mental wellness on campus,” Xu said. “I think we should be focusing that we’re all here, we’re a community, and be good community members. Club recruitment is something we do to ourselves and I really think it’s something we can change on a peer-to-peer level.” UA Secretary and College sophomore Jay Shah also said he hopes these guidelines will address the “stressful environment” surrounding Penn clubs. “If there’s a debate club that’s really competitive, there should be

another club that offers students a chance to learn,” Shah said. “If you’re requiring students to have previous background experience, whether in debate or playing an instrument, you’re really inhibiting students from exploring the mission and values of Penn.” He said he hopes that in the future clubs will have a tiers of membership for students who don’t have a background in a field but still want to get involved. “Rejection is something that a lot of students may not be familiar with,” Shah said. “This is calling for cultural change, and cultural change cannot be forced upon, it must be a group effort from every group involved.” Correction: A previous version of this article said that the six new guidelines would be enforced by restricting access to the Fall Activities Fair for certain groups. This was not accurate. SAC is exploring this as a potential method of enforcement, but it is not final.

degree programs such as the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology. “M&T is a spectacular program, but I know it’s a lot of work,” he said. “[With the Advance Access Program], you could do the engineering part of it in four years and not try to jam so much in.” The security of early acceptance into Wharton’s MBA will allow students more freedom to pursue their interests instead of padding their resumes between college and graduate school. “A lot of people are very restrictive on their job experience because they think they have to

do certain things to come back to school and make themselves attractive,” Moelis said. “If you’re already in, then you can take a lot more risk in your job.” Information sessions on the program will begin in late April for current juniors. Moelis believes the opportunity to study liberal arts at Penn and gain early acceptance to the MBA program will attract both current undergraduates and high school students applying to the University. “I’m hoping it’s a draw for some of the best students in the country to want to come to Penn,” Moelis said.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

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8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

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at penn shopping shopping american Ann Taylor Loft apparel 3661 WALNUT ST. 120 S. 36th St. ann taylor loft AT&T Mobility 133 SOUTH 36th ST. 3741 Walnut St. at&t mobility Bluemercury 3741 WALNUT ST. 3603 Walnut St. bluemercury Computer Connection 3603 WALNUT ST. 3601 Walnut St. cvs CVS 3401 WALNUT ST. 3401 Walnut St. eyeglass encounters 3925 Walnut St. 4002 CHESTNUT ST. Eyeglassthe Encounters gap 4002 Chestnut St. ST. 3401 WALNUT Hello World hello world 3610 Sansom St. 3610 SANSOM ST. House ofhouse Our Own of our own 3920 SPRUCE ST. 3920 Spruce St. Last Word Bookstore last word bookshop 220 SOUTH 220 S. 40th St. 40th ST. Modernmodern Eye eye 3401 WALNUT 3419 Walnut St. ST Naturalnatural Shoe shoe store 226 226 S. 40thSOUTH St. 40th ST. penn book center Penn Book Center 130 SOUTH 34th ST. 130 S. 34th St. penn bookstore Penn Bookstore (Barnes & Noble) 3601 WALNUT ST. 3601 Walnut St.

services philadelphia Philadelphia Runner runner 3621 WALNUT ST. 3621 Walnut St. piper boutique Piper Boutique 140 SOUTH 34th ST. 140 S. 34th St. united United By Blue by blue 3421 WALNUT ST. 3421 Walnut St. urban outfitters Urban Outfitters 110 SOUTH 36th ST. 110 S. 36th St. verizon wireless Verizon 3631 Wireless WALNUT ST. 3631 Walnut St.

dining dining au bon pain 421 CURIE BLVD.

Auntie Anne’s auntieSt.anne’s 3405 Walnut 3405 WALNUT ST. Beijing Restaurant beijing restaurant 3714 Spruce St. 3714 SPRUCE ST. Ben and Jerry’s ben and jerry’s 218 S. 40th St. 40th ST. 218 SOUTH Blarneyblarney Stone stone 3929 Sansom St. 3929 SANSOM ST. BRYSI brysi 233 S. 33rd St. 33rd ST. 233 SOUTH Cavanaugh’s Tavern tavern cavanaugh’s 119 SOUTH 119 S. 39th St. 39th ST.

