April 6, 2016

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Penn Bracket 2016 See the winner inside!

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LPS students face academic, social barriers VIBHA KANNAN Deputy News Editor

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additionalchallenges upon arrival.

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NA L NDER G CHAL R D LE N S, G S 360 LPS students are full-time. Although these statistics vary year to year, LPS Director of BA and BFA Programs Kathy Urban said that across the past decade, there has been a general trend in the increase of full-time students.

LPS senior Casey Bridgeford also pointed out

SEE LPS PAGE 3

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Designed for non-traditional students LPS began in 1882 as the College of General Studies, which offered courses for Philadelphia teachers.

As the Ivy League’s oldest continuing education program, LPS has a long history of targeting non-traditional college students. Unlike the regular undergraduate, LPS students are often older than their counterparts and work while taking classes.

Executive Director of LPS David Bieber said that the program was started with the non-traditional student in mind — one that works while taking classes at night as a part-time student. However, the composition of students in LPS has changed over time. Currently, approximately 53 percent of the

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fter College of Liberal and Professional Studies junior Mariano Gomes graduated high school in Bissau, the capital of his native country Guinea-Bissau, he traveled back to his village, excited to share the moment with his mother.

Since she was not able to read his diploma, Gomes explained the significance of the thin piece of paper. A smile slowly appeared on his mother’s This great box goes Please face2asinches. she congratulated him, and Gomes can still enjoy!! This greatremember box goesher 2 inches. proud, happy tears.

Please enjoy!! This “That great box goes 2significant impact on me, behad some inches. Please enjoy!! boxto fight for a higher education causeThis I felt great like I had goes 2 inches. Please enjoy!!

This diploma,” Gomes said. great box goes 2 inches.

Please However, the enlack of universities in Guineajoy!! This great Bissau box goes and 2theinches. country’s civil war would postpone Please enjoy!! This box goes for 2 more than a decade. Finally, hisgreat college dreams inches. Please enjoy!! great box Gomes was accepted to LPS in theThis spring of 2013, goes 2 inches. Please at Penn.enjoy!! This great box goes 2 inches.

PleasePenn en- is his dream school — but For Gomes, joy!! This great box certain administrative and financial aid policies in LPS have disappointed him and many other students who envisioned a more traditional undergraduate experience.

LPS students often have already faced a difficult journey just to get to Penn, but financial aid policies and curriculum constraints often present

ILANA WURMAN | DESIGN EDITOR

Federal policy to help international STEM students

Oh Snap!

Photography holds annual photo competition Amateur Penn photographers given a shot

They will be allowed to stay in the US for three years

EMILY CIESLAK Contributing Reporter

SOPHIA LEPORTE Staff Reporter

Many spend hours taking the perfect Instagram photo — why not submit it to a competition?

Oh Snap! Photography is celebrating students’ casual photography skills — from Instagram posts to Spring Break shots — for the third year through its spring contest.

“Oh Snap! is all about empowering amateur and novice photographers to embrace their creative side and take photos of the outside world,” Blue Bookhard, a College junior and one of the managers overseeing the contest, said.

Students can submit photos in four categories: Spring Break, Mobile Phone/Instagram, Open and Penn Calendar. The best photos of Penn landscapes and events will be featured in the Official Penn 2016-17 calendar.

“The categories are very straightforward. The accessibility is definitely there for the Penn community to engage with Oh Snap! and submit their art,” Wharton junior and former contest winner Ayo Fagbemi said.

Submissions are emailed to Oh Snap! Photography, a digital photography service run by students through Penn Student Agencies. Their student photographers can be hired to photograph events, shows or portraits on campus and in Philadelphia. The service also creates the Penn Calendar every spring with Penn Student Design, College

Last month, the federal government released a new policy, allowing international students studying STEM fields to stay in the United States for on-the-job training for up to three years.

The rule was part of the STEM Optional Practical Training program, and extends the period of time foreign students can stay in

COURTESY OF U.S. ARMY RDECOM | CREATIVE COMMONS

International students studying STEM-related subjects can now extend OPT for another seven months after graduation.

PREPPING FOR THE GRE PAGE 5

SEE OH SNAP PAGE 2

FOLLOW US @DAILYPENN FOR THE LATEST UPDATES

Sometimes I’m amazed at how much we’re willing to put ourselves through before we get to give ourselves a break.”

the country seven months longer than what was outlined in the last policy, which was passed in 2008.

Kathryn Fogle, an advisor for international students and scholars through Penn Global, has helped many students through the visa process, and said that one of the biggest benefits of this extension is that students will have more opportunities to apply for an H-1B visa.

The H-1B visa is an employersponsored visa, and every year only 65,000 of them are awarded SEE STEM PAGE 8

IN HER HAY DAY BACK PAGE

- Amanda Reid

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Mayor launches $600M plan to restore libraries

The Free Library of Phila. on 40th St. may be affected BOWMAN COOPER Staff Reporter

Nothing is spared by the passage of time, whether it be people, roads, houses … or libraries.

And in a city as old as Philadelphia, it does not come as a shock that some of its oldest public libraries suffer some major structural issues.

With the help of Mayor Jim Kenney’s massive $600 million plan to restore Philadelphia’s public libraries, recreation centers and parks, these libraries will finally begin to find new life, according to a March 14 Philadelphia Inquirer article. Kenney hopes to fund this plan by selling $300 million in bonds, along with around $200 million in supplementary donations and state and federal funding. Those who work closely with Philadelphia’s libraries see first hand the need for this restoration plan.

“We have 54 separate facilities in the library system. Some of them, 17 in fact, are what we call ‘Carnegie libraries,’ which

OH SNAP >> PAGE 1

junior Araba Ankuma, Oh Snap!

Photography manager, said.

A few of the service’s photographers will work together to select the top photos in each category, she said. The top picks will then be posted on Facebook, where all students can vote on their favorite.

Those with the most votes, as well as randomly selected voters, will win cash prizes.

“Sometimes the photos are really exceptional,” Ankuma said.

“It’s hard to nail down what is best.”

The deadline for submissions has been pushed back to April 13 due to a low number of submissions, Ankuma said. In the past two years of holding the contest,

were built when Andrew Carnegie made a gift to the nation to put public libraries in many cities,” Sandra Horrocks, vice president of external affairs of the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation, said.

“Those 17 buildings are all over one hundred years old now, and so they have a lot of physical … problems.”

The library on the edge of Penn’s campus, located at the corner of 40th and Walnut streets, is one such library. The Walnut Street West Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library opened in 1906 funded by a Carnegie grant, though its current building was reopened in 2006.

“We need an air conditioning and heating system,” Walnut West Library Manager Bruce Siebers said. “We need some patching in the roof.”

Older buildings, such as Walnut Street West, pose problems for those that frequent them.

“In one of the libraries the plaster is peeling and it has lead paint in it,” Horrocks added. “We have a lot of physical challenges with the old buildings.”

One of the biggest issues around the library system, she said, is the

they have received between 30 and 40 submissions each semester.

“This may be one of our slower semesters,” Ankuma said. “We really have to push marketing.”

College sophomore Edda Haggerty said she competed last fall on a whim, having already taken and prepared photos to submit for Philly Photo Day. Though she submitted her close up from the Magic Gardens to the Penn Calendar, it won for the Holiday category.

