December 4, 2017

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017 VOL. CXXXIII NO. 91

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The bill passed by a close margin of 51-49 MAX COHEN Contributing Reporter

I

n the early hours of Dec. 2, the Senate passed the Republican tax reform bill, marking what pundits say is the first major legislative victory of Donald Trump’s presidency. The bill paves the way for $1.5 trillion in tax cuts, a lowering of the corporate tax rate, and the elimination of the individual mandate penalty.

The Senate passed the tax bill by a thin margin of 51-49, with one Repub-

lican senator voting against the measure.

The Trump administration’s proposals for tax reform have caused widespread controversy in recent weeks.

The version of the tax bill which was passed by the House of Representatives last month included changes that would have significantly increased the cost of a graduate education. This prompted widespread protest on college campuses nationwide, Penn included. At a rally last week, dozens of Penn graduate students called on Penn President Amy Gutmann to “protect” them from the potential ramifications of the GOP’s tax plans.

The version of the bill that passed the

Senate poses less of a threat to graduate students. But in the coming weeks, the bill will head to a conference committee to solve the differences between the House and the Senate proposals. This means that the provisions in the House bill that affect graduate education may still become legislation, explained Adrian Rivera-Reyes, a cell and molecular biology doctoral candidate at the Perelman School of Medicine.

Katie Elbert, a third-year chemistry doctoral candidate, said she really hopes that the final tax bill will not include the provision to tax graduate student tuition waivers.

After the conference committee be-

tween the Senate and the House, President Donald Trump will have the opportunity to sign the bill into law and enact the biggest changes to the tax code in a decade.

While the Senate bill does not pose a targeted threat to graduate students, it still has a range of implications for those in education. For example, the bill will likely benefit private schools, while lowering the budgets available for public schools, the Washington Post reported.

The fact-checking website PolitiFact also said that several components of the bill would disproportionately benefit wealthier individuals. The tax cuts favor those in the upper quintiles of the tax

brackets, as the top 20 percent of Americans would be set to gain 1.9 percent of their income in tax cuts — the largest amount of any quintile.

At Penn, the GOP tax proposal has caused significant debate among political groups such as Penn Democrats and Penn College Republicans. Penn Dems argues that the bill disproportionately hurts the poor, while College Republicans claims that it fosters economic growth and benefits all of society.

College and Wharton sophomore Michael Moroz, co-director of College Republicans Editorial Board, said he SEE TAX BILL PAGE 8

Off-campus groups starting to follow new event regulations

Penn replaces smoker poles with anti-smoking signage

Groups like THEOS have registered their events

Nearly a fourth of undergraduates may be affected

NATALIE KAHN Deputy News Editor

RAHUL CHOPRA Staff Reporter

After a semester of student backlash to Penn’s new policies governing social events, administrators and students say they are getting used to the campus regulations. Data from the University also suggest groups largely have been following the guidelines.

These policies, which are based on recommendations set forth last semester by the Task Force for a Safe and Responsible Campus Community, require both on-campus and off-campus groups to register all social events with the University or risk having the events shut down by Penn Police. The regulations were rolled out a year after students protested rape culture at Penn with flyers that exposed a sexually suggestive email from off-campus group OZ. Registration involves hiring University-sanctioned bartenders and security guards, which together cost $90 per hour,

A year after Penn announced its plans to become a tobaccofree campus, all the smoker poles around campus have been removed.

Until recently, it was common to see Penn students, faculty, and staff disposing of their cigarette butts at designated smoker poles outside certain academic buildings like Van Pelt Library or Williams Hall.

But starting September 2016, Penn has gradually removed many of the smoker poles around campus, replacing them with anti-smoking signage.

In a video on Penn’s efforts to become tobacco-free published on Nov. 27, Rebecca Huxta, a public health specialist at Student Health Service and Campus Health, said the existence of smoker poles can “signal to smokers that it is OK to smoke in that proximity because there is an area for them to dispose of this waste.” She added that these “environmen-

FILE PHOTO

Student groups are required to register all social events with the University or risk having the events shut down by Penn Police.

and the introduction of event observers patrolling late-night events. These controversial policies sparked student criticism on what many deemed to be an uptick in the cost of events and policies that "[encroach] on student liberties.”

But despite months of student criticism, data shows that many groups have complied with Penn’s new social policies.

Though there were only three registered events in August, the number of registered events increased each month after Penn Police continued to shut down unregistered events.

There were 55 registered events in September, 59 in October, and 77 in November, according to data from Alcohol and Other Drug Program Initiatives. That makes for a total of 194 registered events for the first four months of school, up 65 percent from last year’s 127.

Vice Provost of University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said 100 more groups have also identified with the Office of Student Affairs, bringing its list of registered organizations from 400 to 500. Four of SEE EVENTS PAGE 7

OPINION | Penn’s grading needs reform

“Not all grading systems are equally adept at assessing and motivating students … “ — Cameron Dichter PAGE 4

SPORTS | The stat behind football’s season

One minor statistic might have made the difference in every single one of Penn football’s losses this season: it came down to defense BACKPAGE FOLLOW US @DAILYPENN FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ONLINE AT THEDP.COM

NEWS IFC yet to create diversity chair position PAGE 3

tal cues” on campus can promote smoking.

Removing Penn’s smoker poles is part of a larger antitobacco initiative, which started when the University was awarded a $20,000 grant from the the American Cancer Society and CVS Health in 2016.

The grant, which was part of a $3.6 million, nationwide campaign called the “Tobacco-Free Generation Campus Initiative,” was jointly awarded to Penn’s Division of Human Resources, Campus Health, and SHS. Penn’s decision to remove the smoker poles may affect more than 2,500 undergraduate students on campus. A study from the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment survey found that while only 1-2 percent of Penn students smoke everyday, nearly 25 percent smoke at least once in a 30-day period.

College sophomore and regular smoker Aleksei Kuryla Queirolo said he was skeptical about Penn’s new anti-smoking efforts.

“By discouraging smoking around campus, the University

is just going to make smokers smoke inside,” he said.

Frank Leone, a professor at the Perelman School of Medicine and director of the Comprehensive Smoking Treatment Program, said removing the smoker poles is just the first step of Penn’s new anti-tobacco policy and added that a unique aspect of this anti-smoking initiative is that it won’t be actively enforced.

“It’s a different philosophical approach,” he said. “There’s not going to be enforcement or an effort to corral smokers.”

College senior Trevor Glenn worked as an undergraduate representative of the Student Health Service board on the new anti-tobacco policies. He said the goal of the program is to educate students about the dangers of smoking, rather than punish smokers.

“We’re really trying to create more of culture of change rather than a mandate,” he said.

“We hope that through the modules and posters, and that we are not trying to stigmatize smoking, that it’s viewed more SEE SMOKING PAGE 3

NEWS Fossil Free Penn’s struggles to change policy PAGE 6

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How Penn tour guides discuss sensitive issues There is no set procedure for discussing Trump JAMES MEADOWS Staff Reporter

Every year, the student tour guides of the Kite and Key Society at Penn are tasked with selling Penn to the tens of thousands who visit its campus. Everything from academics to Greek life falls within the realm of topics that prospective students and their families might want to discuss. And while there are clear guidelines concerning how these student guides should respond to difficult questions, sometimes sensitive topics arise that warrant more complex answers.

Kite and Key, which was founded in 1924, includes more than 200 students who volunteer for various initiatives. While the guided campus tours are the most visible aspect of Kite and Key, the organization is involved with high school outreach, planning for Quaker Days, and other programs as well.

During guided tours, trained students escort groups across campus and inform them about Penn student life and traditions. Sometimes

they have to address more difficult topics such as mental health.

“We try to be very up front about these things,” said College and Wharton junior Ryan Leone, the president of Kite and Key. “Before we get even asked a question on tours, we outwardly mention mental health resources that are available on campus.”

Board members said that while there is no formal procedure for tour guides in discussing mental health, they are required to mention Penn’s mental health resources. They also are encouraged to share their own experiences dealing with their own mental health struggles or successes, if they feel comfortable doing so. Guides do not directly mention the 14 Penn students who have died by suicide since February 2013.

“From any standpoint, that is just scary information to just drop on someone,” said College junior Arica Shepherd, Kite and Key’s equity and access coordinator. ”[With] the approach that we are taking, it is important to talk about what the University is doing to better the situation.”

But some guides have expressed concern over the way they portray mental health on campus.

FILE PHOTO

On guided tours, trained students escort groups across Penn’s campus and address various difficult topics including mental health.

Carmen, a past member of Kite and Key and a 2017 Wharton graduate, recalled that three students died by suicide during her senior year and one of them was a close friend of hers.

“We sort of had to make everything seem good or better than it actually was,” she said. “But I didn’t want to give people the idea that Penn is such a happy place and everyone is going to thrive.”

College senior Nicholas Moya, who died by suicide earlier this semester, was a member of Kite and Key. Another theme that sometimes comes up is the history of President Donald Trump at Penn.