Cosi chattime ST. 140 S. 3608 36th CHESTNUT St. Dunkin cosi Donuts 140 SOUTH 36th ST. 3437 Walnut St. magrogan’s Federaldoc Donuts oysterSt. house 3428 Sansom 3432 SANSOM ST. Fresh Grocer dunkinSt.donuts 4001 Walnut 3437 WALNUT ST. Greek Lady 222 S. federal 40th St. donuts 3428 SANSOM ST. Hip City Veg fresh grocer 214 S. 4001 40th WALNUT St. ST. honeygrow gia pronto 3731 walnut st. ST. 3736 SPRUCE HubBubgreek Coffeelady 3736 Spruce St. 40th ST. 222 SOUTH kitchenharvest gia seasonal grill 3716 spruce st. & wine bar Kiwi Yogurt 200 SOUTH 40th ST. 3606 Chestnut St. hip city veg Mad Mex 214 SOUTH 40th ST. 3401 Walnut hubbubSt.coffee Mediterranean CaféST. 3736 SPRUCE 3409 Walnut St. yougurt kiwi frozen 3606 CHESTNUT Metropolitan Bakery ST. 4013 Walnut St.

madTavern mex New Deck 3401 WALNUT ST. 3408 Sansom St. mediterranean cafe Nom Nom Ramen 3401 WALNUT ST. 3401 Walnut St. metropolitan bakery o’Chatto 4013 WALNUT ST. 3608 Chestnut St. NOMFactory RAMEN PhillyNOM Pretzel 3401 WALNUT ST. Philly is Nuts! PHILLY PRETZEL factory 3734 Spruce St. PHILLY IS NUTS POD Restaurant 3734 SPRUCE ST. 3636 Sansom St. POD Qdoba3636 SANSOM ST. 230 S. 40th St. QDOBA Quiznos 230 SOUTH 40TH ST. 3401QUIZNOS Walnut St. Saladworks 3401 WALNUT ST. 3728SALADWORKS Spruce St. Saxbys Coffee 3728 SPRUCE ST. 4000SAXBYS Locust St. COFFEE 4000 LOCUST ST. Smokey Joe’s 210 S.SMOKEY 40th St.JOE’S 200 Taco BellSOUTH 40TH ST. 3401TACO Walnut St. BELL 3401 WALNUT ST. Wawa 3604WAWA Chestnut St. 3604 CHESTNUT ST. 3744 Spruce St. 3744 SPRUCE ST.

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campus Adolf Bieckerbarber Studio shop 3730 SPRUCE ST. 138 S. 34th St. cinemark Bonded Cleaners 4012 WALNUT ST. 3724 Spruce St. citizen’s bank Campus Hair, Skin Nail Salon 134 SOUTH 34th&ST. 3730 Spruce St. inn at penn Cinemark TheaterST. 3600 SANSOM 4012 Walnut St. joseph anthony Citizens Bank hair salon 1343743 S. 34th St. ST. WALNUT Inn pnc at Penn bank 3600 200Sansom SOUTH St. 40th ST. Joseph Anthony TD bank Hair Salon 3743 119Walnut SOUTH St. 40TH ST. PNCUS Bank POST OFFICE SOUTH 200228 S. 40th St.40TH ST. TD Bank UPS STORE 3720 SPRUCE 3735 Walnut St.ST. U.S. Post Office 228 S. 40th St. UPS Store 3720 Spruce St.

This destination district includes over 100 businesses, cultural and recreational venues, and public spaces in and around This penn’s destination district over 100 businesses, cultural and recreational venues,between and public in and around campus, alongincludes the tree-lined blocks of chestnut, walnut and spruce streets 30thspaces and 40th streets. penn’s campus, along the tree-lined blocks of chestnut, walnut and spruce streets between 30th and 40th streets.

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NEWS 9

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

New Phila. school teachers to be taught by stand-alone school

Relay GSE chosen over Penn GSE and others CHRIS DOYLE Staff Reporter

Penn lost a contract to train new Philadelphia school teachers to an institution not accredited to award master’s degrees in Pennsylvania earlier this month. In a three to one vote, the School Reform Commission members passed over Penn, as well as Temple University, Drexel University and New York University, for the Relay Graduate School of Education — an organization founded by three charter school companies in 2007 that is not affiliated with a larger college or university. Relay is a stand-alone graduate school of education that prepares teachers while they work full-time in classrooms. It is similar to programs like Teach for America, but instead of teachers completing coursework at existing institutions, Relay provides the courses needed for certification itself.

