April 21, 2022

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885

PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

VOL. CXXXVIII

NO. 13

Penn’s COVID-19 case count reaches over 800, marking 13-week high Undergraduate students comprised over 70% of new cases JONAH MILLER Senior Reporter

Penn’s COVID-19 case count more than doubled last week after Spring Fling weekend, reaching the highest number of positive tests in 13 weeks, at the same time that Philadelphia is on the brink of shifting to a stricter response tier.

A total of 801 community members tested positive for COVID-19 during the week from April 10 to April 16 — up 377 from the week before.

Undergraduates comprised over 70% of new cases, with 573 positive results, the highest in 10 weeks.

Graduate students made up 170 new cases. The two populations combined for more than 90% of positive cases in the past week.

Administrators wrote on the COVID-19 Dashboard that new transmissions continue to be primarily associated with social gatherings, such as parties, and household exposures.

Executive Director of Campus Health and Wellbeing Ashlee Halbritter told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the Wellness Team will continue to follow the data before making any further revisions to the University’s public health guidance. The future course of in-person finals and end-of-semester activities will be guided by these recommendations, Halbritter said, adding that the only additional protective layer that has been added is masking indoors.

“While we can always enforce more stringent requirements, we must continue to implement and follow the guidance and requirements the City of Philadelphia imposes,” Halbritter said. “It is worth noting that, unlike in the past, we have not seen a commensurate increase in hospitalizations due to COVID-19, which is reassuring.”

According to research conducted by Penn Medicine in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the BA.2 Omicron subvariant has become the dominant strain of COVID-19 found across the Delaware River Valley in recent weeks.

PHOTO BY JESSE ZHANG

‘A SHAMELESS COVER-UP’ University officials allegedly overhauled a Penn Medicine investigation into the Gene Therapy Program, removing all allegations against director Jim Wilson PIA SINGH AND CONOR MURRAY Senior Reporters

Top University officials allegedly manipulated a Perelman School of Medicine investigation into years of workplace abuse allegations within the Gene Therapy Program in order to protect its financial interests and director Jim Wilson, according to internal reports obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Following our previous reporting on GTP’s toxic workplace environment, based upon testimonies of 11 current and former GTP employees, the DP obtained a selection of documents alleging that Penn administrators covered up a lengthy investigation into the program’s workplace and its leadership.

See GTP, page 3

See COVID-19, page 7

Pritchett agrees to meet with UC Townhomes residents after protesters disrupt University event The protest took place during the Silfen Forum 2022 which hosted filmmaker Ken Burns, Penn’s 2022 commencement speaker RADWAN AZIM Staff Reporter

Penn students disrupted a forum moderated

by Interim President Wendell Pritchett to demand that the University take action to prevent the imminent eviction of residents from the University City Townhomes — a housing development primarily occupied by Black and low-income Philadelphians.

The protest took place during the Silfen Forum 2022, an event held on April 18, which hosted filmmaker and documentarian Ken Burns, Penn’s 2022 commencement speaker. The demonstration was organized by the Save the UC Townhomes Coalition, a group consisting of Penn students, residents of the UC Townhomes, and organizers from other activist groups in Philadelphia.

The event was disrupted by approximately 15 demonstrators, consisting of Penn undergraduate and graduate students and alumni. The demonstrators called for the University to take action against the eviction of residents from the UC Townhomes and for Pritchett to hold a public meeting with Townhomes residents and key supporters of the cause to discuss their concerns and demands. After about five minutes of synchronized chanting from the protesters, Pritchett said he appreciated the protesters practicing their freedom of speech, adding that he would eventually speak with the Save the UC Townhomes group after the event.

Pritchett previously told The Daily Pennsylvanian that Penn is “in conversations with” city leaders about how to help deal with the scarcity of affordable housing throughout University City, although he did not explicitly mention the Townhomes.

At the event, the protesters held signs that read, “Save the UC Townhomes,” “Stop Penntrification,” and “Stop Displacing Black Families.” UC Townhomes residents were unable to attend the

The initial 21-page report detailing this investigation’s findings was ultimately slimmed down to a four-page draft following intervention from Penn’s Office of General Counsel, with the fifth and final draft devoid of all allegations against Wilson and GTP’s Executive Director of Research Administration Monique Molloy.

Black students egged and called racial, homophobic slurs at Spring Fling party At 11:15 p.m., students were heard screaming while individuals threw eggs at students that burst upon impact on their faces, body, hair, and clothes MATTEO BUSTERNA Staff Reporter

“The residents have a right to an open meeting with an institution so involved in their displacement and the threat of eviction,” Starobin said during the event.

Black students were hit with eggs and called racial and homophobic slurs at an off-campus party during Spring Fling weekend.

Approximately 100 students attended the party, which was hosted on April 9 outside of a rowhome at 4111 Locust St. by Black students including College junior William Wallace. The party was scheduled to start at 10 p.m., and at 11:15 p.m., students were heard screaming while several individuals — who, according to College junior Tyler McCormick, were in a house adjacent to the party — threw eggs at students that burst upon impact on their faces, body, hair, and clothes.

On Wednesday, April 13, members of UMOJA — the umbrella organization for Black student groups on campus — and the Black Student League met with Penn administration to discuss the incident, according to McCormick, who is also the BSL president. Attendees included Interim President Wendell Pritchett and Vice Provost of University Life Mamta Accapadi.

See TOWNHOMES, page 7

See PARTY, page 6

PHOTO BY KYLIE COOPER

Students demand that Interim President Wendell Pritchett speak with residents of the University City Townhomes during the Silfen Forum event on April 18.

event because the forum’s attendance was limited to members of the Penn community.

College sophomore Jack Starobin, a former DP staffer, was one of the organizers of the demonstration who spoke at the event.

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2 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

Houston Hall to be revamped into ‘hub for students’

by Vice Provost for University Life Students have expressed for years that Houston Hall felt like “more of a dining area and study space than a hub of student activity” JASPER TAYLOR Staff Reporter

Houston Hall, the oldest student union in the nation, will undergo a renovations process to become a central hub of student life on campus, according to Penn’s Division of the Vice Provost for University Life.

Students have expressed for years that Houston Hall felt like “more of a dining area and study space than a hub of student activity.” This project, while still in early stages, hopes to address that sentiment, according to project leads Saleem Curry and Laurie Hall from VPUL, who said they shared that the primary aim is to transform Houston Hall into a more inclusive, welcoming, and inviting space for students by restoring its status as a focal point of student life on Penn’s campus.

Before 2017, Houston Hall operated on a conference center model and was self-funded, according to Hall, the assistant vice provost for strategic planning and operations. She added that Interim President Wendell Pritchett has worked to dismantle that model to create a student hub during his tenure as provost.

“There was a very deliberate mandate from Provost Pritchett to return Houston Hall to its mission of being a student center,” Hall said. “Penn was the first university in the country to put capital funds — meaningful contributions — into the student leisure experience.”

Curry, director of University Life Space and Events Management, said that although this project is rather abstract, he and Hall hope to involve students in the process as much as possible. He added that Pritchett’s idea to transform Houston Hall into a student-focused center came from students in the first place.

“What we [are] looking to do very shortly is to have a University Life space steering committee that is made up of students,” Hall said. She added that this committee would serve as a connection between all the different needs of the students.

Curry said that he hopes Houston Hall can “situate itself as a centralizing point” on campus and be a center for all types of campus involvement. In the future, Curry said he hopes that Houston Hall can host events on the weekends for students.

Students expressed that although there is nothing wrong with the current state of Houston Hall, there is a possibility for improvement into a more robust hub of student life.

College first year Sarah Garrison, who works as a Welcome Ambassador at Houston Hall, said she is excited about the potential of this project to welcome and bring together students on campus.