In November 2016, 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump was elected president. Throughout his campaign, Trump frequently referred to his undergraduate degree

to defend his intellectual capabilities.

Penn President Amy Gutmann has criticized Trump’s executive order on immigration and his administration’s repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects nearly 790,000 undocumented young people in the United States.

DACA has also been a large point of controversy on Penn’s campus and has the potential to affect many of Penn’s students.

Although board members said student guides are advised to not bring up Trump and politics during tours, the board still crafted a template for guides to use when members of tours do ask.

Shepherd and Wharton junior Sabrina Sidhu, Kite and Key’s vice president of communication, both said that they each have only ever had to discuss Trump once during a tour.

Occasionally, guides are confronted with issues more tangible than those of mental health and politics: protestors and demonstrations on College Green.

Over the past several months, the public space has accommodated controversial Christian preachers, Fossil-Free Penn rallies, and an anti-abortion demonstra-

tion with visceral signs depicting aborted fetuses.

In these cases, Kite and Key guides are instructed to ignore their personal feelings and to focus on the First Amendment and the University’s policies concerning freedom of expression.

“Regardless of what protestors are saying, we have to say that Penn is public grounds and these people are entitled to be here,” Sidhu said. “We emphasize that their views do not reflect those of the University.”

Kathryn Bezella, the vice dean and director of marketing and communications for Penn Admissions, wrote in an email that when guides feel uncomfortable answering sensitive questions, they are encouraged to direct visitors to onduty admissions officers for more information.

“Mental health has definitely been up for more discussion since 2014. I think it was when I was a senior that Madison Hollaran died,” said 2014 College graduate Shannon Macika, a former member of Kite and Key and 2014 College graduate. “Till then, I think the most common sensitive topic that we talked about back then was crime.”

Student panelists discuss living with mental illness at Penn

Participants said, ‘People are not their mental illness’ LUCY CURTIS Contributing Reporter

Amid a series of new initiatives and events intended to expand the discussion of mental health on campus, four Penn students had a frank conversation on what it is like to live with mental illness at Penn during a panel on Dec. 1.

The Penn chapter of Project Let’s Erase the Stigma, or Project LETS, a national nonprofit focused on ending the stigma around and offering support to those who experience

mental illnesses, hosted a panel titled “Living with Mental Illness at Penn” last Friday.

The four panelists were College freshman and Daily Pennsylvanian Contributing Reporter Kaitlyn Boyle, College junior Victoria Kalbacher, College freshman Christina Miranda, and College student Luis Estevez, who was admitted into the Class of 2018 and took several leaves of absence. The four students spoke about various mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and schizophrenia.

Panelists talked about how their families and friends contributed to their recovery, how to access

mental health resources at Penn, and how their time in college had changed the way they dealt with mental illness.

“Penn is a very academically caustic environment,” Estevez said.

“Everyone here is trying to be perfect in ways that aren’t possible.”

Three of the panelists also discussed their experience with Counseling and Psychological Services, specifically criticizing the CAPS referral process.

Approximately 15 percent of all students who visit CAPS are referred to an outside provider, CAPS Director Bill Alexander said. While the CAPS website writes that stu-

dents “make the final decision about whether or not they can work with a particular outside provider,” various students have had experiences that suggests otherwise. Students have also said that the referral system is indicative of CAPS’ larger identity as a short-term facility, which can neglect students’ longterm recovery.

Penn’s chapter of Project LETS was founded this semester and was one of several new groups that received funding from Penn Wellness. While the group had co-hosted an open forum with Civic House to discuss how campus mental health resources can be improved

in October this year, this panel was the first event hosted solely by the chapter.

The organization aims to support students experience of mental illness, Project LETS Chapter Coordinator and College sophomore Lauren Drake said.

At the event, Miranda touched on what her ideal Penn looks like in terms of support for students with mental illnesses. She said people need to talk about mental illness, “not like it’s a dirty word,” but with empathy and support. Estevez echoed this point.

“So many people who struggle with mental illness are intelligent,”

Estevez said. “A lot of these people have wonderful minds that see the world in ways that neurotypical people don’t necessary have the presence of mind to.”

“I think it’s also important to be at an Ivy League [university] and speak about the fact that you have a mental illness because it does do some stigma reducing,” Kalbacher said.

The panelists ended by giving advice on how to support others with mental illnesses.

“People are not their mental illness,” Miranda said. “You don’t have to know what to say, just be there.”

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Boston University prof. found responsible for directing ‘sex-based slurs’ to a former Penn prof.

Harassment occurred on an expedition to Antarctica HALEY SUH Deputy News Editor

A prominent scholar and professor of geology at Boston University, David R. Marchant, has been found responsible for harassing a former Penn assistant professor years ago during a research trip to Antarctica.

After a 13-month investigation, Boston University officials announced on Nov. 17 that Marchant, who is 55 years old, was found responsible for making “derogatory, sex-based slurs and sexual comments” to Jane Willenbring, then a graduate student at BU, who accompanied Marchant on the Antarctic expeditions between 1999 and 2001. A news report from Science Magazine states that two other women received similar comments

from Marchant.

“The investigators found, based on all of the available evidence, that the sexual harassment was sufficiently severe and pervasive so as to create a hostile learning and living environment for Dr. Willenbring at the camp in Antarctica,” the report stated.

Since the confirmation of Marchant’s actions, the tenured professor in the Department of Earth and Environment has been placed on paid administrative leave and will not be on campus. If Marchant decides to appeal but the attempt is unsuccessful, BU announced that it would terminate his faculty appointment.

Willenbring, who worked as an assistant professor at Penn in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science from 2010 to 2016, told Science Magazine that Marchant not only verbally harassed her, but “pelted her with rocks while

she was urinating in the field” and “urged her to have sex with his brother, who was also on the trip.”

However, the report from BU said that investigators “did not find credible evidence” to support these claims of “direct physical attacks, and other types of psychological and physical abuse.”

Willenbring said in her complaint that she felt compelled to keep matters quiet until she became an established scholar, in fear that Marchant’s potential retaliation would affect her career. She is now a tenured associate professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego.

In an email to the Chronicle of Higher Education, Willenbring wrote that she was “pleased that the truth of many women’s experiences was heard and believed,” and that the decisions to hold Marchant accountable for sexual harassment

The IFC has yet to create a diversity chair position Panhellenic Council has elected new VP of diversity MICHEL LIU Staff Reporter

Since a racially-insensitive incident at Penn’s chapter of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity sparked backlash on campus 10 months ago, students have indicated that it is sororities, rather than fraternities, that are taking the lead on improving diversity and inclusion within the Greek community.

In recent months, the Interfraternity Council, which governs on-campus fraternities, has restructured the responsibilities of its board members to include diversity initiatives, but has yet to introduce a diversity chair to its executive committee — a provision that IFC President and College senior Bradley Freeman said the Council planned to work on in March 2017.

“It’s just been hectic this semester with the task force and registered events. I don’t want to make it seem like it’s not a priority for us, but at the same time there’s been lots of other things going on,” Freeman said in October.

More recently, IFC’s Executive Vice President and Wharton senior Andrew Kerber said the board has rewritten the responsibilities for his position in the Council’s constitution to include direct collaboration with the Diversity and Inclusion Board — a student-run board created in spring 2016 to promote diversity in Greek life.

However, DIB Chair and College senior Conrad Mascarenhas said he did not know about such changes to the IFC constitution and that the DIB had not been informed that they had been made.

Kerber also said in his emailed statement that the IFC would include diversity and inclusion in its recruitment sessions held in the spring, as well as part of new

member education, which refers to the required training that all students must complete to join a fraternity.

Some students think that incorporating diversity education into the recruitment process should be mandatory, but a document provided to The Daily Pennsylvanian in September this year showed that only five of IFC’s 27 fraternities fully completed mandatory programs laid out in new member education.

While it remains unclear how the IFC plans to move forward with the diversity chair position, the Panhellenic Council, which governs on-campus sorority life, has already elected its second vice president of diversity. On Nov. 14, Panhel elected College sophomore and Theta sorority member Alexis Broussard to succeed the firstever Vice President of Diversity and College senior Sesana Allen.

Panhel created the vice president of diversity position last year in response to calls for more dialogue on diversity and inclusion within Penn’s sororities.

College senior and former President of Panhel Caroline Ohlson said she was happy with the success of the position’s first year. In her position, Allen collaborated with different organizations and cultural centers on events that Ohlson said she hoped would encourage students of different backgrounds to consider joining a sorority. Earlier this semester, Allen also said she thinks the creation of a diversity chair position in the IFC would be beneficial.

In her tenure, Broussard said she hopes to increase the activity of the position by encouraging regular “chat sessions” within chapter houses to discuss current events or social justice issues. She also hopes to expand Panhel’s recruitment efforts to all communities by partnering up with different multi-

cultural organizations to promote rush.

