April 11, 2016

Page 1

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2016

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

CIA protest sparks controversy Questions of free speech raised after last week’s events SYDNEY SCHAEDEL Deputy News Editor

The protests that interrupted and ultimately ended a discussion between Penn professor Marjorie Margolies and CIA Director John Brennan have

kicked off a series of reactions across campus, from a petition by a student publication to an official debate sponsored by the Penn Political Union. Engineering junior Lucas Lipatti, who protested at the event and is a member of Students for a Democratic Society, the student group that organized the protest, said the group came to the event with very specific goals.

“The goal of the action was to first of all draw the line and say no,” they said. “That we do not agree with bringing a speaker like him to campus and that his war crimes should be exposed.” Lipatti also said they think the actions of the group were successful — that the protests elevated awareness on campus about issues

surrounding the CIA, and that the debate scheduled for Monday is evidence of this. Whether or not SDS actually intended to shut down the event is another story. “Our goal was to disrupt the event,” Lipatti said. “We did not have a specific goal as to whether it should or SEE CIA PAGE 2

A PRESIDENTIAL

ACHIEVEMENT

This spring, Penn awarded three seniors up to $100,000 each to implement projects that they hope will change the world. Here's a look at each of the winners: RAY POMPONIO Contributing Reporter

GENEVIEVE GLATSKY Contributing Reporter

MICHAELA PALMER Contributing Reporter

For College senior Kriya Patel, the chance to help others is not just an opportunity but a lifelong commitment. A winner of the 2016 President’s Engagement Prize, Patel will assist women about to be released from Philadelphia’s Riverside Correctional Facility secure identification and health insurance. Her project has the potential to reduce recidivism rates and receive longer-term funding from the government. Patel is no stranger to providing this sort of aid. While taking the course “Women and Inca rceration” with Nursing associate professor Kathleen Brown, Patel gained hands-on experience working with female prisoners. In the course, students traveled to Riverside once a week and got to know the inmates. The course resonated with Patel’s desire to help others and served as her inspiration for the engagement project proposal. In reflecting on her experience under Brown, Patel said the course “put a human face to the word ‘prisoner.’” Patel’s project aims to do the same. She will continue her work

Nursing senior Melanie Mariano was conversing in Spanish with a resident of the West Philadelphia Paschalville neighborhood when he told her, “I just don’t want to be here anymore.” She was there for a class on community nursing, and the man was referring to his difficult transition immigrating from Puerto Rico. She felt unsettled by the statement and worried about the lack of mental health resources in the community. Flash forward several months, and she is planning a project to disseminate information about health care resources in Paschalville in partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia. During her junior year, she became involved with t he Un it e d Com mu n it y Clinic, a free health clinic coordinated by Penn in the basement of the First African Presbyterian Church in West Philadelphia . Her relationships with her patients sparked her interest in community health and partnerships. “I thought I would teach these patients what I had

While most Penn seniors will be starting jobs or graduate school after graduation, one will be spending the next year in rural India. College senior Vaishak Kumar was one of three students awarded the President’s Engagement Prize this year for a project he developed to help improve rural farming in India. He hopes to help improve Indian farmers’ abilities to care for their plants and avoid losing entire crops to diseases. “The idea was, how do we make sure that these people increase their productivity, don’t lose their crops to disease and live dignified lives with incomes?” Kumar said. Kumar’s goal in the coming year is to help these farmers identify and treat crop diseases. He has identified several target villages, where he will recruit technologically capable volunteers who will help farmers photograph their diseased plants. These pictures will then be sent to scientists at a nearby non-governmental organization, who will diagnose the disease and reply with treatment options. Kumar will travel to India

SEE PATEL PAGE 2

KRIYA PATEL

SEE MARIANO PAGE 2

MELANIE MARIANO

VAISHAK KUMAR

SEE KUMAR PAGE 2

Car crash on 38th and Walnut leaves vehicles flipped, beaten

Students rally for change at Take Back the Night

The car crashed at 3 a.m. outside of the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity house

Students marched and spoke out against sexual violence

LUCIEN WANG Copy Editor

GENEVIEVE GLATSKY Contributing Reporter

Around 3:50 a.m. on Saturday, a black Laredo Jeep speeding west on Walnut Street collided with a white Toyota Solara that was heading north on 38th Street, according to officers and bystanders at the scene. The black Jeep f lipped over, before coming to rest outside the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity house at the intersection of 38th and Walnut streets. The fire department, Philadelphia and Penn Police all responded to the scene, the Division of Public Safety said. Passengers and drivers in both cars were later seen being transported in stretchers to ambulances. DPS confirmed the passengers and drivers were taken in for medical evaluation and are not believed to be affiliated with the University. The black Jeep was travelling at least 65 miles per hour and had sped past three preceding red traffic lights before crashing with the Toyota, said taxi driver Mohammad Ali, who witnessed the event. Debris and glass littered the intersection, with police arriving approximately three minutes after the crash. College junior Adam Sopylo, who was in his room at the time, heard a loud crash,

Students poured into Houston Hall’s Bodek Lounge on Thursday, filling up the rows of chairs, dozens standing to the side and sitting on the floor. The crowd was there for Take Back the Night, a peaceful protest organized by Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention. Take Back the Night is an international event and nonprofit organization, and at Penn it takes the form of a rally, a march across campus and

JULIO SOSA | NEWS PHOTO EDITOR

Take Back the Night is an annual event hosted by Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention, where participants speak out against sexual assault.

LGBTQ CONFERENCE PAGE 3

SEE CRASH PAGE 6

FOLLOW US @DAILYPENN FOR THE LATEST UPDATES

I believe that free speech is incredibly important. I just hope discussing it doesn’t cause us to disregard other issues. PAGE 4

a speak-out where survivors of sexual violence share their stories. Educator and activist Qui Alexander, the rally’s keynote speaker, talked about the power dynamics involved in sexual assault and social activism in general. “Rape culture operates like any other institution — a systematic structure of power,” Alexander said. “Take Back the Night is not just about taking power back, but about shifting power.” The rally and keynote speech was followed by a march around campus, where students chanted, “Penn unite, SEE TBTN PAGE 7

A FAMILIAR FOE BACK PAGE

- Cameron Dichter

ONLINE 7 DAYS A WEEK AT THEDP.COM


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.