December 5, 2019

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019 VOL. CXXXV

NO. 59

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New Moelis Fellowship supports black and Latinx master’s students The award is dedicated to diversity in city planning ANDIE PINGA Staff Reporter

Two students from the Stuart Weitzman School of Design were named the first scholars of the Moelis Fellowship program, an initiative which launched this fall at PennDesign.

This semester, first-year PennDesign students Eboni Hawkins and Sean Dajour Smith were named the first cohort of scholars. Housed under the Department of City and Regional Planning, the program covers tuition and provides mentorship for black and Latinx students in the Master of City Planning program.

As part of the school’s diversity initiative, the program aims to bring people of different backgrounds to

the planning field and guide them into the development world. The fellowship provides two years of tuition remission, a research stipend, funding to attend the National Planning Conference, and a year’s membership in the American Planning Association. Scholars are mentored by a faculty member, and eventually an alumnus of the program.

The American Planning Association is a community of approximately 45,000 members from over 100 countries advocating for excellence in planning and resident empowerment, according to their website.

APA will host the annual National Planning Conference in April 2020.

1978 Wharton and College graduate Ron Moelis is the primary person providing funding for the program.

“The best way to cultivate innovaSEE MOELIS PAGE 3

MIRA SHETTY

College senior Nyazia Bey (pictured speaking) said low-income areas, from which many Penn students hail, will be most detrimentally impacted by the climate crisis. She requested a formal council where students and faculty can engage in meaningful conversation with the administration.

Students demand Penn listen to their ‘climate grief’

Nine students spoke at the Open Forum Wed. PIA SINGH Staff Reporter

Student leaders called on Penn’s administration at a University Council Open Forum

Wednesday to respond to climate demands of campus activists to divest from fossil fuels and said administrators have ignored their public efforts and climate proposals over the last few years.

The open forum took place the same day Penn announced

a new University-wide initiative to expand research on the climate crisis and recruit more faculty focused on sustainability.

Yet, hours after the announcement, multiple students at the meeting still demanded urgent divestment from fossil fuels and called on ad-

Paideia program to offer new courses starting this spring

Four classes will be offered in history, rhetoric, and wellness ANDIE PINGA Staff Reporter

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia program will offer courses next spring at Penn for the first time, touching on issues from civil discourse to ChineseAmerican history to the psychology of perseverance.

The four new classes aim to equip students with the tools to have meaningful and respectful discussions on complex political issues, the program’s faculty director, Michael Carpini, said.

“They are courses that we think are valuable in the spirit of Paideia, which means educating the whole person,” Carpini said. “We think they’re valuable in educating our students beyond their majors, beyond their professional aspirations.”

A $6 million donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation launched the fiveyear pilot program last spring. In addition to introducing a total of 12 new courses over the next three years, the Paideia program will co-sponsor lectures and roundtables throughout the spring and will also publish a website curating courses similar to those in the program.

The courses for next spring, which are open to all undergraduate students, include “Grit Lab: Fostering Passion and Perseverance in Ourselves and Others,” “Can We Talk? Courageous Civility For Troubled Times,” “Rhetoric and the Community,” and “The Chinese Body and Spatial Consumption in Chinatown.”

“Grit Lab” is taught by psychology professor Angela Duckworth. In this course, each student will identify a passion project to work on for eight weeks, such as learning a sport or musical instrument, in order to develop resilience and good habits to improve their skills, according to the course description. They will also learn about the emerging science of grit and long-term goals and create short TED Talk-inspired videos.

“The Chinese Body and Spatial Consumption in Chinatown” will take students to New York and San Francisco Chinatowns to examine how Chinese identities are shaped by these spaces, according to the course description. It is co-taught by design professor Kenneth Lum and English professor Chi-Ming Yang.

Lum said Chinese-American history is a “very under-taught area.”

Second-year Historic Preservation master’s student Sarah Lerner said she had not heard of the Paideia program before, but she decided to enroll in the Chinese history course after taking a course on Paris with Lum last year.

“I love the interdisciplinary approach that professor Lum takes. It really allows students to think critically but creatively about faith and objects,” said Lerner.

The last two courses focus on civil discourse, providing tools and developing skills for students to engage in productive conversation.

“Rhetoric and the Community” draws on classical rhetorical strategies, focusing on the argument’s logic and physical preSEE PAIDEIA PAGE 8

OPINION | Students must boycott McKinsey

“McKinsey’s willingness to jeopardize human lives should make it an unacceptable place for Penn students to work.” - DP Editorial Board PAGE 4

SPORTS | Men’s basketball falls at ‘Nova Penn men’s basketball kept it close against the No. 23 Wildcats for the majority of the game, but the Red and Blue comeback fell short in the final minutes.

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ministrators to decrease the University’s carbon emissions with urgency. Student leaders also said Penn has an obligation to better serve the vulnerable communities most severely harmed by the impending climate crisis.

SEE COUNCIL PAGE 8

PHOTO FROM LOU CALTABIANO | ISABELLA COSSU

First-year PennDesign students Eboni Hawkins (left) and Sean Dajour Smith (right) were named in the first cohort of Moelis scholars.

Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner attacks Biden, urges Democrats to embrace leftism in 2020

KATIE BUSCH

A self-proclaimed progressive Democrat who was elected in May 2017, Krasner discussed his office’s approach to criminal justice reform. Krasner also analyzed the Democratic primary field and criticized Joe Biden’s ability to unify the party in 2020.

Krasner is implementing progressive reforms in the city KATIE BUSCH Staff Reporter

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner urged Democrats to push for more leftist policies and attacked former

Vice President Joe Biden’s intelligence at a Penn event Tuesday night.

A self-proclaimed progressive Democrat who was elected in May 2017, Krasner discussed his office’s approach to criminal justice reform and analyzed the Democratic primary in a talk hosted by Penn Democrats and Beyond Arrest: ReThinking Systematic Oppression.

Krasner criticized Biden’s past record and his potential ability to unify the party in 2020.

“Joe Biden doesn’t know how to do it,” Krasner said. “Joe Biden knows how to mess stuff up.”

Krasner critiqued Biden’s handling of the Anita Hill hearings in 1991, in which

NEWS Penn students earn honorable mention at Fed competition

NEWS Penn group aims to boost student credit scores

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SEE KRASNER PAGE 7

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2 NEWS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Students criticize inflexibility of course applications but praise diversity of classes Application and selection processes vary by course REBECCA DEMARRE Staff Reporter

While many students are currently preparing their course schedules for the upcoming semester, some had to apply for selective courses long before Advanced Registration began.

These courses, many taught by renowned professors, require special applications which are used to select students from large applicant pools and create diverse classes. While the exact type of application varies by class, students said they appreciated having different perspectives in their courses but would prefer more transparent and flexible application processes.

Management professor Adam Grant’s “Organizational Behavior” class, MGMT 238, which is generally offered in the fall, is one of Penn’s most popular selective courses.

Grant, who has been recognized as one of the world’s 10 most influential management thinkers, is a vocal critic of competitive culture but has a highly selective application process for his courses — in 2017, over 250 people applied for only 70 spots, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported.

In addition to reading writing samples, Grant tries to choose students from a range of backgrounds and personality types.

“The goal was to create a class with diverse interests, experiences, and viewpoints,” Grant wrote in an email to students who failed to gain admission in 2017.