“In my personal experience, I have seen Houston

‘Not as efficient’: Students criticize Path@Penn as difficult to navigate Students reported having hopes that Path@Penn would improve on Penn InTouch — only to be disappointed STEPHANIE CHEN Staff Reporter

Students can now register for courses using Path@Penn for the first time but encountered difficulties navigating the new interface and creating schedules.

Path@Penn, Penn’s new registration system, went live on March 14, replacing Penn InTouch as the new student information system containing academic records, financial aid, and student

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PHOTO BY IPEK OBEK

Houston Hall on March 30, 2022

Hall trying to implement some of these changes, and I think that it’s absolutely great. It would be nice to have [Houston Hall] to be a hub for students,” Garrison said.

Garrison noted that some students may feel cut off from Houston Hall when it is being used by specific clubs or for planned events.

College first year Julia Rotgin performed in the One Acts Festival hosted by the Theatre Arts Council in Houston Hall earlier this semester. Even so, she profiles. After advance registration opened on April 18, students have started to plan their preferred courses and alternative courses using the new system. Students reported having hopes that Path@Penn would improve on Penn InTouch — only to be disappointed with the registration system.

“I was kind of thinking that this new software would be similar to Penn InTouch, just aesthetically more modern and easier to navigate,” College first year Grace Edwards said. “[But] it’s not as efficient or effective as Penn InTouch in the sense of maneuvering around it and understanding how the website works.”

Students said they have found it complicated to create mock schedules through Path@Penn.

College sophomore Nick Hanchak said, “I still don’t know how to make a mock schedule or anything like that. It’s not ​​as simple as I would have hoped, so it’s definitely taking a little bit to get used to.”

College first year Logan Fleming echoed these sentiments, saying that he did not like how he was unable to create multiple mock schedules on the new system. Fleming and Hanchak said they both had to resort to Penn Course Plan to create mock schedules for their fall 2022 course load.

Fleming pointed out that on Path@Penn, at the time of speaking to The Daily Pennsylvanian, students only had the option to report their gender as male or female on their profiles, whereas Penn InTouch had more options.

As of April 19, the personal information section of Path@Penn allows students to self-report their gender identity, including nonbinary, transgender, and other options.

Fleming, who is a member of the Lambda Alliance — an advocacy group for LGBTQ students at Penn — said the Lambda Alliance board had met with Interim President Wendell Pritchett on April 13 about the issue. Pritchett had said it was a problem with the coding company and that the problem would be resolved.

Students have also found the release of Path@ Penn right before advance registration to be unfavorable timing.

“We have to take more time out of our already busy schedules, close to the end of the year, and the end of the semester, to try and familiarize ourselves with this new platform,” Edwards said.

“It would have ideally been better and easier had

said that she does not have a reason to spend time in Houston Hall, and rarely frequents the space.

“Outside of that experience, I have not spent that much time in Houston Hall,” Rotgin said. “I haven’t been involved in anything else that used that space.”

While Rotgin frequents Houston Market, Penn’s food market located on the lower level, she said she does not frequent any other part of Houston Hall.

“We have the space. We should definitely take advantage of it,” Rotgin said.

PHOTO BY EDWIN MEJIA

After advance registration opened on April 18, students have started to plan their courses using Path@Penn.

they given it to us like spring break, where we could actually dedicate the time to familiarize ourselves.”

The change from three-digit course codes to four-digit course codes also proved an additional challenge, Edwards and Hanchack both said.

“I planned out some other courses at the beginning of the semester and last semester with the three-digit course code. And now I have to use Penn Course Review to try and figure out the new course code,” Edwards said.

Hanchak added that, as a neuroscience major, the change in course codes from BIBB to NRSC confused him.

When Penn first announced Path@Penn, many students said they were looking forward to using a new and easier-to-navigate platform. Some have found the new interface to be more navigable and visually pleasing.

“I at first was excited because Penn InTouch seemed very old. And I feel like it could have been modernized a lot,” Hanchak said.

Fleming echoed Hanchak’s feelings on the aesthetics of the platform, saying, “​​I do like that it doesn’t look like it’s from the ‘90s anymore.”

He added that he looks forward to Path@Penn not crashing the day schedules come out.

“The software looks more modern, which is good. But once again, if I have problems with the efficiency and the function of Path@Penn, the aesthetics don’t really matter as much,” Edwards said.

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GTP, from front page The Office of General Counsel represents Penn and Penn Medicine in legal matters, and initiates action to protect the institution and manage risks, according to its website.

Time and again, employees have alleged that Penn is protecting Wilson and GTP by burying the grievances of the program’s lowerlevel employees, since the University stands to benefit from Wilson’s other biotechnology companies — which have received hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital financing and have ties to Penn. GTP employs more than 300 people and is working to develop therapeutics against more than 50 diseases, while managing dozens of research projects using gene therapy, gene editing, and mRNA technologies.

Many employees have filed formal complaints to multiple University offices over at least the past decade, seeking help from GTP’s HR department, the Medical School’s HR department, the University’s Title IX Office, and the confidential Ombuds Office. Some had even hired their own lawyers to demand an end to the abuse.

Calling the investigation a “shameless cover-up,” Medical School HR administrator Michelle Hackett — who co-led the investigation into GTP with her supervisor, Medical School HR director Al Johnson — wrote a complaint to Penn’s Senior Vice President for HR Jack Heuer in September 2021. Hackett wrote she is “extremely concerned” that the Office of General Counsel overhauled the investigation she and Johnson were initially tasked with leading — despite sufficient evidence that Wilson and Molloy were both aware “WHAT ABOUT ME? WHY of the workplace issues and DON’T I MATTER? LIKE, did not take visible action.

WHY DO I HAVE TO BE Johnson, her supervisor, THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB? told her that Penn would BECAUSE YOU DON’T not address complaints HAVE THE BALLS TO DEAL against Wilson because of WITH THE PROBLEM?” the amount of money he — A former GTP employee generates for the University through GTP and his other gene therapy companies, Hackett wrote.

“It is our job to protect the employees of Penn, not to cover up the identities of the harassers in an effort to protect the financial interests of the institution,” Hackett wrote in her letter to Heuer, condemning the University’s handling of employee complaints and the investigation.

This investigation into the workplaces of GTP and the Orphan Disease Center, a separate research center in the Medical School led by Wilson, was launched in 2019 under Hackett and Johnson in response to employee complaints regarding racial and pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, unprofessional and unethical office behavior, bullying, extreme work disorganization, and retaliation against those who speak to the Medical School’s HR Office. After its suspension in March 2020 due to COVID-19, the investigation was reopened and soon closed in March 2021.

The DP reviewed five drafts of the investigation reports conducted by the Medical School’s HR team, which consisted of interviews with at least 13 complainants, email correspondence between Medical School HR representatives, senior University HR officials, and the Office of General Counsel, as well as records of interviews conducted as part of the investigation.

NEWS 3

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 Wilson, Molloy, Heuer, and Johnson did not respond to the DP’s requests for comment. Emails sent to the Office of General Counsel were also met with silence. Hackett is no longer listed as a University HR official, per Penn’s HR staff directory.

The DP’s request for comment from Sam Starks, Penn’s executive director of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs, was directed to University spokesperson Ron Ozio, who wrote in an email that: “The University of Pennsylvania takes employee workplace concerns very seriously. There are multiple reporting offices to which workplace complaints can be made. Although the University is unable to comment on specific personnel matters, all employee complaints are investigated, and action is taken as appropriate.”

The profit generated by GTP and Wilson’s intertwined private practices influences the University’s handling of employee complaints against the program’s toxic workplace environment, according to the DP’s review of these documents and interviews with former and current GTP employees. “[Jim Wilson] is the most powerful person on campus. He is untouchable. That’s the way to think about it. They are untouchable,” an employee involved with the Medical School’s investigation, who requested anonymity in fear of retaliation from their employer, told the DP. “They have hurt and damaged so many people. People that didn’t deserve it. None of them deserve what happened to them.”

