April 22, 2021

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021 VOL. CXXXVII NO. 13

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Penn administers first Pfizer vaccines on campus Penn began administering COVID-19 vaccines on April 14 SARIKA RAU & HELEN RUDOLER Staff Reporters

The fight for David Eng

Eng is slated to leave Penn in the coming weeks due to declining support for the Asian American Studies Program SHIRALI SHAH Staff Reporter

In light of Asian American Studies professor David Eng’s impending departure, students, alumni, and faculty are petitioning for the University to retain Eng and increase support for ASAM. Fifty-eight Penn faculty members — all Eng’s colleagues — signed a letter of support on April 14 calling on administrators to retain Eng, who they emphasized is “irreplaceable” due to his involvement across many disciplines at the University, in response to School of Arts and Sciences Dean Steven Fluharty’s announcement that the school will initiate a cluster search to fill multiple standing faculty positions in ASAM.

In addition, ASAM Director Josephine Park and the ASAM Undergraduate Advisory Board submitted a petition addressed to Fluharty, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Paul Sniegowski, Associate Dean for Arts and Letters Jeffrey Kallberg, and Associate Dean for the Social Sciences Emily Hannum urging Penn to retain Eng by supporting him and his partner, hire more tenured Asian American faculty across multiple disciplines, name a longstanding director of the program, and provide the program with fiscal and administrative resources to support its long-term growth.

This petition also collected testimonials from

students and alumni about the program and its professors to present to the deans of the College, of which Park said she has received over 200 so far.

English professor Kevin Platt, one of the 58 faculty members who signed the letter, said that, although he appreciates the cluster hire, the University should also try to retain Eng himself. He added that because Eng is also a prominent scholar of Asian American SEE ASAM PAGE 9

Penn administered 500 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday, a victory for students living in oncampus housing.

The Pfizer vaccine requires three weeks between its first and second doses, meaning Penn community members who received the Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday would receive the second dose on May 12. Students in on-campus housing are required to move out by May 13, so students living in the College Houses would be able to be fully vaccinated before leaving campus.

When Wharton and College sophomore Oralia Quinones saw that Penn was administering the Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday, she immediately switched the date of her appointment so that she could receive the Pfizer vaccine.

“I was originally scheduled for Friday, and if I had gotten it on Friday — which was Moderna — I would have had to wait until May 21 to get my second dose and I already had my flight to go back home before that,” Quinones said. “So it was really nice that [Penn] actually offered it to students, and right before move-out day right after finals, which was really good timing.”

First-year law student Paige Granie similarly switched her appointment from Tuesday to Wednesday after reading online that Penn would administer Pfizer vaccines.

“It was really conveniently timed, so I can be fully vaccinated before I go anywhere for the summer,” she said.

The University originally planned to administer 280 Moderna COVID-19 vaccines — which require four weeks between doses — on Wednesday, but will now administer those vaccines on Thursday and Friday in addition to the vaccines previously scheduled, Director of Communications for Student Wellness Mary Kate Coghlan said.

Penn community members who are vaccinated on Thursday or Friday will receive their second dose on May 20 or May 21. Penn’s COVID-19 vaccination site has been administering Moderna vaccines since it opened on April 14, but the type of vaccine will change on a week-to-week basis depending on what the City of Philadelphia is able to provide, Penn health officials said. Students became eligible to receive the vaccine on April 19, when the city began vaccinating all adults.

The University is using the same scheduling platform for COVID-19 vaccinations as COVID-19 testing. Penn community members are instructed to arrive at the back entrance of Pottruck Health and Fitness Center at 3730 Samson Street for their appointments, where they will be asked to check in and show Penn identification and their green PennOpen Passes. They will then be instructed to go upstairs to the Gimbel Gymnasium vaccination site, which is accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, to receive their vaccines.

After receiving their vaccines, Penn community members will sit for a 15- or 30-minute observation period, depending on their medical history, to make sure they do not have any immediate vaccine side effects.

Penn will release appointment slots for the upcoming week by Friday afternoon, Dubé said, adding that the University will continue to update the scheduling platform with new vaccine appointments if the City of Philadelphia provides the University with more doses, as it did this week.

Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé encouraged students to continue to check the scheduling website throughout the week and, most importantly, to remain patient.

Penn received 389% more foreign donations in 2019 than in 2018 Penn attributed the increase to heightened international fundraising efforts THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN ANALYTICS STAFF

Penn recorded 372 foreign donations in 2019, a 389% increase from 2018, which Penn attributed to the addition of an international development department to The Power of Penn, the University’s most ambitious fundraising campaign.

The international development campaign ran for the first time in the fiscal year 2019, consisting of an international tour with Penn President Amy Gutmann to speak to Penn alumni, students, and parents, according to Senior Managing Director of Penn’s International Development Department Tina Cowan.

The Daily Pennsylvanian Analytics Staff analyzed 3,809 total foreign donations from January 2014 to June 2020 through data

acquired from the Postsecondary Education Participation System, which is part of the Office of Federal Student Aid’s management information system of all organizations that administer student financial aid. The dataset may not comprehensively cover all donations because institutions do not need to report donations of less than $250,000 to the federal government.

Of the donations analyzed, 625 were to the University of Pennsylvania.

The other 3,184 donations were to other Ivy League universities.

Foreign donations by country The University received the largest sum of foreign donations from China, at $77,457,323, followed by England, at $57,410,522. Donation amounts by region are correlated

to the number of alumni and parent families from the region, Cowan wrote.

“We have many more students and alumni in China than England, and we have more students from these regions than from other parts of the world,” she wrote. On The Power of Penn website, the Frequently Asked Questions page includes specific information about how taxpayers from the United Kingdom and Hong Kong can make gifts to Penn.

According to a letter drafted by three House of Representatives Republicans, the University had received about $21,187,333 from China in the 37 months prior to Penn announcing the formation of the Penn Biden Center in 2018 and

$72,274,675 from China in the 39 months following its launch. The dataset examined by the DP Analytics Staff found $15,681,213 from China during the first timeframe, although some of the donations do not specify their amount.

“The Penn Biden Center has never solicited or received any gifts from any Chinese or other foreign entity. In fact, the University has never solicited any gifts for the Center,” University spokesperson Stephen MacCarthy wrote in a previous statement to the DP. “Since its inception in 2017, there have been three unsolicited gifts, from two SEE DONATIONS PAGE 3

West & Down’s reopening sparks student concerns of COVID-19 violations West & Down is a club located at 39th and Chestnut streets ELIZABETH MEISENZAHL & DELANEY PARKS Senior Reporter & Staff Reporter

Popular University City nightclub West & Down has drawn long lines since its reopening last month, raising concerns from students who allege the club is breaking Philadelphia’s COVID19 violations.

The club, located on 38th and Chestnut streets, reopened on March 13 after closing in light of the pandemic, West & Down manager Eric Haff said. While Haff emphasized that West & Down has been operating in

accordance with city guidelines, some students who have been in the club and witnessed long lines outside the club expressed doubts about safety.

The City of Philadelphia currently limits establishments serving food and drinks indoors to 25% capacity, or 50% capacity if they meet ventilation guidelines, and requires customers to wear masks except when eating or drinking while seated. Haff said the club is operating at 50%

“Given the continued conditions of the pandemic, summer course affordability should be a priority for the University, whether this means reducing tuition, increasing grantbased aid, or offering tuition waivers.” - DP Editorial Board PAGE 4

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capacity to comply with city guidelines.

Since reopening a month ago, Haff said West & Down has had many students from local universities, including Penn, Drexel University, Temple University, and Rowan University, attend the club. He confirmed that Penn’s greek life organizations in particular have reserved tables frequently since its reopening.

A College sophomore, who requested anonymity in fear of

Penn baseball was able to secure their first walk-off win of the season in their last opportunity to do so.

retaliation, went to West & Down in early April after being invited by a fellow Penn student and noticed that the club was crowded with students who they believed were likely from the city or surrounding areas.

They estimated that the club was “definitely filled to [normal] capacity, if not over,” adding that SEE WEST & DOWN PAGE3

NEWS

QUINN ROBINSON

The DP Analytics Staff analyzed 3,809 total foreign donations from January 2014 to June 2020 through data from the Postsecondary Education Participation System.

PENN COMMUNITY HONORS VICTIMS OF MASS SHOOTINGS PAGE 7 AT VIGIL

NEWS

STUDENTS FACE EXTRA OBSTACLES TO SAFE SEX PAGE 9 DURING THE PANDEMIC

PAGE 12

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NEWS 3

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

A voter’s guide to the May 2021 Pennsylvania primary Voters will cast their decision for local races and for new judges to three statewide appellate courts PIA SINGH & TORI SOUSA News Editor & Senior Reporter

Students living in Kings Court English House, Lauder College House, Hill College House, Sansom Place West, Sansom Place East, and in off-campus apartment Domus can vote in Room 108 of the ARCH Building. Those living in Harnwell College House, Rodin College House, Harrison College House, Du Bois College House, the Quad, and Stouffer College House — as well as in Axis, The Radian, Chestnut Hall, Hamilton Court, and The Hub off-campus apartments — can vote in Houston Hall’s Bodek Lounge. Residents of the Woodland Terrace neighborhood in University City can vote in Walnut Street West Library.

If you do not live in one of these locations, find your polling place here.

How to vote by mail: May 11 is the last day to request a mail-in ballot, for which you can apply

online with a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license or photo I.D., by mail — addressed to your county election office — or in person at your county election office.

You have to be registered as either a Democrat or Republican in Pennsylvania to be able to select the candidates who will run in the November general election.

Candidates on the ballot for the 2021 Primary: Philadelphia district attorney: Vote for one The district attorney serves as the chief prosecutor for the City of Philadelphia, and decides whether to bring criminal charges against arrested people, supervise and provide leadership of other legal clerks and associates, prosecute criminal cases in court, and determine the severity of the punishment of some crimes.

GRAPHIC BY AVA CRUZ

From a step-by-step voting manual to a comprehensive “who’s who” on the ballot, here’s your guide to the 2021 primary election in Philadelphia.

Voters will cast their decisions for local races and for new judges to Pennsylvania’s three statewide appellate courts — some of the highest positions in state government that will affect policy for years to come.