“I am really interested in the phenomenon of color and light and how they work not just artistically and aesthetically, but also psychologically and in scientific matters,” Haggerty said. “With the Magic Gardens, it is just like the wonderful scene of someone using trash and debris to make wonderful shimmering art, so the photo that

lack of accessibility to the buildings. Many of the libraries are not accessible for people with disabilities.

Although Kenney’s plan is more focused on the funding of the restoration of current structures and not the building of new libraries, Horrocks believes that, in some case, new construction may be necessary. Kenney’s plan still has a ways to go before it is implemented.

Each plank of the funding proposal would need to be voted on.

“Fishtown Library is much, much too small – it’s in an old horsebarn,” Horrocks said. “In that instance, we would be interested in co-locating with the rec center that is across the street, so that would require some kind of new structure.”

Horrocks is optimistic about the results of Kenney’s plan.

“We’re just incredibly grateful to Mayor Kenney for this initiative.

As I said, many of our buildings are very, very old and the city capitol budget has just not been able to afford the kind of work that needs to happen on these buildings,” she added. “This is a terrific opportunity to take a great asset in the city and make it really wonderful.”

won zoomed in on a bicycle scene with Christmas lights. I think it is a good example of light playing with objects that are otherwise ignored.”

Fagbemi won the last Calendar category with his photo of the Penn toast during this fall’s Ivy football championship in Franklin Field.

He said he thought it candidly captured a Penn tradition, yet he was slightly surprised to win, considering he hasn’t won many photo competitions.

“One thing that Oh Snap! does really well is that they give access to people who are not normally known as photographers to submit work through any medium,” Fagbemi said. “It allows a whole new market of casual photographers to submit their own work and potentially be winners of a competition.”

STWING House AND Kings Court English College

SCience and technology wing PRESENT

the 2016 RUBE

GOLDBERG Competition

Teams will build a Rube Goldberg machine, an overcomplicated contraption that performs a very simple task—in this case, a challenge which will be announced at the event. It’s tons of fun!

WHEN:

Saturday, April 9, 12 PM – 9 PM Sunday, April 10, 9 AM –12 PM

WHERE: Class of 1938 Lounge,

upstairs at Kings Court English College House

SIGN UP AT:

http://goo.gl/forms/W4O80I6ajo

Open to all Penn students. Teams of up to four will be formed. Team preferences or general questions can be emailed to beeker@stwing.upenn.edu. Necessary tools and materials will be provided.

GREGORY BOYEK | DP FILE PHOTO

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has announced a $600 million package to restore some of Philadelphia’s older libraries; the money will come from municipal bonds, donations and state and federal funding.

STEM

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by Congress through a lottery process. Considering that this is only about 25 percent of the number of people who applied last year, the process can be worrying for foreign students.

“If you’re not selected in the lottery for the H-1B visa then you might not have a way to remain in the United States beyond the OPT, so if your OPT lasts longer you have several chances to apply for this visa,” Fogle said. “I think it’s going to be a real benefit for students who are trying to get that next visa but aren’t lucky enough the first time.”

Fogle believes these benefits will motivate international

students to stay in the United States while allowing them to focus on training and not worry about their visas, which can, in turn, be beneficial for employers too.

“I think it is a motivating factor when you can stay on your visa a bit longer, which certainly makes life easier instead of worrying about what your next visa is going to be and if you’re going to get one.

I can imagine employers are happy about that as well.”

Fogle also pointed out that the new rule will help students planning on obtaining a doctorate, especially those in three-year postdoctoral programs, since the visa can now cover their time in the United States while earning the

degree.

Devyani Gupta, a Wharton junior, is planning on working in the United States through the STEM OPT program after graduating. Though she’s excited about the program’s extension, she’s also surprised that it passed.

“I’m just very surprised that they extended it by so long for STEM people, to be honest,” Gupta said. “I get that there’s a huge demand for people doing STEM and they want more people to do that and that’s why they’re giving more opportunities to international students to do that, which is great for us, and I just find that it’s such a great advantage.”

The extension will go into effect on May 10 this year.

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

LPS

easily accessible within the country.

“In Guinea, if you didn’t have someone in the government close to you — a close friend or family — you couldn’t get a scholarship,” Gomes said.

Instead of going to university, he became active in his home community, helping other students go to school and receive an education.

When civil war broke out in 1998 in Guinea-Bissau, however, Gomes was forced to flee to Cape Verde as a refugee.

He lived there until 2006, becoming active in local politics and advocating for other Guinean refugees in the country. In 2008, Gomes returned to Guinea-Bissau to work on an education project and soon after came to the United States.

Even after the political turmoil in his country, Gomes had not given up hope that he would one day be able to enroll in college. For him, education was no longer simply “an obsession but an obligation.”

Finally, in 2009, Gomes enrolled in Bristol Community College — he remained there until 2013, when he received a Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship to study at Penn.

decided that he wanted to go back to school and applied to Penn after receiving multiple emails identifying him as a non-traditional student.

financial aid extend beyond the noloan policy.

Some noted that they received the changing nature of the school. their aid packages from Penn much “The program is definitely built later than at other institutions. for a specific type of student that Financial aid policies at Penn Urban said that delayed tuition works during the day and takes For many LPS students, Penn is packages could be a result of late classes at night,” Bridgeford said. their dream institution and a second tuition reduction requests or other “The only problem with that is was chance at getting a college educa- late forms. Financial aid also probably true for 1984 and 1996 — tion. However, the financial aid cannot be finalized until after the but that is absolutely not true for policies governing LPS, distinct add/drop period due to switches in 2016.” from those governing a traditional course load.

Student Registration and Fiundergraduate, often limit students’ The process for receiving finannancial Services Director of experiences. cial aid is very different between Communications Karen Hamilton Along with those in the Accel- LPS students and traditional unalso noted that certain policies, like erated Program in the School of dergraduates. While traditional the exclusion of LPS students from Nursing, LPS students are consid- undergraduates receive their finanPenn’s no-loan financial aid policy ered non-traditional undergraduates cial aid packages along with their for undergraduates, was founded and as such are not included in Penn acceptance, LPS students on this image of a non-traditional Penn’s no-loan, all-grant financial only receive them on a rolling basis student. aid program. starting in May. “Most people I know want a more LPS students also receive their Bridgeford had a particularly traditional full-time experience,” financial aid from the budget of difficult time with SRFS. Bridgeford said. “They come in extheir home school, unlike tradi“There was an extensive delay pecting to make that transition only tional undergraduates who receive that lasted all through the summer,” to find out that based on financial funds from a general financial aid he said. “There was a preliminary aid and administrative policies, the pool. estimate given at the beginning of program was built for a person that SRFS lists four financing and the summer but I was assured that wants to take two classes a semespayment options for LPS students those numbers would change.” ter and stay in school for six years.” on its website: loans, direct loans, Meanwhile, other schools gave direct PLUS loans and the Penn him his financial aid package Guinea-Bissau to Penn monthly budget plan. Around 60 almost immediately upon his acGrowing up in Guinea-Bissau, ceptance. Bridgeford said that Gomes always understood the Indiana to Penn his interaction with SRFS was value of education. Until he was Gomes’ journey is reflective probably the most stressful If you have other 11, he lived in a small village where of the non-traditional backpart of his transition to Penn. passions, you’re schooling was often informal and ground that many other LPS “I have a family of six, and students sat on the floor because students have. kind of left on your after I moved all the way out there were no desks.