Nursing and Wharton senior Grace Nie, who took “Organizational Behavior” last fall, said she believes her unique background as a Nursing student helped her gain

admission.

“I think being the only Nursing kid in there, that was probably one of the factors why I got selected,” Nie said.

Nie added that while Grant also asked her and her classmates to refer friends to the course, he told them referrals are only used if a decision comes down to two similar applicants.

“There are a lot of different factors, and it’s not exactly a transparent process, I would argue,” Nie said.

“A lot of people complain about that, but [Grant] didn’t do a great job explaining it.”

However, Nie said the application process helped build community among admitted students.

“There’s this special pride going on almost, where we want to believe that we’re something special because we got into this class,” she said.

Unlike Grant, Psychology professor Angela Duckworth selected students for her new course “Grit Lab: Fostering Passion and Perseverance” through a mix of application and lottery — while interested students had to complete a short written application, admitted students were selected randomly from the applicant pool.

“I don’t even know if [application] is the right word, because we didn’t read them and select the best one,” Duckworth said.

Duckworth added that she received hundreds of applications for 65 spots in her course this spring, which will focus on techniques for achieving long-term goals. She said she chose to have an application process rather than using the Penn InTouch assignment system alone to attract more committed students.

“I did want students to at least be motivated enough to reflect on why

Penn students earn honorable mention at Fed competition The team presented economic proposals CAMILA IRABIEN Staff Reporter

AUDREY TIRTAGUNA

Psychology professor Angela Duckworth selected students for her new “Grit Lab” course through a mixture of application and lottery.

they were taking the course,” Duckworth said.

Penn Global seminars also generally require applications that include both written portions and interviews. Nursing sophomore Candy Greczylo, who took a Global Seminar titled “Prague: The Making of a European Nation” last spring, said students can only apply to one Global Seminar each semester, which limits flexibility.

“If you don’t get that one, you don’t have another option for a Global Seminar,” Greczylo said, “I applied to another one and didn’t even get an interview.”

Greczylo added that she believes the applications are used to select students from different Penn schools, with a preference for those who have never taken Global Seminars before.

“I think the first thing they look at is the distribution of the schools,” Greczylo said, adding that she ap-

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preciated the opportunity to make friends outside of the Nursing School.

She said while the Global Seminar she took was offered through the College of Arts and Sciences, when she applied to a Nursing Global Seminar she was not admitted.

“Since it’s a Nursing course, they want people from the College, Engineering, and Wharton,” she said.

However, Greczylo believes this trend towards diverse academic backgrounds is positive.

“I think [Global Seminars] are more popular now, so I think more people will look at what fits into their schedule and ask themselves, ‘Which one would I like to take?’ even if it’s not related to what they’re doing,” she said. “I have some friends that, based off of my recommendation to do them, they’re applying to Global Seminars that are totally unrelated to what they’re studying.”

A team of Penn students won honorable mention in the national round of the College Fed Challenge, the second time that a Penn team advanced to the national round of the competition.

The College Fed Challenge is a team competition for undergraduates hosted by the Federal Reserve, where teams work to analyze current economic and financial conditions in the United States to create a monetary policy recommendation to the Fed. The Penn team began preparing at the beginning of the semester, and was eventually narrowed down to five members: College sophomore Elizaveta Brover, College senior Justin Guo, College junior Aman Virdi, College sophomore Renan Muta, and Wharton junior Catherine Wang.

The national round of the competition was on Nov. 22 The team worked together to create a monetary policy that would improve the overall state of the economy.

For the regional round of the competition, the team had to create a 15-minute presentation and participate in a 15-minute round of questions from economic experts. In their presentation, Penn’s team analyzed the current economic conditions, forecasted where economic trends will go in the future, evaluated possible economic risks, and recommend-

ed a monetary policy to address these factors.

Brover said the team received feedback from a range of people during their preparation stage in order to better understand economics concepts and improve their presentation.

“We didn’t have an advisor that met with us every week. We mostly did it ourselves. If we had questions, we’d go to a variety of professors within the Economics Department,” Brover said.

Guo said the team found the challenge exciting because they could apply their economic knowledge to real-world situations.

“You kind of have to interpret the news, interpret how practitioners think about things,” Guo said.

The Penn team triumphed in the Philadelphia regional round, besting Princeton University, Lehigh University, Lafayette University, Villanova University, The College of New Jersey, Gettysburg College, Scranton University, and Saint Francis University.

The second round was at the national level, featuring universities including as Harvard University and University of Chicago. In this round, the team had to present for five minutes and answer 25 minutes of questions. After this round, Penn won an honorable mention.

“At the end of the day, I feel like it was like another class because we learned a lot. We had to learn and look really deeply into the concepts for what is happening in the United States,” Virdi said.

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NEWS 3

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Penn group aims to boost student credit scores

PHOTO FROM ROHAN VALRANI

The Student Federal Credit Union at Penn will be rolling out a credit builder loan to boost a borrower’s UltraFICO credit score. The SFCU is marketing the credit builder to Penn students, particularly international students, because the loan will benefit people who have little credit history in the United States.

The Student Federal Credit Union to launch a credit builder AMJAD HAMZA Staff Reporter

The Student Federal Credit Union at the University of Pennsylvania is rolling out a credit builder this week, the first of its kind specifically aiming to increase UltraFICO credit scores, student leaders said.

The SFCU at Penn’s new credit builder loan is designed to help raise a consumer’s UltraFICO score, which launched in January.

The score will supplement the traditional FICO score, which is used by lenders to determine a customer’s creditworthiness. UltraFICO scores typically benefit consumers with little credit history or low credit scores.

“UltraFICO is meant to help exactly the types of people that are

like Penn students,” SFCU Chief Lending Officer and Wharton and College senior Adrian Lapsenson said, because students typically do not have an extensive credit history.

The SFCU credit builder allows the credit union’s members to take out a low-interest loan with their account savings acting as the collateral if the borrower defaults on their loan, the group’s leaders said. This creates a credit history for members, making it easier to obtain loans in the future.

The new credit builder loan differs because of how it raises a consumer’s UltraFICO score, which assesses financial behavior based on how people manage their checking, savings or money market accounts.

“There’s a couple of changes we’ve been able to implement to the way the loan is structured where the loan will interact with your check-

ing account and generate checking account activity, reflecting in a better UltraFICO score,” Lapsenson said.

This will help people like college students whose ordinary FICO score may be low because of a lack of information for FICO to draw on, he said.

SFCU’s new offering would be “very helpful for people like international students who don’t have an extensive credit history” in the United States, SFCU CEO and Wharton and Engineering senior Wesley Sheker said.

The credit builder took a year to create, said Sheker, who is a former reporter for The Daily Pennsylvanian. The first step in this process was ensuring that the new product complies with government regulations since the SFCU is a federally chartered credit union and is regulated by the National Credit Union

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Administration, he added.

Currently, SFCU at Penn relies heavily on word-of-mouth to market new products with existing customers and SFCU employees talking to other students, College freshman and SFCU bank teller Emily Becker said.

“A lot of the marketing is just me telling my friends about the credit union,” Becker said.

SFCU at Penn plans to work with relevant student groups on a caseby-case basis to increase awareness of their services, Sheker said. He added that they have previously collaborated with Penn Money Matters, a group that seeks to improve financial literacy, and said they hope to reach out to international student groups.

“Something that we’re continuing to work on is getting in contact with the students that these products can actually benefit,” Sheker said.