Important deadlines to keep in mind: The next election in Philadelphia will occur on May 18, 2021. The deadline to register to vote or update your registration status is May 3, and the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is May 11. If you’re unsure about your registration status, you can find that out here.

Polling locations: Polls are open on Election Day, May 18, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Justice of the Supreme Court: Vote for one The Supreme Court, the highest judicial body within a jurisdiction’s court system, has seven justices. Four judges are now running for one vacancy on this court, also known as a “court of last resort,” as it has the power to assume jurisdiction over any case in the state’s court system.

One Democrat, Maria McLaughlin, and three Republicans — Paula Patrick, Kevin Brobson, and Patricia A. McCullough — are the candidates.

Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania: Vote for one The Superior Court of Pennsylvania, one of just two statewide intermediate appellate courts, serves as the appeals court for most citizens and businesses. The superior court includes 15 judges, each serving in their position for 10 years. There is currently one vacancy open in 2021.

Three Democrats — Jill Beck, Timika Lane, and Bryan Neft — and one Republican, Megan Sullivan, are the candidates.

Judge of the Commonwealth Court: Vote for no more than two The Commonwealth Court, one of two statewide intermediate appellate courts, hears civil cases involving state or local government. It also hears

DONATIONS FRONT PAGE

donors, which combined [to a total of] $1,100. Both donors are Americans.”

Despite the higher donation amounts from China in comparison to other countries, Political Science professor Avery Goldstein said that the correlation does not necessarily imply a causation.

Goldstein said a large number of donations do not go to institutions where China would want to exert its influence to forward its own goals. For example, during Goldstein’s tenure as the inaugural director of Penn’s Center for the Study of Contemporary China from 2012 to 2019, the center never received funding from China. Goldstein said it is more likely that the donations are going to the general fund for undergraduate scholarships at Penn.

A majority of foreign donations from China come in the form of monetary gifts, both in terms of WEST & DOWN FRONT PAGE

they thought the club contained enough people to potentially be a fire hazard.

“You know during Prohibition, how they had speakeasies where people would go and drink alcohol because alcohol was there? And it was kind of illicit?” the College sophomore asked. “That was what it felt like.”

Upon entering the club, the sophomore said they could not remember seeing anyone inside who was masked. Philadelphia has enforced a mask mandate since June, which requires all individuals in public indoor spaces to wear masks when not eating or drinking, and to maintain six feet of distance when mask-wearing is not possible. The sophomore said, however, that West & Down did not seem to follow any COVID-19 precautions at all.

appeals in certain cases involving constitutional challenges to a tax dispute or Pennsylvania law.

There are currently two vacancies on the Commonwealth Court. Given this, voters can elect no more than two candidates to fill the vacancies.

Three Democrats — David Lee Spurgeon, Lori A. Dumas, Sierra Street, Amanda Green Hawkins — and one Republican, Drew Crompton and Stacy Marie Wallace, are the candidates.

Courts of Common Pleas: Vote for up to eight There are eight vacancies on this court, which is organized into 60 judicial districts. The Courts of Common Pleas handles criminal and civil cases, including those that involve families and children, and appeals from minor courts, and holds civil, criminal, and jury trials.

There are 16 Democratic candidates running for the spot: Wendi Barish, Terri M. Booker, Rick Cataldi, Michele Hangley, Maurice Houston, Nick Kamau, Craig Levin, Cateria R. McCabe, Mark Moore, Patrick J. Moran, John R. Padova, Daniel Sulman, Caroline Turner, Tamika Washington, Betsy Wahl.

Judge of the Municipal Court: Vote for no more than three There are three vacancies on the Philadelphia

Municipal Court, which is responsible for deciding if serious criminal cases go to the Court of Common Pleas, arranging preliminary arraignments and hearings, and setting and accepting bail, except in murder or voluntary manslaughter cases.

Court cases include traffic tickets, landlord-tenant disputes, and underage drinking.

The Democratic candidates are Michael Lambert, Barbara Thomson, George Twardy, and Gregory Yorgey-Girdy. There is no Republican on the ballot.

Philadelphia City Controller: Vote for one The city controller serves as chief auditor of the City of Philadelphia and the School District of Philadelphia. The city controller, which functions independently of the mayor and City Council, is responsible for auditing municipal operations, investigating accusations of mismanagement and fraud by City affiliates, and certifying Philadelphia’s debt capacity.

Incumbent Rebecca Rhynhart (D), who is set to run unchallenged in the primary and in November’s general election, was sworn in as the first woman ever elected city controller for the City of Philadelphia in 2018.

Rhynhart’s platform centers around restoring

public trust in government and rooting out instances of corruption and fraud. Rhynhart pushed the City of Philadelphia to create a centralized unit to “receive, investigate and resolve” sexual misconduct cases in response to the office’s performance audit of sexual misconduct policies. She has also criticized city officials, including Mayor Jim Kenney, for their failure to properly plan for last summer’s wave of protests against police brutality that followed the murder of George Floyd.

Five ballot questions: You can vote on five ballot questions in the 2021 primary, including three proposed constitutional amendments and one statewide referendum.

This year’s questions concern amendments to the Equal Rights Regardless of Race or Ethnicity Amendment, the Emergency Declarations Amendment, the Legislative Resolution to Extend or Terminate Emergency Declaration Amendment, and a referendum on the Municipal Fire and EMS Services Loans Measure. There will also be a question to amend Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter.

donation count and monetary value. Cowan wrote that the difference between monetary gifts and contracts is that, while a gift consists of giving some monetary amount to the University, contracts include agreements with companies that may include providing education to their employees, as well as faculty research grants.

In their letter, members of Congress expressed concerns that the Chinese Communist Party has used strategic investments to indoctrinate American college students, which Goldstein denied.

“Importantly, on the output side of things, in no way has any Penn programming and teaching been shaped by Chinese preferences,” Goldstein said. “In fact, we are often very critical of Chinese policies, and we run things exactly how we would want to.”

Thirty-five percent of the money donated from China is in the form of anonymous donations, and state donations account for 23% of the total donation amount. For the purpose of the analysis, state

donations are defined as donations by Chinese stateowned companies. The rest of the money is from private donations.

Goldstein and Political Science professor Michael Jones-Correa both disputed the existence of any risk of bias due to the increase in Chinese donations.

Goldstein added that the increase can also be attributed to a growing Chinese middle class and a larger Penn alumni donor base.

Donations to the Ivy League Penn ranks fourth among the Ivy League universities for average monthly donation amount received, falling behind Cornell, Harvard, and Yale. Cornell received the most in average monthly donations at $18,168,137, while Brown receives the least at $1,201,335 during the approximately six-year period of data collection.

Jones-Correa said the difference in donation sums between institutions could be partially attributed to how aggressive the university is in seeking donations

and the specialization of the school. The donations can often be a function of the specialization of the school, which would tend to lean towards schools with a heavier science and agriculture bent, he said.

This could be why Cornell, a STEM-focused university, receives higher levels of donations than Brown University, Jones-Correa said.

Donations over time Foreign donations to Penn increased continuously from 2014 to 2019, spiking in June 2019 with a monthly total of over $28 million.

There is a cyclical nature to donations across each year, which Cowan attributed to fundraising on a fiscal year basis, which runs from July 1 to June 30.

Cowan wrote that the end of the fiscal year motivates some donors to make an annual gift in June, which coincides with the spike in donations during June 2019. Cowan added that June 2019 was the end of the first public year of the Power of Penn campaign, which also contributed to the spike.

“It did not appear to me that [West & Down] is taking COVID-19 very seriously,” the sophomore said.

Wharton junior Sam Scott, who lives in Hamilton Court, an apartment building above West & Down, said that since reopening, he has regularly seen lines outside the club on weekends. Scott said a line of eight to 10 people typically gathers early in the night, and grows as the night goes on.

A Wharton sophomore, who requested anonymity in fear of retaliation, said they witnessed a long line of students outside West & Down in early April that spanned the entire block of Chestnut between 38th and 39th streets.

Due to city regulations, Haff said that only people with reservations ahead of time are allowed in and that the club often has to turn people away due to capacity restrictions. West & Down has also added more tables to make up for the loss of bar service due to city regulations, he said.

“We’re still taking a hit, but it’s better than not being open,” Haff said.

For the most part, the College sophomore said that people seemed to need table reservations to get in, but added they heard from a friend that there was also a shorter list of club “regulars” who were admitted as walk-ins, and they noticed this the night they went to West & Down themselves.

The College sophomore added that while most of the club attendees were drinking, nothing they observed was unsafe behavior — other than the fact that it was occurring during the pandemic.

“I didn’t see anything that was concerning other than the fact that [there were] a ton of people breaking COVID-19 guidelines, which is pretty concerning in and of itself,” they said. “It seemed pretty normal for pre-COVID-19, if not a little bit crazier than pre-COVID-19 times.”

Philadelphia Department of Public Health

Communications Director James Garrow wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian that if establishments in the city have minor infractions, the city will work with them to better meet the guidelines. But if there is a large violation or repeated violations, the city can order the establishment to cease operations.

“Their ability to follow these restrictions will allow us to keep people safe, and case counts down,” Garrow wrote.

Philadelphia is currently witnessing a rise in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced on Tuesday. In light of these rising case counts, some students questioned both the club’s decision to reopen and students’ decision to attend.

“Given that most people I know who are on campus aren’t fully vaccinated, it’s probably a little bit irresponsible for it to be open so soon,” Scott said.

*The complete version of this article is available online.

4 OPINION

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

OPINION Penn’s new ‘net-zero’ climate goal is deceptive and ignores years of student activism

THURSDAY APRIL 22, 2021 VOL. CXXXVII, NO. 13 137th Year of Publication DANE GREISIGER President ASHLEY AHN Executive Editor HADRIANA LOWENKRON DP Editor-in-Chief ISABEL LIANG Design Editor CONOR MURRAY News Editor PIA SINGH News Editor HANNAH GROSS Assignments Editor BRITTANY DARROW Copy Editor KYLIE COOPER Photo Editor ALFREDO PRATICÒ Opinion Editor SUNNY JANG Audience Engagement Editor BRANDON PRIDE Sports Editor LOCHLAHN MARCH Sports Editor SOPHIE HUANG Video Editor QIANA ARTIS Podcast Editor ALESSANDRA PINTADO-URBANC Business Manager JASPER HUANG Analytics Manager GREG FERREY Marketing Manager EMILY CHEN Product Lab Manager ERIC HOANG Consulting Manager

THIS ISSUE ALANA KELLY DP Design Editor

Guest Column | Instead of heeding the demands of the student body, Penn’s new plan enables fossil fuel companies to continue harming the climate

O

n the climate front, Penn seems to be making big moves: On April 7, the University’s administration released an email to the Penn community outlining Penn’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions within the endowment by 2050. Penn is once again acknowledging Fossil Free Penn’s stance that Penn’s investments have climatological consequences — that our endowment has the power to act against the forces that cause climate change instead of funding them. At the surface level, the new commitment looks like serious climate action, but the face of this plan — Penn’s “net-zero endowment” goal — neglects demands from students to divest our endowment from fossil fuels.