Wilson came under national scrutiny nearly two decades ago for leading a gene therapy trial that caused the death of an 18-year-old, Jesse Gelsinger, leading to several research violations by Wilson and detrimental action against the University’s affiliated research operations. Federal regulators had indefinitely extended a ban on all human gene experimentation at Penn’s Institute for Human Gene Therapy, which it ultimately shut down.

Now at the helm of one of the nation’s leading gene therapy programs, Wilson has not only revived Penn’s reputation in the field, but is building an empire of University-affiliated biotechnology companies.

In recent years, Wilson has founded several companies to develop therapeutics based on research done at GTP and Penn’s Orphan Disease Center. Penn and Wilson would receive licensing revenues based on the successful development and commercialization of these technologies. Wilson’s companies include Passage Bio, G2 Bio Companies, iECURE, REGENXBIO, and Scout Bio. “He helps the University out and they help him out,” a current GTP employee, who requested anonymity in fear of retaliation from his employer, told the DP, referring to Wilson.

Wilson was listed in the initial draft of the Medical School’s investigation as one of five GTP leaders accused by complainants of creating an “unprofessional and toxic workplace” — and was mentioned by name 41 times. The second draft mentioned Wilson 13 times, though Wilson and Molloy were removed as accused parties.

“It can be deduced that Dr. Wilson is aware of the damaging conditions which his employees have been subjected to; however, no effort has been made to correct the situation,” the first investigation draft, authored by Hackett in January 2020, states. The initial four out of five drafts concluded that Wilson was aware of, and made no visible effort to correct, his program’s toxic workplace environment.

No disciplinary action was recommended for any GTP employee following the investigation, according to a summary of the investigation findings written by Johnson and sent to Molloy dated May 21, 2021, though recommendations were harsher in the initial drafts.

“A primary concern is the potential reputational damage to the GTP,” Johnson wrote.

Johnson recommended that GTP leadership take steps to ensure that employees feel comfortable approaching GTP’s own HR team with concerns, including partnering with the Medical School’s HR and making GTP employees aware that they can also take concerns to Medical School’s HR. The final investigation report had admitted that GTP’s HR department works in an isolated manner, often handling many HR-related matters on its own and “sometimes in ways that do

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not align with University practice.”

Johnson also recommended leadership coaching for Jessica Alkins, GTP’s senior director of organizational strategy and operations, who was one of the program’s leaders accused of creating an “unprofessional and toxic workplace” during the investigation. According to the fifth and final draft of the investigation reports, several staff had confirmed Alkins — who leads the program’s HR and administrative functions — kept a “dead to me” list to target employees and retaliate against those who fall out of favor with her, encouraged staff to “snitch” on their peers to HR, and contributed to a workplace environment where women felt unsafe to disclose their pregnancies. “[JIM WILSON] IS THE “This has greatly MOST POWERFUL contributed to what PERSON ON CAMPUS. has been described HE IS UNTOUCHABLE … as an environTHEY HAVE HURT AND ment that thrives DAMAGED SO MANY on paranoia, misPEOPLE. PEOPLE THAT truths, cruelty and DIDN’T DESERVE IT. ” a blatant attempt to isolate the employees — A Medical School employee involved from the University at with the investigation large,” initial drafts of the investigation reports say. This statement was ultimately one of many omitted from the final investigation report, which contained more lenient recommendations regarding Alkins’ workplace responsibilities. Alkins did not respond to the DP’s requests for comment.

Also omitted from the final report were concerns raised by two individuals — who were employed at GTP during 2019 and 2020, the same time as the investigation — about Wilson’s business practices.

The former employees had alleged that Wilson and Molloy earned money from “shell companies,” launched with the intent to enable Wilson to circumvent University agreements around clinical trial sponsorship and governance.

Though these allegations were detailed in the first three drafts of the investigation reports, and briefly mentioned in the fourth draft, they were not investigated because they fell outside the scope of the Medical School’s HR’s probe into GTP’s workplace issues.

In retaliation to the conclusion of the investigation, Hackett’s aforementioned complaint to Heuer bared additional details about settlement agreements offered by the University to employees in exchange for their silence, University policy violations committed by GTP HR leaders, as well as the program’s abnormally high turnover rate.

From January 2017 to December 2020, 182 GTP staff members either resigned from or left the department — some after facing involuntary termination, Hackett wrote. “Biotech turnover is around 10 to 11% on average, which is good,” a former GTP employee previously told the DP, noting that GTP’s turnover rate in 2020 was allegedly more than twice this figure.

The University has maintained, however, that the investigation into GTP was conducted fairly and reached appropriate conclusions, according to communication between Penn administrators and Medical School HR. This article has been condensed for space. For the rest of this story, continue reading at thedp.com.

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4 OPINION

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

Opinion

138th Year of Publication

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Improving and expanding ‘Exchange at Penn’ SAM-I-AM | Penn’s exchange program’s imperfections and the competitive application process

ALESSANDRA PINTADO-URBANC President PIA SINGH Executive Editor JONAH CHARLTON DP Editor-in-Chief TYLER KLIEM Design Editor TORI SOUSA News Editor EMI TUYẾTNHI TRẦN News Editor DELANEY PARKS Assignments Editor SOPHIE APFEL Copy Editor JESSE ZHANG Photo Editor ASAAD MANZAR Opinion Editor PHOEBE LEUNG Social Media Editor MATTHEW FRANK Sports Editor ESTHER LIM Sports Editor KAVEEN HAROHALLI Video Editor NICOLE ZHAO Podcast Editor GREG FERREY Business Manager RAUNAQ SINGH Technology Manager ANVIT RAO Analytics Manager BAILEY CAMPBELL Marketing Manager SUNNY JANG Product Manager

THIS ISSUE’S TEAM BECKY LEE Deputy Design Editor CALEB CRAIN Deputy Design Editor ALICE CHOI Deputy Design Editor ALLYSON NELSON Deputy Copy Editor DEREK WONG Opinion Photo Editor ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL Sports Photo Editor LILIANN ZOU News Photo Editor

I

nternational students make up a vibrant and diverse group in the Penn community. From those who attend the traditional four-year undergraduate degree program to exchange students who spend one or two semesters abroad at Penn, international students always find a way to thrive at an institution known for its academic rigor and prestige.

As an international student myself, I always marvel at the number of countries represented by students in a merely 50-person class when I first started my studies at Penn. Taking a class on communism means that you get to hear from students from the Czech Republic, Russia, China, and so on, whose personal and family experiences reveal what it really means to live in post-communist regimes.

A 2013 study found that college students who interacted with international students tend to have “significantly higher levels of development,” and that these interactions led domestic college students to “not only seriously [question] their political beliefs, but also [challenge] their beliefs about other religions, other races or ethnicities, and people with other sexual orientations.”

The international student body adds diversity in many ways. However, it takes time for international students to adjust to an unfamiliar country with a different style of education. This is particularly true for exchange students, who only tend to stay in the United States for a short period due to program stipulations.

Thomas Bonte, a former exchange student who studied at Wharton for a year in 2018, suggests that the Exchange at Penn program could offer more pre-exchange resources and helpful contacts before exchange students arrive on campus. “I think it would be more useful to get more guidance before starting school,” said Bonte.

Indeed, when it comes to the secrets behind housing selection or advice on what meal plans to choose, exchange students often rely on official information from Penn’s websites to make their decisions.

PHOTO BY VANESSA HUANG

In many ways, exchange students lack the social savvy to maneuver through their initial confusion before they arrive in the United States. Browsing th rough Reddit com mun ities, asking questions on GroupMe chats, or simply sending an email to Penn faculty about course registration — these college tips are not as universal and accessible to students outside of the United States who are inexperienced in the American education system.