“Even though each sorority has a signature fundraiser, I think it would be very beneficial to have chapter-wide community service outings where members could actually go to different places in Philadelphia and serve charity organizations that are out there,” said Broussard, adding that she hoped to see sororities work to go beyond the “Penn bubble.”

“I thought it would be beneficial to have members get into the community and get their hands dirty a little bit,” she said.

Phi Kappa Psi member and College junior Anthony Williams said he appreciated an event that was organized by the DIB ahead of Halloweekend about how to maintain cultural sensitivity during the holiday. Williams said he saw the benefit of a diversity chair “who can make events and initiatives like that happen.”

“We have fraternities that say, you know ‘black lives matter,’ to show that they want to be diverse.

But at the end of the day, if all of your members are just all from the same background, you’re actually not championing diversity at all,” Williams said. “So we need to be more open and honest about ourselves with what we have done and what we should do.”

Williams said there “definitely” should be a diversity chair within the IFC, but current initiatives planned for next year are better than a diversity chair “placeholder” who would not accomplish anything. He said he particularly liked the idea to include mandatory discussions about diversity in new member education.

“In order to change the tide, you have to start with new members,” Williams said. “It actually sounds like they’re making steps and that to me seems like they actually care.”

demonstrated BU’s commitment to ensuring students’ well-being.

Willenbring’s case against Marchant is the latest in a string of sexual assault allegations made against male faculty members that have come to light in recent months, including a former doctoral student at Penn who reported that the famed literary critic Franco Moretti, now an emeritus professor of humanities at Stanford University, sexually harassed her during a summer seminar.

Three tenured professors at Dartmouth College have also been the target of the New Hampshire attorney general’s investigation of their alleged sexual misconduct.

At Penn, five Graduate School of Education students started a petition to improve sexual harassment policies after various students called attention to instances of sexual harassment by faculty.

SCREENSHOT/BOSTON UNIVERSITY YOUTUBE

The tenured professor found responsible for harrassment has been placed on paid administrate leave and will not be present on campus.

According to the 2015 Association of American Universities Campus Climate Survey of Penn, 42.2 percent of female Penn graduate students who responded reported being victims of sexual harassment.

Additionally, 23 percent of sexual harassment claims made by Penn female graduate students have been

directed toward faculty members.

“One of the things that kept coming up was stories of harassment by professors targeting graduate students,” said GSE Ph.D. student Miranda Weinberg, who is also a GET-UP member. “We wanted to address that because we think it’s unacceptable.”

SMOKING

>> FRONT PAGE

as trying to provide advocacy and support.”

Leone also emphasized that the anti-smoking campaign will focus on changing attitudes about tobacco use on campus by expanding resources for tobacco cessation, rather than by singling out smokers.

“The basic notion is that we are trying to create a cultural norm where people respect each other [and] respect each other’s space as though it was their own homes,” he said.

Although Glenn recognized that students may simply start smoking off campus, he said he remained confident that the campaign could change students perceptions about smoking.

One issue that Kuryla Queirolo has with the initiative is

AVALON MORRELL | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

Smoker poles that were previously located in front of several campus buildings have been replaced by anti-smoking messages.

that it will primarily affect specific groups of Penn students.

“People who smoke are mostly international students

and minorities,” he said. “So it’s targeting people with a specific background more so than your average Penn student.”

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OPINION

Penn’s grading system needs major reform REAL TALK | Restrictive pass/fail policies and forced curves are undermining students

MONDAY DECEMBER 4, 2017 VOL. CXXXIII, NO. 91 133rd Year of Publication CARTER COUDRIET President DAN SPINELLI Executive Editor LUCIEN WANG Print Director ALEX GRAVES Digital Director ALESSANDRO VAN DEN BRINK Opinion Editor REBECCA TAN Senior News Editor WILL SNOW Senior Sports Editor CHRIS MURACCA Design Editor CAMILLE RAPAY Design Editor JULIA SCHORR Design Editor LUCY FERRY Design Editor VIBHA KANNAN Enterprise Editor SARAH FORTINSKY News Editor MADELEINE LAMON News Editor ALLY JOHNSON Assignments Editor YOSI WEITZMAN Sports Editor BREVIN FLEISCHER Sports Editor

Agonizing over one’s GPA is a regular pastime at Penn, right up there with traversing Locust Walk or going to BYOs. And yet, despite the fact that our obsession with grades dominates much of campus life, rarely do we ever criticize, or even critically consider, their merit.

I think it’s worth asking: What good are grades anyway?

On its face, the answer might seem obvious. Those iconic As, Bs, and Cs (and yes, Ds and Fs as well) are the standard mode by which professors assess the quality of a student’s work or how well they’ve mastered a subject. Grades are also thought to motivate students by providing an incentive to prove their worth in the classroom. But these are only the purported purposes of grades; we shouldn’t conflate an understanding of these purposes with a blind faith in our grading system’s ability to achieve them.

Not all grading systems are equally adept at assessing and motivating students; if designed poorly, they may be failing to achieve, and even undermining, those aims. There are many facets of the Penn grading system — such as the use of forced curves and the restrictive pass/fail policy — that subvert student’s interests. Instead of improving a student’s learning process, the University seem more interested in creating a hierarchy of academic success by introducing unnecessary competition or forcing us to be defined by our poor performances. We should be wary of any policy that prioritizes

stratification over education.

The purported benefits and uses of the grading system must be also weighed against the psychological strain that they put on students. In 2015, the Task Force on Student Psychological Health and Welfare released a report which identified, “the drive for academic excellence” as a major cause of Penn’s toxic mental health culture. But in the two years since that report has been released there have been no major changes to Penn’s grading policy to address this.

Recently, Penn President Amy Gutmann committed to adding five new members to the Counseling and Psychological Services staff, a promising effort but one that, as students have noted, won’t alleviate the underlying factors that drive students to use CAPS in the first place. If the administration is serious about improving mental health, then reforming the grading system should be a top priority.

A university adapting its grading system to eliminate unnecessary stressors or to better serve pedagogical interests is by no means unheard of in higher education.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology famously grades freshmen on a pass/fail basis in their first semester as a way to alleviate those same

mental issues that Penn students face. And after determining that its General Education program was failing to meet its intended goals, Harvard adapted its system to one wherein students can take up to half of their general education requirements pass/fail. Penn, for the record, “strongly” advises against freshmen taking courses pass/fail and doesn’t allow any general education requirements to be graded on that basis.

Penn could easily adapt its own

to let students take classes pass/fail because they think that it promotes a lack of educational rigor. But if that’s the motivating factor here, then why let students have the option to take courses pass/fail at all? Clearly the University doesn’t think it hinders a student’s learning to make this decision prior to the drop deadline, so why should it be any different after?

What this policy amounts to is a punishment for students who took a course they aren’t particularly good at but didn’t have the foresight to mark it pass/fail ahead of time.

There’s no reason that a student should have their GPA marred by one bad performance when someone else may have done just as poorly but shielded their grades by marking the class pass/fail.

The common knock against our generation is that we seek constant approval and therefore can’t bear to fail. But the reality is, whether it be job opportunities or graduate school admissions, we’re often competing against a crowd of near perfect candidates. And the way we stack up is evaluated by reductive qualifications such as GPA, which sees failure as something that devalues you, not as something to learn from or overcome.

Another unjustifiable facet of Penn’s grading system is the often-

Not all grading systems are equally adept at assessing and motivating students; if designed poorly, they may be failing to achieve, or even undermining, those aims.” policy, and in less drastic ways, to better promote educational interests. Currently, undergraduates in the College can only choose to have a course graded pass/fail if they specify this choice before the drop deadline. The use of this arbitrary restriction serves no purpose other than to penalize students who don’t immediately designate a course as pass/fail.

Often, administrators are hesitant

CAMERON DICHTER maligned use of forced curves that pit students against one another and put a cap on the number of As given out in the class. Even Wharton professor Adam Grant has said that implementing a forced curve can actually “undermine students’ intrinsic motivation to learn and discourage collaboration.” By incentivizing students to not help, or even to undercut one another, forced curves can actually impede the learning process of students by turning education into a zero-sum game.

Both forced curves and restrictive pass/fail policies serve little to no pedagogical purpose and in some cases can actually inhibit a student’s education. Furthermore, these systems are unjustifiable sources of stress for Penn undergrads. Other universities have reformed their grading systems. It’s time for Penn to do the same.

CAMERON DICHTER is a College senior from Philadelphia, studying English. His email address is camd@ sas.upenn.edu. “Real Talk” usually appears every other Monday.

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SARAH KHAN is a College freshman from Lynn Haven, Fla. Her email address is skhan100@sas.upenn.edu.

MARC MARGOLIS Sports Associate

Becoming citizens of Philadelphia

JULIO SOSA Photo Associate LIZZY MACHIELSE Photo Associate CHRISTINE LAM Design Associate GILLIAN DIEBOLD Design Associate RYAN TU Design Associate ALANA SHUKOVSKY Design Associate TAMSYN BRANN Design Associate ALEX RABIN Copy Associate RENATA HOLMANN Copy Associate NADIA GOLDMAN Copy Associate ALISA BHAKTA Copy Associate MICHAEL SCHWOERER Copy Associate CATHERINE DE LUNA Copy Associate

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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.