The University wants to reduce the net greenhouse gas emissions from our endowment investments to net-zero by 2050. This is 20 years later than the recommendations from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2018 report, which suggests by 2030 the climate crisis’ catastrophic effects will largely be irreversible.

This plan ensures that Penn can continue to fund fossil fuel corporations and other greenhouse gas-emitting industries. Penn plans to reach their net-zero goal by waiting for companies they invest in to reduce their emissions. The University also plans to maintain investments and make new investments in companies that have “low or improving carbon footprints.” Many environmentally destructive companies technically meet these criteria, like oil giants BP and Exxon Mobil, which both have hollow plans in place to reduce their emissions. However, oil companies’ reductions in emissions are meaningless because their business models rely on selling fossil fuels. Selling any amount of fossil fuels is a recipe for further climate disaster. In order to avoid climate catastrophe, 80% of fossil fuel reserves must not be extracted or burned. Penn’s plan is not worthwhile if its investments actively help the deadly fossil fuel industry stay afloat.

The most significant failure of this plan is the strategic way Penn calculates emissions. Their plan conveniently omits Scope 3 — or indirect — emissions, which account for 90% of all fossil fuel companies’ emissions. Scope 3 includes all of the emissions from oil, gas, and coal that fossil fuel companies sell to be burned downstream. On the other hand, Scope 1 and 2 emissions account for the emissions that result from using company cars or purchasing electricity for an office building (see diagram).

This same scheme allows fossil fuel companies to claim they will reach net-zero emissions by 2050 while still ramping up exploration for new oil and gas reserves. Fossil fuel producers are responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions, so Penn’s plan for a net-zero endowment is fraudulent. By not addressing 90% of emissions from the fossil fuel industry — the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter — Penn’s “net-zero” plan is disingenuous and ineffective.

Penn also plans to use shareholder engagement to reduce its

PHOTO PROVIDED BY FOSSIL FREE PENN

endowment’s emissions. Shareholder engagement — the idea that Penn can use their position as a company’s investor “as a force for change” — has a history of being unsuccessful. Not one of the top fossil fuel companies has committed to keeping fossil fuels in the ground, despite 160 shareholder resolutions filed from 2012 to 2018. There is nothing Penn’s “engagement” can do to convince an oil company to stop selling oil. Penn also mentions carbon offsets as a method to reduce emissions, but academic research suggests that these offsets have little to no long-lasting carbon-reducing effects.

To truly combat the catastrophic effects of the climate crisis, Penn needs to completely divest from the fossil fuel industry.

Divestment is the best solution to ensure Penn’s endowment is not funding climate change and its violent effect on humans.

Divestment also removes Penn’s contribution to the non-climate change-related atrocities of the fossil fuel industry, like its destruction of Indigenous land, perpetuation of high rates of sex trafficking, and inciting of rare cancers and health disparities in primarily Black and Indigenous communities (including Penn’s South Philadelphia neighbors on the fenceline of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery).

For over seven years, FFP has fought for the University’s administration to divest from fossil fuels and publicly rebuke the industry’s violence. We have submitted multiple divestment

proposals and have tried on countless occasions to have meaningful conversations with the administration, to no avail. When formal requests with the University failed, we held non-violent direct actions. In 2019, FFP sat in front of President Amy Gutmann’s office nearly every Friday afternoon from September to March, halting only due to the COVID-19 shutdown. In November of 2019, we even shut down the fall Board of Trustees meeting. Penn’s new plan is a clear response to student activism, but, as they know, it is not what we have been demanding. Penn is not listening.

We will continue to put pressure on the University until they take meaningful climate action. We must not let the University continue to fund climate change. We must demand better. Penn must divest.

KATIE COLLIER is a College junior studying philosophy, politics, and economics and cognitive science from Orlando, Fla. EMMA GLASSER is a College and Engineering junior studying materials science and engineering and environmental science from Princeton, N.J. They are coordinators of Fossil Free Penn. Their emails are ktc@sas.upenn. edu and eglasser@seas.upenn.edu, respectively.

ALICE HEYEH 34th St. Design Editor QUINN ROBINSON Deputy Design Editor

Why does Penn lag on climate divestment?

NATHAN ADLER Design Associate TYLER KLIEM Design Associate MAX MESTER News Photo Editor ANA GLASSMAN Opinion Photo Editor SAMANTHA TURNER Sports Photo Editor JONAH CHARLTON Deputy News Editor NICKY BELGRAD Associate Sports Editor AGATHA ADVINCULA Deputy Opinion Editor VARUN SARASWATHULA Deputy Opinion Editor VALERIE WANG Deputy Opinion Editor SOPHIE APFEL Copy Associate EMMA SCHULTZ Copy Associate TIFFANY PARK Copy Associate SOPHIE NADEL Copy Associate

Guest Column | Penn’s trustees must find the courage to prevent climate catastrophe and not let Penn be a complicit partner in the propagation of climate injustice

T

his Earth Day, Penn’s leaders will likely proclaim how committed our university is to making progress on environmental issues, including the climate emergency. However, the failure of Penn’s Board of Trustees to seriously address climate divestment undermines this posture and is antithetical to Penn’s mission of nurturing future leadership and cultivating global stewardship.

Penn is now a laggard rather than a leader on the climate crisis.

Many of our peer universities have announced policies fully divesting from companies producing oil and other fossil fuels which, when burned, emit massive quantities of the greenhouse gases causing global heating. The list includes Brown, Cornell, Georgetown, the University of California system, the University of Massachusetts system, and the University of Michigan.

Given these precedents, what explains Penn’s recalcitrance?

We suggest that implicit if not explicit conflicts of interest within Penn’s Board of Trustees may be a contributing factor.

Consider, for example, that Scott Bok, the incoming chair of the Board of Trustees, is a career financier who is currently the CEO of an investment bank that advises and profits from many companies heavily involved in oil and gas extraction and sales. Similarly, other long-time trustees have significant material incentives to prolong the fossil fuel industry’s death grip on our climate in their banking and financing businesses. Have these trustees recused themselves from any considerations about divestment? Do other trustees counterbalance these business interests and related values? We don’t know; maybe none do.

Unlike at Cornell, Penn’s Board of Trustees includes no student

representative.

Faculty members have been similarly kept in the dark with respect to the Board of Trustees’ actions. For example, the Board of Trustees’ most recent non-action on divestment was made public only a few hours before a scheduled meeting organized by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to discuss climate issues. At this event, each of us asked separate specific questions about the divestment policy in the chat, and despite being the most upvoted questions, both of our questions were ignored

by Penn’s chief investment officer and other top administrators.

We do not question the integrity of any of the trustees, but we raise a question about possible bias, and their collective judgment is surely wanting.

The Board of Trustees’ own statement on divestment says that Penn would divest from companies that represent “a moral evil implicating a core University value that is creating a substantial social injury.” Yet what greater moral evil can be imagined than continued production and burning of fossil fuels at a rate that scientists predict will disrupt the global climate with the anticipated consequences of hundreds of millions of deaths by 2100 and exacerbated social inequities? The Board of Trustees says there must be “a specific company or companies identified for divestment.” Yet we know that only 20 firms have contributed approximately 35% of all greenhouse emissions since 1965, and most if not all continue along at the same or accelerated pace.

This Earth Day in 2021 is a sad one at Penn because our Board of Trustees continues to fail in its true fiduciary duty to invest responsibly for our long-term sustainable future. Penn’s

recently announced divestment strategy is instead indistinguishable from the greenwashing of leading fossil fuel companies like BP and Shell which pledge that they too will be carbon neutral by 2050.

Aligning more with Big Oil than the research and teaching in our own university shows how far our trustees are falling short.

By refusing to act in accordance with the urgency of the climate crisis, the trustees are choosing to lag rather than lead, thus positioning Penn as a complicit partner in the propagation of climate injustice. Leadership requires a strong belief in science and the courage to act on it.

We urge those trustees who are not biased by their conflicts of interest to find the courage to help us all to prevent climate catastrophe. We urge everyone in the wider Penn community — including students, faculty, staff, and alumni — to act to persuade our trustees to do the right thing and fully divest now.

VYSHNAVI KOSIGISHROFF is a College junior studying economics and environmental studies.

She is also co-chair of the Student Sustainability Association at Penn. ERIC ORTS is the Guardsmark Professor of Legal Studies at the Wharton School. He is also a member of the Faculty Senate’s Committee for an Institutional Response to the Climate Emergency. Their emails are vkosigi@ sas.upenn.edu and ortse@wharton.upenn.edu, respectively.

Penn’s zero-emissions promise is meaningless Brick in the Wall | Penn can’t expect to mitigate the effects of climate change by continuing to invest in the very industry causing it

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

Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. Editorial Board, which meets regularly to discuss issues relevant to Penn’s campus.

Participants in these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on related topics.

he story always seems to be the same: each year, global carbon emissions hit a record, “unprecedented” high.

And each year, we creep towards a dystopian future plagued by environmental destruction. Time and time again, scientists have warned us that the only way to slow this existential threat is through immediate and significant action.

So, knowing what we know about climate change, where does this leave Penn’s recent promise to reduce carbon emissions to “net-zero” by 2050?

The new initiative, announced Wednesday, involves investments within Penn’s endowment. Capital within this endowment — which is currently worth $14.9 billion, the sixth largest endowment in the nation — will be shifted towards investing in assets committed to reducing their carbon footprint. But yet again, one thing remains glaringly unchanged: Penn, still prioritizing profit above meaningful action, will not divest from fossil fuels.