MOELIS >> PAGE 1

tive and smart thinking is by having diversity of thought,” Moelis told PennDesign. “Diversity of thought is created by bringing in a wide range of experiences, views, and values to the table.”

Hawkins is pursuing a master’s in City Planning with a concentration in Public-private Development and Smith is concentrating in Community and Economic Development.

Hawkins grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. and San Francisco and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in urban studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2016. After graduating, she said she worked for Mercy Housing, an organization which redevelops low-income housing, in Chicago for a year.

Hawkins said she is interested in making the built environment, a term which refers to human-made environments, more affordable and accessible by studying development projects’ economic factors.

“I really have a love of design — urban design, landscape, architecture — and the way those fields talk about cities,” Hawkins said.

“It’s highly imaginative and I wanted to be close to that, so Penn was at the top of the list.”

In comparison to other design schools she considered, Hawkins said that she felt Penn showed her the most financial support and flexibility as a mother of a 3-year-old daughter.

Hawkins said that her daughter lives in Chicago with her family, and her schedule allows her to frequently commute between the two cities.

“I feel like the job that I want doesn’t exist yet,” Hawkins said. “I would like to work for a socially conscious developer, and I think that without a planning background, I would never have that sensitivity to those dynamics.”

Smith attended community colleges in Michigan and Texas and the University of Michigan, where he received a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in Community Action and Social change. He worked in higher education for a few years after his time at the University of Michigan before switching to city planning.

“I’m 29 now and it took basically my whole 20s to get to this point, so I figured if I could get funding, maybe it’d be a huge break for me because I’ve lost a lot of wages,” Smith said. “I just saw this as an opportunity for me to show people that planning was a viable option.”

Both Hawkins and Smith said the program is a positive stride toward increasing diversity in the city planning field.

“There’s a clear track record of what’s happened when people who look like me, who come from my experiences have been absent from the table,” Smith said. “We’ve seen what neglect has done to certain communities, so I think it’s important to have us at the table to provide that insight to make sure that we make better decisions in the future.”

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Visit SAS.UPENN.EDU/EVENTS for more information.

4

OPINION EDITORIAL

Penn students must boycott McKinsey in light of its work with ICE

THURSDAY DECEMBER 5, 2019 VOL. CXXXV, NO. 59 135th Year of Publication JULIA SCHORR President SARAH FORTINSKY Executive Editor ALICE HEYEH Print Director BEN ZHAO Digital Director ISABELLA SIMONETTI Opinion Editor MADELEINE NGO Senior News Editor THEODOROS PAPAZEKOS Senior Sports Editor GILLIAN DIEBOLD Senior Design Editor JESS TAN Design Editor LUCY FERRY Design Editor TAMSYN BRANN Design Editor GIOVANNA PAZ News Editor MANLU LIU News Editor MAX COHEN News Editor DEENA ELUL Assignments Editor DANNY CHIARODIT Sports Editor MICHAEL LANDAU Sports Editor WILL DiGRANDE Sports Editor

O

n Tuesday, new reports surfaced that McKinsey & Company helped the Trump administration clamp down on illegal immigration.

McKinsey specifically advocated for cuts in spending on food, medical care, and supervision for migrants, and helped ramp up deportations of undocumented immigrants. According to ProPublica and The New York Times’ joint investigation, some of the spending cuts were so drastic that they even made some Immigration and Customs Enforcement staff uncomfortable.

Although not all of the proposals were implemented, McKinsey’s willingness to jeopardize human lives should make it an unacceptable place for Penn students to work. It is incumbent upon Penn students to hold the consulting firm accountable and refuse to participate in its recruiting in the future.

Over the last few years, McKinsey has been one of the most popular employers among Penn graduates. For Class of 2018 graduates, McKinsey was the sixth most popular landing spot, hiring 23 Penn students. McKinsey is among the most prestigious management consulting firms in the world and helps put students on a path to professional success.

This is not the first time McKinsey has been in hot water over its apparent disregard for human rights. Last year, the company faced scrutiny after news surfaced that the Saudi government used data from a McKinsey report to silence dissidents. The company has been criti-

JESS TAN

cized for its enabling of other authoritarian governments, as well as for its work in increasing the sale of opioids — which in part led to an epidemic that killed more than 47,000 people in 2017 alone.

For students still unconvinced by McKinsey’s transgressions around the world, the company’s role in the promotion of migrant detention camps should leave no doubt about its lack of morals.

The increase in detainment and deportations, as well as the infamous child separation policy, has led to claims of medical neglect, sexual abuse, and other mistreatment of detainees by ICE. The detainment policy has also led to nearly 1,500 children going missing, includ-

ing some cases in which federal officials turned children over to human traffickers.

There are a lot of factors that go into choosing where to work, such as salary, benefits, and hours. While these are important considerations, the ethics of one’s workplace must also be considered. If people are not proud of the work they are doing, they should consider the reasons they are doing it.

While it is commendable that McKinsey ended its work with ICE back in July 2018, that doesn’t negate its years of complicity in ICE’s human rights abuses. And it doesn’t change the fact that the company only terminated its relationship after the family separation policy started

drawing widespread criticism. McKinsey may no longer consult for ICE, but its track record reflects a willingness to value profit over basic human rights.

For years, McKinsey has been a frequent employer of Penn students after graduation. In many social circles, an internship at the company reflects an exceptional academic record and earns a high degree of respect. But in light of the company’s complicity in human rights abuses, working for McKinsey ought to be considered shameful and morally reprehensible. The motto of the University is “Leges sine Moribus vanae,” or “laws without morals are useless.” Penn students must hold themselves to this higher moral standard.

KATIE STEELE Copy Editor TAHIRA ISLAM Copy Editor

Liberals: Don’t just protest conservative speakers.

Debate them.

DANIEL SALIB Director of Web Development AVNI KATARIA Audience Engagement Editor SAM HOLLAND Online Projects Manager CHASE SUTTON Senior Multimedia Editor MARIA MURAD News Photo Editor ALEC DRUGGAN Sports Photo Editor SAGE LEVINE Video Producer SAM MITCHELL Podcast Editor REMI GOLDEN Business Manager JAMES McFADDEN Director of Analytics

A

t a recent Penn College Republicans event I attended, filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza was met with a silent protest from about 20 students holding signs that read “Deport Fascism” and “No one is illegal on stolen land.” Instead of doing any damage to the event, the protest

TEJU KEEPS TALKING | Protests against conservative speakers aren’t productive

glaringly showed the protesters’ aversion to formal discussion and debate.

In recent months, we have seen multiple controversial speakers, such as D’Souza, Candace Owens, and former Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Thomas Homan, confront student

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protesters during their visits to Penn’s campus. While it can seem attractive to create posters and shout a monotonic message in the face of a speaker, it is the worst way to oppose them, because never in the world has disagreement helped society if its outlet was protest and not reasoning. In cases such as with the ICE protest and the D’Souza sit-in, the protesters chose to protest instead of debating the speaker’s points.

Instead of protesting, groups that disagree with a speaker’s message ought to confront their ideas. I personally would like to understand how clubs such as Penn for Immigrant Rights, which organized the silent protest, debate the points made by speakers like D’Souza, and I’m certain I’m not the only one with that viewpoint. Groups such as Penn College Republicans and Penn for Immigrant Rights should have joint events where they

invite speakers and debate controversial policies, rather than one side simply hosting provocative speakers and the other attempting to shut them down.