Bridgeford, who has a to Philadelphia, the words that He described his native country family of five — a wife and own to figure out how to I got from the financial aid as “filled with a cycle of poverty four children — initially never integrate that with your office were, ‘Whatever it was and corruption with no government considered going to college. He going to be, it was not going ever actually finishing the five-year started off as a hip-hop singer in academic journey in LPS.” to be a big package,’” he said. term in office.”

Indiana, but transitioned into en- - Casey Bridgeford At one point, his specific Statistics back up Gomes’ as- trepreneurship when he opened financial aid advisor even sessment. According to the 2015 his own marketing firm in 2005. questioned why Bridgeford Human Development Report, His business quickly took off, percent of LPS students take out was coming to Penn — “He said, Guinea-Bissau’s Human Develop- and Bridgeford soon had the op- these loans, but for some students, ‘Why are you even trying to come ment Index is 0.420 — which ranks portunity to work on the 2008 it is still not enough. here? It doesn’t make sense that you the country as 178 out of 188 coun- presidential campaign and attend “My financial aid package is would try to come here.’” tries and territories. The mean years the Black Entertainment Television really not big enough and someBridgeford only received his fiof schooling for an average person awards. However, that year was also times it is a struggle to keep up with nancial aid package near the end is 2.8 years. the beginning of the 2008 recession, paying rent and taking care of my of August, around the time that the “Considering all this, you can and his business soon folded. family while taking out all these semester started. just understand how messy things Bridgeford’s business continued loans,” Bridgeford said.

However, Cairns said that SRFS are in the country,” Gomes said. to bring in decreased profits, and Bieber said that the program and was working to improve its efSince Gomes’ father passed away the same day that his daughter, the SRFS do their best to make Penn ficiency and that they had made when Gomes was young, Gomes’ family’s youngest child, was born, affordable for LPS students. Cur- great strides in the last couple of mother was forced to raise him and Bridgeford and his wife had to leave rently, approximately 170 out of the years. his brother alone. When he was 11, the hospital early to deal with their 190 full-time students received in“We are getting better at prohe left his village to go to school in eviction notice. stitutional grants from Penn — 90 cessing those awards and getting the capitol of Bissau.

For the next year and a half, he percent — in comparison to the 46 them out, and we understand that “Everything was kind of late tirelessly looked for a job, but had percent of traditional undergradu- it is necessary for students to have about my schooling — primary trouble getting hired without a ates that receive financial aid. all the facts at their fingertips,” she school was late, high school was degree.

Urban also said that housing and said. late [and] college is also late,” “It was almost impossible to find dining allowances are included in Urban said that LPS works Gomes said, chuckling. a job without a college degree,” all LPS financial aid packages for with individual students to poAfter he graduated high school, Bridgeford said. both part-time and full-time LPS tentially issue an earlier refund Gomes desperately wanted to go to After securing a job, Bridgeford students. LPS students are only if they need a financial aid university, but at the time, Guinea- started to re-evaluate his views asked to pay per-course tuition at package more immediately.

Bissau did not offer any institutions about college — he eventually roughly half the rate of traditional undergraduates.

Academic Constraints SRFS Director of Service and For LPS students, financial aid Delivery BethAnn Cairns said concerns directly impact their acathat LPS students do not fall under demic experience at Penn. While the all-grant policy because the traditional undergraduates can initiative was originally intended take courses in any school withto attract “talented and diverse out tuition increases as a result of students” and make Penn more Penn’s “One University” policy, marketable to them. These goals LPS students do not have this simialign more strongly with tradi- lar freedom. tional undergraduates — who face LPS students must pay full tua highly competitive application ition for any classes not designated process and must often choose be- as an LPS class — generally taught tween many selective universities at night — and courses outside of — than LPS students. their major or those not covered Gomes said that although Brown by tuition reduction requests. This and Cornell gave him full-tuition effectively prevents students with scholarships based on his financial financial concerns from taking need, he elected to come to Penn Wharton or Engineering classes. because he liked the school and Other schools such as Brown JULIO SOSA | NEWS PHOTO EDITOR received funding from his outside also offer programs similar to LPS. After failed careers as a hip-hop artist and an entrepreneur, scholarship.

Brown’s Resumed Undergraduate Casey Bridgeford reconsidered his decision to not go to college.

However, student concerns about Education program also admits

>> PAGE 1

The Delta Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Announces Two Annual Phi Beta Kappa

Prizes for Honors Theses Two Phi Beta Kappa Theses Prizes of $1000 each and the

Frederick W. Meier, Jr. Thesis Prize of $1000 The competition will be conducted by the Executive Committee and Electorial Board of Phi Beta Kappa, with judging by ad hoc committees.

Essays may be submitted for consideration by faculty or by student authors.

A written evaluation by the thesis advisor must be included with the nomination.

Students must submit two (2) copies of their thesis for review.

One need not be a member of Phi Beta Kappa to submit an entry.

The deadline for submission is

Friday April 27th Essays should be submitted to:

The College Office

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LPS junior Mariano Gomes came to Penn after working his way through poverty and political turmoil in Guinea-Bissau.

non-traditional undergraduate students. However, students can take the same courses as traditional Brown undergraduates and are not limited based on policy.

Gomes, who applied to RUE at Brown, said that this freedom was an appealing factor. However, he ultimately chose Penn because “he fell in love with the campus.”

“Here at Penn, until you decide your major, you cannot take any classes you want,” Gomes said.

“Even if you’re just exploring the major and you are not sure yet, there is very little freedom financially.”

Gomes also said that he is only allowed to take four credits a semester and that if he wants to take more, he has to pay the full course tuition out of his pocket.

He has even compiled a list of classes that he would like to take at Penn before he graduates. Most of them are outside of his major and are not offered as LPS courses.

“I hope that I can check at least a few courses off my list before I graduate,” Gomes said. “They are from a diverse set of departments, and every semester I try to see if one of them is offered as an LPS class so I can take it.”

As an aspiring entrepreneur with his own startup, OnCast Media, Bridgeford also finds these policies very limiting. Despite his interest in business, he has not been able to take Wharton courses because of financial constraints.

“Some jobs ask you to tie your course work in with your entrepreneurial pursuits, and I can’t do that because I literally haven’t taken one business course and have been prevented from it financially,” Bridgeford said.

Bridgeford believes that LPS’s strict academic limitations also speak to a lack of support for entrepreneurship and career searches.

“If you have other passions, you’re kind of left on your own to figure out how to integrate that with your academic journey in LPS.” Many LPS students are coming back to school because they have lived for several years in poverty and are looking to change the trajectory of their life, Bridgeford said, but they are being locked out of taking courses that allow them a higher earning potential.

“This means that many of them, even if they got an Ivy League degree, might end up going right back to the same life of struggling financially,” he said.

Bridgeford also added that these academic constraints often isolate LPS students from the career search process that traditional undergraduates go through at Penn.

“When I go to career advising, I’m usually the first one of my type they’ve seen,” Bridgeford said.

“They’re like, we don’t have many non-traditional students coming over here and asking for help.”

Bieber said that there are no specific career fairs for LPS students on campus, but that the department is working with employers to provide other options for students.

“One thing we have found when working with employers is that employers are very interested in adult students,” Urban said. “In some ways, we are trying to create a different pathway for them because it may not be the traditional on-campus recruiting option.”

The social divide Financial aid policies and academic policies are not the only factors in LPS students’ non-traditional undergraduate experience.