This statement comes after years of clearly outlined, coordinated student demands for divestment. For eight years, Fossil Free Penn has led protests, sit-ins, and meetings with the University Board to push Penn to withdraw from any investment — direct or indirect — from the fossil fuel industry, and instead reinvest it into clean energy. But the administration has consistently ignored their demands.

Penn’s new zero-emissions plan is built on a paradox: they’re expecting to mitigate the effects of climate

change yet continuing to invest in the very industry causing them. Oil, coal, and natural gas companies that have agreed net-zero emission goals have taken little steps towards actually reducing their footprint — BP, for example, has pledged to reduce direct carbon emissions, but doesn’t plan on decreasing production.

Penn is also no stranger to loopholes in their climate policies. At least judging from their recent announcement, Penn has vague interest in investing directly into clean energy — in an interview with Penn Today, the Chief Investment Officer Peter Ammon noted “just because an opportunity might be focused on sustainability doesn’t mean it will have a risk and reward profile that is attractive.” Instead, Ammon points towards “carbon capture,” a risky and unproven technology works that will only extend the carbon budget by a negligible amount.

Considering global warming is already causing global devastation, a zero-emissions plan realized thirty years in the future is the policy equivalent of trying to rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic. Divestment, therefore, is a necessity, as an interruption to fossil fuel companies’ now-constant flow of capital decreases the industry’s returns and valuations on these infrastructure projects — essentially, if businesses move away from fossil fuel investment, it becomes less profitable for the industry to exploit natural resources. In the past, even modest reductions in financial support have threatened the industry’s

stability. Climate change isn’t going to wait around while Penn makes their financial decisions more palatable for shareholders. Considering the fossil fuel industry is already financially volatile, there’s certainly an added economic incentive to divestment.

Penn’s current plan is one of empty platitudes and inadequate promises — the University is perfectly poised to take meaningful action on the climate change crisis, but political will is the only thing stopping them. For investment officers who make over $2.6 million per year to imply that their hands are tied behind their backs when it comes to divesting a $14.9 billion dollar endowment from fossil fuels is laughable.

To the administration: when it comes to the survival of the Earth, milquetoast compromises won’t cut it. You frame the goal of combating climate change as a complicated effort, one that will take decades and require “scientific innovation, political will, and changes in consumer behavior.” But the truth is, we already know how to lower emissions. We know how to take decisive action on climate change and work towards a “healthier and more livable world”. And we’ve been telling you for years — so now it’s time to listen.

TAJA MAZAJ is a College first year from King of Prussia, Pa. Her email is tajam@sas.upenn.edu.

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OPINION 5

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

EDITORIAL

It’s past time for affordable summer classes

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his year, as many Penn students struggle to find summer opportunities, Penn’s summer course offerings provide the chance to stay engaged and get ahead on coursework and requirements. However, at a price of $4,694 to $7,092 per course unit, depending on the school, these classes do not come cheap.

Without grant-based aid during the summer terms, and limited other assistance, Penn’s courses remain inaccessible to many.

It’s past time for Penn to reduce the cost of summer classes, so that more students may access them, especially given the current state of the world.

Reducing summer tuition is not a new demand.

Last year, this same Editorial Board called for it to be made more affordable. And even before the pandemic, students had to weigh the benefits and costs of taking classes over the summer, with many forgoing

the opportunity due to financial strain. Now the second summer with reduced internship options, summer courses are an even greater lifeline for those with limited alternatives.

Throughout the pandemic, internships have been hard to come by for university students. As organizations face budget constraints and strain in adjusting to remote work, many internships have been paused for the 2020 and 2021 summers. A report from Glassdoor last year showed a 52% decrease in internship offerings, and while much has changed since those early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, internships still remain reduced compared to their pre-2020 levels.

Summer coursework, when some students may not have internships to provide structure to their days, offers a sense of purpose and direction. Classes provide a source of intellectual engagement and a regular

schedule, all while allowing students to continue working towards their degree and taking classes that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to fit in their typical semester. For first year students, they offer the further advantage of being a way to connect more with the Penn community they’ve never met in a COVID-free environment.

There is recognized demand for summer courses.

Last summer there was over a 70% increase in enrollment, with Penn anticipating continued interest this summer by offering over 100 courses for undergraduates — more than a typical pre-pandemic year. Interest would likely be even higher if it was made possible for all students. With courses being remote for the second summer, costs associated with in-person classes, such as classroom facilities, are no longer required, meaning these programs are cheaper to run.

For many students, all or most of their college experience has been virtual. Peer institutions like Harvard and Yale have taken the step to offer tuition waivers for summer classes to certain groups of students. At Harvard this policy encompasses students who spent the past academic year away from campus and includes subsidized housing and food for those who qualify for financial aid.

Affordability was a problem before 2020, and continues to remain one amidst unprecedented times.

Given the continued conditions of the pandemic and their impact on internships, summer course affordability should be a priority for the University. Whether this means reducing tuition, increasing grant-based aid, or offering tuition waivers, there are many ways Penn could make summer coursework a financial feasibility for students.

We need one more semester of pass/fail Emily’s Eye | Transitioning to in-person classes in the midst of a pandemic will create continued stress, emphasizing the need for pass/fail to continue

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s COVID-19 vaccines are now being administered right on campus and are available to all students, the Penn community is looking forward to the return of normalcy in the upcoming semester. Penn’s decision to fully reopen campus with in-person instruction this fall has brought excitement and relief, allowing students to envision the traditional college experience once again.

However, many students have also expressed concerns regarding the return to in-person classes. Back in March 2020 when classes moved online, the pass/fail policy was implemented to give students some relief during such a difficult and confusing time. “The pass/ fail policy has been crucial for ensuring the mental health and well-being of countless students this past year,” says Gabbi Thomas, a College junior. “Students are required to balance coursework, extracurriculars, and countless other commitments, the pressures of which were exacerbated by the pandemic.” Now, as students experience another major shift in their academic careers, continuing the pass/fail policy for one more semester would be an ideal way to provide students both consistency and support.

“In returning to an in-person format, students would not only have to continue to balance [their additional commitments], but also cope with the added pressure of returning to in-person instruction for the first time in over a year,” Thomas continues. Immediately transitioning from 100% virtual learning to 100% in-person learning may be an abrupt and difficult change for some students. Not only have they already adapted to

the virtual environment, they have become accustomed to it. For about a year and a half, students have learned the ins and outs of Zoom, adopted new learning techniques, and gained technological experience that has become second nature. The concept of asynchronous classes with prerecorded lectures is new as well, changing many students’ study habits. Meetings, clubs, and interviews have also been conducted online, causing students to be fully immersed in a technological world.

Many may argue that the pass/fail option decreases student motivation and creates more leeway to slack off. However, due to Penn’s competitive and rigorous academic culture, students often place too much emphasis on grades. Not only does this create unnecessary stress and anxiety, this also impacts students’ moods and decreases classroom positivity and participation.

Having the option of pass/fail can significantly reduce stress, allowing students to focus solely on their academic material. “Continuing the pass/fail policy for another semester would greatly alleviate this pressure and allow students to enjoy learning and absorb knowledge and course work rather than focusing merely on getting by,” Thomas adds. After all, the true purpose of college is intellectual exploration, not grades and GPA. Instead of competing with one another for higher scores, especially in classes that grade on a curve, students will be inspired by their peers and divert more effort towards helping each other learn. In addition, students will be more inclined to take academic risks without the usual fear of grades lurking in the back

KYLIE COOPER

of their minds. Students will have the confidence to explore new classes and test out new ideas, therefore expanding their minds and enhancing their educational experiences.

Pass/fail is especially necessary for rising sophomores who have not had in-person instruction since their senior year of high school. Because they have yet to truly experience classes at Penn, the pass/fail option would provide a great sense of relief as they step into classrooms for the first time. Other students have also taken gap years, dedicating their efforts to extracurricular and economic activities rather than traditional schoolwork. After spending so much time without a structured academic schedule, it will undoubtedly be difficult to transition back to classes,

especially in-person ones.

It is also important to remember that the pandemic is not yet over. Even though students are receiving vaccines, there are still many consequences of the pandemic that continue to impact students and their families, including economic burdens, worsened mental health, and long-term physical effects of the deadly virus. The return of in-person instruction does not cause these negative repercussions to automatically disappear.

“Administration needs to focus on and ensure that students are supported during this transition period to in-person classes,” says Tori Borlase, College junior and newly elected Undergraduate Assembly President. Borlase was influential in the initial establishment of pass/fail as she and the other members of Penn Student Government understand the urgency of supporting students in their time of need.

Continuing the pass/fail option for one more semester is a small but simple policy that will go a long way for all undergraduate students. Because there has been such positive feedback with pass/fail throughout the past year and a half, students will certainly be grateful and relieved if the policy were to continue in the upcoming semester.

EMILY CHANG is a College first year studying sociology from Holmdel, N.J. Her email address is changem@sas.upenn.edu.

Women’s issues don’t end when the news stops Isabella’s Impressions | Students must continue the dialogue about the adversity women face even as stories fade from the news

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ou are not a hero for walking a drunk girl home.

You do not deserve praise for your silence as “the boys” objectify women. You should not be put on a pedestal because you could have been a bad guy, but “you’re not like that.” That is not enough. You should not only care about what happens to women just because we are your sisters, your mothers, your classmates, and your friends. You should care because we are people and the comments some write off as “compliments,” the grazes that last a second too long, and the constant cycle of violence in the news have aggregated to a boiling point of frustration and exhaustion.

In light of the recent events in the United Kingdom and New York it is important to continue fostering a productive dialogue about the plights women face, including sexual assault and harassment. This genderbased pandemic is not a discussion exclusively for women to have. In order for there to be constructive dialogue and societal transformation, everyone needs to be actively involved in the conversation, regardless of whether the news deems it a current event, because for women, it always is.

The recent abduction and death of Sarah Everard propelled a conversation that stretched beyond the United Kingdom’s borders. Every news story and social media post said the same thing: Sarah did everything right. As James Hookway wrote in the Wall Street Journal, “She chose well-lit streets and spoke with her boyfriend by phone. She did many of the things women

are advised to do to improve their safety, yet she didn’t make it home.” While many make attempts to conflate violence against women with the victim’s mistakes, Sarah did everything right. So, who is left to blame?