We are in college, a place where we are not only supposed to gain knowledge about a specific subject but also form opinions about different constituents of society.

Being a free thinker is a key principle for generating informed views about politics, education, and the economy. That involves listening to controversial people who we might disagree with, but making nuanced arguments nonetheless.

To some students, there might be an idea that everything a conservative speaker says is unfounded and pure rhetoric. But their opinions should be constructively debated, not shut down, because they have some logic in reaching their conclusions.

Research shows that protests work because they get people politically activated. But if we

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OPINION ART

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

Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. Editorial Board, which meets regularly to discuss issues relevant to Penn’s campus. Participants in these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on related topics.

SARAH KHAN is a College sophomore from Lynn Haven, Fla.

TEJASWI BHAVARAJU have conversations about important topics through protests, then we put the student population at risk of an aversion to free-thinking, laziness, and close-mindedness.

TEJASWI BHAVARAJU is a College freshman from India, studying Mathematical Economics and Cinema Studies. His email address is tejaswib@sas.upenn.edu

5

The 6B must continue to fight for more space for the cultural houses REMARKS WITH LARK | Penn’s expansion of the cultural houses isn’t enough

Last month, Penn allowed three of Penn’s cultural houses to expand their spaces beyond the basement of the ARCH building to the upper floors of the building. Penn’s gesture may seem like a positive step forward in the cultural centers’ fight for increased space. But when compared to the University’s treatment of other groups, such as fraternities or academic programs, it’s clear that Penn’s offer is inadequate.

The 6B, Penn’s main minority group coalition, has been lobbying for increased space for the cultural houses on campus, and rightfully so. For years, the groups have been cramped in the same basement, while sharing a building with the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, Benjamin Franklin Scholars, University Scholars, and Stu-

IZZY CRAWFORD-ENG

dent Performing Arts.

However, Penn’s offer for the cultural groups to expand above ground is a weak, half-

hearted attempt by the administration to quell student minority groups’ demands. Without any definitive renovation plans

IZZY CRAWFORD-ENG

on how to best accommodate the 6B cultural centers alongside the several other groups hosted in the ARCH, the offer is one that falls flat. It’s as if Penn, tired of hearing minority students’ demands, hastily offered an incomplete solution to satisfy students.

Moreover, the proposed expansion pales in comparison to the space afforded to fraternities on campus. Penn’s minority groups have been quick to compare the spacious fraternity houses lining Locust Walk with the cramped basement of the cultural centers. It’s absurd that Penn would provide so much space for a chapter house, especially given the strength of Greek life on campus, yet designate such little space to cultural centers that offer safe spaces for minority groups. If Penn is willing to allow Greek houses to stand in their own buildings on Locust,

then cultural centers deserve their own separate buildings as well.

Penn’s offer for the 6B groups to expand upstairs also pales in comparison to the series of new building constructions taking place — none of which involve minority groups or the cultural centers at Penn.

There is a new Wharton Academic Research Building being built with a construction budget of $75 million. It was also just announced that the School of Engineering and Applied Science will receive a new data science building. Amid the millions Penn is investing into new building projects, what amount of that has been spent on minority groups? It’s unlikely that the best Penn has to offer to these groups is to add a few renovations in the ARCH and to move them upstairs.

LARK YAN honestly listen to the concerns of its minority groups and give us our own unique building on campus. The expansion is a small step forward albeit an inadequate one. The push can’t end there. Until minority groups see equal representation and value on campus from Penn administration, via equal spacing and resources, then whatev-

Penn’s offer for the 6B groups to expand upstairs also pales in comparison to the series of new building constructions taking place — none of which involve minority groups or the cultural centers at Penn.”

The 6B groups must keep pushing for Penn to give more space to minority groups on campus. If Penn is willing to let Greek houses stand right on Locust Walk and pour millions into dozens of new building projects, then Penn can also

er small offers Penn might provide will not be good enough.

LARK YAN is a College sophomore from Toledo, Ohio studying Health and Societies. Her email address is larkyan@sas.upenn.edu

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NEWS 7

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Cashier’s Office in Franklin Building to close Dec. 24 Students will no longer be able to pay tuition with cash ELIZABETH MEISENZAHL Staff Reporter

After Dec. 24, the Cashier’s Office in the Franklin Building will close and be replaced with a secure deposit box, which will change reimbursement structures and prevent students from paying tuition bills in cash.

The Cashier’s Office accepts deposits from departments that collect payment in cash and distributes petty cash for department expenses such as visiting speakers and events, Cash Manager Heather Seitz said. While the office is currently staffed by Penn employees at a register, Seitz said the Cash Management Department will soon shift to distributing reimbursements electronically and accepting deposits through a “smart safe” in the lobby.

Most cash payments currently come from schools that earn money from retail sales, Seitz added, such as ticket sales at the Annenberg Center and patient payments at the School of Dental Medicine and the School of Veterinary Medicine. The University will still accept cash for these payments through the smart safe, which Seitz said functions like an ATM that only accepts depos-

KRASNER >> PAGE 1

Hill accused then-Supreme Court justice nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. Biden presided over the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing of Hill’s testimony. The committee has since been criticized for grilling her “in excruciatingly graphic detail.”

The precedent Biden set by leading the Hill hearings “messed up” the Senate’s handling of Christine Blasey Ford’s accusations of sexual assault against now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Krasner said.

its.

As part of the transition, Seitz said, cash tuition payments will not be accepted after the Cashier’s Office closes. Students will be able to pay bills electronically or through personal checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders, according to the Division of Finance’s FAQ page.

Paul Richards, director of communications for Penn’s Division of Finance, said only 220 students across all Penn schools have paid tuition bills in cash over the past two years, representing less than 1% of the student body. He added that Student Registration and Financial Services is working to transition to other payment plans for these students.

By closing the office, Seitz said, the University hopes to decrease cash flow on campus to improve safety.

“The idea of facilitating all this cash walking around campus — we wanted to try to get away from that,” she said. “The safety of the students and staff was really a big driver.”

Ending the disbursal of petty cash for academic departments will “lessen the risk of fraud, loss, and theft,” according to the Division of Finance page. Seitz said that while an armored car currently comes to collect cash from the office every day, this

“The stuff that comes out of [Biden’s] mouth is so dumb,” Krasner said. “And yet, what does the Democratic Party do? ‘Oh, he’s electable!’ We got the dumbest guy!”

Krasner endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) for president on Oct. 30, saying in his endorsement that Warren’s “plans fundamentally change how we address crime.”

During his time as DA, Krasner has implemented numerous changes, including decriminalizing marijuana, avoiding the death penalty and cash-bail for non-violent offenses, and firing 31 staffers within his first few days in office.

GARY LIN

While the Cashier’s Office is currently staffed by Penn employees at a register, the Cash Management department will soon shift to distributing reimbursements electronically and accepting deposits through a “smart safe” in the lobby, which works like an ATM that only accepts deposits.

will be reduced to once every two weeks in 2020.

Seitz said that declining use of the Cashier’s Office in recent years was also a factor in the decision to close, as most student and staff transactions with the University are already elec-

tronic.

“The Cashier’s Office just doesn’t have the volume to be staffed fully every day,” Seitz said, adding that of the two employees who now work as cashiers, one will move to the Cash Management Department and

one is retiring.