With Relay, student teachers will participate in a two-year residency program at the Mastery Charter School. Afterward, the teachers will become certified in Pennsylvania but receive their master’s degree in another state where Relay is accredited. In an email, SRC member and Temple administrator Christopher McGinley, who received a Ph.D. in Education from Penn in 2008, expressed confusion over the ultimate decision to choose Relay. As the dissenting vote, he could not explain “why the [other SRC members] voted in favor of the contract with an unaccredited institution.” Supporters note that under Relay’s offer, tuition would be covered entirely by the $7,500 per student teacher that the Philadelphia School District has agreed to contribute. Competing offers, like that of the Penn Graduate School of Education, would charge higher tuition fees and require student teachers to pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket. Relay’s

lower costs allow it to recruit a larger and more diverse pool of applicants, which is a priority for the Philadelphia school system. SRC member, 1990 College graduate and 1996 Law School graduate Farah Jimenez explained how Relay’s broad, affordable appeal was crucial to the SRC’s decision. She said having more minority educators in the Philadelphia workforce was the main goal. “What the district is interested in is having more certified teachers of color,” Jimenez told The Daily Pennsylvanian. “And if you can become an accredited teacher at $8,000 a year versus $30,000 a year, it opens a larger pool of potential candidates.” Jimenez added that the decision was made to address what she called “a universal teacher shortage across the United States.” Philadelphia, in particular, has struggled with education vacancies recently. At the end of the 2015-2016 school year there were 132 unfilled teaching positions, Newsworks reported. At the

beginning of the current school year, there were 84 unfilled positions. Still, critics are concerned that well-regarded schools like the GSE were overlooked because of costs, especially since the alternative fails to meet several state master’s degree standards, including faculty quality. Penn GSE professor Janine Remillard, who focuses on teacher education, said teachers benefit from the intensive training and classroom experience that comes from pursuing a master’s degree at traditional institutions of higher education. “I’m actually just doing a presentation on Finland next week, and all of their teachers have master’s degrees. They get introduced into research, they have extensive teacher preparation and it really shows,” Remillard said. “So I think investing in high-quality teacher education and doing it at the master’s level is probably the better way to go.” But Remillard understands the

FILE PHOTO

Penn GSE would have charged higher tuition fees than Relay Graduate School of Education, which was crucial to decision.

need for a larger and more diverse faculty. She recognizes there is a shortage of educators both locally and nationally, and that funding for teacher education is scarce. “In the United States, the

number of teachers that we need to prepare is enormous,” Remillard added. “So it’s a little bit difficult to figure out how to get people to invest in really preparing teachers well.”

Young Thug ‘picks up the phone’ for SPEC-TRUM and GAPSA Concert marks first collaboration between SPECTRUM and GAPSA JAMIE GOBRESKI 34th Street Writer

Young Thug will headline Social Planning and Events Committee to Represent Undergraduate Minorities and Graduate and Professional Student Assembly’s spring concert on April 5. His mixtape “Jeffery” was

released to critical acclaim in August 2016. “We’re really excited,” SPEC-TRUM co–director Wharton senior Olivia Nelson says. “He’s one of the biggest names in the entire music scene, not just rap and hip-hop.” SPEC –T RU M co – d i re ctor College senior Jonathan Muruako notes “this is probably the first artist that we’ve brought who’s already in their prime.” This concert marks the first time SPEC–TRUM has collaborated with GAPSA, the Graduate

/dailypenn

and Professional Student Assembly, for programming. De Shaun Bennett, GAPSA chair for student activities, says that this year, the organization is “focused on bridging the gap between undergrad and grad students.” A mutual friend connected Bennett with SPEC–TRUM co-director and College senior Stephanie Hodges after he expressed interest in planning a concert. According to Hodges, the friend “told De Shaun that

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I’m in a group that plans concerts. I told Olivia and Muruako and we had a meeting to plan a show.” Hodges emphasizes, “we were only able to do this because we collabed (sic) with [GAPSA].” The spring show is part of a larger effort on SPEC–TRUM’s part to increase their presence on campus. Other events this year have included Drake and Skate night, a trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in

Washington, D.C. and an event during Feb Club. “Directors of previous years have always taught us the importance of trying something new,” Nelson says. “We’re continuing in that spirit of innovation and we’re hoping that this [concert] is something that will be sustainable in the future generations of SPEC–TRUM and GAPSA.” Last year, SPEC–TRUM was forced to cancel their spring show because both artists canceled the day of the concert.