Her story feels universal to women. I remember a feeling of embarrassment flooding my cheeks this past summer when a friend asked me what was on my house keys. I felt ashamed as I told her it was mace — ashamed that I did not deserve to be worried, that I was being dramatic. In reality, it was just a reflection of a missing narrative. Prior to openly speaking about my concerns walking to my car at night, I thought I was alone, attributing it to general anxiety and a protective mother, unaware that my fears were universal. Sarah’s story has brought images of keys tucked between tightly clenched fists, alarmed glances thrown over shoulders, and “got home safe” texts to the forefront of people’s minds. Women around the world — particularly women of color — are starting to recognize that their fears are valid and tangible.

While horrifying and overtly destructive attacks like these generate a lot of attention, it is also vital to not overlook the more subtle and implicit acts of sexual harassment that are more easily accepted by society.

New York’s Governor Cuomo was recently accused of sexual harassment, and as someone from the state of New York, I was shocked at people’s reactions to the allegations. Maybe it came from a place of naivety, but I thought after the #MeToo Movement, there would be

a genuine shift in the perspective when hearing women come forward. I wrongly believed that society would adopt an understanding that women gain little from coming forward in many cases, but this case exhibited the opposite. After Governor Cuomo’s refusal to resign, the story has lost the traction it once had. The news has cycled onto more current events, leaving these women’s powerful stories cemented in the past.

Students at Penn pride themselves on the prestigious nature of this university — we are the next generation to hold positions of power, and this comes with the obligation to use our voices. We cannot let stories like these become incidents that we only give our thoughts and prayers to, especially because Penn needs to radically change how it deals with these issues on its own campus. Statistics point to the fact that Penn itself is not a safe place for its students who identify as women. A 2019 survey conducted by the Association of American Universities demonstrated the failures of Penn’s attempts at addressing unwanted sexual contact on campus. Nearly 26% of undergraduate women reported that they experienced unwanted sexual contact during college, numbers that differ little from those collected by the same survey in 2015.

Penn could benefit from more discussion about sexual assault and harassment, and how a culture of this kind of behavior is perpetrated. Academic journals have recognized the danger that fraternity houses can pose for women — the numbers are even more frightening,

stating that “fraternity men are three times more likely to commit rape than their non-Greek peers.” With a clear correlation like this, it should not be too much to ask that there be higher turnout amongst IFC fraternities at Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault (MARS) seminars that educate on sexual assault prevention. Historically, there has been low turnout at these events despite them being mandatory for new members. Until the entire student body — not just women on campus — understands the additional burdens on women and what steps can be taken to remediate these problems, substantial change cannot occur.

Shying away from these emotionally taxing conversations is not the answer. Yes, it is hard to talk about something so pervasive, but silence won’t create change.

The women around you want to feel heard. We are tired of being seen as objects and are exhausted from hearing that we are equal when individual action seems to suggest otherwise. Instead of praising people for just not doing the wrong thing, let’s foster a dialogue on how to take concrete, productive steps towards changing the way we talk and treat women. Only giving us your attention when the news does is not enough.

ISABELLA GLASSMAN is a College sophomore studying philosophy, politics, and economics from Suffern, N.Y. Her email is iglass@sas.upenn.edu.

Give your vaccinated friends a hug (consensually, of course) Socially Distant | As more of us get inoculated, don’t fear real-life reunions

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ver the past year, we’ve developed an interesting culture surrounding physical contact. We’ve replaced the majority of in-person gatherings with virtual ones, and on the rare occasions that we elect to see each other face-to-face, we’re permeated with the fear of contagion. We’ve replaced handshakes with waves from a distance, and we’ve replaced hugs with elbow taps. That should change very soon.

All adult Americans are now eligible to receive a vaccine against COVID-19, and I, along with many other Penn students and Philadelphians, received my first dose last week. It felt wonderful to join the 130-million-plus Americans who have received a first dose. But amid the joy I felt from my newfound partial immunity, I also felt confusion.

We’ve all made heavy sacrifices over the past year.

Our Zoom reunions were awkward at times, pleasant at others, but always a poor replacement for the magic of being in the same room as our loved ones. I’ve been eagerly awaiting my vaccination because I’ve been eagerly awaiting safe socialization indoors and in restaurants and bars. But when will I actually be able to resume such contact?

“The subtlety is [that] there’s a continuum of immunity,” says Robert Gross, professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine.

What complicates post-vaccination life is that there are

currently three approved vaccines against COVID-19 in the United States, and at different points of administration, they confer different levels of protection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines state that fully vaccinated individuals (people who received their final vaccine dose at least two weeks prior) can congregate indoors with other fully vaccinated individuals without wearing masks or physically distancing. Furthermore, fully vaccinated individuals can congregate indoors with one pod of unvaccinated individuals (given that those individuals are not at a higher risk of contracting

ADRIENNE EVANS

COVID-19).

“There’s a caveat though,” Gross is quick to mention. “I would urge people to not do this [congregate indoors] in public.” Even though fully vaccinated people are at minimal risk if they go maskless in public, it sends the wrong message to others who may not have yet received a vaccination. Until more people get their shots and public health officials say otherwise, we have an obligation to behave responsibly while outside or in public.

For those who have received their first dose and are wondering if they can resume meeting people in person, there is still a risk. “The truth is that a couple weeks after a single dose, there is substantial protection,” says Gross. Being half vaccinated confers some immunity, but it is still necessary to use good judgement in any potential encounters with other people.

Wearing masks is still crucial, and it’s important to remember that as we near the end of the semester, students may be heading home to family members who may be at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

But what if you’re the only unvaccinated or half-vaccinated person in a group of fully vaccinated people?

“When you have a partial immune person in a setting of a lot of fully immune people, risks are very, very low,” says Gross.

However, it’s important to understand that some

people might still be uncomfortable with resuming things like handshakes and hugs, and that’s okay.

People may be or come into regular contact with immunosuppressed or vaccine-hesitant people and would rather keep distance, even if they’re fully vaccinated. Gross, who is an expert on HIV/AIDS and sexual medicine, says that some of the norms surrounding sexual consent can apply to how we navigate casual physical contact in a post-COVID-19 world.

“Before I hug my friends, I say, ‘Hey, I know you’re vaccinated. Are we hugging?’ It’s sort of like, ‘are we using condoms?’ It’s a similar negotiation,” he says.

“Are we hugging?” is a simple phrase that allows other people a space to voice concerns if they or someone they love is still at risk. “Give people an out,” says Gross. “Don’t make assumptions about what their risk tolerance is. If you do that, you won’t be stigmatizing people, and they won’t be put into uncomfortable positions.”

Things are looking up and the end is in sight. Know your risk, assess the situation, and after asking, go in for a hug. You’ve earned it.

VARUN SARASWATHULA is a College junior studying neuroscience from Herndon, Va. His email is saraswathula@thedp.com.

6 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

NEWS 7

In Photos: Vigil for the victims of mass shootings ECE YILDIRIM Staff Reporter

MAX MESTER

On April 20, dozens of Penn students gathered on College Green for a candlelight vigil commemorating victims of recent acts of gun violence. There have been at least 50 mass shootings in the United States — many of which have targeted ethnic and racial minority groups — since March 16, beginning with the Atlanta spa shootings that that killed eight people and most recently the Indianapolis FedEx attack that left eight dead. Throughout the vigil, attendees and speakers wore solemn faces, with some tearing up as community leaders gave impassioned remarks.

MAX MESTER

About 50 Penn community members gathered on College Green for the candlelight vigil that began around 7 p.m.

MAX MESTER

PAACH director and Asian American Studies lecturer Peter Van Do urged people to gain awareness of anti-Asian hate and Islamophobia, and the relationship between the two.

MAX MESTER

Associate Chaplain and Associate Director of the Spiritual & Religious Life Center at Penn Sana Saeed spoke about her experiences coping with the emotional toll of gun violence targeting people of color.

MAYA PRATT

The vigil was organized by Penn Democrats, the Pan-Asian American Community House, the Spiritual and Religious Life Center, and Amnesty International at Penn, and featured City Councilmember and Penn alumna Jamie Gauthier, along with a number of community leaders.

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

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NEWS 9

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

Students face obstacles to safe sex during the pandemic Some RAs call for greater attention to sexual health SASKIA WRIGHT Staff Reporter

Many students on campus are still engaging in sexual relationships during the spring semester despite limitations posed by the ongoing pandemic, worrying some residential advisors and administrators about sexual health on campus.

Some RAs believe that sexual health is being overlooked during the pandemic, citing lesser education and resources available in dorms, and urge conversations about safe sexual health to remain a priority on campus. Campus Health administrators have attempted to provide virtual resources to students to educate them on sexual health while expressing con-

FELICITY YICK

cerns over the increased risk of COVID-19 exposure that is a consequence of students being in romantic relationships.

Laura Monge, a Wharton first year, said that the majority of first-year students are still looking to engage in sexual relationships despite the pandemic.

She added that people are more hesitant to form these relationships with someone who is not a member of their pod, however, in order to decrease the odds of exposure to COVID-19.

“People still want to be sexually active, but I think

ASAM FRONT PAGE

studies, comparative literature, and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies, it will be difficult to find someone who could replace him.

“It’s [Eng’s] ability to bridge across queer studies, to Asian American studies, to English that makes him such an important member of these interstitial spaces at Penn,” Platt said. “[He] has been here for 14 years, and he’s built up a set of networks and relationships around him and now all of those will be lost. Whoever comes to replace him will have to start from scratch.”

Eng echoed the concerns of his colleagues who signed the letter, adding that the success of the cluster hire will depend on the University’s ability to retain him since he said the program needs prominent senior scholars to lead the cluster hire.

“My leaving Penn — and the administration’s lack of response to my departure — will send a bad signal

they are being more selective with their sexual partners,” Monge said.

About two-thirds of college students in the United States are sexually active, according to a 2019 survey by the American College Health Association, which received over 67,000 responses from students at 98 colleges.

A College junior, who requested anonymity due to privacy concerns, said her friends will often wait until they get a negative COVID-19 test result on Friday and then engage in sexual activity on the weekend. Some of them will then quarantine until they are able to get tested again on Tuesday, as Penn requires undergraduate students living on and off campus to schedule saliva-based COVID-19 screening testing twice a week on pre-assigned days.