Tim Schweidel, the business administrator for the Annenberg Center, said the center will continue to accept cash for ticket sales and deposit it with the University, “I think it’s going to be an easy

transition,” Schweidel said. “It’s a good idea that Penn is moving towards less cash on campus.”

Seitz added that in summer 2020, the Franklin Building lobby will undergo renovations to make SRFS a more “unified, student-focused space.”

This Tuesday, his office rolled out a new policy that would drop low-

seeking addiction treatment.

Krasner criticized Democratic

moderate voters. By focusing on centrist voters, Krasner said politically disengaged communities are often neglected.

“This, in my mind, is the recipe for how Democrats have lost and lost and lost and lost,” Krasner said.

Krasner argued this narrative should be flipped and that politicians should be more concerned with producing exciting ideas in order to earn the support of current non-voters. He referenced that he was elected in part because his campaign was able to increase voter turnout during his election.

Penn Dems member and College

freshman Emma Wennberg agreed with Krasner’s assessment of the Democratic political approach.

“I think he’s totally right,” she said. “I think Democrats, out of fear of losing the center, have continued to push for policies that don’t work and that they know don’t work.”

Krasner finished the talk by admitting that the kind of change he was pushing for would not come easily. However, he remained hopeful about the trajectory of the progressive movement.

“It’s gonna take a long time, but I figure by the time I’m ready to retire maybe one of you will be ready to run for DA,” he said.

“Joe Biden doesn’t know how to do it … Joe Biden knows how to mess stuff up.”

- Larry Krasner, Philadelphia District Attorney level drug charges if the defendant provided evidence that they were

institutions for crafting platforms that cater overwhelmingly to

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

COUNCIL >> PAGE 1

Nine students stood up and read critical statements in front of top administrators, including Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Wendell Pritchett.

Also at the meeting, a representative of the Coalition Against Fraternity Sexual Assault, College senior Brennan Burns, spoke about fraternity life and sexual assault on campus. On behalf of CAFSA, Burns demanded that Penn remove fraternities from their on-campus locations and that

the University fill those spaces with Penn’s cultural and wellness centers.

Burns read anonymous testimonials submitted by Penn students about sexual harassment experiences with fraternity brothers in fraternities both on and off Locust Walk. These testimonies are also published on the CAFSA website.

Speakers discussed the disproportionate impact that the climate crisis has on poor communities.

College senior Nyazia Bey said low-income areas that many Penn students are from, including the poorest parts of Philadelphia, will

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be most harmed by the climate crisis. In these communities, families often do not have the money to repair their homes devastated by forest fires, drought, and hurricanes caused by climate change.

She requested a formal council where students and faculty, at least one of whom she hopes will be first-generation, low-income, could engage in meaningful conversation with the administration.

“Right now, there is no direct path for concerns on climate to be brought up directly to administration, and that needs to change.

This climate crisis will quickly

spiral into an emergency. Unless we as a collective start acting with absolute urgency, it will be too late and the blood will be on our hands,” Bey said.

There were five designated student speakers who demanded climate-specific change, and a group of students wearing green armbands stood in silent solidarity with them each time they addressed the administrators.

Fossil Free Penn coordinator and College senior Claudia Silver said FFP had submitted two divestment proposals in the past year. Though both plans re-

ceived “demonstrated support” from students, they were rejected by the administration without explanation. She also criticized the University’s lack of acknowledgment of Fossil Free Fridays and requests for a public town hall on divestment. FFP has been holding sit-ins every Friday outside of the President’s Office in College Hall demanding a conversation on divestment.

College junior Elliot Bones demanded that Penn educate its students on climate grief, the emotional toll the climate crisis takes on a person and community.

Bones requested that Penn train climate therapists and promote students’ climate literacy by increasing environmental course offerings.

Bones said Penn will not be able to address his grief until the administration enacts “a climate action plan that isn’t disgracefully inadequate and doesn’t incinerate trash that will go into the air that [his] students breathe, and by divesting from the genocidal fossil fuel industry.”

Pritchett declined to comment when approached by a Daily Pennsylvanian reporter after the event.

PAIDEIA

School Study Councils Director Harris Sokoloff, who is teaching “Can We Talk? Courageous Civility For Troubled Times,” both stressed the importance of civil discourse in democracy, especially in today’s polarized political climate.

Sokoloff’s course stems from a series of regional dialogues he co-founded called “Can We Talk,”

which brings students across the ideological spectrum together to talk about politics. Students will lead and participate in these kinds of conversations in the course and will learn how to ask questions and peel back motivations in discussions.

“Civil discourse takes skill and it takes courage,” Sokoloff said. “Citizenship is not just about voting, it’s

about what you do before you vote and after you vote — how do you talk to each other, how do you build relationships across differences.”

The Paideia program will also launch the Cohort Idea Fellows program next fall, where students can take Paideia courses, complete a senior project, and receive a certificate, Carpini said.

>> PAGE 1

sentation, such as eye contact and gestures. Classical studies professor Jeremy McInerney has taught different iterations of the course before and said that it fits perfectly with the goals of Paideia.

McInerney and Center for the

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NEWS 9

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

New ABCS class will promote energy education in local schools SHRIYA KARAM Staff Reporter

The School of Engineering and Applied Science will offer a new Academically Based Community Service course called “Energy Education in Philadelphia Schools” in spring 2020.

The course will be conducted in partnership with the Energy Coordinating Agency in Philadelphia, which provides vocational training in energy-related jobs and gives energy efficiency assistance to low-income residents in the city. Students who take the ABCS course will visit the ECA to learn about energy use and the organization’s work in energy efficiency. As another part of the course, students will use information from their visits to the ECA to teach a group of AP Environmental Science students at West Philadel-

phia High School about energy use.

The course, open to undergraduates, will be taught by Professor Andrew Huemmler, a senior lecturer in chemical and bimolecular engineering who serves on the Board of Directors for the ECA. While the logistics of the course are being finalized, Huemmler said, the class will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and will also require students to attend the high school class outside of the ABCS course.

Huemmler currently teaches several energy courses at Penn — “Energy Systems and Policy,” “Climate Policy and Technology,” and “Electricity Systems and Markets.”

College sophomore Maeve Masterson, who is currently in Huemmler’s “Energy Systems and Policy” class, said that students in the course are able to discuss energy and environmental-related events in the city such as ongoing issues with the Philadelphia Energy Solutions re-

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efficiency and the STEM principles behind energy sciences, Poole said she hopes that the course can foster engagement between Penn students and the Philadelphia community.

“It’s so easy for Penn students to get stuck in the Penn bubble, but it is important for Penn students to have the appreciation that there is a community at large, and there are people in much different situations than at Penn,” Poole said. “Having both engagement with the ECA, as well as high school students, is such an important thing for Penn students to experience.”

Poole also agreed with Huemmler in that she hopes younger generations can gain insight into energy efficiency and get involved in addressing the global energy crisis.

“If we can get high school students to start thinking about this, then I think it speaks to the importance of the issue and the message will progress and will affect our lives moving forward,” Poole said.

SUKHMANI KAUR

Students in the ABCS course will teach a group of AP Environmental Science students at West Philadelphia High School about energy use.

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finery. Masterson said Huemmler’s new ABCS course is important in educating young people about energy efficiency and energy use.

Huemmler said there have been Engineering ABCS courses in the past, but this is the first course to be directly related to energy education.

He hopes that Penn students who are trained in advocating for energy efficiency can encourage high schoolers to reduce their energy use.