Some of them also note that there is a social barrier between LPS students and the traditional undergraduate.

“When you’re surrounded by all these 18- and 19-year-old students, an LPS student can really stick out,” Bridgeford said.

Bridgeford said that he has really taken the initiative to get involved in different clubs at Penn. Other LPS students, however, are not as involved in undergraduate campus life.

Gomes said that he has not joined any traditional undergraduate clubs, but he is part of the LPS Student Associate because he feels that he can connect with a community of students with more similar experiences to him.

Despite the social, financial and academic constraints in LPS, however, most students believe that the benefits of the program outweigh the costs.

“I feel like despite all the difficulties, I’ve definitely adjusted,” Gomes said. “I’m a Quaker.”

4

OPINION The penny drops (out) REID ABOUT IT! | Taking “taking a break” seriously

WEDNESDAY APRIL 6, 2016 VOL. CXXXII, NO. 33 132nd Year of Publication COLIN HENDERSON President LAUREN FEINER Editor-in-Chief ANDREW FISCHER Director of Online Projects BRIELLA MEGLIO Director of Internal Consulting ISABEL KIM Opinion Editor JESSICA MCDOWELL Enterprise Editor DAN SPINELLI City News Editor CAROLINE SIMON Campus News Editor ELLIE SCHROEDER Assignments Editor LUCIEN WANG Copy Editor SUNNY CHEN Copy Editor NICK BUCHTA Senior Sports Editor TOM NOWLAN Sports Editor LAINE HIGGINS Sports Editor TOMMY ROTHMAN Sports Editor JOYCE VARMA Creative Director ALEX GRAVES Design Editor

In a written piece published on The Tab, George Beall details his experience of taking a leave of absence from Penn to pursue his business career.

Similarly, in a Daily Pennsylvanian article called A Tale of Two Startups, the idea of “leaving Penn to outsmart Apple” was highlighted as being a key narrative in the success stories of the many dropouts here at Penn.

The narrative of the Ivy League overachiever-dropout who ends up getting rich before getting a diploma is a wet dream we’ve all had. It’s the fantasy of being an intellect that can stick it to the system without jeopardizing the benefits he or she reaps from it.

Often this narrative fails to mention taking a break from having a trajectory — career-related or otherwise — at all. Seldom does the published dropout narrative include leaving for noncareer-related reasons.

We rarely hear narratives that congratulate the individual on taking a break for the sake of taking a break.

Taking a break from school is still shadowed by negative stigma. A leave of absence feels, at times, like the last option. Sometimes I’m amazed at how much we’re willing to put ourselves through before we get to give ourselves a break.

I’ve always told myself that I wouldn’t need to take a leave of absence, because the best thing to do was to grin and bear it. Yet, as time goes on, with every new article that engages with the problem of Penn’s mental health, I realize how I’ve caught myself in a logical fallacy: I conveniently ignore my own needs when it conf licts with the long-held tradition of “pushing through.”

College sophomore Sam Myers, who is studying history and English, is currently on a leave of absence after an epiphany came through to her about her mental health. “Around the end of February, I had a very jarring moment of clarity where I realized just how mentally and emotionally exhausted I was from it all, and that’s when I decided that I needed to

take some time away from school.”

In honest and humble words, she outlined the reasons and need for a break. “I couldn’t continue to fight what was pressing down on me any longer — there was really no sense in it.”

College senior Flora Bahri, an exchange student from France, expressed that taking a break is perhaps less of an issue in France than here. “You can start university, then if you don’t like it, you can stop and maybe start again. It’s less of a big deal.”

Sometimes I’m amazed at how much we’re willing to put ourselves through before we get to give ourselves a break.”

Knowing what the right decision for ourselves is takes time, but sometimes it just takes a gut reaction to tell us what we need.

“Once I made the decision, I felt an immediate sense of relief. It was like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.”

By contrast, in Europe a nd Aust ra l ia , t a k i ng breaks from higher education is common.

In Europe and Australia, students will typically take gap years in the middle or beginning of their university careers. If this tells us anything, it should tell us that our way isn’t the only way. Is it just another facet of American — or Penn — culture that encourages the idea of endurance?

For Sam, the m indset of “pushing through” p r eve n t e d h e r f r o m

leaving earlier. “The idea [of taking a break] was brought up to me a number of times in the fall when I was really struggling, but I insisted on pushing through everything because that’s all I’ve ever known to do.”

Why are we so eager to rush through our youth, forsaking mental health or personal exploration?

Breaks are healthy. Far from being a last ditch option, they should be a normalized part of the college experience.

Perhaps if we normalize leaves of absence, we won’t force ourselves to endure needless stress. Normalizing breaks will show us the diversity of options we actually have as students. It restores control of our education back to our hands.

We’re all aware of the epidemic that is the work ethic of constant hyper-drive mode. It’s probably hubristic to think our bodies and minds don’t need rest; even a well–oiled Adonis like Thomas the Tank Engine needs to slow down.

We should recognize that leaving school doesn’t need to be in the name

AMANDA REID of progress. It could just be a right choice for the moment. There are always valid reasons for dropping out, for taking a break from the current track. As a culture obsessed with staying in the right lane and moving steadily ahead, we can learn a thing or two from taking an exit lane. In Sam’s words: “There was nothing wrong with taking a step back and slowing down for a bit. I’m still moving forward.”

AMANDA REID is a College sophomore from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, studying cinema studies & English. Her email address is amreid@sas. upenn.edu. “Reid About It!” usually appears every other Tuesday.

ILANA WURMAN Design Editor KATE JEON Online Graphics Editor JULIO SOSA News Photo Editor

CARTOON

ANANYA CHANDRA Sports Photo Editor CARSON KAHOE Photo Manager SUSANNA JARAMILLO Video Producer MATTHEW MIZBANI Video Producer CARTER COUDRIET Digital Director KRISTEN GRABARZ Analytics Editor EMMA HARVEY Business Manager SAUMYA KHAITAN Advertising Manager LINDSEY GAON Marketing Manager MEGHA AGARWAL Business Analytics Manager MAX KURUCAR Circulation Manager

THIS ISSUE JEFFREY CARYEVA Deputy News Editor ANNA GARSON Associate Copy Editor COSETTE GASTELU Associate Copy Editor JEN KOPP Associate Copy Editor

SHUN SAKAI is a College junior from Chestnut Hill, Mass. His email is ssakai@sas.upenn.edu.

KATERINA UNDERWOOD Associate Copy Editor KAILASH SUNDARAM Associate Copy Editor NADIRA BERMAN Associate Copy Editor STEVE SHIN Associate Copy Editor COLE JACOBSON Associate Sports Editor

A greener Penn, one dorm at a time

MATT FINE Associate Sports Editor THOMAS MUNSON Associate Sports Editor

PENN SUSTAINABILITY REVIEW | Little bin that could

WILL SNOW Associate Sports Editor ALYSSA YUN Associate Design Editor CAMILLE RAPAY Associate Design Editor GABBY ROTHSCHILD Associate Design Editor PAOLA RUANO Associate Design Editor GUYRANDY JEAN-GILLES Associate Photo Editor OLLY LIU Associate Photo Editor AMY NORRIS Social Media Staff ASHLEY YIP Social Media Staff GOMIAN KONNEH Social Media Staff KENEALLY PHELAN Social Media Staff

LETTERS Have your own opinion? Send your letter to the editor or guest column to letters@thedp.com.