She added that her friends are having more nonin-person sex, such as phone sex, and that they frequently use dating apps, such as Tinder.

“I think people are going on Tinder more often because they are bored and lonely and crave human connection,” the College junior said.

An RA in Harnwell College House, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from College Houses & Academic Services, said they believe students are now more likely to choose an exclusive romantic relationship over sexual encounters with multiple people. The RA said that their residents have spoken to them about wanting to become “cuffed” in order to avoid spreading COVID-19 through sexual relationships.

While engaging in sexual activity in an exclusive relationship may put someone at lower risk of getting exposed to COVID-19, Ashlee Halbritter, the director of Campus Health, expressed concerns over what Campus Health calls the “Romeo and Juliet Effect.”

According to Halbritter, the “Romeo and Juliet Effect” happens when a house full of people will form a pod but then allow their romantic partners to enter the pod without considering that each person’s

romantic partner already has their own pod. She explained that if one person in this interconnected system tests positive, multiple pods are affected.

RAs in particular have been concerned about prioritizing safe sex and making sure that conversations about sexual health stay afloat amid other concerns related to COVID-19.

A second-year RA in the Quad, who also requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from CHAS, said they have noticed that the conversation around sexual health on campus has decreased since the pandemic’s onset, adding that College House leadership did not provide RAs with sufficient contraceptives prior to the beginning of the spring 2020 semester — which they thought was problematic.

The second-year RA added that during the twoweek quiet period when the first years moved in, they were not provided with any contraception whatsoever for their hall residents.

“The majority of neglect happened when the [first years] moved in,” they said. “[But]It’s the time when [they] are all activating Tinder and getting to know each other, so you’re probably going to have a lot of hookups happening in the first two weeks.”

In mid-February, once the second-year RA was finally provided with contraceptives, they were told by a Quad house director that they should not leave the contraceptives in public spaces, such as in hallways, because College House leadership did not want to encourage students to meet up in intimate settings.

“If a student wanted a condom, they would have to come to our room, knock on the door, and we’d have to personally give them a singular condom,” they said. “I thought that was not a very good strategy because no student is going to hike up however many steps from wherever in the building at 3 a.m. just to get a condom.”

Another RA in Harnwell agreed that contraceptives were not always readily available in on-campus College Houses this semester. They added that they

put a box outside their door with contraceptives, pads, and tampons, despite this being against the requests of the Harnwell house dean, and that only a handful of RAs in Harnwell are doing the same thing.

Licinia Barrueco Kaliher, senior director of College Houses & Academic Services, wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian that College Houses were distributed condoms differently this year compared to past years based on the University’s COVID-19 guidelines, specifically those set by the Student Campus Compact and Wellness.

Each house developed their own distribution process managed by the house staff according to public safety and health guidelines, Kaliher wrote, adding that residents could reach out to either their RA or schedule a time to come to the house office to pick up condoms. Students can also contact Campus Wellness, she wrote.

Lauren Cordova, the health educator at Campus Health, noted that requests for condoms from the College Houses were lower than usual this year. Still, Halbritter said that it is difficult to draw any meaningful conclusion from this data point.

Halbritter added that, while students may be having less sex this year, she hopes they are not having less safe sex.

In order to promote sexual health during the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters, Halbritter said Student Health Service remained open and accessible for students who wanted to schedule sexually transmitted infections testing and birth control services.

Cordova said she thinks the most important thing students can do to safely engage in sexual activity during the pandemic is prioritize communication.

“When did you last get tested for an STI? What are you looking for? What kind of barriers or contraception are we going to use?” Cordova said. “And now asking about COVID[-19] too. Do you have a pod?

How many people are in that pod? Whom do you live with?”

nationally to scholars who might be interested in coming to the University,” Eng said. “You can’t initiate a cluster hire by letting [the ASAM program] shrink even further.”

Eng also noted that Park is scheduled to be on sabbatical in the 2021-2022 academic year following the end of her term as director on June 30.

“As of July 1, there is no director of [the ASAM program], so there will be no director to lead the cluster hire,” he said. “It’s not so meaningful to announce a cluster hire in [Asian American Studies] next year if there are few to no experts in the field to run the hire.”

A typical hiring committee consists of three to four faculty members, Eng said, adding that because ASAM at Penn is a program and not a stand-alone department, it does not have the ability to hire new faculty. The hiring committee leading the cluster hire will consist of faculty across several departments, but likely will not have experts in Asian American studies, he explained.

According to Fluharty’s announcement, the school will recruit a mix of junior- and senior-level scholars in a variety of social sciences and humanities departments.

The exact number of hires will depend on the strength of the applicant pool and the number of departments looking to hire new faculty, Fluharty previously wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian, noting that similar recent cluster hires in other programs resulted in three to four new hires.

Eng is an endowed professor — the highest status of professorship — in ASAM. Former Sociology and ASAM professor Grace Kao — who departed from Penn in 2017 — was also an endowed professor.

“The University would have to hire two endowed [professors] in [ASAM] just to maintain the status quo,” Eng said. “Even [hiring two endowed professors] would not be ‘building up’ the program, but only restoring it to where it was five years ago.”

One alumnus, 2003 Engineering graduate Franklin Shen, said he submitted a testimonial because ASAM was transformative to his experience at Penn, noting that he had not thought about his identity as an Asian American prior to taking a course in the department.

The course allowed him to understand the history of Asians in America and how that impacted his life and

identity in the United States, he said.

College junior and chair of ASAM UAB Claire Nguyen said that reading the testimonials only reaffirmed to her that ASAM is one of few spaces Asian American students have at the University. Park similarly mentioned that Eng’s classroom is a “special place” for students, who she believes have a unique affinity for Eng’s academic work.

Nguyen added that in previous years, SAS administrators have cited the low number of students minoring in Asian American studies as a reason for not allocating further resources to the program. Nguyen believes the number has remained low because core courses in the program have not been taught consistently, which keeps students from finishing the minor.

“We don’t have as many minors, but we have hundreds of students in our classes every year, and we sometimes have three different events in one week,” Nguyen said. “[ASAM is] such a pivotal space on campus for Asian students to not only critically learn about their histories, but to also be in [a] community with our faculty and staff.”

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I’m going to miss you so much! Who else am I supposed to eat entire pizzas with?

1 0 SPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

BEN KIOKO EMBODIES PERSERVERANCE FOR PENN MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD SPORTS | The freshman bounced back from an elbow injury he suffered in high school JOYCE DAVIS Sports Associate

Despite only being a freshman on the track team, Ben Kioko has already learned the importance of perseverance and self-efficacy in his sport.

From Princeton, N.J., to Philadelphia, Kioko has been on the track team since his sophomore year of high school. However, it wasn’t something that he always knew that he wanted to do.

“I did rowing and a capella in high school, and there was a kid in my group who was a sprinter on the track team,” Kioko said. “I had been frustrated with rowing because it was way too big of a time commitment. And I wasn’t feeling like it was the place for me anymore, so he suggested I try out for the track team, so I did. I had a background in baseball so I was like, ‘I’ll try something with throwing; I’ll be good at that,’ and it kind of worked out from there.”

“Kind of” is an understatement — Kioko has since received many accolades for his performance in the field events.

“I went to my first state championship in my first year of track, and then coming into my junior year, I was the No. 1 athlete in New Jersey in javelin,” Kioko said. “I was also No. 4 in the country for my grade, so at that point I realized, ‘Maybe I can actually be good at this.’”

Of course, the best accolades can only come from someone close to you, and for Kioko, it was his mom.

“My mom has been super supportive of me, not just

in track, but in everything,” Kioko said. “She was a single mom raising three kids, and I think she did a really good job. It’s just really impressive to see how much she put into us, considering how much she was dealing with herself.”

Now that he’s at Penn, Kioko can see the same support coming from his fellow teammates and coaches.

“So far, my experience has been super positive and everyone’s super friendly,” he said. “I can tell that we all really want to succeed, and we want to see each other succeed, and you know when you’re out there, it’s really nice to have them all behind you, cheering for you, getting excited when you do well, and you get excited when they do well. [Overall], it’s a very close community.”

With the track team now competing again, Kioko has had to adjust to the changes that came with the new training schedule.

“I used to be able to procrastinate,” Kioko said. “Like last semester, I would definitely be able to say, ‘Oh, I can just push that assignment off to next morning, and I’ll do class,’ but now I have practice before class, so [I have to focus on] time management and moving [my] deadlines forward to adjust for practice, and making sure [I] can find that balance between the practice times and getting [my] work done. But it’s definitely doable. It’s not impossible by any means.”

Julia Longo’s mental toughness is the core of her softball success SPORTS | Longo hopes to compete as a transfer after she graduates REBEKAH CANTY Sports Reporter CHASE SUTTON

Softball junior Julia Longo partially credits her collegiate success to her relentless mindset on the mound.

J

ulia Longo channels mental toughness when she’s up on the mound, and it’s made her a successful pitcher for Penn softball. The junior has learned and grown a lot from her time at Penn and is hopeful that she will stay on that path.

Longo has humble beginnings in the sport but has learned to define the experience into what she wants it to be.

“I started playing softball in kindergarten,” Longo said. “As I got older, I liked being on a team, not that that’s specific to softball, but I’m also very competitive. I’ve always had a really good experience playing softball, and my parents allowed me to decide when I wanted it to become more competitive. Once I realized that I had the opportunity to play in college, I started taking it more seriously and playing on some travel teams.”

She credits her current success in part to her family.

“I have a very supportive family that let me decide what I wanted to do with softball and let me make my own path within it.”

While searching for the best place to continue her softball career, Longo was drawn to Penn for more than just the athletics, and it has since become her home away from home.

“It was finding that really good balance between education and athletics,” the Arlington, Va. native said. “Getting an Ivy League education — nothing

beats that. Also, when I came on my visit, the softball field was absolutely gorgeous and I thought, if I’m going to be going down to practice every day, I would want a nice view.”

Longo credits her success on the mound thus far

“The biggest takeaway has been learning how to work with different types of people and also finding that network of support, knowing you have a teammate and relying on them a lot.”

-SOFTBALL JUNIOR JULIA LONGO to building up an unstoppable mindset and learning more about softball at a collegiate level.