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While the fall show featuring D.R.A.M was held in the Rotunda, Young Thug will be playing at the more spacious World Cafe Live — the “biggest venue we can get that’s closest to campus,” says Hodges. The venue hosts 600 people, and tickets are expected to sell out quickly. Tickets are available online and on Locust Walk starting from Tuesday March 28. Prices are $15 for students and $30 for the general public.

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10 SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Local high school serves as pipeline for Penn menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lacrosse

Five Quakers played together at Haverford MARC MARGOLIS Sports Reporter

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Preparing Boys for Life.â&#x20AC;? That is the motto of The Haverford School, an elite preparatory day school on the Philadelphia Main Line that has funneled topend lacrosse players to Penn and across the country. Almost everyone who plays on Haverfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s varsity lacrosse team moves on to the collegiate level. Notable alums include former Johns Hopkins All-American attackman Kyle Wharton, former Maryland All-American defenseman Goran Murray and current Penn State superstar attackman Grant Ament. In fact, at Haverford, many Division I commits do not even start or receive significant playing time due to the consistent depth of the roster each year. Each year, more than half the team will be committed to a D-I program, with the other half on track to commit. In total, five players on the Penn roster attended The Haverford School. They include freshman midfielder Keyveat Postell, freshman goalie Alex deMarco, sophomore defenseman Noah Lejman, junior All-American long stick midfielder Connor Keating and junior midfielder and attackman Reilly Hupfeldt. Keating has been the crĂŠme de la crĂŠme of the bunch. He was an AllAmerican last year and has been a

RETIREMENT >> PAGE 1

defensive tackles - Demes and his fellow senior linemen, Nick

dominant force at LSM since stepping onto campus. This season, he has six goals in seven games. He often jumpstarts the offense while also being tasked with guarding the opponentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top offensive threat. DeMarco is one of the most talented goalies in the country, but with sophomore Reed Junkin standing on his head this season, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been hard for him to see any playing time. Lejman started five games last season as a freshman and was on the 2016 U.S. U-19 World Cup team. Though struggling with an injury this season, he is tremendous talent who will look to break into a consistent starting spot after Penn loses a senior-laden defense to graduation. Hupfeldt was a captain at Haverford despite not receiving All-American status. That did not stop him from earning first team All-IAC his senior season. He is currently enjoying his best season with the Quakers, ranking fourth on the team in points. Postell, the other Haverford alum not to receive All-American honors, needed more time to reach his potential, having spent two years on Haverfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s JV team. But after breaking out late, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parlayed his success into early playing time with three starting nods as a freshman and looks to be a key cog for the Quakers moving forward. Needless to say, Haverford is not just producing players who make it to D-I lacrosse, but players who can get on the field and contribute. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The strong competition we

faced at Haverford prepared me to play at a place like Penn,â&#x20AC;? Postell said, reflecting back on his experience. â&#x20AC;&#x153;l see a lot of the kids I played against in high school on the teams I play against at Penn.â&#x20AC;? Keating reiterated Postellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sentiments: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that kids from Haverford have been fortunate to experience coaches and teachers like Coach Nostrant. When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re around the best, it is difficult to pursue anything else.â&#x20AC;? The relationship Penn coach Mike Murphy has built with Haverford has reaped huge rewards. This

relationship largely stems from his friendship with Nostrant, a Philadelphia lacrosse titan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have known Coach Nostrant for decades, have the utmost respect for him and his staff, and consider him a good friend,â&#x20AC;? Murphy said. Murphy also seeks Haverford because Philadelphia is a lacrosse hotbed, and the school is the face of Philly lacrosse. The Fords have won seven straight IAC titles, an incredible feat considering the talent of the league. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Philadelphia has been one of our top priorities in the recruiting,â&#x20AC;? Murphy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So with the

Whitton and Dan Poulos, have embarked on a weight loss challenge. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a couple months into that and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all dropped a

ridiculous amount of weight just from being able to eat like a normal person and not have to eat like 5,000-6,000 calories a day,â&#x20AC;? Demes said with a laugh.