MERICAN IN AMERICA | We should explore our new home Buses rumble down streets, blowing leaves and dust onto the sidewalks. Students hurry past, pulling their coats around themselves.

A SEPTA train rumbles under the street, tracing its way through the city, announcing its destination: “Eastbound train to Frankford, making all stops.”

When people ask me how I find Philadelphia, I usually say, “Hmm, I find it interesting,” before grumbling about its grittiness, crime, and public transportation. However, taking an English class on Philadelphia literature this semester has prompted me to reconsider my relationship with this city. So out of curiosity one day, I found a company on the Internet offering walking tours in Philadelphia on a pay-what-you-want basis, and signed up for a two-hour tour of Old City.

When I go on vacations, I really enjoy learning about a city’s history.

Knowing its history gives depth to one’s perception of the place. There is a sense of where the place has been. No longer do I see cathedrals, sculptures, murals, street names, pebble paths, and fountains as benign architectural structures, but instead as active mediators between the past and the present. I thought it would be really interesting to go on a tour of Philadelphia, a city that

isn’t just a place I am visiting on vacation, but somewhere I actually live and study in.

As we arrive and assimilate into Penn, we must also make an effort to learn more about and embed ourselves within the city that we live in.

The city can widen our horizons, teach us lessons, and help us develop a healthier view on life, society, and our goals. Penn is a place full of wonderful opportunities and learning, but we shouldn’t limit ourselves to just eight blocks in University City.

One need only walk through the dusty, leafstrewn sidewalks of Old City, to get a glimpse of Philadelphia’s storied past and the echoes of the giants of United States history who have walked on the ground beneath our feet. In fact, Philadelphia is the only city in North America that is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage City.

During the tour, we walked through Elfreth’s Alley, just off 2nd Street, where we learned that it is widely considered to be the oldest continuously-occupied residential street in the country. Some of the houses have been around since the

early 1700s. It is a charming row of brick houses, with flags hanging from windows and fluttering freely in the wind. Plaques marking the street’s significance and history adorn many houses, and a pebbled path runs the length of the street.

To be in Elfreth’s Alley is to contemplate continuity — walls stand as silent witnesses to the families, generations, and lives which have passed in and out of this hallowed street for centuries. In Elfreth’s Al-

character of one of its historic figures. Philadelphia is home to the first (volunteer) fire-fighting organization, first public hospital, first public lending library, and the first university in America (yes, that’s us). The founding of these establishments can almost all be traced in some manner to Benjamin Franklin.

The city is testament to his innovation, initiative, and relentless pursuit for social progress. In his imprints on this city, present residents can find inspiration and motivation to do more and do better for the city today.

Upon arriving at the Liberty Bell Center, one comes faceto-face with an icon of national history, and a symbol for many movements. Inscribed on the bell are the words, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof,” and it rang in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed. It has since been used as a symbol by abolitionists as well as those who fought for women’s suffrage. The crack symbolizes the fractures in freedom across society and broken ideals,

The city can widen our horizons, teach us lessons, and help us develop a healthier view on life, society, and our goals.” ley, the past invades the present, in its quaint brick walls, dainty windows, and grand trees with gilded leaves and roots stretching deep into the soil, feeding off nutrients and history.

Through investigating the city’s past, one also glimpses into the

SARA MERICAN and ignites people to continue to fight and heal the fissures and inequalities present today.

Embarking on the walking tour of Old City helped me see Philadelphia in a new light. We are not just Penn students, but also residents of Philadelphia and should also therefore take greater interest in the city. Venturing outside Penn and into the city for the occasional BYO or Restaurant Week is not enough. Take the bus downtown, explore a different neighborhood, visit some museums, go to some of the upcoming festive events, or, perhaps, even join a walking tour.

SARA MERICAN is a College sophomore from Singapore, studying English and cinema studies. Her email address is smerican@sas. upenn.edu. “Merican in America” usually appears every Monday.

5

Reading more doesn’t necessarily make you more intellectual PHONE HOME | Books aren’t the only avenue to intelligence, nor is that their sole purpose It’s the beginning of December, which means I’ve got about a month to finish 4,975 books to meet my goal in Goodreads’ 2017 Reading Challenge. The goal was 5,000 — intentionally unattainable.

In past years, I’d set the goal somewhere around 50 to 54 —

that is, a book for every week in the year, adjusted slightly higher or lower depending on my New Year’s Day mood. I doubt I’d ever have thought of this number had I not overheard this very brief exchange in my freshman year of high school, between two juniors: “It’s so

JULIA MCGURK | DESIGN ASSOCIATE

much harder to find time to read this year.” “I know. I’ve been trying for a book a week, you know? I think that’s the least I can do.”

“A book a week” really did seem to me, at the time, like the least one could do, since I was fresh out of middle school. But then, the following year, I set a book-a-week goal and failed utterly to meet it. I was miserable.

The trouble wasn’t that I’d fallen short of a goal (for better or worse, I take that in stride); the trouble was that, at 14, the idea of being “well-read” was central to my conception not just of intelligence, but of goodness, of worth. I wanted to be well-read, but I also wanted (in a wholly cringeworthy way) to associate only with those who were themselves well-read.

Unfortunately, this attitude — especially now — is present across a number of age groups; it’s not just restricted to teenagers who aren’t sure how to pick their friends. The current political climate (described by many as “anti-intellectual”), in combination with the advent of technologies that serve to fill time that could be spent reading (video games, on-demand television) as well as those that simply redefine the word “book” (e-readers, audiobooks) have created the perfect conditions for self-described “intellectuals” everywhere to embrace the book, and the act of reading it, as a form of “resistance.”

The book has become the

symbol of the well-educated, liberal-minded adult that we (supposedly) all aspire to be, post-degree. Reading needn’t be our primary hobby, but in order for us to be admitted into this club, it must be one. But paradoxically, this glorification of reading, this keeping score, makes it less of what it should be: organic and fun. It’s odd that a reader is “better” than a nonreader; it’s odder that a reader of more books is “better” than a

and “self-absorbed” — as were many of the responses. It’s evident, too, from a recently circulated Facebook post depicting a father who told his sons that, while he would “not always buy [them] video games,” he would “always buy [them] books.”

Hearing people complain that “not enough people read” takes the fun out of reading. It’s elitist and it misses the point of reading. I read (and continue to read) a great deal of less-

More books aren’t better, and reading isn’t necessarily better than not reading — so let’s stop acting like that’s the case.”

reader of fewer books. Let’s not count the books we read; let’s read as much as we want to.

In placing books on pedestals, book-lovers (and I implicate myself) intentionally posit themselves as “better” than book-haters, or even those indifferent to the existence of books. This attitude is evident in the strong reactions to Kanye West’s 2009 proclamation that he was a “proud non-reader of books.” Earlier in the same statement, West remarked that some novels were “wordy”

than-intellectual “literature” in pursuit of my “reading goals.”

I don’t think my reading of all 18 books in the “Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice” series contributed at all to my self-development, but it was fun. The net effect on me was no different than that of spending five hours playing SimCity.

When I was younger, I also read quite a lot of “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” in which (direct quote) “well-read people are less likely to be evil.” This is a perfectly reasonable senti-

SHILPA SARAVANAN ment with which to inculcate the books’ intended audience of 11-year-olds, who are still figuring out how to appreciate books as ways to both learn about the world and escape from it. However, those who extol the virtue of being “wellread” to those well past this age don’t have the same goal; they don’t want to help them, they just want to feel better about themselves.

More books aren’t better, and reading isn’t necessarily better than not reading — so let’s stop acting like that’s the case.

I’ll gladly own the fact that I’ve completed less than 1 percent of my (entirely, and obviously, arbitrary) reading goal for the year. Now that I’ve stopped seeing books as the be-all, end-all of being a worthy person, I love reading all the more; but maybe you don’t, and that’s fine, too.

SHILPA SARAVANAN is a College junior from College Station, Texas, studying linguistics. Her email address is shilpasa@sas.upenn.edu.

“Phone Home” usually appears every Thursday.

CARTOON

BRAD HONG is a College sophomore from Morristown, N.J. His email address is bradhong@sas.upenn.edu.

Make giving a daily habit GUEST COLUMN BY MADELINE FAGEN, ALISHA CHOWDHURY & DAWIT GEBRESELLASSIE Penn’s campus and the world at large have recently been shocked by a number of tragic events.

Among various student deaths, natural disasters in Puerto Rico, Texas, and Florida, and shootings in Las Vegas and Texas, we have been overwhelmed by the worst the world has to offer.

The fear and empathy brought about by such events inspire a desire to help within us. As a result, we see an outpouring of giving around times of natural disaster and tragedy. For example, students at our university have created campaigns to aid relief efforts, raising more than $60,000.

Additional philanthropic endeavors have materialized around campus and across the globe in response to these recent events.