“The biggest adjustment coming out of high

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school and coming to college was the mental as- make sure I was staying on top of everything. What pect of the game. Before coming here, it didn’t re- I want to get out of this season is progressing on ally click to me that every single girl you’re play- everything I had time to work on when we weren’t ing is a very solid player, so with every girl I pitch playing” This type of mindset is not new for Longo. Acto I’m not just going to get an easy out,” she said.

She also learned that being on a team is also a cording to her high school coach, Maurice Tawil, Julia has always been an achieved and focused useful support network for getting through Penn.

“The biggest takeaway has been learning how player. In high school she became a starting pitcher to work with different types of people and also in her freshman year and helped her team to the finding that network of support, knowing you have Liberty Conference Championships.

“We play good softball in this region and it’s a teammate and relying on them a lot,” she said.

“When I first came here I would keep all of my tense,” Tawil said. “Julia is cool — she’s cool, little problems to myself, but throughout the years calm, and collected — you can’t tell if she’s winI found it’s way more effective and a relief to me ning or losing. In the biggest moments she doesn’t just to vent to a teammate about what’s going on as flinch, she just delivers and executes and that’s a heads up, so that they know how to handle that.” hard. That’s not an easy characteristic to have.”

As far as her plans for the future, Longo has Throughout the 2019 season, Longo worked alongside her team to become a better pitcher and plans to continue a meaningful career playing it worked out for her. In 2019 she was starting softball.

“I’ve entered the transfer portal and have been pitcher 12 times in the season, and also earned the title of Ivy League Pitcher and Rookie of the week talking to some other schools about hopefully for the week of March 25, 2019. She also led her transferring after my time at Penn,” Longo said. “[I] definitely want to continue to play after Penn. team to six wins during the 2019 season.

Longo relates some of her success to work- If I can have the opportunity to go to another great ing closely alongside previous teammate Jennifer school and play I definitely don’t want to miss out on that.”

Brann.

Longo doesn’t just want to play, she also wants “The fact that Jennifer Brann was on the pitching staff was huge for me because we worked real- to continue giving back to future players.

“Since high school, I’ve always given pitching ly well together and we were in a very good place,” Longo said. “We would switch on and off every lessons at home during the summers and softother game and we knew each other very well, so ball lessons in general. I’ve worked with the nawhen I would come off the mound and something tional youth baseball academy for a bit,” Longo wasn’t working she’d be right there to tell me what said. “I’ll definitely continue to give back to the sport of softball. I think it’s really empowering for it was.”

Although the 2020 season was cut short, Longo young girls, and if I can share my college experiis optimistic about 2021 and what she can achieve. ence and inspire some girls to play in college, then The Newout York Times Syndication Sales Corporation The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation I would love to continue to do so.”

“So far in this season, I’ve come way stron620 Eighth Eighth Avenue, Avenue, New NewYork, York,N.Y. N.Y.10018 10018 Longo will no doubt continue to shape the fuger in the beginning of the year 620 than I usually do,” For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 ture of softball for herself and possibly others she said. “Over quarantine when we weren’t playFor Release Thursday, April 22, 2021 For Release Friday, April 16, 2021 ing, I would still pitch at least twice a week and with her hard work and mental toughness.

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As as an athlete, Kioko understands the importance of taking the time to take care of himself, especially when setbacks happen.

“My junior year in high school, I actually tore my UCL, which is the ligament in your elbow,” he said. “I couldn’t throw, I couldn’t do pretty much anything with it. I really thought about quitting but I’d been doing so well, and I really love the sport, so I ended up getting surgery for it, and then doing a full year of physical therapy, and now we are back and I’m pretty well.”

Facing these hardships has never come without les-

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PHOTO FROM BEN KIOKO

Like other athletes, Kioko must adjust his schedule as in-person sports resume.

“Daily Pennsylvanian”.

sons, and for Kioko, his situation taught him the importance of determination.

“You know that feeling that I think we all get sometimes — we’re like, ‘Oh, this is an insurmountable goal and there’s no way we’re gonna be able to actually get there and achieve what we’re thinking about achieving so what’s the point in trying.’ But I wanted to try, and I wanted to make the effort, and I did. It ended up working out, and so it’s [about] just never quitting and never giving up.”

For all incoming Penn track stars and athletes in every sport, Ben has similar advice based on his own experiences.

“Put in the work. If you want it, go after [it, and] grind for it, and make it happen. And that’s about all there is to it.”

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THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

SPORTS 1 1

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

PENN TRACK AND FIELD RACKS UP 21 FIRST-PLACE FINISHES AT QUAKER INVITATIONAL T

She won the 100-meter hurdles (14.91), 200m (25.62), shot put (11.73m), long jump (5.32m), javelin (40.29m), and 800m (2:25.68).

The multi-event junior describes her success as coming from her relaxed mindset going into the Coming into the meet, coach Steve Dolan had competition.

“I wasn’t so much focused on the points or the expected to see some good performances, given MATT FRANK that it was around the midpoint of the season. Ad- results,” Rizek said. “I was just kind of trying to Sports Associate ditionally, the nice weather conditions during both do my best in every event, so it really made the whole meet so much fun, and the weather was so days gave the team a solid boost.

Among the 21 top finishes, 12 were on the wom- beautiful, and obviously being on Franklin Field, en’s side, with many coming on the first day of which is like the most amazing track in the country, it was just amazing. It was just really inspiring competition.

The most notable of Penn’s victories came to see how far we’ve all come, so we all wanted to from junior Haley Rizek, who won the women’s lay it out on the line today.”

In the throwing events, which took place at heptathlon with a record point total. This meet was the first time this season that some of Penn’s the Mondschein Throwing Complex, the Quakmulti-event athletes competed in the decathlon ers swept them all. Senior Ashley Anumba and junior Mayyi Mahama won the discus (52.12m) and heptathlon.

Rizek won with a 4,941 point total, which puts and hammer (62.10m), respectively, with each her at fifth in the competition in program history. throwing what Dolan considered to be competitive marks on a national level.

Sophomore Morgan Johnson hit a new career high in the shot put (14.01m), elevating her to fifth in program history in the category. Additionally, Dolan highlighted junior Kirstin West, who won the javelin with a distance of 40.61m.

Penn kept up their success in the running events. Junior Ariana Gardizy ran the 1500m in 4:29.33, which just misses a top-10 all-time program record.

“4:29 is a good time for Ariana, and actually, she’s better in longer events, so it was a great step down to the 1500 for her,” Dolan said.

Junior Ellen Byrnes scored a top finish in the 800m with a 2:13.11 time, which was her seasonal best and almost her career best. Normally the top hurdler for Penn, sophomore Grace O’Shea worked on her speed this weekend and won the 100m in 12.19 seconds. Senior Camille Dickson continued her great final season, as she again won the long jump with a distance of over six meters. On top of that, Dolan said she looked really great in the 200m, running a 24.48 second time.

The weekend’s success was not limited to the women, as the men picked up nine first-place finishes as well. Similar to Rizek, senior Demetri Whitsett won the men’s decathlon, which CHASE SUTTON At the Quaker Invitational, senior Demetri Whitsett had the ninth-best decathlon finish in program history, required victories in numerous different events. earning a total of 6,948 points between his events. his weekend’s Quaker Invitational, hosted by

SPORTS | This meet was the first of Penn was highlighted by seasonal-best marks for the Quakers, as well as a few perforthe season in which Penn competed mances that will stand tall in the Penn track and in the steeplechase field record books.

Penn Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Action combines faith with athletics SPORTS | The group recently hosted Tim Tebow as a guest speaker JOEY PIATT Sports Associate

The balance that college athletes make between practicing, studying, and other activities would make even the best tightrope walkers sweat.

This balancing act makes support systems and support groups even more important. One of these groups, Penn Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Action, does exactly that. “[We] help athletes and coaches walk in their faith journey,” Jordan Lozzi, a staff member with FCAIA responsible for the ministry at Penn, said “[Our focus] is on introducing them and helping them grow in their relationship with Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel.”

The group also allows student-athletes to forge unique relationships with students that share their faith, something that has given them a support system extending beyond FCAIA and Penn’s campus.

“From building relationships within FCA, it’s been awesome to then go to sporting events and just see people I know there and cheer them on,” Jared Elters, one of FCAIA’s student-athlete leaders, said.

“The community aspect of the group goes beyond the meetings ... this community doesn’t have walls, it doesn’t have barriers.”

In order to build such a strong community, Penn FCAIA has used the power of sport. The group’s website describes sports as “a universal language” that can be used to unite people and cross barriers.

Using this connecting power, the group has been able to further its mission by finding a common ground on which to discuss their beliefs.

“Sports is such a great vehicle,” Lozzi said. “You can go across the country, you can go to a different part of the world, and you can roll out a ball, and there’s a universal language. FCAIA uses that universal language to help deepen and strengthen our faith in God.” Exactly how does FCAIA pursue its mission?

It uses its student leaders to hold events and study groups to build a faith community for its members to partake in.

“When we are on campus, we have a meeting every Tuesday night,” Lozzi said. “[It’s] a Biblically based study, and we have some food, we hang out, and we study.”

Having a safe space to relax and connect with others who share their beliefs can help athletes deal with the pressures they face on a daily basis. Lozzi, who was a student-athlete himself at Wesley College,

detailed the pressures that Penn athletes face specifically.

“Penn has academic pressure, and there is a lot of pressure to do well,” Lozzi said. “When you’re an athlete, you already have the pressure to do well. It’s kind of like a double burden. This is an opportunity to be able to kind of unload those burdens, and the Bible says that we can do that.”

Like many other things in the era of COVID-19, Penn FCAIA has been forced to adapt the way it gathers for its fellowship. Their normal Tuesday night Bible studies have transitioned to Zoom, and they have supplemented the meetings with virtual guest speaker events. Recently, the group hosted Tim Tebow, who gave a presentation on “Leading a Life of Significance.”

While the group has still been able to meet in the

PHOTO FROM JORDAN LOZZI

Penn FCAIA helps student-athletes deal with the rigor and stresses of university life by forging a community of faith.

virtual environment, there has been no substitute for the real, in-person connections that they forge under normal circumstances.

“One of the great things about meeting in person is that there’s just that relationship there,” Lozzi said.