Similarly, Eleanor Zhang, a current exchange student studying math and economics, commented on the need for “Penn to host Q&A sessions” before exchange students arrive at Penn. Typically, school-related businesses such as course or housing selection start weeks before the first day of class, and “allowing former exchange students to share their experiences and thoughts before [they] arrive” could prove invaluable to exchange students who often know little about the school system in the United States, let alone how Penn operates.

In order to become one of the

approximately 200 exchange students at Penn every year, applicants have to first go through a nomination process, according to Penn Abroad’s website.

The nomination process differs from one institution to another. For Bonte, his application was primarily considered based on his first-year grades at his home institution. In contrast, Zhang also had to submit additional essays to her home institution as well as her transcript to be nominated.

Nevertheless, what remains similar for both is that getting an exchange opportunity at Penn is extremely competitive and highly selective. Bonte reports that approximately 100 to 120 students from his home institution select Penn as their first-choice exchange program, but only five students will be nominated and ultimately accepted. Zhang also reported that “the competition [to be an exchange student at Penn] is very, very fierce.” Around 12 students are exchanged from her home institution to Penn every year.

With acceptance rates as low (if not even lower) as Penn’s first-year

student acceptance rate, only very few exchange students can arrive in Philadelphia.

Thirteen percent of Penn’s admitted Class of 2025 students are international students — the second largest in percentage and the largest in number among all Ivy League schools. Penn admitted 429 international students in the Class of 2025, compared to Columbia’s 306 and Harvard’s 362. There are institutional priorities and demographics a university has to balance, but Penn can still increase international student presence innovatively through programs such as Exchange at Penn. In the 2018-2019 school year, while a total of 521 Penn students were exchanged to other institutions through Penn’s semester abroad program, Penn accepted 212 incoming exchange students overseas, a number that is less than half of the number of Penn students who studied abroad. Such imbalance in numbers would be understandable if Penn were not a popular destination for exchange students abroad. But given what I learned from interviews and online data, the demand is much higher than the supply. For example, the Queen Mary University of London’s official website described applying to Penn’s exchange program to be “very competitive.” In fact, Penn is one of only three exchange institutions out of the 17 U.S. institutions categorized in the most competitive group on the website.

For many exchange students, Penn is their top choice. A top choice should provide top-notch suppor t and resources even for students who only spend one semester in Philadelphia.

Given the many added benefits international students provide to a university and the many exchange students who are eager to spend a semester at Penn, improving and expanding the access to a Penn experience benefits all students.

SAM ZOU is a College junior studying political science from Shenzhen, China. His email is samzou@sas. upenn.edu.

The second-year experience: Smoke and mirrors?

CAROLINE’S QUERIES | After a year at NCHW, I am skeptical of the “house community” that Penn intends to offer second years

TAJA MAZAJ Deputy Opinion Editor ANDREW YOON Deputy Opinion Editor VALERIE WANG Deputy Opinion Editor LEXI BOCCUZZI Deputy Opinion Editor CAROLINE MAGDOLEN Deputy Opinion Editor JENNIFER FRANK Copy Associate SOPHIA LEUNG Copy Associate RICHA PATEL Copy Associate NICK RUTHERFORD Copy Associate

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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.

wo attendees at an event with 200 Insomnia Cookies. My suitemate and I sat in the club lounge, constructing model solar systems from styrofoam spheres and an assortment of paints. We were celebrating the spring equinox through an event organized at New College House West, but you wouldn’t know it from the poor showing.

Since NCHW first opened its doors to Penn students last fall, I’ve noticed that my suitemates and I are among the community’s most involved students. Three of us are on the Design Collective, and two of us are office managers. For several events, we have been the only students in attendance.

We quip that we aren’t merely part of the house community, but that we actually are the house community ourselves. Our house motto is “opportunity is invented together,” but to me, it rings hollow — where is everybody that I’m supposed to be inventing opportunities with?

This academic year was the first that Penn required both first years and sophomores to live in on-campus housing and purchase dining plans. In an email announcing the decision in 2018, former Penn President Amy Gutmann and Interim Penn President Wendell Pritchett wrote that the housing requirement “will measurably strengthen the sense of community among our first- and second-year students.”

Like many other students, my kneejerk reaction was to call this a “blatant cash grab.” Even so, I remained optimistic because I knew what a strong house community felt like, and longed to experience

it again as a sophomore. Spring 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, was a time that was antithetical to community, but it was also when I set foot on Penn’s campus for the first time. At Kings Court English College House, better known as KCECH, every staff member went the extra mile.

My RA organized free food drop-offs and game nights weekly, creating memories and fostering communication that eventually blossomed into friendship. Even though we were sparsely housed in doubles-turned-singles, my floormates (Now suitemates!) and I spent the majority of our days together, eating takeout from Hill in the courtyard and cramming homework assignments in dimly lit hallways.

I didn’t expect the exact same from NCHW. I understood that as sophomores, many students would have settled down with friend groups like I had. With COVID-19 restrictions letting up, there would also be many opportunities to meet people outside of housing. And admittedly, I am no social butterfly. It is nonetheless bizarre that not one new friendship I’ve made this year has emerged out of NCHW. My first instinct is to blame the house administrators. I’m angry that my suitemate is often asked to organize her events at inopportune times: Why did anyone think that 9 a.m. on a Sunday is the prime time for college student socialization?

I’m angry that when I scroll through my email, I see butchered attempts at a newsletter, where links to events are broken and posters are incorrectly formatted.

But to a large extent, I dismiss these

mistakes as growing pains with quick and easy solutions. Though this kind of incompetence is annoying, it wouldn’t dissuade me from attending an event I was genuinely interested in.

Further, increased event attendance wouldn’t necessarily fix NCHW’s community problem. What happens at the event also matters. The best attended events I’ve seen are often grab-and-go food events, with little incentive to get students to stay behind and socialize. Once an email is sent out, students often leave the event as quickly as they enter it.

The bigger problem at NCHW, I suspect, is that the convenience of its infrastructure dissuades socialization. Not only in KCECH, but in most first-year dorms, the best living spaces are publicly accessible to all, and are rather small. At NCHW, my suitemates and I still share meals and cram assignments together, but we do so in our common room behind our front door’s lock.

NCHW is a hallmark of convenience: On my floor alone, there is a group study room, a community kitchen, and a lounge, in addition to common rooms for every suite.

But convenience leads to complacency. Our suite’s common room is convenient, but it hardly exemplifies community. We mingle behind a gigantic glass window, visible to everyone, but approached by no one.

In large part, I have reaped the benefits of NCHW. I’ve enjoyed a spacious room (sans pests!) with gorgeous natural lighting. I’ve had access to crème de la crème dining at Quaker Kitchen, and spent an embarrassing amount of time studying in

NCHW’s GSRs. But I also miss munching on smushed Beiler’s doughnuts in KCECH 443. I miss watching “Heathers: The Musical,” laying down on the hallway floor with a mish-mash of blankets and plushies alongside my suitemates. I even miss that time we banded together at 2 a.m. to kill a roach on the loose and celebrated with Wawa milkshakes afterwards. My life at KCECH was decidedly grittier and more inconvenient at times, but it was also spontaneous and busy. It was community-building.

NCHW will never be KCECH, and I don’t expect it to be. In many ways, this apartment-style of living is better for the busy Penn student — a more mature housing option compared to cramped first-year dorms. But it is hardly conducive to community-building, as Penn’s description of the Second-Year Experience would have us believe. As Penn continues to expand and as NCHW continues to grow into its house culture, I ask all of Penn’s community, especially first years incoming to NCHW, to consider what they want to be building. Take your greatest memories of community with you into next term, and consider how you can redesign your surroundings to recreate them.

CAROLINE MAGDOLEN is a College sophomore studying environmental science and systems engineering from New York City. Her email address is magdolen@sas.upenn.edu.

