March 30, 2017

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THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

make it rain(bow)

Penn professors respond to Trump’s war on ‘fake news’ One professor wants to change the way people think about this trend HARI KUMAR Staff Reporter

With fake news stories abounding during the 2016 election cycle, it is no wonder that many Americans have become concerned over the validity of the media that they consume. Several Penn professors have been particularly outspoken in the war against fake news, aiming to do their part to ensure modern media is accurate. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a professor in the Annenberg School for Communication, hopes to change the way that people view these false stories. Jamieson said that she prefers to think of fake news as “viral deception,” as this term better “captures how these stories are intentionally deceitful.” SEE FAKE NEWS PAGE 3

SODA TAX UPS MEAL PLAN PRICE AT TEMPLE PAGE 2

2017 Spring Fling performers will be Zedd and Tinashe DANI BLUM 34th Street Managing Editor

T

he Spring Fling concert performers this year will be EDM DJ Zedd and R&B singer Tinashe, multiple sources and the Social Planning and Events Committee confirmed to 34th Street on Wednesday night. Zedd is known for “Clarity,” “Stay” and “True Colors.” Tinashe is an American singer, songwriter, producer, dancer and actress. She starred in Two

and a Half Men and The Polar Express. Musically, Tinashe is known for hits like “2 On” and “Flame.” SPEC Concerts co–director Rachel Erani said in a statement to Street, “Tinashe, our opener is a singer, but even more than that, she’s a performer. She also taps into multiple genres — her music blends R&B, hip hop and pop. And on top of that, she’s an amazing dancer! Zedd is a DJ with more mainstream appeal and everyone already knows a bunch of his songs. We want Fling to be the space where Penn students can not only be

entertained, but also be able sing and dance along to music they already love. We’re super excited about our lineup as a whole and cannot wait for the show!” The concert will be held at Penn Park. The first thousand tickets will go on sale on Monday, April 3 at 10 a.m. on Locust Walk. These tickets will be sold at an “early bird price” for $30. The limit for early bird tickets is two tickets per person. The show concert will be on Friday, April 21. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show will start at 8 p.m.

COURTESY OF SPEC

…we never realize that integration is the result of more than just external behavior.”

Meme group sparks online debate MARS rejection email raises questions about exclusivity

- Amy Chan on cultural integration

BRIAN ZHONG Staff Reporter

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PAYBACK TIME FOR MEN’S LACROSSE BACK PAGE

SCREENGRAB

As one of two applicants denied, Butkiewicz characterized MARS’ selection process as “absolutely ludicrous.”

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A post on a Facebook group for Penn memes has garnered over 530 reactions — including 142 “angry” responses — and has sparked discussion about exclusivity and sexual assault. At approximately 8 p.m. on Tuesday night, College senior Will Butkiewicz posted a screenshot of a rejection email from Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault on the public Facebook group “Official Unofficial Penn Squirrel Catching Club.” Butkiewicz captioned the screenshot: “Tfw you’re a man against rape & sexual assault and you’re rejected from the group of men against rape & sexual assault #exclusive #leaveittopenn #eyeroll.” Butkiewicz said he applied to the group after attending an open house earlier in the semester, and received the rejection email from MARS after participating in an interview and waiting nearly a month and a half. “I said, well, that’s weird not to be accepted to this group that seemed like they should want more people to talk about rape and sexual assault,” Butkiewicz said. “So then — given that they’d taken so long and

everything else — I posted it on the Penn meme group not actually expecting a huge response.” As one of two applicants who was denied among the pool of 21 candidates, Butkiewicz characterized MARS’ selection process as “absolutely ludicrous.” “I posted it to show the hypocrisy of the situation, and a lot of people agreed with it,” Butkiewicz said. “I just think that the way they’re functioning isn’t the best way.” College junior Zeeshan Mallick — the president of MARS — said while the organization does not try to be exclusive, it deliberates on any concerns raised by its members about a particular applicant. Twothirds of MARS’ present members must vote for a candidate to gain acceptance into the group. “When we take people, it’s because we feel like they can be contributing members of the group and there have not been concerns raised about them,” Mallick said. “It’s not a thing where we’re looking to fill quotas in any way, shape or form.” Mallick said the group has been “constantly moving forward” and will continue to do so following the post of the rejection letter. He also noted that a lack of physical space for meetings was not a reason for the SEE MARS PAGE 2

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