“There are ways high school students can address the climate issue and reduce their carbon footprint, and there are also numerous careers in the energy industry that they might want to pursue,” he said.

College senior Katherine Poole said she has enjoyed learning about environmental management and sustainability in Huemmler’s course, and decided to become a teaching assistant for the new ABCS class. Poole is currently helping develop the curriculum for the course.

Besides learning about energy

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10 SPORTS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Men’s basketball unable to top No. 23 Villanova, falls 80-69

Wildcats snap Penn’s sixgame Big 5 winning streak MICHAEL LANDAU Sports Editor

MEN’S BASKETBALL PENN No. 23 VILLANOVA

69 80

VILLANOVA, Pa. — The Quakers put a scare into Nova Nation again, but this time, they weren’t able to pull off the upset.

Penn men’s basketball fell to No. 23 Villanova, 80-69, at Finneran Pavilion on Wednesday night in its search for a second consecutive upset over the Wildcats. Villanova’s athletic defense impacted the contest throughout the game, and the Quakers (5-4) weren’t able to generate enough offense to pull off a comeback.

Throughout the second half, the Quakers pushed the Wildcats (6-2), pulling within two points on several occasions, but Villanova was able to hold them off with all-around strong play from its highly-touted players. “It was definitely challenging, and that’s what I love about these nonconference games is that when we play Villanova or Providence or Arizona, we’re going to see that type of athleticism that we don’t see in our League,� senior

CHASE SUTTON

Despite an 18-point effort from senior forward AJ Brodeur, Penn men’s basketball couldn’t keep up with Villanova and lost on the road. Freshman guard Jordan Dingle also added 18 points in the Big 5 defeat.

forward AJ Brodeur said. “If we can stay down and guard those guys, it’s going to set us up great for when we get into our league.�

The game started off with tight defense from both sides. The Quakers were able to contain the Wildcats early, as sophomore forward Saddiq Bey was the only Villanova player who scored in the opening 4:58.

Villanova began to take control after that with a 7-0 run, but after a momentum-changing three from freshman guard Jordan Dingle, the Red and Blue bounced back with an 8-0 stretch of their own to take back the lead. Solid passing and cuts to the basket were key for Penn throughout the half, and several baskets were generated through assisted layups early on.

Despite holding the Wildcats in check from behind the threepoint line, where they only made four shots, the Quakers gave up some short-range baskets through layups and drives to the baskets. “With them, you’re foolish if you don’t think you’ve got to stop threes,� coach Steve Donahue said. “We wanted what [we got], and we were hoping that

was enough. But give them credit; they finished well.�

Penn’s senior class once again powered the team in a hostile environment filled with energetic Villanova fans. Brodeur led the team with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists, and senior guard Ryan Betley, who was booed by the crowd every time he touched the ball, added 13 points of his own.

As the teams played through the latter portion of the half, the lead changed hands a few times as both teams converted key baskets. Bey caused problems for Penn with 27 points, and some late struggles on offense for the Quakers allowed the Wildcats to take a six-point lead heading into halftime. “I thought they got in us pretty good for a stretch in the first half, and their length bothered us,� Donahue said. “I thought we were tired [and] weren’t cutting like we needed to.�

Villanova’s strong play on both sides of the ball continued early in the final 20 minutes, and they closed out a 13-3 run spanning both halves to take a 10-point lead.

However, the Red and Blue were able to fight back. Senior guard Devon Goodman came up with a big three that was followed by a steal and dunk to put Penn back in business. He and Dingle,

who made a couple contested threes in the face of Villanova defenders, were able to spark the comeback. “I thought we were in a great spot,� Donahue said. “We were executing on offense almost every possession, getting great shots, getting layups.�

The Quakers kept the game close, but they were unable to tie the game up in the second half.

Each time Penn threatened, the Wildcats came up with a big play, with many of those coming from Bey. With Villanova up seven points and threatening to pull away, Dingle hit an open three off an offensive rebound to set up a final push for the Quakers. However, the Wildcat defense held strong at the finish and was able to pull away in the final two minutes for the victory.

The game closed out a long road stretch for the Red and Blue, who have played eight of their first nine games away from the Palestra. “We’ve played one home game, we’ve been all over this country, [and] we’ve had 5 a.m. wakeups and red-eyes just to get these games,� Donahue said.

After a break for finals, the Quakers will resume their schedule at home against Division III opponent Widener.

Quakers cruise past La Salle, pick up second Big 5 victory

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Freshman guard Kayla Padilla continued her stellar freshman season on Wednesday night, putting up 24 points, four assists, and three steals against La Salle for Penn’s second Big 5 win of the season.

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The Quakers got the same result as last year, but this time around, it was against a completely different La Salle team.

Penn women’s basketball took on La Salle at Tom Gola Arena, winning by a score of 65-49.

When these two squads clashed last year at the Palestra, the result was similar. Penn (6-1, 2-0 Big 5) emerged victorious by a score of 65-34 and dominated the whole game. At that point, the Explorers (6-3, 0-1) fell to 0-9 after they were handled by Penn.

This year, coach Mountain MacGillivray’s La Salle squad has undergone a huge turnaround in a short time. The Explorers had already won six games coming into Wednesday night, and they have the size to compete with Penn’s All-Ivy

center Eleah Parker down low.

In addition, they have enough shooting to disrupt Penn’s 2-3 zone at times.

The Explorers jumped on the Quakers early, opening up the game with seven unanswered points. Star freshman guard Kayla Padilla and senior guard Phoebe Sterba then began to make their presence felt. Padilla repeatedly used her quick first step to get into the teeth of the defense, making short floaters and wreaking havoc on defense. Sterba dropped in threes from each corner, plus another for good measure.

In what felt like just a couple minutes, Penn went on a 32-12 run, including an 18-4 run to open the second quarter — and after that, the group never looked back. “Tonight especially, everyone on the floor offensively was a threat,� Padilla said. “Just because the defense had to take care of so many of us on offense, it allowed us to spread the floor and create great opportunities.�

Though the Quakers entered halftime with just a 10-point lead, they jumped on La Salle in the third and extended their lead to 14 at the start of the

fourth quarter.

Through six games, Penn’s scoring defense is ranked fifth in the nation, as the group is allowing just over 49 points per game. This contest was no exception. The Red and Blue’s stifling 2-3 matchup zone forced the Explorers into contested jump shots and didn’t allow their frontcourt to get comfortable when posting up. They forced 14 turnovers, many of which came in the half court. “Defense is our foundation; that’s always going to spark our offense,� Padilla said. “I think coming out strong on that end was the biggest factor that sparked our run, and pushed us over the edge.�

The Quakers’ suffocating defense allowed them to get out on the fast break and push in transition, where they were effective. In their big second quarter run, they were able to turn defense into offense time and time again, in large part due to six combined steals from Padilla, Sterba, and senior guard Kendall Grasela.

Penn’s next chance to build on its encouraging effort will be Saturday at home versus Stetson.

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SPORTS 11

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

How Penn fencing deals with the Despite pair of bad losses, Penn 1.5-month break in its schedule poses a problem for top teams The Quakers aren’t back in action until mid-January

THEODOROS PAPAZEKOS

MARIANA SIMOES Associate Sports Editor

For many teams, being inseason means playing at least once a week for a few consecutive months — but for Penn fencing, the schedule looks a little different.

