April 10, 2017

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MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

How Penn helps grad students with kids

Many think the University is not kid-friendly enough NATALIE KAHN Staff Reporter

Penn students have a lot to keep them busy — jobs, research and for about 1,500 of them, children at home. Associate Director of Penn’s Family Resource Center Jessica Allen Bolker

said this statistic is surprisingly high. Latoria Eason, a Graduate School of Education student, is the mother of a 15-month-old and a three-year-old. However, instead of bringing to them to Philadelphia, she is leaving them at home with her partner during the two semesters it takes to finish her degree. “It’s more so an emotional drain,” she said. “You go through phases of guilt — feeling guilty for leaving your

kids, feeling selfish, even though you know you’re doing it for them.” History of Art doctoral student Will Schmenner brought his family to Philadelphia with him. He and his wife have a seven-year-old and and a four-year-old. He said that the University climate ostracizes graduate students with families, which in turn encourages many students not to have children

while earning their degree. For many women, he added, this means delaying pregnancy until their last year of graduate school so that they can hand in their dissertation before having a child. Schmenner’s wife, Lucia Bay, who recently completed a graduate degree in London, added that there is no easy SEE PARENTS PAGE 2

PHOTOS BY SAM HOLLAND, DAVIDE ZHOU AND MARK SHTRAKHMAN

Students speak out at annual Take Back the Night

… bolstering the appearance of prestige is a poor reason to accept the many downsides … of the Early Decision system.” - Editorial on Penn Early Decision system PAGE 4

Last Thursday’s event included a march, followed by a vigil MICHEL LIU Contributing Reporter

PENN MEN’S LACROSSE FALLS TO BROWN BACK PAGE

PRANAY VEMULAMADA | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

The annual Take Back the Night march was organized last Thursday, organized by the organization Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention.

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Drums and shouts of “No more silence; no more violence!” filled the air as marchers made their way down Locust Walk Thursday night, waving signs and chanting against sexual assault. The Take Back the Night march is an annual peaceful protest organized by Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention. A rally in Houston’s Hall Bodek Lounge preceded the march, featuring writer and activist Rachel McKibbens as a keynote speaker, as well as a performance by the Quaker Notes a cappella group. McKibbens discussed sexual, domestic and relationship abuse. Her personal accounts particularly

highlighted the identification of violence and the recovery process that follows. “There is not one healing path for everyone,” she said. “Tonight is not what fixes [rape culture], but hopefully it will be a catalyst: a way in which we interrupt silence, make the proper noise, as well as know when to listen.” “I thought she was extremely moving,” College sophomore Erica Rego said. “The things she said resonated with my experiences, and even people who aren’t survivors of sexual assault could relate to what she was saying about not feeling comfortable in your own body and the normalization of violence.” After the march, the protestors returned to Houston Hall for a candlelight vigil and a survivor speak-out. Carnations and snaps SEE NIGHT PAGE 5

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