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OPINION 5

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

An ask from Penn’s student-athletes: Create a course absence policy GUEST COLUMN | Penn ought to implement a course absence policy to ensure all its students are given a fair opportunity to succeed

Y

ou might not notice an athlete in your class if it weren’t for their bright blue Powerade bottle, but they make up nearly 10% of Penn’s undergraduate student body. These 988 individuals train year-round to represent Penn to the best of their ability, both on the field and in the classroom, winning Olympic medals, earning All-American honors, securing teaching assistant positions, and making the honor roll. This success begins with a commitment to this University and its respective sports. In season, athletes spend over 25 hours a week at practice, competitions, weight training, film sessions, injury treatment, team meetings, and more.

Despite this strong commitment, support for student-athletes throughout Penn is inconsistent. Some professors attend games and allow required work to be made up when class conflicts with competitions. Others do not allow student-athletes to make up missed work that results from athletic competitions. This inconsistent support can be frustrating for student-athletes, especially when it hinders their academic success. Creating a standardized course absence policy would have an enormous impact on increasing the support student-athletes need to succeed on and off the field.

During Penn’s advance registration period, student-athletes must strategically rank classes to obtain a schedule that is accommodating of practice times, as NCAA bylaws mandate that no studentathlete can miss class for practice. Once schedules are finalized, athletes wait for the athletics department to release their game schedule and cross their fingers in hopes that there are no competitions that conflict with their classes. In the likely event that there is, an athlete must contact their professor, ask to be excused from class, and arrange to make up any in-class assignments, quizzes, or exams they would miss. As noted, some professors accommodate this conflict, but many do not. The result is student-athletes regularly calculating if they can afford to miss a quiz, using the syllabus’ permitted absences and hoping they don’t get sick at another time, or, worst of all, dropping the course.

To understand the true extent of this issue, last spring, I conducted a survey among seven Penn Athletics teams, gaining responses from roughly 30% of Penn’s student-athletes.

Over 60% of respondents had lost points in a class due to an athletic competition and 40% had dropped a course because the professor was not accommodating of their athletic competition.

Penn’s student-athletes feel passionately about this, driven by their past experiences. One survey respondent said, “I had to drop a class because a professor said the exam I was going to miss would be my dropped exam for that class by default, and then I wouldn’t have had any grades in the class before the drop deadline to know my standing in

DESIGN BY TYLER KLIEM

the class or what to expect with the exam style.”

Another respondent explained their frustration well: “As an athlete, it’s already tough enough to make schedules without receiving any priority, so when we are able to make a schedule during our seasons, it is so tough to be penalized for something we are required to attend. Athletes really do the most to try and make it work on our end. I even took a test at 6 a.m. before a travel day. We would all really appreciate the University recognizing the work we put in during [the] season by declaring absences for sports competition as excused.”

When speaking to professors and faculty about this, I’m often faced with the rebuttal that sports are an optional extracurricular and shouldn’t be excused, just like job interviews or case competitions. Athletics is inherently different from other extracurriculars as it contributes to school spirit, entertainment, and donations in ways that other extracurriculars do not.

In 2021, alumni donations through the Penn Champions Club raised over $241 million for competitive excellence, student-athlete experience, attracting talent, and campus engagement. Regardless, as student-athletes, we arrive at Penn with the expectation that we will not need to compromise academics for athletics, or vice versa, but instead receive the support needed to triumph in both. Being so, athletics should be viewed as an asset to the University and

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provide its participants with equal opportunities to succeed in academics.

Out of the seven other schools who compete in the Ivy League athletic conference, Columbia, Cornell, Princeton, and Yale all recognize athletic competitions as excused absences in some form.

At Columbia, a schoolwide policy states that “student-athletes who miss classes and/or exams as a result of representing the University at an approved athletics contest may be permitted to make up the work and/or take the exam at another time or location.” At Cornell, its absence policy outlines that professors are encouraged to “respect the value of out-of-classroom learning that occurs through participation in varsity athletics and are expected to develop ways for course requirements to be met if and when there is a conflict with a student-athlete’s athletic schedule.” At Princeton, “Missed classes due to travel for University sanctioned competition are excused absences, but absence from class because of athletic competition does not excuse a student-athlete from any course requirements.” At Yale, “Dean’s Excuses may be issued to postpone exams, quizzes, and other generalized in-class assignments due to conflicts with varsity athletic competitions or travel.”

At Penn, this policy could arise in different ways. Ideally, Penn would require all professors

to honor Course Absence Reports as excused absences. The list of excused absences would include religious observance, family emergencies such as death in the family, medical reasons, and participation in varsity athletic competitions. Alternatively, Penn could follow Yale’s model with an “Athletic Director’s Excuse.” Student-athletes could request a document from their team’s athletic director, which would excuse their absence from class and allow student-athletes to postpone exams, quizzes, and other in-class assignments due to conflicts with athletic competitions or travel to and from competitions. In both situations, student-athletes would be required to make up any missed work in a timely manner.

Student-athletes are asking Penn for one thing: To excuse our absences from classes or exams due to sports competitions. We believe that we should not be punished for fulfilling our obligation to the University. It is time for Penn to join our Ivy League counterparts in creating an appropriate policy.

ROBIN PANZARELLA is a Wharton senior studying decision processes from Moorestown, NJ. Her email is rpanz@wharton.upenn. edu.

6 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

PARTY, from front page

University spokesperson Ron Ozio did not respond to request for comment.

McCormick, who attended the party and was hit by an egg on his chest, said that Penn was officially investigating the incident and the Office of Student Affairs had reached out to the party’s organizers.

During the conversation with the administration, Pritchett described the event as “disgusting,” according to McCormick, and added that he understood the struggle of Black students on campus.

“He said that, as a Black person, he understands that going through this world, you have to have a mask on sometimes,” said McCormick.

“It’s really important, especially for Black students, to have space on campus because it feels like we have the biggest mask.”

College junior Houston Jarvis and College sophomore Tarah Paul were at the event and recalled that eggs hit them and their friends.

“Out of nowhere, eggs just dropped from an elevated angle — and at first, we didn’t really know what it was, but it turned out that we saw cracked eggs all over the ground,” Jarvis said.

“One of my other friends, her sweater [was] stained. It was on the back of my arm and on my shirt as well.”

Paul echoed Jarvis’s account, saying that “My friend had cracked egg on her face, and my other friend had it all over her arm, and then another guy who was right next to us had it all down his black jeans, so we rushed to the bathroom to clean it off. But we didn’t even see where it came from. We just felt it when it hit us.”

College sophomore Milgo Bulhan had eggs thrown on her arm, and College sophomore Taussia Boadi and College first year Ngozi Agoh

both said that they found eggs in their hair after the party ended.

“It wasn’t until I got back home, and I just happen to look and I saw that I had a chunk of eggs in my hair and on my jacket,” Agoh said.

Both organizers and partygoers said that they were unsure who threw the eggs since it was dark outside during the party.

Organizers also confirmed that during the party, racial and homophobic slurs were directed toward partygoers. Paul and Jarvis said they were frustrated by the incident.

“You would think that we would have moved past this, but I guess it just has shown students’ true colors,” Paul said.

Jarvis added that knowing about the slurs “only confirms what I had already been thinking about the eggs being thrown.”

At 11:30 p.m., Penn police officers arrived and requested that party organizers end the event early due to noise complaints from surrounding neighbors. Organizers had registered the event with the University, which helps Penn Police keep track of activities and requires hosts to provide event security, according to the University Life website.

Event organizers added that they checked in with neighbors before the event to inform them about the potential for noise beforehand.

Although students said that police were present at the front door when the incident occurred, and that University-provided security was present at the event, no police officers or security guards intervened or investigated the egg-throwing incident at the time.

In a conversation with the Division of Public Safety on April 19, Interim Vice President of

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DPS Kathleen Shields Anderson informed The Daily Pennsylvanian that officers are aware of the egging incident.