The Quakers started their season at home on Nov. 16, competing against six teams in one day. The following week, the Red and Blue hit the road to take part in the Penn State Garret Open. But now, they have a long break before their next official event on Jan. 12.

While the calendar may seem odd compared to other sports, most players see it as an opportunity to go back to their hometowns and play at the same facilities they did before coming to Penn.

“It’s pretty normal to go back to our original high school club, especially because fencing is such an individual sport, so we’re used to training individually,” senior foil and women’s captain Nicole Vaiani said. “It’s interesting because some of us actually get some of our best training when we go back home. We see our coaches, our old teammates, and we’re back into the routine we had before.”

The opportunity for players to return to their high school clubs and train with other people is also seen as a positive factor for coach Andy Ma. “We encourage them to go to their home club, and there are also some winter camps before our own, so having a break makes them come back even more prepared for the rest of the season,” Ma said.

The winter camp Ma referred to is held on campus from Jan. 6 to Jan. 10, which

ALEC DRUGGAN

Senior captain and foil Nicole Vaiani is ready for her final season for Penn women’s fencing. The team is off for more than six weeks.

is an opportunity for athletes to get back to their in-season routine before the start of the semester. “[The winter camp] is a period of training all day and focusing more on fencingrelated exercise, because we typically do more conditioning and body weight training when we don’t have events coming up,” senior sabre and men’s captain Adam Green said. “But it’s also a period of team bonding. That’s the first time we’re spending all day together and we can strengthen the relationships before we go into the dense part of the season.”

Having a mid-season break in December also allows the younger Quakers to manage their time better, considering they are still adapting to the college routine and are going through their first final exam season. Even so, the athletes mostly agree that there are both positives and negatives of being away from the mat for so long.

“It’s definitely a nice time to have a break because we have a more flexible schedule

and can focus on academics, but we never really stop training,” freshman sabre Enzo Bergamo said. “The downside is that you spend less time with your teammates, which is very important for college fencing. Compared to regular fencing, college competitions value the team results a lot more, so it’s important to be close to everyone and winter camp will help us with that.”

Bergamo also discussed the intensity of the spring semester for Penn fencing, which in his view, makes the break even more crucial.

“Once we get back, we compete in a frantic pace until the NCAA Championships.

I haven’t been through it yet, but everyone tells me it’s always an intense couple of months,” Bergamo said.

Despite what their schedule may look like, it’s safe to say that the Red and Blue still work very hard during their downtime to make sure they return stronger than before. The Quakers officially get back into action on Jan. 12 when they compete in the Penn State Invitational.

VILLANOVA, Pa. — Penn men’s basketball has played nine games. The Quakers have won five — two against power-conference teams in enemy territory as double-digit underdogs. Of the four losses, two have come against nationally ranked opponents in games that were closer than the final score indicated. But then there are the other two losses — both of which came against worse teams and by large margins.

What is a Penn fan to make of that? Here’s a team that beats tough opponents, hangs with great ones, and loses to bad teams all in the first month of the season.

What should we expect moving forward?

First, let’s add some nuance to this picture.

Penn’s impressive wins — at Alabama, at Providence, and arguably even over Central Florida — were examples of a mid-major school outplaying a high-major one. Those were upsets, but not lucky ones. The Quakers were the better team for long stretches in those games.

Those wins, coupled with the close losses to clearly superior nationally ranked programs like No. 12 Arizona and No. 23 Villanova, prove that the Quakers have the talent and grit to hang with strong opponents in big games. Penn is not a team that should be ranked, but it can present a formidable challenge to pretty much anyone in the country.

“I think both [Arizona and Villanova] are No. 1 and 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. We played them both in hostile environments.

I thought we were toe-to-toe for 38 minutes. What I hope is that we grow the next six weeks before the League really kicks in and just become a really good team,” coach

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Coach Steve Donahue has led Penn men’s basketball to a pair of impressive road wins, but they have also lost twice to worse teams.

Steve Donahue said. “I think this is the most potential of any team I’ve had at Penn.”

While the narrative that Penn plays up to big teams and down to bad ones is compelling — it’s one we heard last season, when Penn won the Big 5 but started 0-3 in the Ivy League — it doesn’t really hold up against the evidence. The Quakers have played four opponents ranked below them in KenPom: Rice, La Salle, Lafayette, and Long Beach State. They’re 2-2 in those games — not good, but not a sign of impending doom either.

“There’s a couple reasons for that; you’ve got to peel the onion back a bit,” Donahue said. “Lafayette is playing their asses off. We didn’t have our [then-]leading scorer [freshman guard Jordan Dingle].

“And then the Rice game, we flew down to Alabama, we were delayed coming back. Then we had class, and we have to do a wake-up call at 5 a.m. to get down there [to Houston]. We just didn’t play that well. But that’s on their home court — Duke loses to Stephen F. Austin on their court — Rice is way better than [SFA]. We don’t have the margin [for error] at this level — we’re playing all these teams and we can’t skip a step at all,” Donahue said. “I’m disappointed we lost, but I also think it’s all part of the process.”

For a team with so few home games on the schedule, the Quakers will have to learn how to handle the stress and grind of the road

sooner rather than later. Ivy teams in particular play a lot of games under tough travel circumstances — every other week between January and March includes a game played on the road after playing a different opponent in a different town the night before.

Even as things stand now, this is a strong team. It has weaknesses: a lack of trustworthy depth, hot-andcold shooting, and what Donahue called the Achilles heel: free-throw shooting. But its strengths and the play of the core of senior leaders outweigh those weaknesses most nights.

And with players returning from injury and small improvements on the details that have lost them games against great teams — some foul shots here or there, a contested layup that didn’t fall, a bad turnover at the wrong time — the Quakers are positioned to make a run for an Ivy title and have some Cinderella qualities come March.

That’s the lesson of the first month. This team, not yet at its best, can hang around with No. 23 Villanova for 36 or 37 minutes. It’s not at-large material, but it’s pretty good.

That’s what this team is: not at-large material, but pretty damn good, nonetheless.

THEODOROS PAPAZEKOS is a College senior from Pittsburgh and Senior Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. He can be reached at papazekos@thedp.com.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019 VOL. CXXXV

NO. 59

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After a decade coaching, Andy Ma is the heart of Penn fencing Ma recently picked up his 400th win with the Quakers LOCHLAHN MARCH Sports Reporter

Andy Ma has been the backbone of Penn fencing for the past decade.

His 10 seasons as the head coach of both the men’s and women’s programs have been exceptional, as he has racked up three Ivy League Coach of the Year awards in addition to three conference titles for the men.

But most impressive, perhaps, is the man behind the trophies.

“He was the main reason why I came to Penn,” senior foil and women’s captain Nicole Vaiani said. “I thought he was so supportive, and I could tell he really cared about his students. I think of him almost like a mentor figure rather than a coach; I see him as a part of my family.”

Ma’s 11th season at Penn is already looking to be another for the record books. In the season-opening Elite Invitational tournament this November, the men’s win over Johns Hopkins gave Ma his 400th career victory.

Ma was reluctant to take all the credit, however.

“[400 wins] means a team effort,” he said. “Of course, it’s on my record, but it’s everyone’s effort. Me, the assistant coaches, captains, and the whole team.”

Ma’s humble attitude toward this milestone isn’t surprising to the athletes that know him best.