It is not surprising that giving increases in times of tragedy.

Sociological research finds that altruism and pro-social behavior are much more common and normal in times of disaster.

This increased giving in times of need is inspiring and necessary. It focuses our attention on those in most direct need of volunteers and donations, and it is evident of the good in the world, something we definitely need to be reminded of at times like these. But, unfortunate as it may be, there are causes in need of our help at all times. Although we should focus efforts on tragedies as they occur, that does not mean we should cease giving when there is no one clear event that triggers our sympathies.

Giving is something that can, and should, be done at any time by anyone.

Millennials seem to be thoughtfully aware of the constant relevance and importance of giving. According to the 2014 Millennial Impact Report, we are more invested in making the world a better place than previous generations, expect more transparency and accountability

in our giving, and are more likely to see our networks and voice as valuable assets for causes as opposed to simple monetary contributions. These unique factors combine to make us “one of

tion retains an image of being “selfish” and “entitled.” We even describe ourselves as “self-absorbed,” “wasteful,” and “greedy,” while previous generations rate themselves much more

We must incorporate giving into our daily lives, promote its significance, and engage in it regularly so we can foster a more unified, empathetic, and civicminded generation.” the most giving and concerned generations in the last century.”

Thus, we seem to be doing a relatively good job with regard to our outlook on philanthropic giving.

However, our “me” genera-

positively. Clearly, the label of “millennial” has come to carry quite a bit of baggage, most of it negative.

Our generation cares deeply about giving and improving the

world, yet we are associated with ideas of selfishness and greed.

Thus, there is a disconnect between how we and others view our generation’s attitude and our actual mindset towards bettering the world. Not surprisingly, then, only 30 percent of those in our generation feel as though the term millennial applies to them well. This is tremendously problematic.

It is not only our job to foster a culture that includes helping fellow humanity as one of our main values, but also that we visibly act on this value to prove to others and ourselves that we are caring, giving people. We must incorporate giving into our daily lives, promote its significance, and engage in it regularly, so we can foster a more unified, empathetic, and civic-minded generation. Here at Penn, there are a variety of ways in which we can fit giving into our schedules, whether that be providing

mentorship to students in local elementary schools or volunteering to cook a meal at the Ronald McDonald house right on Chestnut Street.

A collective increase in giving will not only benefit the infinite number of causes in need of our help, but can also be personally valuable to each and every one of us. We can work together to change this misconception of millennials. We are not selfish.

We are not wasteful. We are driven, compassionate, and impactful.

MADELINE FAGEN is a College sophomore from Manhasset, N.Y., studying biological basis of behavior. ALISHA CHOWDHURY is a College senior from Kenner, La., studying economics. DAWIT GEBRESELLASSIE is a Wharton senior from Denver studying social impact and responsibility and finance. They are all members of The Locus Initiative.

6 NEWS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Fossil Free Penn struggles to effect policy change FFP hopes to channel support from alumni KELLY HEINZERLING Deputy News Editor

Three years after its founding, Fossil Free Penn has solidified itself as a campus organization pushing for University divestment from fossil fuels. But despite a diversified array of efforts to sway the administration, Penn has not budged since FFP’s launch in 2014.

Multiple protests, rallies, and outreach efforts with administrators have not produced tangible University policy changes. But group members seem to remain optimistic about FFP’s future, and many said

this is because of the club’s change in strategy this semester. Earlier this semester, FFP established that they are focusing more on reaching students and individual members of the Board of Trustees.

“The protests weren’t as large and impactful as we wanted them to be, so what we’re trying to do is rebrand,” said College sophomore Jacob Hershman, FFP outreach coordinator. “We believe [waiting to plan another protest] is the most appropriate and successful way of achieving what we want with the divestment movement.”

FFP has reached some recent qualitative success. This semester, attendance at their weekly meetings has increased by 50 percent, and it

has garnered the support of on-campus groups such as Table Talk and the United Minorities Council.

In upcoming semesters, FFP plans on channeling alumni to the divestment cause.

FFP Faculty and Alumni Coordinator and College junior Amy Goldfischer said she is working on a project in collaboration with alumni to create a fund for FFP. That fund would be donated to Penn if Penn decides to divest from fossil fuels.

Failure to divest by a certain date would send the funds to the FFP campaign.

“It’s not an overnight process, so we focus on building bases of support,” Goldfischer said. “I think this semester has definitely had a lot of

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progress.”

FFP was founded in 2014 after the People’s Climate March in New York City with the goal of Penn divesting all money from fossil fuels — an action that can only be taken by Penn’s Board of Trustees, chaired by Senior Executive Vice President of Comcast David Cohen.

In February last year, the group created a University-wide referendum to see campus’ opinion on divestment. Thirty-three percent of the undergraduate students voted, of which 87.8 percent favored divestment. In November of 2015, the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Divestment was established and it ultimately ended in a September 2016 decision not to divest from fossil fuels.

The decision prompted a series of actions from the group, including a February 2017 demonstration at a University Council forum and the November 2016 and March 2017 sit-ins in College Hall that resulted in the Office of Student Conduct citing 13 students.

After another rejection of its open letter to the University in June, FFP officially decided to rebrand. The group began the semester with a rally and reached out to the Board of Trustees again.

Despite Cohen’s reiteration of the University’s decision, FFP members have continued to protest at Board of Trustees meetings and focus on expanding the group’s membership.

“I would definitely call this semester successful, at the very least we expanded our circles,” FFP Campaign Co-Coordinator and College junior Zach Rissman said, adding that attending the Trustees meetings allowed students to become more “motivated” after witnessing the “scripted” nature of how Penn operates.

FFP Co-Coordinator and College sophomore Claudia Silver said she became involved after attending the 200-person sit-in at College Hall in March this year.

However, she said she does not expect large sit-ins in the future — at least until FFP is confident that they will be more effective.

“We’re not trying to repeat the same tactics we’ve done before,” Silver said. “We have the same goal of divestment but we’ve tried to come up with new ways to come about it.”

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DESSERT THEATRE

FOSSIL FREE PENN TIMELINE Fossil Free Penn is formed after the People’s Climate March in New York City Referendum receives over 650 signatures with 87.8 percent of the student body favoring divestment FFP submits a 48-page divestment proposal to the University Council Steering Committee FFP holds rally at College Green and speaks at University Council Open Forum The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees announces it will not divest from fossil fuels 30 students stage a seven-hour sit-in at College Hall that results in a meeting with Amy Gutmann and Board of Trustees Chair David Cohen Following an off-the-record meeting, FFP stages a demonstration at the University Council Open Forum Over 200 students join overnight sit-ins in College Hall and 13 are cited for violating University policy Full Board of Trustees meeting reaffirms decision not to divest

FFP hosts a start-of-school rally

FFP emails a letter explaining the advantages of divestment to every member of the Board of Trustees Chair David Cohen responds to the letter reiterating the decision not to divest; FFP silently protests the Executive Board of Trustees meeting FFP hosts Divestfest on College Green

FFP holds 60 person silent sit-in at the Board of Trustees meeting

September 25, 2014

February 23-27, 2015

November 2, 2015

December 2, 2015

September 22, 2016

November 10, 2016

February 22, 2017

March 28-30, 2017

June 16, 2017

August 30, 2017

September 25, 2017

September 28, 2017

October 30-31, 2017

November 3, 2017

Seeking a caring, dog-loving student who is available over the winter break.

Our family adopted two, 12 week-old, teacup Pomeranians, named Pooh and Tigger. My wife and I both work from home 18 hours a day are seeking a student to live with our family and housebreak the puppies over the winter break. You would be paid $300/week plus room and board. Once the puppies are housebroken you will receive a $1000 bonus. We live in Voorhees, New Jersey with three of our children (two girls, 17 & 15, and our son, 13). I attended Drexel and Temple Law, my wife attended Temple undergrad and my sister, who lives a few blocks away, is a UPenn Graduate. I mention all of that as a way of assuring you that you will be in a safe loving home. Your parents may contact us if they have questions.

You can see the house on google maps, and we will give the address to you upon your call.

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Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop: Unpacking Race Dec 5 @ 6:30 PM Led by Hariprasad Kowtha & Morgan FitzPatrick Andrews Tuition: $45–$125 sliding scale Limited space! Worktrade & childcare available upon request.

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Andrew’s Video Vault: Diabolical French Drama Dec 14 @ 8:00 PM Under the Sun of Satan [Sous le soleil de Satan] (1976) The Devil, Probably [Le diable, probablement] (1977) VIEWER DIESCRETION IS ADVISED Since 2004, Andrew’s Video Vault is a free, once-a-month screening series at The Rotunda in West Philadelphia programed by film director and educator Andrew Repasky McElhinney. This program is made possible through the generous support of the Cinema Studies Program and The Rotunda at the University of Pennsylvania.

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EVENTS

>> FRONT PAGE

these groups were what used to be known as “unidentified, offcampus groups” such as THEOS, which functions as a fraternity.