“We were alerted by administrators about this egging event, and we have reached out to how we can be of help,” Anderson said.

College first year Niko Amber, who attended the April 9 party, questioned why police and security didn’t intervene in the egging but shut down the party due to noise.

Students said they were frustrated with Penn Police’s history of shutting down Black-hosted parties more often than other parties at Penn.

UMOJA Political Chair and College junior Toluwalase Akinwunmi attended the house party on April 9. UMOJA, which has a stated purpose to “unite students and student groups of the African Diaspora,” often helps organizations register and hold events.

“Black students are living very different experiences on this campus than other students,” Akinwunmi said. “[Black] parties have a long history of being shut down or just cut short. That usually happens when neighbors call the police.”

Students added that parties hosted by Black students are often shut down by police. Wallace, who helped organize the April 9 party, said that “it’s not a matter of if, but when.”

McCormick said that Penn has not invested enough in creating spaces for Black students.

The only Black student-focused center, Makuu: The Black Cultural Center, is currently housed in the basement of the ARCH building.

“Black people on this campus often can’t find spaces, and when they do, they’re still egged,” McCormick said.

PHOTOS FROM WILLIAM WALLACE AND TYLER MCCORMICK

Students after being hit with eggs outside of a rowhome at 4111 Locust St. on April 9, 2022.

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COVID-19, from front page We’ve known all along that BA.2 is far more transmissible, and I think we’re just seeing people engaging in normal social interactions, in close proximity to one another indoors, where food and drink are being shared,” Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé said. “That’s the trifecta — the perfect conditions for people to be exposed and possibly infected.”

Dubé clarified that current on-campus cases have exhibited mostly mild symptoms.

“While there may be more people becoming infected, people are not more sick or more likely to become hospitalized,” Dubé said. “That’s a good sign.”

The number of students in isolation has increased for a sixth consecutive week to 469 — up from 345 the week before, and the highest recorded number of students in isolation in 10 weeks, since the week from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5.

In an April 13 email to the Penn community, Dubé announced that students who test positive for COVID19 may be required to isolate in place as Penn neared capacity in isolation housing, a policy that remains ongoing through this week.

Students in college housing who have a roommate

NEWS 7

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 that tests positive for COVID-19 will have to isolate in place depending on their vaccination status.

If the student does not test positive and is up-todate with COVID-19 vaccinations — which the University describes as being both fully vaccinated and boosted — they will not have to isolate and may continue living in the shared living space, while also attending classes and participating in University activities.

If the student is not up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations, the student must quarantine in place in accordance with Penn’s public health guidance.

All eligible students must upload their booster information into their Student Health Portal if they have not done so already.

Halbritter told the DP on April 13 that Public Health and Wellbeing continues to work closely with the Office of Environmental Health and Radiation Safety and Penn’s Maintenance and Housekeeping Department to ensure the cleanliness of College House facilities.

On-campus cases reflect a surge in positivity across Philadelphia County, which is now averaging 238 cases per day as of April 18 — a 166% increase in the last two weeks.

The City of Philadelphia uses key metrics to determine the extent of COVID-19 precautions and to regulate the move from one response tier to another.

Since March 2, Philadelphia had been operating

under the “All Clear” precautions tier — the lowest of four — which ended the requirement for individuals to wear a mask indoors.

On April 11, with data reported by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the city moved immediately into the “Mask Precautions” tier, which returned the mask mandate for public indoor spaces.

A trend of rising positivity across the county may be enough to trigger a shift to response tier three — “Caution” — by next Monday, April 25. “Caution” is enacted if at least two of the three following conditions are met: citywide new cases per day are above 225 but below 500, hospitalizations are between 100 and 500, and cases have risen by more than 50% in the previous 10 days.

If the City reports an increase of even one new case per day next week, it will likely trigger a shift to the “Caution” response tier, which would bring back proof of vaccinations for indoor dining across the city.

In an April 13 email, University administrators announced Penn’s new Levels of Protective Measures, closely mirroring the response levels of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. The University is currently operating at Protective Measures Level 2: “Awareness,” which requires indoor masking in alignment with City guidance. If the City of Philadelphia moves to tier three, Penn will also shift to its “Caution” level, which would require proof of vaccination for all campus activities where food and drink

are being served.

Should Philadelphia move to response tier three, the University might also implement additional protective measures, such as surveillance testing of all community members, occupancy limits, physical distancing, and limits on social gatherings.

Halbritter said that students should continue utilizing outdoor spaces whenever possible and to allow for social distancing when food and drink are being shared in a group setting indoors. Halbritter also encouraged students to practice good hand hygiene and use PennOpen Pass to report symptoms, exposures, and at-home positive test results.

“Even if you receive a negative COVID-19 test, continue to mask, wash hands, and stay home if you’re feeling sick,” Halbritter said.

After a federal court ruling blocked a national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit systems on April 18, the nation’s largest airline companies including Delta Airlines, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines made masking optional for customers.

In Philadelphia, SEPTA, PATCO, New Jersey Transit, and Amtrak dropped their mask mandates.

Masks remain required in the Philadelphia International Airport, the airport tweeted, citing the City’s indoor mask mandate.

On campus, Halbritter said that masks remain required on Penn Transit, in addition to public indoor spaces.

TOWNHOMES, from front page

PHOTO BY ADRIENNE EVANS

Penn’s COVID-19 case count doubled in the week from April 10 to April 16.

College junior Gigi Varlotta, one of the demonstrators present at the event, said they became involved with the cause because they wanted to help fight for the UC Townhomes movement.

“We are excited and motivated, but all the organizing work we do is in support of the residents, led by the residents, and we’re just using our voice at Penn to try to assist in the UC Townhomes movement,” Varlotta said.

Varlotta said the Save the UC Townhomes Coalition has sent Pritchett and other Penn administrators 100 handwritten letters from the Penn community regarding several demands, including stopping the UC Townhomes eviction, meeting with the Townhomes’ residents, cutting all ties with Altman Management Company — the real estate firm that currently owns the property — and ending the displacement of Black community members from their homes for Penn’s expansion.

The demonstrators distributed flyers to audience members with information about the UC Townhomes. According to Varlotta, some audience members were visibly frustrated and annoyed, while other Penn community members showed support for the demonstration, as seen in a video posted on Police Free Penn’s Instagram page. University spokesperson Ron Ozio did not respond to multiple requests for comment in time for publication.

The eviction of the UC Townhomes residents has gathered significant attention and backlash from the Penn community. On Feb. 23, nearly 100 people

gathered to protest Penn’s lack of action regarding the imminent evictions, and over 300 members of the Penn community rallied to protest the sale of the Townhomes on March 20.

Starobin said the group met with Penn administrators who work closely with Pritchett after the event.

The administrators said Pritchett would remain committed to the promise he made on stage to meet with UC Townhomes residents to hear their demands and concerns.

The meeting is currently in the process of being scheduled.

“Everything that happened today came from a really broad group of organizers. It was a real team effort and could not have happened without months of work and collaboration,” Starobin said. “This was a real effort to work with the community and follow their lead and we will keep showing up for residents as long as they need.”

PHOTO BY KYLIE COOPER

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8 SPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

BASEBALL, from page 10

Ivy League Player of the Week in late February after Penn’s season-opening series win against Texas A&M. Three of Henseler’s teammates have also received Ivy League weekly honors this season: freshman catcher Asa

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Wilson, junior pitcher Owen Coady, and senior infielder Craig Larsen.

Henseler has company on the Ivy League individual statistics as well. Third in the league in batting average is junior catcher Jackson Appel at .397. Appel is also tied with Henseler for first in runs scored at 36. Senior outfielder Tommy Courtney is just behind them at 33.

The Quakers’ straight series sweep over Cornell gives them crucial momentum in their final Ivy League

matchups. With final scores of 10-1, 10-4, and 15-6, Penn’s conference record climbs to 9-2.