“It’s been hard to do that virtually, to not see people for a year but to still try to stay connected with them.

We haven’t seen the reach we have in the past. The focus has been on continuing to invest into [our current members].”

As the group eyes a return to in-person gathering, it will continue strengthen the bonds between active members while also branching out to recruit new individuals to its study. Though it may be difficult for them to enjoy the same reach in spreading the message about their group and their beliefs in this current climate, the group has still been determined to make a difference in the Penn student-athlete community.

“We are able to continue to support each other and to have opportunities to grow with each other, not just with our athletic pursuits, but with our faith,” Elters said.

“Demetri Whitsett had a great meet, just shy of 7,000 points, which puts him top-10 all-time at Penn, so that was a great performance for Demetri in the decathlon,” Dolan said.

To be exact, Whitsett had the ninth-best alltime finish in program history, as he scored 6,948 total points. He won the 100m (11.02), long jump (7.06m), 400m (51.07), 110m hurdles (15.88), discus (37.78m), pole vault (4.65m), javelin (40.53m), and 1,500m (4:44.08).

In the field events, sophomore Olatide Abinusawa secured another shot put victory with a distance of 15.38m, as well as a javelin victory with a throw of 47.05m. In his first time tossing the discus in an outdoor season since 2019, senior Chudi Ikpeazu didn’t show any signs of rust, winning the event with a distance of 56.27m, which Dolan described as being amongst the best in Penn history.

In the track events, Penn won each of the events 800m and down. A few breakout performances that Dolan pointed out were junior Weston Wendt, who had one of his best 100m races at Penn with a 10.91 time, sophomore Emerson Douds, who won the 200m in 21.64 seconds, and sophomore Robbie Ruppel, who won the 400m with a 49.01 time.

Penn’s own Quaker Invitational marked the first time this season that the Red and Blue contested the steeplechase. Both sophomore Michael Keehan and freshman Oliver Stewart competed in the event for the first time, with each breaking nine minutes. Dolan described their performances as being great for their first time doing it.

Keehan won the 3000m event, netting an 8:54.43 finish to secure the ninth-best time in program history.

After a grueling offseason that involved Penn’s track and field athletes training on the Philly streets and at times struggling to find a gym, their success this weekend on the track and in the field events comes as a nice reprieve.

“It’s been a really weird season,” Rizek said. “I think the biggest thing has been just the support from all of our teammates, and all of our coaches and family and friends this season, just trying to put together something worth doing. I feel like the sacrifices we made definitely paid off.”

The Quakers will be in action again this upcoming weekend at the Philadelphia Metropolitan Collegiate Invitational, where Penn will run some relay events for the first time this season in addition to a full complement of individual events.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021 VOL. CXXXVII NO. 13

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

FOUNDED 1885

PENN MEN’S ROWING IMPROVES IN SECOND REGATTA OF THE SEASON

JASHLEY BADO

Heavyweight crew performed well at Saturday’s Kerr Cup, capturing first or second place in all of their races.

SPORTS | The Red and Blue competed against Temple, Drexel, Saint Joseph’s, and Washington College JONNY MILLER Sports Reporter

Saturday was a hard-fought day for Penn men’s rowing on the Schuylkill River, as they faced off against local competition for the second time thus far this season.

Both the heavyweight and lightweight teams from Penn competed against schools in the greater Philadelphia area in the Kerr Cup regatta, including Temple, Drexel, Saint Joseph’s, and Washington College. The event was officially hosted by Drexel.

“While training and competition are very limited in scope compared to what we are used to, it’s extremely gratifying to see the team’s improvement from the first race two weeks ago to yesterday,” senior heavyweight Adam Lyman said.

The heavyweights had a dominant day, which started in Heat Two of the morning’s Varsity Eights event, where they took second in their race with a time of 5:50.5 on the 2,000 meter course, only finishing behind Temple (5:44.13).

Penn’s heavyweights’ Second Varsity Eights also had a solid showing with a second place finish, and a respectable time of 5:51.4, less than two seconds outside of first.

Penn’s heavyweights didn’t compete in the Third Varsity Eights, so their next event came in the Varsity Fours. They had a decent showing, placing second out of three, with a time of 7:02.9, a little over four seconds out of first place.

The increased number of practices over time for the Quakers has certainly paid off with their success in the afternoon meets, as they have been able to build up their stamina since the Ivy League brought back sports.

“The benefit of each practice and the progress being made each time on the water is dramatic,” Lyman said. “It’s beyond anything I’ve experienced in any sport.”

SPORTS | After trailing 5-0, the Red and Blue stormed back to capture an 8-7 victory in extra innings

PENN BASEBALL OVERCOMES ROUGH OPENING INNING TO WIN IN WALK-OFF FASHION

ANDREW LOPEZ Sports Reporter

ANA GLASSMAN

Against La Salle this Tuesday, sophomore Ben Miller scored on two out of his three trips on base.

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Despite it being their second race of the day, the heavyweight Quakers improved immensely during the afternoon race in the Varsity Eights event, posting a time of 5:44.3. Not only was this more than a six-second improvement from their initial time, this was also the second-best time posted out of all 14 events.

In the Second Varsity Eights event, Penn’s heavyweights impressed once again. The Red and Blue took first place in Heat One, with a time of 5:58.9, then took second place during the Heat Two with a time of 5:57.6, trailing only Penn’s lightweights (5:55.0) by less than three seconds.

“We raced Temple and Drexel two weeks ago, and it was pretty apparent that their extra months of training in the fall semester had put them decently ahead of us,” senior heavyweight Thomas Vasquez said. “This past Saturday, we came much closer to Temple and were able to beat out Drexel as well. It’s been a lot of fun to get back into it.”

The success of the heavyweights was amplified by the lightweights’ success over the

For the second time in as many games, the starting pitcher for the Quakers was not able to make it out of the first inning. Oftentimes, this is an early indication of a blowout loss; however, Penn kept both games very close, and was able to secure the win in this contest.

After surrendering four first-inning runs last Wednesday due to a mix of hits, walks, and wild pitches, the Quakers did not shake the first-inning woes and gave up five runs in a very similar fashion: four hits given up, three walks, and one wild pitch.

Junior left-hander Joe Miller was only able to record one out in the first inning, but it should be noted that his last start — 10 days ago against Delaware — was a strong seven-inning outing, though it did lack run support.

Similar to last Wednesday, the bullpen was called on very early in Tuesday’s game. In each game, three relievers would combine to limit the La Salle offense to only two more runs the rest of the way. In both games, sophomore Owen Coady and senior Brendan Bean were among the three relief pitchers. In Tuesday’s game, though he gave up both of the two additional runs, junior Kevin Eaise did well to get out of the first-inning jam and was efficient the rest of the way, pitching 5 and two-thirds innings in only 74 pitches.

The key difference-maker in the result of this game was the offense from the Quakers. The offense put up runs in every inning from the first inning through the fifth; by the end of the fifth inning, the score was tied 7-7. The score would remain that way until the bottom of the 10th, when the Quakers walked it off.

Key contributors on offense included sophomore outfielders Seth Werchan and Justin Carboni, as they produced runs from the bottom of the lineup. Sophomore utility player Ben Miller made the most of his at-bats, recording a hit and two walks, and managing to score twice in his three trips on base. Freshman Wyatt Henseler continued to show why he has been hitting fourth in the lineup, as he drove in runs in his first two at-bats, and his third at-bat was a single that moved a runner to third. That runner would go on to score the next play. Henseler now has a team-leading

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course of the day.

The lightweight Quakers set the tone for the remainder of the meet in Heat One of the Varsity Eight event, where they posted a time of 5:45.8, over four full seconds before the second place finisher (5:49.9).

In the Second Varsity Eights of the morning session, the lightweight Quakers made it back-to-back first place finishes with a time of 5:53.8. Unfortunately, the final morning event, the Third Varsity Eights, was not a successful one for the lightweight Quakers, as they finished in last place in that event with a time of 6:20.9.

The lightweights from Penn competed in the three of the afternoon races. The Second Varsity Eights was once again another first place finish for the Quakers, while the Varsity Eights and Third Varsity Eights both notched second place finishes for the Red and Blue.

All in all, Saturday was a success for Penn rowing. They will look to continue to improve for their third and final meet of the year on May 3 at the Bergen Cup Regatta.

nine RBIs on the season.

Though he also made his impact on the offensive side of the ball by scoring two runs himself, sophomore catcher Jackson Appel was arguably the defensive player of the game for the Quakers. In the top of the first inning, with runners on first and second and the Red and Blue already losing by five runs, Appel managed to shut down a La Salle double steal attempt by catching the trail runner with a perfect throw to second. It was a great read by Appel, as the lead runner going to third had gotten a better jump, and it allowed Eaise to get out of the inning with a fly out.

That was not Appel’s lone defensive gem of the game, as he topped this play with an extremely difficult grab by the dugout steps. He was so close to the edge of the field that his momentum took him down the steps and into the dugout, but he held onto the ball. This play, as well as a key diving grab from Carboni, showed some flashiness from Penn’s defense, but also showed the Quakers’ intense effort to stay in the game.

Alongside the stout defense, the Explorers’ offense was shut down by Coady, who struck out four during his three scoreless innings. His offspeed pitches were especially on point, as he froze multiple hitters with both the curveball and the slider.

The 10th inning was where the Quakers took their first lead in the game. It started with a clean 1-23 top of the 10th from Bean, who would ultimately become the winning pitcher of the game, picking up his first win of the season. Bean only used 11 pitches and also recorded a strikeout.

In the bottom of the 10th, junior Andrew Hernandez started a rally with a hardliner to left center.

Freshman Drew Rogers was substituted in for Miller as a pinch runner and advanced to third base via a single from junior Craig Larsen and a four-pitch walk to Werchan. With the bases loaded and the infield up, pinch-hitting sophomore Cole Palis delivered, punching a single past the shortstop to score Rogers.

The Quakers were able to secure their first walkoff win of the season in their last opportunity to do so; their remaining four games will be on the road.

Each of these four games is also against La Salle, and will be played between the three-day span of next Thursday to Saturday. While the Red and Blue will look to get off to better starts in the first inning, the team can build on their offensive success and strong relief pitching as they hope to take the currently deadlocked season series against the Explorers.

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