Although he does miss his signature milkshakes, the biggest aspect of football now absent from his life is the personal interactions with his teammates. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I miss the stuff outside of the Xâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and just being around the team,â&#x20AC;? he said. He still sees many of his teammates in the Weiss Varsity Weight Room at open hours, but the sense of shared purpose is gone. Despite this, Demes doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look back on his collegiate career, or his final game against Cornell, when he scored his first career touchdown on a trick play as Penn clinched its second straight Ivy title, with regrets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was definitely emotional after the game, but I was so happy that we went out on top,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was bittersweet, but definitely more sweet than bitter.â&#x20AC;? Unlike Demes, field hockey captain Claire Kneizys saw her career end in heartbreaking fashion. Her last game in November was on the road against archrival Princeton, the threetime defending conference champions. Instead of hanging with the Tigers and going out with a win, she watched her team fall apart on the field. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Princeton game went as badly as any game could possibly go. We got killed,â&#x20AC;? she said of the 6-1 loss. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was really hard taking it in. You want your last game to be the best and it was one of the worst â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not even just in the season but in four years, one of the worst games Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever had.â&#x20AC;? On the bus ride back to Philadelphia, Kneizys remembered feeling â&#x20AC;&#x153;defeatedâ&#x20AC;? and thinking, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I gave four years and now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just totally over, so where do I go from here?â&#x20AC;? It took Kneizys four months to settle into a routine for working out and make peace with how her playing career ended. These days the only thing that makes her sentimental is mother nature. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have this theory that there is perfect game weather when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little chilly but not too cold â&#x20AC;&#x201C; mid-fifties,â&#x20AC;? she explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whenever itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that weather, I get really upset because I think I should be playing a game, I should be on the field.â&#x20AC;? Cassidy Golden, a diver and captain of the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swim and dive team, had an entirely different path to retirement. In Ivy League swimming, teams are allotted championship rosters of 18 athletes. While swimmers can race up to six events, divers

PRANAY VEMULAMADA | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

Though junior long stick midfielder Connor Keating has thrived at Penn, he and a quartet of his current teammates dominated together as high school teammates at national powerhouse Haverford.

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proximity and the match of our criteria, Haverford has been a no brainer for us.â&#x20AC;? Murphyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baseline criteria is simple: â&#x20AC;&#x153;good player, good student, and good person.â&#x20AC;? Luckily for Penn lacrosse, Haverford instills that in almost all of its student-athletes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Haverford athletics and academics taught me that mediocrity was unacceptable and to strive to be the best on and off the field,â&#x20AC;? Keating said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coaches and teachers alike at Haverford made it easy for me to choose a place where I could continue to pursue both.â&#x20AC;? The combination of athletics and

high caliber academics has been a theme in why many Haverford lacrosse players matriculated to Penn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The boys want a superior education and a chance to compete at a high level on the lacrosse field,â&#x20AC;? Nostrant said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having known Coach Murphy for a long time, it makes things easier in the recruiting process.â&#x20AC;? Besides their familiarity with each other, their similar coaching styles has also been a factor in getting Haverford players to Penn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coach Nostrant and Coach Murphy both have high expectations of their players,â&#x20AC;? Postell said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They know what everyone is capable of, and demand the best each player has to offer. They are true competitors and veterans of the game.â&#x20AC;? Another factor that led many players to come to Penn was the prior success of fellow Fords, which was especially the case for Hupfeldt. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My brother [Chris Hupfeldt] and his best friend [Joe Mccallion] chose to play at Penn together and this made for a great environment for me.â&#x20AC;? In the future, look for more Haverford lacrosse alums to have an immediate impact at Penn. With the success and accolades of the current crop, a precedent has been set for more players to make the short trip up the Schuylkill Expressway from the Mainline to Penn. Murphy summed up the plan best: â&#x20AC;&#x153;we will continue to recruit Haverford players.â&#x20AC;?

NICK BUCHTA | SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR-EMERITUS

After wrapping up her athletic career at Penn in the fall, senior defender Claire Kneizys has been just another student, rather than an athlete.

may only compete on one-meter and three-meter springboard, and thus each diver fills just one-third of a roster spot. Traditionally Penn has taken 17 swimmers and three divers to the conference championship meet. However, in early February the coaching staff collectively decided that the Quakers could score more points at Ivies by taking 18 swimmers instead. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My season kind of vanished in front of my eyes,â&#x20AC;? she recalled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had my last meet [against Westchester] and after my last meet the coaches made the decision that they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to take divers.â&#x20AC;? Although Goldenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s season was effectively truncated four weeks early, she has used her new found free time in retirement to reinvent her contributions to the team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so fun being a captain now because my job is to keep the team close and make sure everyone has fun outside of the pool,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arguably more fun than during the year when you have to deal with much more serious things.â&#x20AC;? While Goldenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final meet lacked fanfare, Martino finished his career with a bang at NCAA Championships in St. Louis on March 16. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some people going into their