Cade said THEOS has been cooperative in registering their events and that she has enjoyed getting to know its members. She even removed text on the VPUL website that discourages students from joining “unidentified, offcampus groups.”

“We don’t have ‘on-campus’ and ‘off-campus’ anymore, which I like,” she said. “Everybody should have access to the same resources for prevention and wellness.”

College senior Cami Potter, who is also a writer for 34th Street, wrote a petition against the University’s regulations that reached over 2,500 signatures in September, said that after a semester, Penn’s policies have become more understandable to her and other students.

“I have seen the registered

events in place and functioning well,” she said, “so I do think it takes both sides in order to make it work.”

Potter added that although the policies seemed extreme to her in the beginning of the semester, she thinks that she can now better understand the University’s perspective after seeing that many other colleges are taking similar actions.

In this semester alone, five large universities have entirely suspended Greek life. They are: the University of Michigan, Ohio State, Texas State, Louisiana State, and Penn State universities.

College sophomore Blaze Bernstein, who wrote an op-ed in October describing the University’s policies as ”alienating and incompetent,” said he agreed with Potter.

Although Bernstein said there was little transparency when the policies were first instituted, the FAQ section on VPUL’s website about event registration has helped him better understand the

NEWS 7

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017 administration’s intentions to improve the campus climate.

However, Bernstein said he is still skeptical as to whether administrative policies can adequately address the deep-seated problems that the Task Force was designed to address such as sexual harassment and violence, substance abuse, and other student conduct code violations.

He said he also maintains that the University’s regulations have limited social life, as fraternities function as a community for many students. He added that Penn’s social environment is changing as students work to reconfigure their social lives.

Potter agreed, noting that campus social life “does seem a little sadder.”

“Overall, it does feel a little different and I’m not sure if that’s the result of the new rules or if that’s the result of a cultural thing going on at all schools,” she said.

Cade acknowledged that the new social policies could have been communicated more clearly in the beginning of the semester.

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MONTHLY REGISTRATION COMPARISON 2016-2017

THERE WAS A 65% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED EVENTS THIS FALL, AS COMPARED TO LAST FALL, FROM 127 TO 194 THE FIRST-EVER REGISTERED EVENTS FROM FORMERLY UNRECOGNIZED/UNDERGROUND OFF-CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS TOOK PLACE THIS FALL

AUG.

SEPT.

OCT.

NOV.

TOTAL

2016

9

30

44

44

127

2017

3

55

59

77

194

OUT OF A TOTAL OF 12 REGISTERED EVENTS FOR IDENTIFIED OFF-CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS, ALL 12 INVOLVED ALCOHOL ALANA SHUKOVSKY | DESIGN ASSOCIATE

“What I would have done differently, over the summer and the first part of this academic year, is talk just as much and give just as much information about the violence prevention and sexual vio-

lence work that we were doing as much as I did about events and activities,” she said.

Potter also said she has heard fewer stories about groups of friends or philanthropy events

getting shut down.

“I do think now we’re at more of a middle ground that we didn’t possibly have in the past,” she said. “I hope that it doesn’t have to get an extreme again.”

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8 NEWS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Penn Women SPEAK gathered to discuss Locust Walk preachers Religious protesters have used homophobic language KAITLYN BOYLE Contributing Reporter

In its second event of the semester, Penn Women SPEAK gathered on Nov. 30 to discuss how to respond to the controversial protesters on Locust Walk that may make students feel uncomfortable or offended.

This community dialogue comes at the end of a semester with several controversial protests on Locust Walk, including an anti-abortion protest that included graphic photos and a variety of religious protests by anti-LGBT preachers.

The first dialogue of the semester

titled, “Reactions to Sexual Harassment: #MeToo vs. The Task Force,” addressed sexual harassment on campus and nationally. It also responded to recommendations presented by the Task Force for a Safe and Responsible Campus Community, which formed in response to protests of the rape culture at Penn.

The conversation last Thursday began with a discussion of free speech, followed by an evaluation of the various protests over the past few semesters. The dialogue then led into the variety of ways that students can respond to the protestors, including counter protests and chalking, and whether or not the University should do anything to prevent some of the more graphic protests.

Another goal of the conversation

was to discuss the best way to respond to the protestors.

“I think there should be a bigger network about it,” said Penn Women SPEAK President and College junior Andreina Lamas. “It would be so useful if we had an optional app that could alert students about that kind of thing, especially the more triggering ones there are.”

Lamas said that Penn needs to quickly respond to the protests in order to protect students who may be affected.

“There needs to be a much more immediate reaction for the students who are being affected, or even a proactive stance,” Lamas said, ” before it gets to a point where there are students who have been negatively impacted.”

TAX BILL

>> FRONT PAGE

was happy that the tax reform measures were finally passed.

“Tax reform is long overdue,” Moroz said. “It’s a big step in easing the burden on taxpayers and making us competitive.”

The bill’s chances gained a massive boost on Thursday morning when Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) committed his support. McCain had been on the fence about the tax plan and notably defeated the health care reform bill this summer when he publically commented against it, creating divisions within the Republican party.

“I’m glad McCain was in a good mood,” Moroz joked.

Leaders of Penn Dems were far less optimistic about the bill, criticizing its content and the nature in which it was passed.

“I am incredibly disappointed that the bill passed,” said President of Penn Dems and College junior Rachel Pomerantz.

Pomerantz said she thought the GOP abandoned the fiscal responsibility principles it had championed for decades, citing a report from the Joint Committee on Taxation.

According to the report, the Senate bill will add $1 trillion

Penn Women SPEAK aimed to make the event — which was held in the living room of the Penn Women’s Center — as comfortable as possible for attendees.

Penn Women SPEAK Director of Dialogue and College senior Emily Hason moderated the discussion, assuring attendees that the area was a safe space, as the topic can be sensitive for some.

College junior Francesca Polizotto, the director of internal communications of Penn Women SPEAK, said members felt this topic was appropriate due to the frequency of protests on Locust Walk this semester. The club holds private meetings every month, but decided to open up this topic to all students.

“We felt that it would be an appropriate place to discuss these protests here at our discussion,” she said. “We wanted to open it up to the greater community, not just the board, and see what other people were thinking.”

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to the deficit over the span of 10 years, after accounting for economic growth. The report is at odds with GOP lawmakers’ predictions that the tax cut would pay for itself through economic growth.

Pomerantz also criticized how hastily the bill was passed.

“The bill was jammed through at [the] absolute last minute.

Senators were presented with a 400-plus-page amendment hours before it was supposed to be voted on,” Pomerantz said. “Republicans should have been willing to debate.”

Political Chair of Penn Dems and Wharton sophomore Dylan Milligan said he was worried about the anticipated effects of the tax bill.

“There’s plenty of data to show the majority of the burden from the change in the tax code is overwhelmingly going towards the young, poor, and the middle class,” Milligan said.

The bill also contains provisions unrelated to tax reform that appeal to religious conservatives. The bill repeals a ban on religious groups participating in political activism, as well as implementing new rights for unborn fetuses.

Staff reporter Manlu Liu contributed reporting to this article.

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SPORTS 9

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017

Swimming faces nation’s best at Tennessee Invite Men impress, finish third; women finish in fifth JOSH STONBERG Sports Reporter

Penn’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving made a long trek to Knoxville, Tenn. over the weekend to compete against the nation’s best in the Tennessee Invitational.

After the three long days of intense competition, the women placed fifth out of eight teams with 346 points, while the men came in third with 733 points, finishing behind only Denver (by just seven points) and the hosts, No. 15 Tennessee.

On Thursday, senior Virginia Burns put in a strong effort, finishing the 500-yard freestyle in 4:45.52 to take fourth place. On

HAIN YOON | CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Junior swimmer Nancy Hu had a big final day at the Tennessee Invitational last weekend, finishing sixth in the 200-yard butterfly.

the back of Burns’ performance, the women’s team entered day two in fifth.

Burns continued her strong weekend on Friday, finishing second in the 200-yard freestyle

with a time of 1:46.79. The women remained in fifth place again after day two, and although they sought to bridge the gap to the top four on Saturday, the margin was too wide.

Though the women were unable to improve on their place in the overall standings, two swimmers besides Burns stood out for the women’s team on the final day — rookie Quinn Scannell and junior Nancy Hu. Scannell finished the 200yard backstroke in 1:58.94, good enough for ninth place.

Hu zoomed through the 200yard butterfly in 1:59.14, which earned her sixth in the race.

On the men’s side, the foursome of junior Thomas Dillinger, freshman Sean Lee, junior Mark Blinstrub, and junior Mark Andrew carried the team to a second-place finish on day one.

The quartet finished third in the 200-yard medley with a time of 1:18.69, third in the 400-yard medley at 3:12.31 and finished second-through-fifth, respectively, in the 200-yard individual

medley. Their strong day had the men in second place behind host Tennessee after Thursday.