With a win over Saint Joseph’s on Wednesday, Penn is 23-9 overall, and holds the fewest losses in the Ivy League.

Henseler put one run on the board for Penn to help the Quakers to the 7-4 victory.

Penn is fast on the heels of Columbia (19-13, 10-2 Ivy) for the top conference standing. If the Quakers win the Ivy League title this year, it will be the first time since 1995.

From Army commit to crucial Quaker: Anna Brandt’s path to Penn women’s lacrosse KRISTEL RAMBAUD Sports Reporter

For freshman midfielder Anna Brandt of Penn women’s lacrosse, the path to becoming a major player in an Ivy League lacrosse program did not take the traditional route.

Brandt’s mother Tammy was the one who first put a stick in her hands, as she had her own experience with the sport. During her youth, she played both lacrosse and field hockey, and she passed on the tradition to Brandt as well as Brandt’s older sister

Kailyn, who played Division III field hockey at Washington College for four years.

Both Brandt’s mother and older sister had a huge impact on how she viewed herself and the role sports could play in her life.

“I think they were just very good feminist figures,” Brandt said. “They sort of taught me sports aren’t just for men. You can be a strong female athlete and still excel in the classroom. And I think they were both just really good representations of that, and I just wanted to embody that.”

While Brandt played both sports during her youth in White Hall, Md., it was in lacrosse that she found her best fit. Brandt took this love for lacrosse and set her goals as far as she could imagine. She played varsity for Hereford High School and club for M&D Black, a nationally ranked program. Like athletes everywhere, she missed out on her 2020 lacrosse season. But prior to that lost season, Brandt had

already committed to play lacrosse for Army.

Plans fell through, however, in May of her senior year of high school. That left her without concrete plans post-high school graduation.

She eventually wrote to coach Karin Corbett of Penn women’s lacrosse, and they spoke on the phone throughout the rather unique recruiting process.

Brandt visited campus and met the upperclassmen of the team before she made the decision to come to Penn.

Brandt had to take a gap year due to the timing of her decision, but she didn’t spend that time idle.

She worked and took classes, and she practiced her lacrosse skills tirelessly in preparation for joining an Ivy League lacrosse program. So when she finally took action on the lacrosse field — nearly two years after her last full season — she was ready.

Throughout her debut campaign, her hard work has paid off in numbers.

The New New York York Times Times Syndication SyndicationSales SalesCorporation Corporation The

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620 Eighth Eighth Avenue, NewYork, York,N.Y. N.Y. 10018 620 Avenue, New 10018 Freshman midfielder Anna Brandt during the game against Northwestern at Penn Park on April 3.

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LACROSSE, from page 10 unanswered goals — six if you include one from the second quarter — and protecting the lead in the fourth quarter to secure the three-goal victory. The final score of the game for the Red and Blue, which put Penn safely in the driver’s seat with 5:28 to go, came from junior defender Peter Blake, who scored the first goal of his collegiate career.

Additional goal scorers for Penn during Saturday’s contest included junior midfielder Gabe Furey, who scored two goals, and senior attacker Kaleb Fernandez, who chipped in the fifth of the Quakers’ six unanswered goals during the second and third quarters. Freshman

Brandt has scored four hat tricks so far, including one on Wednesday at Princeton, and she sits in first for goals scored for the Quakers, with 19 so far this season. And still, Corbett says that she is improving every day. Between her large arsenal of offensive skills and her defensive cognizance, Brandt’s progress is encouraging for her coach, who credits her strides to her work ethic.

“She has a strong fight. She wants to go to goal, she wants to win. And she also wants to get better every day, so she’s a really easy kid to coach,” Corbett said. “She’s all in, and it’s so fun to see that.

She’s pushing the team from behind as a freshman — in her work ethic, in how she takes the coaching, in how gritty and competitive she is every day, not just games.”

While Brandt thrives on the lacrosse field, there are still some things at Penn that she’s figuring out, including the unique environment Penn is situated in.

“I’m not a city girl,” Brandt said with a laugh.

Growing up in White Hall, Md., which she described as a more rural area, every day has been an adjustment, but she enjoys the help of her more cityoriented teammates.

Similarly, she credits her teammates — especially the upperclassmen — with helping her tune to the balance between academics, athletics, and social life, as well as helping her adjust to collegiate play.

“They genuinely want everyone younger than them to grow up and excel just as much as they did.

That’s why we excel today,” Brandt said.

She could laud her teammates all day, from senior defender Ellen O’Callaghan, who keeps the team grounded, to offensive players like junior attacker Niki Miles and senior attacker Taylyn Stadler.

“Everyone here wants you to be your best, so they’re going to do anything possible to make sure you reach that,” Brandt said.

That kind of selfless support has been valuable for Brandt and has allowed her to embrace and enjoy her Penn experience so far.

“One of the greatest things about Penn is that everyone here is so smart, so talented,” Brandt said.

“You get people from all different places in the world, all different aspects of life. And I think that’s one of the most intriguing things. I’ve been able to meet so many incredible people from all different walks of life, and [it’s] really opened my eyes and given me more perspective.”

Regardless of the path she took to Locust Walk, Brandt is savoring every opportunity. Her resilience and perseverance has gifted her this moment, and it’s clear that she’s not taking it for granted.

“This means the world to her. She’s going to give everything to it. And you feel it every day,” Corbett said. attacker Cam Rubin and junior midfielder James Shipley each added two assists, while graduate student midfielder Ben Bedard assisted one goal.

The team that the Quakers handily defeated this weekend was no slouch. Despite Penn’s recent dominance in the head-to-head tilts between the two schools, Harvard entered the matchup ranked No. 14 in the country. As such, Penn’s victory pushes it up to the fourth overall in the NCAA Division I rankings.

The Quakers now look ahead to their last Ivy League matchup of the regular season, which will be a road meeting with the Big Green of Dartmouth College (4-7, 0-4) in Hanover, N.H. Dartmouth is currently winless in Ivy League play and on a six-game losing streak, but the Quakers cannot afford to ride their big victory and new ranking to complacency.

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Despite only being a freshman, Brandt leads the Quakers in goals scored

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SPORTS 9

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

Geography of women’s softball Out of the 21-player roster, nine hail from California ALEXIS GARCIA Sports Associate

For many years, California, and Southern California in particular, has been the country’s hub for fastpitch softball. The state has 21 NCAA Division I programs, the most of any other state, and houses more than 130 total collegiate programs.

One out of every five DI softball players originate from California — ranking them first in odds of high school players making it on an NCAA DI roster. Compared to the national ratio which stands at 61:1, odds in California more than double to 28:1.

Nearly 57% of Penn softball’s 21-player roster originates from California and Texas — arguably the top two softball states — with 42% hailing from California alone.

So, what makes California so popular? As is the case in categories other than softball, there’s one undeniable attribute: the weather.

In California, softball is not just a spring and summer sport. Inches of snow don’t cover the fields in December. Bone-chilling winds don’t cancel games in February. All teams — recreational, travel, select, all-star, you name it — play consistently throughout the entire year.

Senior infielder Ashley Waco, a Southern California native, credits the frigid temperatures as one the biggest shocks she’s faced while playing on the East Coast.

“The ability to play year-round in Southern California was something that was different from what my teammates experienced,” Waco said. “I was always playing games, always traveling. [Softball] was one of the more popular sports. Whereas, I’ve experienced something different on the East Coast. They have lacrosse while we have none of that in Southern California.”

Senior infielder Laurel McKelvey of Texas — a state where softball’s popularity doesn’t trail far behind that of California — describes a similar experience.

“Going from extreme humidity to coming and playing in the cold here was a pretty big adjustment,”

RELAYS, from page 10 Felix recently announced her plans to retire after the 2022 season, thus marking the Penn Relays as one of the final competitive events of her illustrious career.