last season might be nervous or stressed out that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I gotta do this, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my last opportunity,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; but this was the most fun season Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever had. Coincidentally it was also my most successful,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wrestled hard at NCAAs, felt like it was the best Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever wrestled in my life. Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask for more than that.â&#x20AC;? Although Martino has been retired for not even two weeks, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already focusing on how he can translate what he calls a â&#x20AC;&#x153;constant drive for successâ&#x20AC;? into other areas of his life and setting goals beyond the mat. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s picked up more hours at the lab where he does research and started preparing for medical school applications, a means that will help him achieve his lifetime goal of becoming an astronaut. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real easy to become complacent,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So you have to keep that drive.â&#x20AC;? Martinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reflection speaks to a defining aspect of the transition from student-athlete to student: the drive for success instilled in Pennâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s athletic community does not evaporate after the last down is played or the last finish line is crossed. And while the nuances of that studentathlete identity may change, the experience of being a studentathlete at Penn lasts forever.

@dailypennsports

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

For some athletes, playing one sport isn’t enough

Several Quakers manage to play for two teams JACOB SNYDER Associate Sports Editor

Training to be a Division I athlete is tough enough to begin with. But training for two sports? Almost unheard of. When children first learn to kick a ball, throw a pass, or swing a bat, they become enamored by the fun, self-challenging nature that is sports. However, even as soon as grade school, numbers begin to drop off significantly in youth sports participation. By the time high school rolls around, most athletes that remain outline a clear path for themselves — namely, whether or not they plan to play in college. “I think I always wanted to keep swimming and running beyond high school,” freshman Meredith Newman said. “But it was around sophomore year of high school that I realized I was good enough.” While only a small percentage of high school athletes prove talented enough for a Division I sport, an even smaller percentage of them prove talented enough for two. The road is not as smooth as the description may make it sound. When one envisions a two-sport athlete, images of superhuman athleticism coupled with instant collegiate stardom may come to mind. But some two-sport competitors start like most other college athletes — being recruited for one sport. “I was recruited to Penn for shot put,” senior Billy Bishop said. “But the offensive line coach for the football team kept asking me to come out to practice, and eventually I said yes. I talked to my parents and decided to go for it.” Bishop has been a member of both the football and track & field teams since his sophomore year at Penn. In that time, he has faced the challenges of honing his skills in two sports while also maintaining

SPORTS 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

ANANYA CHANDRA | PHOTO MANAGER

Senior offensive lineman and thrower Billy Bishop (middle) is one of the few athletes at Penn who undertakes the rigors of two sports.

academic rigor. “It’s definitely been difficult, but not impossible,” Bishop said. “There were some nights where I got home from track practice and football lifts with tired legs and just wanted to rest. It teaches you how important it is to not procrastinate stuff.” Newman, who in the fall was a member of both the swimming and track teams but recently decided to drop track, recounts a similar struggle. “The main reason I felt like I had to stop running was because of my nursing course load,” Newman said. “It was difficult to manage my schedule with two different sports and a pretty rigid curriculum.” Newman also discussed an issue that is prevalent among two-sport athletes — the idea that because their time is split between two sports, they cannot fully achieve their potential in either. “My coaches were very accommodating even though I could only do half the practice time for each sport,” Newman said. “However, my coaches did express concern to me that I wasn’t dedicating enough time to either which would in turn make me mediocre.” The flipside of that argument is that some sports can actually

enhance one another, a philosophy that Bishop subscribes to wholeheartedly. “Most sports are either strength based or speed based, and I happened to play two strength based sports,” Bishop said. “So I think the skills go hand-in-hand. If you look around the country it is very common to see offensive lineman playing other strength dependent sports.” Whether it be an individual sport like shot put or a team sport like football, the bottom line for many of these athletes is that it is near-impossible to let something so important to their lives go by the wayside in college. For the athletes that are forced to give up one of the sports, the transition can be difficult. “It’s been pretty weird thinking about how I won’t be running track competitively this year,” Newman said. “It’s just always something that’s been there, but now it’s not.” For others like Bishop who continue playing both through college, the positive memories often outweigh the negative ones. “It was tough at times, but whenever I think back, I just remember all the good times doing what I love with my friends,” Bishop said. “If I were to do college over, I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