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

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

How many recycling bins do you see in Penn dorm rooms? Chances are, not many. Whether this is due to the fact that they take considerable effort to acquire, or whether it is because students do not know that such options exist for them, does not matter.

Starting with our freshmen who move into college dorms every September, we can improve this.

Since nearly all freshmen live on campus and most new students are quick to adapt to university norms, they exist as a great opportunity for the university to promote recycling. If my hallmates and I were given recycling bins during our freshman year, we would have had a much easier time making sure our bottles and cans did not end up in the trash. However, this is not the case.

Many first-year students find it difficult or nearly impossible — after considering how many other

things they have on their plates during their first semesters — to find a simple bright blue bin. There really should not be any excuses for this. Penn should provide each student with a recycling bin, free of charge and already in their dorms when they move in.

According to Penn’s Climate Action Plan 2.0, recycling constitutes one of the most important parts to improving the University’s ecological performance.

Although Penn recycles nearly 26 percent of its waste, we can do even better. Any amount of recyclable waste that gets thrown out is too much.

We have come a long way since the Climate Action Plan’s induction, and our recycling statistics continue to improve each year, yet we cannot overlook simple ideas such as free recycling bins for incoming freshmen. Numbers, we can agree, should not serve as the only

evaluation for whether our university has done a good job working towards sustainability. I hold Penn to a higher standard. Environmentally conscious individuals, such as a growing portion of our incoming freshman classes, should be able to intuitively recognize that Penn embodies the true concept

to foster.

Needless to say, we have gone down the right path so far, and I commend Penn for its efforts. We must not ignore the other aspects of our Climate Action Plan, which have specifically aimed to nurture the campus culture I advocate for. For one, the University has increased funding

... we do not need to reinvent the wheel when looking for more ways to improve our environmental performance.” of a green campus. When we move in, we should be able to immediately see and feel the sustainabilityoriented culture that we have been working so hard

for environmental courses; Penn now offers over 170 courses focused on or related to sustainability. It is important to remember that first and foremost we are

an institution that aims to improve the world through intellectual scholarship.

In its push to drastically reduce emissions, the University currently purchases more wind-powered electricity than any other institution of higher learning and actively refurbishes its facilities to be more efficient. Furthermore, the University has offered over 1 million dollars in funding to the greater Penn community for the facilitation of sustainable ideas, all critically important initiatives.

This still does not allow us to act complacently. No current sustainability efforts today are ever good enough. In envisioning a greener future, we must always be striving to do more for our planet.

Recycling does a world of good in terms of reducing our carbon footprint, conser ving natural resources and saving landfill space. When Penn can do

PENN SUSTAINABILITY REVIEW so much more with such a low-cost initiative, we do not need to reinvent the wheel when looking for more ways to improve our environmental performance. “It’s the little things that count,” the adage goes, and in this case, those little things happen to be bright blue bins.

FRANCIS LEONG is a College sophomore, from Westfield, N.J. PENN SUSTAINABILITY REVIEW is the first and only sustainability-focused publication at the University of Pennsylvania, and its column usually appears every other Wednesday.

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Penn students don’t seek help for GRE The GRE is needed for most graduate schools JINAH KIM Staff Reporter

Despite efforts from the University to normalize seeking help, many Penn students don’t like to ask for it — even when they’re testing to apply to graduate school.

“One of [my students] took the GRE before, and he failed,” said fifth-year math graduate student Anna Pun, who is a private tutor for the Graduate Record Examinations. After his low math score, the senior turned to Pun for tutoring in preparation to retake the test.

Another of her students, also a senior, had also failed the math section of the GRE — twice.

Pun said that she does not get many GRE students, and the majority of her students want tutoring for classes. Students may be more likely to find online or print practice materials and study on their own, turning to tutors as a last resort or only temporarily.

“I met with a tutor one time for the GRE, because I didn’t know how it worked,” College senior Anna Zandi said. Zandi, who will be starting her graduate studies this fall, took the GRE last November. She began studying in September. "[The tutor] broke down how exactly the test is composed and what’s important and what’s not ... This is what you should do, this is what the exam’s like, these are the good resources you should go for,” Zandi said.

Zandi did not continue studying with the tutor. Instead, she studied by solving practice problems and tests released by Educational Testing Service, the company that creates the GRE. Through Penn Student

JULIO SOSA | NEWS PHOTO EDITOR

Penn students do not seek help for graduate school admission tests, even as the University tries to normalize asking for help.

Agencies, students can get a $200 discount from Kaplan Test Prep for courses in preparation for standardized tests including the GRE, the Law School Admission Test and the Medical College Admission Test. But given that Kaplan’s GRE preparation course costs $1,299, the discount may not provide students with much relief.

The test has come under fire from critics who claim that it does not accurately predict success in graduate school and that, like many standardized tests, the GRE has a racial bias. The University of Arizona College of Law turned heads in February after it announced that it would be accepting the GRE in place of the LSAT; as Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs at Kaplan Test Prep, said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the GRE is regarded as the “easier” test.

Unlike the LSAT or the MCAT, there is significant variance in the ways that graduate schools and even individual programs evaluate GRE scores.

Zandi knew she primarily needed to focus on the quantitative section of the GRE, because it’s more relevant to her field of financial economics. Overall, though, she doesn’t think the GRE was a significant part of her application.

“The way I think of it is, you need to meet a certain threshold, and beyond that it doesn’t matter that much,” she said. “I think on the sites of some of the programs that I [applied to], it specifically said [they] take into account other factors than the GREs.”

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Annual Greek Week held Greek Week included talks and workshops LILY ZANDI Staff Reporter

From March 28 to April 1, the Panhellenic council, Interfraternity Council and Intercultural Greek Council hosted “Greek Week,” a series of speaking engagements and events for members of the Greek community. “[Greek Week] brings together the three Greek councils in order to engage Greeks throughout the community and celebrate Greek life on campus,” said IFC Executive Vice President and College junior Steven Acchione.

The first event occurred on March 28 and was a talk given

by Greek life public speaker Michelle Guobadia called “Frankly Speaking” about hazing. The event took place in the Palestra with university-enforced attendance for over 100 student groups, Acchione said.

Tuesday included a hypnotist show, Wednesday had a roller skating night hosted by the IGC and Thursday was capped off with Quizzo at Smokey Joe’s.

The last night was intended to be a barbecue and a powder puff game in which sorority chapter members formed teams and the fraternity members were paired up with the teams as coaches.

This event was rained out and instead took place during Relay for Life on Franklin Field.

At other institutions like the Pennsylvania State University, Greek Week is a series of competitive events and games.

Each sorority is matched with a fraternity and they compete against other pairs throughout the course of the week. Activities like Quizzo and flag football are popular Greek Week events at a

JULIO SOSA | NEWS PHOTO EDITOR

Greek Week, involving the three Greek Councils, was hosted last week, included talks and workshops for members.

variety of different institutions.

Even though Greek Week at Penn consists of a similar series of events, it is slightly different because the competitive aspect is removed.

As Acchione said, “[Greek Week’s] purpose is to provide unique opportunities for on-campus Greeks to come together as a community.”

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Blue held to four hits SANJAY DURESETI Sports Reporter

Less than a day after their men’s hoops counterparts won a national championship on an improbable buzzer-beating three pointer, Villanova softball traveled to Penn Park to take on the Red and Blue.