Andrew continued his highlevel swimming on day two, picking up Penn’s first individual win in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 3:46.99. Blinstrub also contributed to an impressive day for Penn, posting a top-five finish in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 47.54.

On day three, rookie distance swimmer Will Thomas stood out for the men’s team, finishing the 1,650-yard freestyle in second place with a time of 15:06.52.

Lee finished as the runner-up in his race as well, swimming the 200-yard butterfly in 1:45.20.

Blinstrub rounded out the day for Penn with a top-five finish in the 200-yard backstroke.

The men’s podium-place

finish started the season on a high note, especially since the Quakers finished just seven points behind Denver, who received multiple votes in the CSCAA Coaches’ Poll.

The women, meanwhile, may not have finished in the top half of its meet, but the level of competition could hardly have been any higher. No. 7 Tennessee and No. 22 North Carolina provided stiff competition for the Quakers, while Duke, who also received multiple votes in the CSCAA Coaches’ Poll, gave the Philadelphians a hard time as well.

Overall, the invitational provided Penn a great chance to face opponents the team’s top individuals could see later on at the championship end of the season and got the Quakers’ 2017-18 campaign off on the right foot.

Quakers rebound from loss to Rider and finish opening weekend 3-1 WRESTLING | Penn goes undefeated at Hofstra Duals TYLER SHEVIN Sports Reporter

It was definitely worth the wait.

In Penn wrestling’s opening weekend with duals, the Quakers finished 3-1 with wins over Campbell, The Citadel, and Hofstra, while suffering a loss against Rider.

The Quakers (3-1) fell 15-9 to Rider on Friday in the Palestra, before responding to beat Campbell, 16-15, The Citadel, 35-10, and Hofstra, 34-8, on Sunday in the Hofstra Duals in Hempstead, New York.

In the first dual of the season for the Quakers, coach Roger Reina needed a strong team performance against Rider, who came in as the No. 21 team in the country.

“I thought we had a good overall team performance on Friday night. We knew we needed to get some upsets to put us in a position to win, and we got a couple of those,” Reina said.

Rider came in after defeating Iowa State last Sunday and extended their winning streak in Philadelphia, despite an impressive performance from Penn.

“I think everybody wrestled really hard. Rider is a very balanced team up and down the lineup and has a lot of veterans in the lineup,” Reina added.

Penn came out on top of each dual on Sunday, defeating Campbell, The Citadel, and Hofstra in succession. The fully packed weekend tested the team’s endurance and focus.

“I think it is good preparation for the tournaments that we have coming up like the Midlands Championships at the end

of December,” the winningest head coach in Penn wrestling history said. “This kind of a weekend is really good preparation for those multi-day events and being able to handle multiple matches in one day.

I thought our guys responded well to that.”

Freshman Khamari Whimper, senior Joe Olivia, senior Joe Heyob, senior Frank Mattiace, and sophomore Jake Lizak were undefeated on Sunday The Quaker freshmen continued to improve and stand out this weekend. Gianni Ghione, Daniel Planta, and Khamari Whimper performed at a high level. On Friday, Ghione had a first period pin, his fourth of the season, against Hofstra’s Jonathon Tropea.

“I thought Gianni Ghionne also posted a good win today against a Hofstra opponent.

And Khamari Whimper had three wins, and I think had re-

FILE PHOTO

Penn wrestling senior Frank Mattiace helped the Quakers finish the Hofstra Duals on Sunday undefeated with wins against Hofstra, Campbell, and The Citadel.

ally good steps forward in his progress,” Reina added.

“It is really building important experience for them as they

move into this role as a freshman starter,” Reina continued.

The Quakers will look to take continue this momentum

against Lehigh next Sunday at home and at the Midlands Championships the last weekend of December.

finals.

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10 SPORTS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Gymnastics opens season in style with intrasquad meet Quakers enjoy only competition before January SAM MITCHELL Sports Reporter

In the team’s meet late Friday night, the excitement generated

by Penn gymnastics was palpable. So much so, you’d never even know that it was a preseason, intrasquad meet.

According to coach John Ceralde, this excitement is due in large part to “team camaraderie.�

Watching the team compete against and with each other, it’s easy to see what he means.

Throughout the Red and Blue Intrasquad Meet, members of the

RED ZONE

>> BACKPAGE

gin of victory or loss was the lowest among the Ivy League and was nearly a touchdown below the conference average.

So what’s the point?

When all the games are close, and a win or loss is decided by a single score, how a team plays under pressure becomes extremely important. When teams are fairly evenly-matched, they need to come up with big plays when it counts.

They need to get stops in the red zone — that is, in the 20 yards in front of their own end zone.

Every football team has challenges, and Penn did a lot of things well this season. Its rushing attack was the second best in the conference. Its kicking was incredibly consistent. The Quakers were even the most disciplined team, giving up the fewest yards to penalties in conference games. However, they had one glaring weakness — the league’s worst red zone defense.

In every game that Penn lost opponents this year, they failed to get a single stop in the red zone. In every game they

team shouted supporting words to each other and, despite being serious competitors, also wanted to see their teammates achieve the best results that they could. “Every meet is the same,� said team captain Kyra Levi. “[This meet was] a chance for us to put ourselves through this situation, to see how we deal with the stress.�

In order to prepare for the tough competition they’ll face later this season, the Quakers keep up a high level of intensity and passion, even in the preseason. “We try to promote a positive culture in the program,� said Ceralde, explaining how his players keep their intensity throughout

all competition and training.

But, this team isn’t just about intense competition. They’re also a tight-nit group that emphasizes supporting each other and putting the team first. “As a teammate, you lead by example in terms of supporting your teammates,� said Levi. “Keep reminding people, day in and day out, that they’re teammates first, individuals second.�

Although the Quakers won’t see an opposing team until the Lindsey Ferris Invitational on January 14th, they surely appear to have a lot of experience already under their belt, because they give every training opportunity, even an intrasquad scrimmage, their all.

won, they got at least one stop.

Games were won and lost for the Quakers with their backs up against the goal line, and their disappointing season stems from the fact that far too often, they couldn’t come up with a stop.

The problem wasn’t their defense overall, which ranks around the middle of the pack in most metrics. They were right around average in how often they let opponents get to the red zone, too.

Where they fell well below average was in red zone defense. At nearly 86 percent, the Quakers gave up more scores per chance in the red zone than any other team in the conference. However, this doesn’t tell the full story, as there are myriad factors left unaccounted for in this metric.

As most football fans know, it’s actually a big accomplishment for a defense to stop a touchdown and force a field goal attempt — but a successful field goal still counts as a red zone score. On the other hand, a missed field goal is given the same weight as an interception, despite the fact that an interception is a huge defensive success

ANNA LISA LOWENSTEIN | DESIGN ASSOCIATE

while a missed field goal (except for blocked kicks, which are rare) often has nothing to do with the defense.

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ference can matter when game margins are small and the offense has multiple opportunities in the red zone.

As a result, a shift from an EPA of 5.44 to 3.93 would be enough to flip every Ivy League loss this season, although the team would still have lost to Central Connecticut. On average, the Quakers would be 9-1, Ivy League Champions, and undefeated in conference play.

This reinforces what was already clear from looking at Penn’s margin of victory/loss: when games are close, these critical moments make all the difference.

Although the team is surely disappointed by this season’s result, these statistics are a reason to be hopeful. Although many strong members of the team will be graduating this spring, including star wide receiver Justin Watson, who is a finalist for Ivy League Player of the Year, there is little reason to believe that the team won’t have games just as closely-fought next season.

Just like this season, the Quakers should be among the best in the conference and a contention for their third championship in four seasons.

NEWYORKTIMESCROSSWORDPUZZLE Edited by Will Shortz Crossword Edited

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It’s far better to look at the defense in terms of the points they allow on average. The Ivy League doesn’t compute that

metric, but the model below can be used to represent this.

For each chance an opponent has in the red zone, it provides the average points one would expect them to score. This is based on all their DI games this year (excluding the team’s win over DII Ohio Dominican, because no other team in the conference played a DII team) and based on all their Ivy games this year.

The results are pretty definitive: Penn gives up a lot of points in the red zone. The Quakers aren’t last only when non-conference games are excluded. A possible explanation is that this is because Penn scored many times in the red zone on both the Tigers and the Crimson, and so with a smaller sample size of seven games, that pushes Princeton’s and Harvard’s expected points allowed (EPA) higher.

In either set of data, Penn is between one and one and a half points behind Yale, the red zone defensive leader and 2017 Ivy League Champion. This is well under a made field goal in value, so it might not seem like that big of a deal.

However, even a small dif-

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LUKE YEAGLEY | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Penn gymnastics senior and captain Kyra Levy will look to help the Quakers continue their momentum from the Red and Blue Intrasquad meet into the season opener on January 14.

@dailypenn

/dailypenn

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

SPORTS 11

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017

Douglas is Player of the Week after upset, two sweeps M. SQUASH | Penn’s star rookie is 6-0 on the year CARTER THOMPSON Associate Sports Editor

There were many strong performances by athletes wearing the Red and Blue this weekend, but Andrew Douglas’ performance for Penn men’s squash stood above the rest.