SWITCHING SPORTS >> PAGE 1

and body of an athlete, but it is how they handle the situation that defines how they will attack the next sport of their choosing. “I was at a low point when I quit volleyball because I always defined myself as an athlete, but I ended up proving to myself the opposite as I joined one of the most intense and physically gueling sports. [Rowing] has become my passion and defined by Penn experience,” Slotkoff said. “I learned if you want something bad enough, you can be successful regardless of your experience.” “Through the process of leaving the basketball team I rededicated myself to the goal of playing professional soccer, and had the best season of my career my senior year,” Poplawski added. “I sacrificed a lot by playing both sports, and now I’ve been able to take on more of the full Penn experience.” Undoubtedly, the hardest part of the experience is leaving behind the sport you have dedicated your life to and have ultimately grown to love over the years. However, switching to a different sport can be rewarding and have positive outcomes for

PETER RIBEIRO | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

Despite finishing his career on the soccer field, senior Matt Poplawski also spent some time on the Palestra floor for Penn men’s basketball.

athletes who experience it. “I’ll always miss basketball,” Poplawski said. “It was the sport I fell in love with first, but in the end I’ll always be thankful for my Penn Athletics experience.” Similarly for Slotkoff, this experience changed her life and brought her to something she loves and is very successful at. “Things happen for a reason, and I am so grateful that I got

recruited to Penn to play volleyball because without that, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today playing a sport that has become and integral part of my life and identity,” she said. From one sport to another, these athletes have no only brought more to their new teams, but have also proven to themselves their desire to succeed at whatever they set their mind to.

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PRESENT

APRIL 5

LAX PIPELINE

DOUBLE TROUBLE

While Penn’s athletes come from across the country, one school gives M. Lax more than others

For some Penn athletes, playing one sport isn’t enough. Read about what it’s like to play two

>> SEE PAGE 10

>> SEE PAGE 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

SAY I NG G O ODBY E

Why some athletes at Penn switch sports

Several Quakers started off their careers in one sport, but currently play another REINA KERN Sports Reporter

How senior athletes transition to normal students upon ‘retiring’ LAINE HIGGINS Sports Editor

he NCAA mandates that Division I athletes can only practice for 20 hours per week. Being a student-athlete at Penn, however, is so much more than just another large weekly time commitment: it’s an identity. During the 2016-17 academic year, 98 seniors have already competed for the last time while wearing the Red and Blue. 76 more will join them come May. While spring athletes will never experience Penn without athletics, the transition to life without sports for many fall and winter athletes can be as disorienting as it is welcome. “It’s really a huge void,” said fifth-year senior wrestling captain Brooks Martino. “You might think there’s only a two-hour void every day that you’d have to fill without practice, but it’s really a lot more time than that. You don’t have to think about it anymore, there’s no travel time, there’s a lot of factors.”

In the absence of workouts before dawn, circadian rhythms change, schedules are sent into limbo and studentathletes’ day-to-day habits start resembling those of their “non-athletic regular person” peers. According to football captain and former offensive lineman Nick Demes, life beyond Franklin Field has been one of much greater freedom and much fewer calories. The senior is listed on the roster at 280 pounds, about fifty pounds over his natural weight. “All throughout college, and high school even, I had to just eat disgustingly in order to get up to around 290 pounds,” he said. “I’d make these milkshakes with protein powder, ice cream and donut holes and whole milk.” Perhaps it is not surprising that in the absence of a competitive outlet at Franklin Field – or the need to pummel SEE RETIREMENT PAGE 10

Most athletes come into Penn with a plan: to play their respective sport for four years, and to ultimately live that dream of being an Ivy League athlete that they agreed to the day they committed. However, not all goes as planned. Not every athlete has the same experience, and not every athlete gets to live the perfect four-year experience that they once had in their head when they agreed to play at Penn. But while some may quit and leave athletics behind altogether, other athletes can’t let go of their passion for the grind and that constant drive to improve for something bigger than themselves. Speaking from personal experience having gone from field hockey to rowing, the switch is among the hardest things I have done both physically and mentally, and has boosted my drive to succeed to become a part of something I had never planned to even be a part of. Similarly, other such athletes exist like Lexi Slotkoff, who was initially recruited to Penn volleyball but is now a powerhouse on women’s rowing. Matt Poplawski, who was recruited for soccer and also briefly became a part of the men’s basketball team, now just plays soccer for Penn. For Slotkoff, her decision to join rowing was not dependent on her decision to stop playing volleyball. “The two are separate in my mind. Leaving volleyball was about removing myself from a situation that was creating unhappiness, and that decision was solidified by my third broken foot,” Slotkoff said. “Joining rowing was in independent decision. I had always been interested in it since a lot of my friends in high school and college rowed.” On the other hand, Poplawski, who picked up basketball after committing to Penn for soccer with approval from soccer coach Rudy Fuller, eventually dropped one for the other. “My circumstance was a little different for leaving basketball. It actually wasn’t my choice to stop playing,” Poplawski said. “When Steve Donahue was hired he made changes to the roster and I was let go.” While decisions like this can be hard after dedicating so much of one’s life to a respective sport, it can teach athletes a lot about who they are when adversity strikes. The process of switching can be tough on the mind SEE SWITCHING SPORTS PAGE 11