Unlike the Wildcats’ victory over North Carolina, however, the outcome of this cross-town matchup was never in doubt, cruising to a 10-0 decision.

Although senior Lauren Li started the day on the mound for the Quakers (13-12), she did not stay there for long. Li, who surrendered four walks, three hits and seven runs, recorded one out before she was replaced.

The early bleeding continued for the Red and Blue, and by the end of the first inning, the scoreboard read 9-0 in favor of the Wildcats (16-13).

Along with the Quakers’ struggles on the mound, Penn’s bats were silenced by stellar pitching from Villanova junior Jordan Prutzer. Prutzer held Penn to two hits through three innings pitched, ensuring that Villanova’s seventh consecutive win became a foregone conclusion.

Due to the Division I mercy rule, the game was called after just four and a half innings.

The Quakers’ main struggle lay in their pitching control. Penn combined to surrender 5 walks, creating free opportunities which Villanova eagerly converted.

The rotation’s performance was reflective of larger inconsistencies that have plagued the team throughout the season.

The hole left by the departure of undisputed ace Alexis

ANANYA CHANDRA | SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR

Junior Leah Allen was one of just three players to log hits as Penn softball struggled to put together offense in a 10-0 loss at the hands of Villanova.

Borden — who ended last season with 144 strikeouts, 17 complete games and a 2.92 ERA — has been difficult to fill. Although junior Alexis Sargent has done a particularly admirable job in the wake of her absence — recording a 2.15 ERA and 74 strikeouts — the staff has lacked depth all season.

Mason Spichiger has not had a strong follow-up to her stellar rookie season. Although her 4-2 record is nothing to scoff at, she has relinquished the most runs and most hits of any pitcher on the team, despite pitching almost 30 fewer innings than Sargent.

In fact, Sargent is the only player with a sub-3.00 ERA, demonstrating that Penn’s weaknesses run even deeper than their loss to the Wildcats suggest.

Despite their erratic pitching, however, the Quakers remain in the mix for the Ivy League crown. Bolstered by the incredible parity and the overall frailty of the conference, Penn sits at the top of the South Division and in third place overall despite their 13-12 overall record. Dartmouth in the North, however, has raced

off to a flawless 4-0 start in Ivy play, buoyed by reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Katie McEachern. Brown, though tied with the Quakers in conference, sports a stronger overall record, placing them ahead of the Quakers for now.

In order to surmount their Ivy deficit, Penn will have to show more offensive life than they did against Villanova. The lineup combined for just five baserunners, ensuring that Nova’s pitchers could take full advantage of their wide cushion. This dearth of offensive firepower, however, has not been commonplace for the Red and Blue this season. The steady hitting of freshman revelation Sam Pederson and Li have led the Quakers to an overall batting average of .285, good for third in the Ivy League.

The Quakers will have to find consistency on the mound and at the plate if they hope to end the season strong. A crucial stretch awaits them, as the bulk of their remaining schedule — eight of 10 games — will be against Ivy opponents.

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SPORTS 9

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

PENN 6

5 LAFAYETTE

Early lead for Quakers key to weathering late rally BASEBALL | Nelson gets

out of bases-loaded jam NICK BUCHTA Senior Sports Editor

The season series between Penn baseball and Lafayette officially goes to the Quakers.

Just two weeks after splitting a four-game series with the Leopards, the Red and Blue defeated their Easton, Pa., rivals, 6-5, on the road.

Playing in their second game in the Liberty Bell Classic — following a 9-4 loss to Villanova last week — the Quakers (11-12) came out in a hurry on Tuesday.

Still, although Penn got two men on with one out in the first, junior right-hander Trevor Houck got out of trouble unscathed for Lafayette (9-16).

Such would not be the case in the next two innings.

After senior shortstop Ryan Mincher led off the second with a triple, freshman catcher Matt

O’Neill quickly scored him on a sac fly. In the third, junior designated hitter Tim Graul kicked off a two-out rally with a double — his league-best ninth on the year — and scored on the next play after Leopards shortstop Steven Cohen booted a ball hit by freshman first baseman Sean Phelan.

The next at-bat, Phelan crossed the plate on an RBI single from sophomore left fielder Daniel Halevy — who would score himself on a single from O’Neill just a short while later.

“The offense did a good job of getting runs up on the board,” said junior southpaw Adam Bleday, who got the start for the Quakers, allowing one run in five innings for his first win of the year. “And that helped me cruise and pitch to my best performance.

Up comfortably, 4-0, Bleday coasted through the first half of the game. Allowing just three hits and striking out three through four frames, the only blemish on Bleday’s outing was an unearned run in the fifth after a throwing error

JASHLEY BIDO | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Entering Tuesday’s game in a bases-loaded, no-out situation, freshman closer Jake Nelson managed to work his way out of trouble in the ninth.

allowed Cohen to score.

“I pitch to contact, so if they do indeed get hits off me it’s fine,” Bleday noted. “Because I’m a contact pitcher, I’m just going to try and get as many ground balls as I can.”

Junior Jack Hartman stepped onto the rubber in the sixth, replacing Bleday as Penn held the 4-1 advantage. After walking the first batter he faced, a botched pickoff attempt allowed Cohen to get to third, and he subsequently scored

on a sacrifice fly to center field.

Defensive troubles have plagued the Quakers of late, and only one of Lafayette’s five runs was earned on the afternoon. Those miscues remain a large concern for Penn coach John Yurkow.

“When you’re playing better teams, if you’re going to continue to make mistakes like that, you’re going to come up short,” he said.

The Leopards threatened again in the seventh, getting runners on second and third with two outs, but Hartman sent senior Jackson Kramer down swinging to get out of trouble.

For good measure, the Quakers plated some insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Freshman Matt Tola laid down a sacrifice bunt with two men on and moved O’Neill and pinch runner Andrew Murnane over for the first out of the inning.

O’Neill soon scored on a passed ball, giving the Red and Blue a 5-2 edge. With Murnane now on third, freshman third baseman Matt McGeagh poked one through the left side for an RBI single.

In the bottom of the ninth, a leadoff walk was followed by a base on error as Hartman found himself in quick trouble. A pair of singles scored a run to make it 6-3 and forced Yurkow to bring in freshman closer Jake Nelson with the bases loaded and no outs.

After hitting the first batter he faced to bring in a run, Nelson forced Kramer to pop out to second, getting the first out of the inning. Cohen then hit a sac fly to center for the second out as Penn’s lead shrunk to just one. With runners on second and third and a one-run lead, Nelson worked right fielder Dan Leckie into a 2-2 count before forcing a game-ending ground out to third.

“He made some good pitches when he really needed to, when the pressure was on,” Yurkow noted.

“So it was a good sign to see that.”

It wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done. And because of it, the Quakers take a four-game winning streak into a four-game road trip to Harvard and Dartmouth this weekend.

The Big Three

Matt Tola

Gary Tesch

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10 SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

CORCORAN

Corcoran got control of the ball early in overtime. As usual, she circled behind the goal to position herself for a shot.

When the moment presented itself, the ball left her pocket and instead of burying in Northwestern’s net, it hit the pipe just wide and rebounded into the waiting pocket of a Wildcat defender.