The freshman from Brooklyn, N.Y., and Penn’s top player, went 2-0 in the team’s doubleheader against St. Lawrence and Williams — two teams that are ranked third and 21st in the nation, respectively. The Quakers dropped their first match against St. Lawrence, 6-3, but they roared back in the afternoon to defeat Williams, 9-0.

Douglas has been dominant all

season — he has dropped just one game out of 18 en route to a 6-0 record. Considering he has played in the number one slot against two top-10 teams and three top20 teams, Douglas’ record is truly staggering. His most impressive victory came this weekend as he swept the No. 2 ranked collegiate squash player, Ahmed Bayoumy, of St. Lawrence.

Douglas’ dominance has not come as much of a surprise, however. The rookie is ranked No. 156 in the world squash rankings.

He has asserted himself to the front of the lineup for Penn and has anchored the team with his strong performances thus far this season.

For leading the charge behind Penn men’s squash weekend split, Douglas’ dominant performance has earned him DP Sports’ Player of the Week.

PAULINE COLAS & JULIA SCHORR | CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER & DESIGN EDITOR

BOWMAN

>> BACKPAGE

ciate every opportunity to learn.”

Additionally, the time spent solely as a practice player also allowed the game to slow down for Bowman and see it from a different perspective.

In addition to his responsibilities as a defensive specialist, Bowman also shares the responsibility of recruiting with all the other Quaker’s assistants. Even for someone of his pedigree, he does not hit the recruiting trail looking for players that resembled himself.

“For me it’s more about who can help Penn get back to where it belongs,” Bowman said.

“Coach [Steve] Donahue coaches a certain style and we just try to find players that fit into the style he wants to coach. It’s never been about me. My time as a player is gone.”

While he may not look for “the next Ira Bowman,” he did admit some current Quakers remind him of himself back in his playing days.

FILE PHOTO

Penn assistant coach Ira Bowman is the team’s longest-tenured coach and also played two seasons for the Quakers before going pro.

The attributes on this Penn roster that remind him most of himself are freshman Eddie Scott’s athleticism and work ethic, senior Darnell Foreman’s dedication, and sophomore AJ Brodeur’s motor.

All in all, the rich history and tradition along with the opportunity to put Penn basketball back on top are what makes this opportunity so special for Bowman.

“I count my blessings everyday I get a chance to walk into

the Palestra and come here and interact with kids that are true student athletes,” Bowman said.

“Coaching here is different because it’s really what I like to call ‘the Mecca of college basketball.’”

Though Penn has yet to finish above fourth place in the Ivy League during Bowman’s tenure, the Quaker’s improving young core could provide Bowman the opportunity to finally garner an Ivy League crown as a coach.

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Just One Stop

FOUNDED 1885

Ira Bowman hopes to return Penn to glory days

Penn football played the closest games in the ivy league this year — and one stat might have been the difference between a third straight title and disappointment Sam Mitchell | Sports reporter

GAME MARGINS 0-3

M. HOOPS | Now an assistant at Penn, Bowman won Ivy Player of the Year in 1993

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very game that Penn football won against NCAA Division I opponents this season had something in common: they all featured at least one crucial stop in the red zone.

The Quakers had high expectations coming into this season, following a pair of back-to-back Ivy League Championships. Penn received five first-place votes in the league’s preseason media poll

and was ranked just behind Princeton and Harvard, despite losing last year’s strong group of seniors, including star quarterback Alex Torgersen.

Despite the team’s winning record and a stunning, last-second victory over rival Princeton, most Penn fans were disappointed by this year’s results, especially given that the Quakers may have actually been the best Ivy team this year.

Penn’s heartbreaking losses featured a comeback and overtime loss to Columbia and a narrow victory by Dartmouth on the last play of the game. Beyond the drama of these games, however, is an important fact: Penn’s games were incredibly close this season.

This doesn’t just apply to its losses, either. Penn’s average marSEE RED ZONE PAGE 10

One would be hard pressed to find someone who loves Penn basketball and this University more than Ira Bowman.

Now in his sixth season as an assistant, Bowman is men’s basketball’s longest tenured coach. Originally an assistant under Jerome Allen, the former 6’5 guard’s main task is to coach defensive schemes and rotations for the Quakers.

Still, his focus on defense does not mean that Bowman did not used to get buckets. In his senior season at Penn, he averaged 16.4 points per game and garnered Ivy League player of the year as well as firstteam All-Philadelphia Big 5. His junior season, he averaged an efficient 10.8 points per game on 57.1% shooting while playing a complementary role to future NBA guards Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney.

After an eight year stint as a professional basketball player, where he played in the NBA and overseas, Bowman entered the coaching ranks as an assistant for New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in 2009. After a successful stint as an assistant there, Bowman finally retuned to Penn as an assistant under Jerome Allen for the 2012-2013 season.

Aside from coaching at a more established program, Bowman took the position to give back to a school that has given him so much.

“My best friends in life, I have made while I was with this program,” Bowman reflected. “I developed some great relationships and I know what it feels like to have Penn on top and that’s my goal; to get Penn back there.”

However, even with all of success, Bowman was not always destined to be a star for the Red and Blue.

The future Quakers standout originally played for Providence. After two nondescript years where he barely saw the court, Bowman decided to transfer.

Unfortunately for Bowman, per NCAA rules regarding transfers, he was forced to sit out the 1993-1994 season.

Led by Penn legends Jerome Allen, Matt Maloney, and coach Fran Dunphy, the Quakers ended up beating Nebraska in the NCAA tournament as an #11 seed that season. Though it was undoubtedly tough for Bowman to sit out one do the best seasons in Penn basketball history, the current assistant brings many lessons from that season to his job today.

“With the game being taken away from you in a sense, having not being able to compete, builds up some things in you,” Bowman said. “I think that it affects me as a coach now. I have patience but I appreSEE BOWMAN PAGE 11

ANNA LISA LOWENSTEIN | DESIGN ASSOCIATE

Penn squash takes two wins from three on wild Sunday to end semester Douglas snags big upset; Sedky takes racquet to face WILLIAM SNOW Senior Sports Editor

In their final weekend in action for 2017, Penn men’s and women’s squash defended their home court against some of the nation’s best.

While the women edged No. 14 Williams College, 6-3, the men split their Sunday doubleheader, falling to No. 3 St. Lawrence in the morning, 6-3, before sweeping No. 21 Williams later that afternoon.

Despite the mixed results for the men (5-1), a narrow loss to the third-best program in the country (2-0) for the Collegiate Squash Association’s No. 5 squad can hardly been seen as a bitter disappointment. Highlights could still be drawn from the top-seed match, for instance, in which Penn’s star freshman Andrew Douglas swept the second-ranked player in the entire CSA, Egyptian Ahmed Bayoumy, 3-0.

SAM HOLLAND | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

After Penn women’s squash lost three players to injury, sophomore Lindsay Stanley played up to the No. 3 slot against Williams and pulled out an intense, narrow win over her opponent to help give Penn the win on the day.

Douglas has dropped just one of his 19 games this season, marching out to a 6-0 record with two more wins on Sunday.

In the men’s nightcap against Williams (1-6), the Quakers swept almost entirely across the board — eight of the nine men

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won their games 3-0, while junior Karim Tarek in the five slot dropped his first game but took the next three to complete the

9-0 sweep of the Ephs.

At the same time, the CSA No. 5 women’s team (4-1) found itself in a much tighter match-up with Williams (2-4).

The Quakers enjoyed a surge from their players in the threethrough-seven slots along with a typically dominant performance from top woman Reeham Sedky to beat the Ephs, 6-3.

Sedky beat her opponent on center court in three straight 11-1 games, despite being struck in the face by a racquet seven points into the first game and having to take a break to stop the bleeding.

“I had so much adrenaline, so it didn’t really affect me until after the match,” Sedky explained seven hours later, with her nose still bleeding. “It did sting in the beginning, but it was fine.”

A fierce fight at the No. 3 slot between sophomore Lindsay Stanley and Williams’ Julia Ward was the highlight of the day. After losing the first and third games — including an 11-5 score in the third — things looked bleak for Stanley, but

she climbed back with an 11-7 game to tie it up and finished with an 11-8 game to win it all and tilt the balance of the day in the Quakers’ favor.

The women made it past Williams to end a tough stretch of matches they played without crucial members of their squad.

Melissa Alves, Marie Stephan, and Jess Davis all missed the contest against Williams, forcing the majority of the squad to play up against higher-level competition.

“We have someone like Lindsay Stanley who usually plays five or six on the team, but today she played three. She might have felt some pressure in the beginning, but she handled it really well,” Sedky said. “It should give her that confidence boost, knowing that if she can win at the three, then she can definitely win at the five or six.”

Both the men and the women will now rest until next semester. The men’s team returns to action on Jan. 10 against Rochester, while the women will take a few more days off and play Brown on the 14th.

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