Senior sabre and men’s captain Adam Green has known Ma since he was 12 years old, competing in Ma’s New Jersey fencing tournaments before he became a full-time coach at Penn.

“We’d just won over [Johns] Hopkins,” Green recounted.

“That was his 400th win. I went up to him and I said congratulations, and totally true to form he [said], ‘Thanks, but everybody was a part of it, over all 11 years.’ I think he would want people to understand that that’s been a team effort.”

Ma knows the importance of every member of the team because he has experience in nearly every role. Before launching his coaching career, Ma was a decorated fencer himself, becoming the Chinese Fencing Association’s National Sabre champion in both 1985 and 1988. He was also the Chinese Intercollegiate Sabre champion in 1983 and 1985 and secured Ohio’s sabre title during his time at Ohio State.

Ma’s experience winning high-caliber sabre competitions gives him a unique perspective in the team’s one-on-one weapon practices.

“He does have a really good understanding of the weapon,” Green said. “And also, just of sports, you know, it’s really cyclical. Some days you do really well, some days you don’t do so well, and I think him — having been an athlete in that same position — allows him to understand that and helps him be a better coach for us.”

It’s this understanding that causes athletes to thrive under Ma’s tutelage, and the numbers are there to prove it. In 2017, 11 fencers qualified for the NCAA championships, setting a new school record for Penn.

Last season, however, Penn men’s fencing fell short of a fourth-straight Ivy League title.

The Quakers will also lose key fencers this year to Olympic training, but the athletes know that no matter the outcome, Ma will remain the heart of the team.

“It makes a big difference when you have someone who’s always going to support you, independent of whether you’ve had a good or a bad day,” Green said. “So if I had to point out the number one most important

ALEC DRUGGAN

Entering his 11th season at the helm of Penn fencing, coach Andy Ma credits his success to all of his former players. Ma has been involved in the sport for decades, coming to the Quakers in 2009.

thing about coach Ma, it would be [that] he brings a positivity to the team that I think is absolutely cornerstone.”

And the secret to success in fencing? For Ma, it’s simple — it comes down to the love of the

game.

“Number one, you have to have passion,” Ma said. “When I recruit student-athletes, I talk to their coaches, their teammates, their parents, or national coach, make sure I know their charac-

ter, that they have a passion, not just for one day. They have to be consistent to continue to fence at least four years for Penn.”

It’s clear that with Ma at the helm, Penn fencing has no shortage of passion.

Inspired by Jack Sparrow, Michael Li is ready to lead Penn fencing The junior foil finished eighth at NCAAs in 2018 VINNY VEERAMACHANENI Sports Reporter

Michael Li began his fencing journey at the age of eight like many: through his love for Captain Jack Sparrow.

“I watched Pirates of the Caribbean with my brothers, and we went out in the backyard and just started to sword fight with sticks, and my mom put us in a fencing program,” Li said.

Li, a junior from Palo Alto, Calif., fenced with the foil weapon from then on and gained a tremendous amount of success. As a high schooler, Li traveled all over the world, winning competitions from the United States to Europe. He won a Junior Olympic Fencing Championship and was ranked third in the country by the time he arrived at Penn.

Splitting time between Penn and the U.S. National team, Li found tremendous success his freshman season, finishing with a record of

44-22 and earning an All-America honorable mention, while leading the Quakers to their third straight Ivy League title.

Li continued to improve his craft, earning a second team All-America selection last season and finishing eighth at the NCAA Championships. Li credits his work ethic and experience for his success at the collegiate level.

“I’d like to say I work harder than all of my opponents; I just want to do better than they do,” Li said, “Also, I’ve been doing this sport for around 12 years, so I’ve had a lot of experience on the national circuit, and I think that definitely sets me apart from my opponents.”

Coach Andy Ma, now in his 11th season with the team, reiterated Li’s claims, and he looks to Li as a model fencer for the team.

“He was on the national team before he came to Penn, so he’s a very self-disciplined person, and he works very hard and smart,” Ma said. “Especially on the strip, he’s very serious, and that’s how we try to model our team culture: like him.”

Ma expects another top-eight fin-

ish at the NCAA Championships for the junior, but Li has loftier goals.

“Last year, we didn’t do too well at Ivies, so this year hopefully we’ll be able to win, and at NCAAs I’d like to finish at least top-four or topthree,” Li said.

In addition to leading by example, Li has taken up a mentorship role on a roster filled with young talent, and the team has been receptive to him.

“I’ve definitely looked up to my previous captains to try to follow their leadership and how they’ve mentored and led me,” Li said, “ [I try] to create a fun, competitive atmosphere to improve [the team] and just have fun doing it, too.”

The Red and Blue have an overall record of 3-3 through six dual meets on the season. Despite a pedestrian showing from the team early on, Li has picked up where he left off last year. He is 25-13 so far, most recently finishing second in men’s foil at the Garret Open at Penn State.

The Quakers’ next tournament is on Jan. 12, where they will head back to State College for the Penn State Invitational — and Li will surely be leading the way.

ALEC DRUGGAN

Foil Michael Li is coming off a standout sophomore season for Penn men’s fencing, featuring a top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships. This season, the junior is poised to go even higher at Nationals.

This trio of fencers is ready to make a critical impact on the strip Epee Madeline Adams-Kim has already picked up wins HELEN LY Sports Reporter

ERIC ZENG

Freshman sabre Raymond Zhao (right) is among the new talent joining Penn fencing this year. Although they are playing on the college level for the first time, the incoming class is already showing promise.

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The Penn men’s and women’s fencing teams have gone through their fair share of changes this year, but the fencers are optimistic about the team’s future. A number of freshmen have joined the Red and Blue, and the transition to college fencing has proven to be a major challenge.

Sabre Raymond Zhao is a starter for the men and has done a lot to improve his skills in a college-level environment.

“The main difference is you’re fighting for a school, [not] yourself, so the intensity is incredible,” Zhao said.

Competing for the Quakers is what gives him extra motivation to work harder, and he’s quickly learned what it takes to become better.

“You have to focus on these

short burst of strategies, focusing on clutch situations, and working under pressure, which [are all] important aspects of college fencing,” he said.

Enzo Bergamo and Madeline Adams-Kim both see major differences between fencing competitions in high school and in college.

“The system points are different, and in college, it’s about adapting to the new format,” Bergamo said. “The matches are quicker than what you’re used to in regular fencing.”

“High school was more individual and trying to get a higher ranking for yourself, but now, each time you win, you get a point for the team,” AdamsKim agreed. “It’s team-oriented, which I like a lot.”

Being a small fish in a big pond, Zhao, Bergamo, and Adams-Kim are three of the many freshmen new to Penn fencing.

However, the bond between the incoming teammates has grown exponentially.

“Our team has made great efforts this year, especially acclimating the freshmen with group events,” Zhao said. “The group cohesion is really good.”

Bergamo has found a community in the team, as the fencers share common goals and all experience growth both as athletes and people.

“It is a big family, and everyone received the freshman very well and is always striving to improve and [be] on the same page.” he said.

In terms of personal goals, Zhao has high expectations for himself. He hopes to qualify for the NCAA Championships and is very hopeful about the rebuilding process of the team. Adams-Kim also has lofty goals, looking forward to making it to NCAA Regionals and possibly, Nationals.

With a fresh face of athletes, the fencing team continues to strive towards improvement. No matter the end result, the rookies of Penn fencing will play a crucial role in the team’s success.

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