The home team then raced to the other side of the field and did what Corcoran could not, scoring a definitive goal that ended the game in a 9-8 overtime loss for Penn. “I wouldn’t say it’s pressure,� said Corcoran. “Every senior can attest to it — when the game comes down to OT you want the ball in your stick.�

Over the years, Corbett believes that as Corcoran’s role on the team has grown, so has her ability to deliver. “She demands a lot of herself and she takes ownership of her mistakes,� said Corbett. “It’s what you as a coach dream of — a player who learns from her mistakes and gets better each game, each day and inspires by her play.�

Considering how decorated Corcoran is, it would be easy for

>> PAGE 12

“Nina is sort of the quarterback of our offense,� fellow captain Lely DeSimone said. “She’s someone who can call a play and she has great game sense and great vision of the field.�

Coach Karin Corbett agrees. “She’s just a kid that’s not going to be shut down and really works her butt off to be the catalyst for this team,� said coach Karin Corbett of the star attack. “It doesn’t matter who she is playing, she just grinds it out and she is never intimidated.�

That fearlessness on the field has earned her the trust of her teammates when it comes to door-die situations. Just take last Sunday against No. 8 Northwestern, for example. With the score locked at 13 and the Wildcats entering overtime on an 8-1 run in the second half, Corcoran scored the game-winner just 58 seconds into overtime.

But Corcoran also knows what it’s like to be in that position and miss. In last year’s meeting between the Wildcats and Quakers in Evanston, Ill.,

HAY

her to rest upon her laurels and coast in practices only to shine on game day. But that has never been the Point Lookout, N.Y., native’s mentality. Corcoran so readily inspires her teammates because her competitive spirit is insatiable. “She is definitely one of the most competitive players,�

DeSimone said. “So every day everyone sees how hard she is working and they want to work hard for her and they want to have that same level of intensity.�

Just five Ivy games remain in the 2016 season, all of which hold major implications for whether Penn can reclaim an Ivy title after failing to finish atop the league in 2015 for the first time in nine years.

In every one of those remaining minutes of game play, Corcoran will make her presence felt. But she won’t be thinking about whether she’s on pace to surpass Penn’s program record for single-season points — 76 — or her own school record for single-season assists — 40. “I’m not thinking about the numbers,� she admits. “I just want to make a play happen.�

>> PAGE 12

and Blue. The two-time captain, who described the title as an “honor,� has achieved just about everything she has set her mind to. Her rise to prominence was a steady progression from good to great, culminating last year in a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, on top of being named to the USTFCCCA AllAcademic team. “Once she graduates — and there is another senior who is graduating too — it’s just me left on the [women’s] javelin team,� junior Lisa Sesink-Clee said. “So we’re gonna go from having a pretty deep javelin squad to just me. That’s obviously a loss as far as scoring points goes. We’re hoping to go 1-2-3 this year at Heps, so losing two of those scorers is obviously gigantic. “Beyond that, you’re losing a good leader and a good role model, not only for the throwers, but the whole team,� Sesink-Clee continued. “The whole team respects her a lot. She works hard to bring the team together. When she graduates, I’ll certainly miss her, because she’s my main partner, and she’s the one who puts up with me at practice.�

Just about everyone Hay has worked with over her four years for Penn has echoed a similarly high level of respect and affection.

Tenisci also had nothing but praise for the outgoing senior. “She’s just been a real pleasure to work with,� the coach said. “She understood the journey, and she embraced the workload in training. She’s never missed a day for me. I can’t think of a day when she hasn’t been at practice. She’s a very intelligent girl. She processes very well. She’s very physically talented — it helps to be tall. She’s a gifted, gifted athlete. It’s just been a pleasure to be with her. “She’s been one of my great stories of my 30 years here at Penn,� Tenisci added, “where a small town girl comes to a big city and, in her right, has earned a star status. She’s such a great leader, too. She sets everything by her own example. She understands how to lead, how to be a top athlete [and] how to be dedicated and to work hard.�

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Everyone contributes to the leadership, and increasingly, many are contributing on the scoreboard for the Red and Blue.

From the senior stars all the way down to the freshman phenoms, the Quakers find themselves this year with a team as deep as ever.

Throwers, sprinters, distance runners and jumpers alike are all scoring for their team with more and more regularity.

And as the team travels to Charlottesville for the weekend, they will be looking for even more improvement. The women’s team surprised the Ivy League last year with a fifth-place finish at Heps, but things could get better still for the perennial underdogs. With hard work, determination and a little bit of star power, the sky is the limit for this track and field team.

The first step towards progress lies ahead this weekend. Penn will face worthy opposition, including Virginia and Maryland. Hay will surely score points in the javelin, but the onus is now on the team to match her standard.

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And while Tenisci continued to spew praise for his star javelin thrower, using labels like “a dream� and “totally self-made� to describe her, Hay in many ways is emblematic of her team. “One thing about being in the Ivy League — you don’t own anybody,� Tenisci said. “There are no contracts or scholarships; everyone here comes because they truly want to be here, and they want to be good. They’re self-motivated.

Their self-motivation is key to this, because if you’re not motivated, you know, you’re just a warm body walking around.�

Because their participation is purely voluntary, it is even more important to foster a positive atmosphere for the athletes. And Hay believes that such an atmosphere is present all around the team. “I work with such a great group of girls that being the captain is not a hard task for me,� Hay said. “It’s a team effort, and everyone else is helping to contribute to the leadership of this program, so I love it.�

prizesudoku.com

The Sudoku Source of

Edited by Will Shortz 1

THOMAS MUNSON | ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

In order to qualify for the 2016 Olympics Trials, senior Kelsey Hay will need to break into the top 25 in the nation. She stands at 28th right now.

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NEWYORKTIMESCROSSWORDPUZZLE ACROSS 1 “Beg pardon ‌â€?

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For Release Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Crossword

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Check out this Thursday’s feature in

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

W. ROWING >> PAGE 12

aspirations cut short by a diagnosis of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, which she was able to overcome.

Besides a focus on solid foundations and building a technically sound crew, an emphasis on realism is another caveat of Ng’s coaching philosophy.

“We hope to live up to our capacity, and not always expect something extraordinary on the day — thats a nice surprise, but not necessarily something we can always expect,” he explained.

When taking over a team, it isn’t only implementing new training protocol, adjusting to new facilities or altering technique that can be difficult — its getting to know the 50-odd athletes that constitute the women’s team well enough for them to trust in your process.

“It took some time to get to know them,” he admitted.

“I didn’t think I had to get to know everything right away, and I really appreciated them being patient with me and seeing what

COURTESY OF PENN ATHLETICS

In his first year at the helm, Penn women’s rowing coach Wesley Ng — himself a former Ivy League rower — is ready to reshape his program.

I emphasize as an important part of practice and what I think is part of going fast as a team, then adding in the layer that make the team special.”

Spring training proved an opportunity for Ng to not only get in quality training time, but to also learn more about the interpersonal dynamics of the team and the quirks that make Penn women’s crew the team it is.

“This past spring training we

saw a lot of the team traditions and a lot of the caring about each other as teammates that doesn’t come naturally to me,” he noted.

“I wouldn’t have seen that without them sharing that with me.

I feel my role is how I can help them get faster at rowing, and then all of the enjoyment of the team aspect, I really trust them along with that.”

Ng, a student of history himself during his undergraduate

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career at Yale, also seeks to utilize the past to set the framework for the future. He both communicated with the previous staff as well as made sure to foster the connection that alumna had with the program in order to better understand the best way to push forward.

“It is really neat to see them come back and feel connected to the program,” he said. “We had a really great alumni 8 at the head of the Schuykill, and it’ll be fun to have previous team members return and be more interested in how we’re doing on a weekly basis.”