Athletes at Penn aren’t well-known. That can be a good thing. TOMMY ROTHMAN

It’s March Madness. It’s the height of the college basketball season. It’s also the height of the season for Crying Jordan memes, for screenshots and GIFs of heartbroken fans or marching band members, for seeing the names of college students trending on Twitter for screwing up in a basketball game. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Vanderbilt lost when one of their players intentionally fouled a Northwestern player at the end of game after forgetting that his team was WINNING by one. The guy’s name was Matthew Fisher-Davis, and he was trending on Twitter moments after the game. His name was also certainly trending on Vandy’s campus, where most people watched, and cared about, the game. Can you imagine being FisherDavis, and having to go back to Vandy’s campus after that? But it could be worse. It could have been a player on a team with title hopes — a major powerhouse, like Duke, or Kentucky.

Kentucky star Malik Monk was being heavily tweeted about for most of the team’s quarterfinal loss to UNC, not because he made one boneheaded play that cost his team the game (in fact, he made a great one that nearly won it), but simply because he was failing to have his usual impact. That’s the standard these kids — and yes, they are kids — are held to at “sports schools.” There are many kinds of sports schools. At some schools, the students called student-athletes are closer to athletes. They are celebrities. And God help them if they screw up on the big stage. Further up the spectrum, you have professional athletes who play on the biggest of stages — and Bill Buckner’s long, solid career is not the reason everybody knows his name. Further down, you have schools like Vandy, where students care about the teams, and the teams are on the national stage and in the public eye on a regular basis, but names of scapegoats will be forgotten before too long. And at the bottom of the spectrum, you have schools that are not sports schools, schools like Penn. You knew where I was going with all that. Another column from the DP about how most people at Penn don’t care enough about sports.

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But the heartbreaking losses both Penn basketball teams suffered in a dual bout of “March Sadness,” each coming on a rare nationally televised stage, put a new thought in my head. People don’t care much about Penn Athletics. The athletes are no more recognizable or wellknown to the average student than anybody else in their 9 AM lecture. People don’t know their names, and certainly don’t have faces to put to those names. And sometimes, that can be a good thing. Did the kid sitting next to you in Psych wreck Penn soccer’s season over the weekend? Maybe. You wouldn’t know. I’m not going to mention the name of the Penn men’s basketball player whose missed free throw cost the Quakers a very good shot at a huge win, an Ivy championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. Nor will I use the name of the women’s basketball player who turned the ball over before getting to half-court in the final minute, a simple act which would have just barely shut the door on Texas A&M’s chances of finishing off what will go down as the largest comeback in NCAA Tournament history while getting the Red and Blue their first-ever tournament win. If I wrote for the Duke paper,

ZACH SHELDON | SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR

Members of Penn women’s basketball know the who, what, when, where and why of the Quakers’ historically shocking loss in the NCAA Tournament. But you don’t, so they get to deal with it in their own way.

not mentioning the name of a player who screwed up in the big game would be a kind act of alleged mercy, but a completely superficial one as everybody on campus would know that player’s name already. But we don’t go to Duke, or some other school where the vast majority of the students who care about the university’s sports teams don’t write for the sports section of the university’s

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(independent) student paper. We go to Penn, where people don’t remember, and probably never knew, the name of the player who screwed up in the game a few days ago. They probably don’t know there was one big mistake that had a huge impact on the game at all. Most of them don’t know the game was lost, or even played. And that can be frustrating. It’s frustrating when Penn scores

an awesome win and few people outside the office from which I’m writing this column care, or even know— and certainly won’t remember— that Jackson Donahue hit an awesome game-winning three in a huge game. But when things don’t go so well, our student-athletes can melt back into the campus culture as what they, and we, all are at this University: students. And that’s a good thing. CONTACT US: 215-422-4640