DESIGN BY TYLER KLIEM

McKelvey said. “Having to figure out how many layers I’m supposed to be playing in. Like, how do you even swing in that many layers? How do I keep my fingers warm so I can throw the ball?”

Aside from the weather, the quantity of travel teams in such hotspot states furthers the sport’s accessibility.

McKelvey describes not having to travel far from her hometown of Houston to face good competition. The density of teams worked in her favor.

Being surrounded by top-ranked collegiate teams also didn’t hurt. Waco grew up idolizing one of the best programs in the nation, UCLA. This made the team’s trip to California for spring break, rather than Florida as in past seasons, all the more special for the West Coast natives.

“So many of us, being from Southern California, had been pushing for that from freshman year,” Waco said. “Especially me being a senior, that was very

exciting. Having my family there and getting to play at the UCLA stadium was so much fun. Also, we ended up going to our coach’s alma mater, which is Cal State Fullerton. It’s something that was really special for the whole team, including the coaches.”

But, how does the predominantly West Coast-based roster impact the overall team dynamic?

“In our team, specifically, we do have a great team culture in which the geography of where we came from doesn’t impact our friendships,” Waco said. “It’s really cool to get to know people from all different areas.”

The geographical rift mostly only arises in the context of music tastes.

“I would say our walk-up songs are a little bit different,” McKelvey said. “There’s some disagreement in the weight room if we should be playing rap music or country music. I am in full support of country

music.”

Freshman pitcher from Kemah, Texas Payton Bean even picked “God Blessed Texas’’ as her walk-out song for when she heads out to pitch. She also has the girls say a “God Blessed Texas” cheer in the circle before starting the inning.

So, which state has the best softball?

“I’ll always have an allegiance to California,” Waco said. “But I am grateful for the experiences I’ve had at Penn.”

“I’m a born-and-raised Texan, so, I’ll always say Texas,” McKelvey said. “But it’s been fun playing with girls from all across the country.”

Ask a Californian, they’ll say California. Ask a Texan, they’ll say Texas. Floridians and New Yorkers will also argue their cases. But on the field, geography doesn’t matter as long as the Quakers wear the Penn crest.

Omar McLeod Another top competitor arriving on Penn’s campus will be Omar McLeod, who will be racing in the 110-meter hurdles event, the same event he won the gold medal in during the 2016 Rio Olympics. In addition to his Olympic victory, McLeod, who hails from Jamaica, has won a gold medal at the World Championships and the World Indoor Championships. During the

2017 World Championships in London, the University of Arkansas alumnus earned gold in the 110m hurdles, and during the 2016 World Indoor Championships in Portland, Ore., earned gold in the 60m hurdles.

Devon Allen Like McLeod, Devon Allen will also be competing in the 110-meter hurdles during the Penn Relays next weekend. That isn’t the only shared

history the two have, though. Allen finished four spots back from McLeod during the 2016 Rio Olympics, earning him a fifth-place finish, and, during the 2017 World Championships in London, he finished eight spots back from McLeod for a ninth-place result. Since then, however, Allen has gotten more experience under his belt than his counterpart has. In 2019, he competed at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, and, this past summer, he finished just one spot out of a medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics.

Franklin Field likely won’t be that far of a trek for Allen to make, as he was recently signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as a wide receiver. The 27-year-old played college football at the University of Oregon, but hasn’t suited up since then, and only recently gauged interest from pro scouts after running an unofficial 4.35-second 40-yard dash at Oregon’s pro day.

Ajeé Wilson While many athletes will be making their Penn Relays debuts, Ajeé Wilson is no stranger to the track at Franklin Field. The Philadelphia native, who’s competed at the event since her high school days, competed at both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. Most recently, Wilson earned a first-place finish in her preferred event, the 800m, during the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

“I’ve been racing at Franklin Field since high school, and have so many amazing memories as both a spectator and competitor,” Wilson said via Penn Relays’ Twitter account. “I’m beyond excited to return and make more!”

Athing Mu Athing Mu will be making her Penn Relays debut when the competition returns to Franklin Field.

Arguably more than anyone else at the event, Mu is coming in on a tear after having won two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics in the 800 meters and the 4x400m relay, respectively. In the 800m, the Trenton, N.J. native holds the U.S. record, and, by winning gold at the Games, became the first American to do so since 1968. At the Penn Relays, however, she’ll be competing in the 600m, which will take place on Saturday, April 30.

PHOTO BY CHASE SUTTON

Then-Penn senior Calvary Rogers at Penn Relays in 2019.

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NO. 13

Men’s lacrosse jumps to No. 4 in the nation with win over Harvard

PHOTO BY BORNA SAEEDNIA

Senior goalkeeper Patrick Burkinshaw during the game against Harvard at Franklin Field on April 16.

Senior goalie Patrick Burkinshaw made a career-high 20 saves in Penn’s 11-8 victory COBY RICH Sports Reporter

After having lost its last two contests and three of its last four, Penn men’s lacrosse looks to be back on the right track after an 11-8 victory this weekend against Harvard.

Senior goalkeeper Patrick Burkinshaw stood steadfast in goal to humble Harvard’s offense (7-3, 2-2 Ivy). After tying his career high in saves against Brown last weekend with 17, he made 20 saves against Harvard to mark a

.714 save average.

Although the Quakers (5-4, 2-3) have seen more explosive days from its offensive unit, the team did enough to secure the victory. Senior midfielder Sam Handley led the way for the Quakers in the scoring department, notching four goals, while senior attacker Dylan Gergar wasn’t far behind with three of his own. Each senior also tallied an assist, coming off of passes to the other.

Wyatt Henseler captures Ivy League honors as baseball cruises past Cornell The Quakers currently sit at 9-2 against Ivy League opponents this season ESTHER LIM Sports Editor

Penn baseball hosted Cornell this past weekend and kept its guests in single-digit scores in each of the sweep.

Starring at the dish through the series was sophomore third baseman Wyatt Henseler, who earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week, in his second Ivy weekly recognition this season. Henseler had 12 RBIs and hit a home run in an April 13 contest at Rutgers, and in both of the first two

games of the Cornell series.

Henseler now ranks first in batting average and on-base plus slugging for the Quakers, but this stretch boosts him to top places in the Ivy League as well.

Henseler’s previous Ivy honor was when he was named See BASEBALL, page 8

For Handley, this marks the fourth game in the last five in which he’s put up a hat trick, and for Gergar, this marks his second hat trick in as many games.

While the two teams traded goals in the first half, entering the midway point with a 4-3 Harvard lead, the Quakers took over in the third quarter, scoring five See LACROSSE, page 8

Allyson Felix headlines Olympic cohort at Penn Relays Recent Eagles wide receiver signee Devon Smith will compete in the 110-meter hurdles ASHIL SRIVASTAVA Sports Reporter

PHOTO BY DIEGO CÁRDENAS

Sophomore Wyatt Henseler during the game against Dartmouth at Meiklejohn Stadium on April 3.

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For the first time in three years, the Penn Relays will return to its role as one of the biggest events in track and field.

From April 28 to April 30, some of the greatest athletes in the world will take to Franklin Field to demonstrate their talents on a global stage. In 2020 and 2021, the competition was canceled due to COVID-19, but now with the event back in full force, top high school athletes, prospective Olympians, and cur rent Olympians will come to Penn’s campus with the hopes of securing top finishes. Here are five of the most notable competitors who will be competing at the Relays, each of which having Olympic experience.

Allyson Felix Perhaps one of the most famous American track athletes ever, Allyson Felix will be participating in the Penn Relays once again. She most recently took bronze and gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Los Angeles native has a monstrous 11 Olympic medals and has been to the Olympic Games five times. Felix is set to take part in the 300-meter event on the final day of the Relays, which will mark her first competitive race since the Olympics this past summer.

See RELAYS, page 9 CONTACT US: 215-422-4640