Ng also met with the departing staff to better understand where the program had come from.

“I had a few nice meetings with [previous coach] Mike Lane — he wrote a really heartfelt letter to the new staff — and it was obvious that the previous staff put down a good foundation for the team.”

Of course, Ng can’t spend too much time studying the past, he’s already looking towards the future — and his first recruiting

class.

“We have 15 incoming freshmen that we’re really excited about,” he explained. “This will significantly change the makeup of the team, and they’re a really spirited bunch who want to change the story of Penn women’s rowing.

Eventually, Ng has his sights set on even loftier goals, such as qualifying for the NCAA Championships as well as perennial excellence.

“We want to be a top-ten program in the country,” he said.

The Schuylkill River has long been home to a multitude of boathouses and teams — and a community passionate about the sport of rowing. Working with the energy and history of boathouse row is one aspect that Ng has enjoyed in his inaugural year at Penn.

“I think the energy of being on our river is different because you see a mix of people who are so passionate about the sport, whether they’re learning to row at 12 or still sculling at 80,” he noted. “Its easy to see why you

would keep investing passion into the sport when you’re surrounded with these athletes.”

As a former Ivy League rower, Ng was, not so long ago, in exactly the same position as many of the athletes he coaches — waking hours before the other students in New Haven to drag himself to practice before a full day of classes, spending long hours perfecting his abilities as an athlete, traveling with his team week after week to compete. This unique perspective, coupled with his extensive coaching experience at the collegiate and international level, will prove to be an asset to the women’s program. Ng has not only brought significant changes in coaching philosophy and strategy to the women’s program, but also brings to Penn a passion for and a holistic view towards rowing.

“I like the sport for the discipline involved that influences every part of your life. By doing the things required to be a better rower, I think you become a better person.”

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EARLY WOES

A TOO CLOSE CALL

A nine-run first inning for Villanova effectively sealed Penn softball’s fate on Tuesday

Penn baseball held a four-run lead heading into the ninth — and needed all of it for the win

>> SEE PAGE 8

>> SEE PAGE 9

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

IN HER

HAY DAY TRACK & FIELD | Kelsey Hay goes for bid to Olympic Trials

WILL SNOW Sports Editor-Elect Saturday & Sunday

Virginia Quad Meet & Lou Onesty Invitational All Day

Charlottesville, Va.

After a series of cross-country trips that spread the team apart, Penn track and field is reunited. And this time, the Quakers mean business.

Last weekend, three groups traveled far and wide in search of elite-level performances that would qualify them for the NCAA preliminaries. Unfortunately, however, poor weather in Texas meant that the throwers could not put together the performances they needed to qualify.

Now that the team is back together, though, the throwers are ready for another go. The whole squad will travel this weekend to Charlottesville, Va., for the Virginia Classic Meet. Ideally, the weather will be seasonable enough for the throwing stars to have a good shot at glory.

Senior captain Kelsey Hay is well aware of the opportunity.

While the Ivy League record holder in the javelin has yet to qualify for NCAAs, she has a loftier goal in mind: the Olympic Trials this summer.

In order to receive an invitation to the Olympic Trials, Hay will have to be one of the top 24 javelin throwers in the country. As things stand, she sits in the 28th spot.

“I know that I’m capable of it,” Hay

said. “It’s just a matter of putting together the pieces this preseason in order to get to that point by the end of the season.”

Hay’s throwing coach, Tony Tenisci, agreed with her analysis when speaking of her goals for the year.

“I know in her mind — and I think it’s certainly a possibility — she could go to the Olympic Trials with the other two athletes who want to be there, Sam Mattis and Noah Kennedy,” Tenisci said.

“They’re of that standard, that they can go all the way. I think she’s more than capable of doing it. If everything works well, and she stays healthy, then I think all of those things are achievable.”

If she did make the cut, it would be a fitting end to her career for the Red SEE HAY PAGE 10 TOM CONNELLY | COURTESY OF PENN ATHLETICS

New coach brings new At a storied program, philosophy for Quakers Corcoran among the best

W. ROWING | Ng brings

experience, new look ARIEL FIELDMAN Sports Reporter

In a sport so focused on, quite literally, getting ahead of the competition, first-year Penn women’s rowing coach Wesley Ng has somewhat of an odd philosophy.

“We’re making sure we’re not looking ahead, ever.”

For Ng’s squad, process comes first and the actual races second. As Ng makes a transition he calls “intriguing,” his goal is to focus the energy of the team toward a more solid foundation of technique.

“We’re being very process oriented,” he explained. “We’re only looking at the practice that we’re on, and we don’t necessarily have the luxury of being able to look anywhere

other than ourselves. The spirit and the work ethic and all the great things that Penn athletes have can be focused in a new and technically sound way, and that’s where we’re going to find good gains.”

Following the decision not to renew former Penn head coach Mike Lane’s contract after 12 years at the helm, the Quakers brought in Ng, who was previously the head coach at Trinity.

A former lightweight rower at Yale, Ng first returned to his alma mater for two years after falling just short of making the Canadian National Team. After his tenure with the Bulldogs, Ng took an assistant coaching position at Trinity, transitioning to the head coaching position after two years and heading the program for nine.

Trinity, a Division III program, enjoyed great success under Ng’s tenure, winning two NCAA titles. Ng also had

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success on the world stage, coaching the U.S. U-23 boat at the world championships in 2014 and 2015.

The women’s program also added Libby Peters and Andrew Blum as assistants. Peters both rowed for and was an assistant coach at Ancient Eight rival Columbia, as well as a coach at Philadelphia’s Germantown Academy, at Philadelphia’s Vesper Boat Club and for the U.S. Women’s team at the World Championships in 2015.

Before her tenure as a coach for the Red and Blue, Peters competed at the world championships in 2008, earning a bronze medal, and was also a two time world indoor champion at the Crash-B Sprints, the world championship of indoor erging. Not only a decorated athlete, Peters is also a cancer survivor — her Olympic SEE W. ROWING PAGE 11

W. LAX | Senior is 2nd

player to log 100 assists

LAINE HIGGINS Sports Editor

It’s no secret that Penn women’s lacrosse has a roster full of clutch play-makers. But none is more integral to the Quakers’ offense than senior captain Nina Corcoran.

In the four years she has spent playing for the Red and Blue, she has started all but one game and tallied an impressive 100 career assists — making the attack only the second player in Penn history to reach that milestone. Last year, she led the team and the Ancient Eight in assists with 40, and this year she is on pace to surpass that mark with 31 in just 10 games.

“Whether that’s me going to people or me drawing a fly to hit it on the cutter, I just want to get people moving and cutting

ONLINE AT THEDP.COM

ALEX FISHER | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Senior Nina Corcoran scored the game-winning goal in overtime against Northwestern on Sunday, getting revenge for last year’s loss.

through,” explains Corcoran.

“They make it easy for me.”

But Corcoran doesn’t just set up her teammates for goals; she scores plenty herself. Last year she finished with 61 points, second on her team only to star midfielder Tory Bensen and fourth in the Ivy League.

Simply put, Corcoran is a playmaker. It would be a bit of an exaggeration to say that the senior runs the Quakers’ offense given the wealth of talented Penn midfielders and attacks, but Corcoran gets pretty close in most games.

SEE CORCORAN PAGE 10 CONTACT US: 215-422-4640