April 15, 2021

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 VOL. CXXXVII NO. 12

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VACCINATIONS BEGIN ON CAMPUS Penn community members call day one of on-campus vaccinations a ‘well-oiled machine’ JONAH CHARLTON Senior Reporter

Amanda Geisel, a research coordinator at Wharton and a 2019 College graduate, received her first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Gimbel Gymnasium on Wednesday.

Walter Biggins was one of the first members of the Penn community to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on campus.

The Gimbel Gymnasium has been transformed into a COVID-19 vaccination clinic.

PHOTOS BY CHASE SUTTON

Penn administered the first COVID-19 vaccines at its on-campus vaccination site on Wednesday, marking a monumental step to the University’s planned reopening for the fall semester.

A select group of Penn community members — including faculty, staff, and postdoctoral

students who are Philadelphia residents as well as residential advisors and graduate associates — are eligible to receive the vaccine at Pottruck Health and Fitness Center’s Gimbel Gymnasium, top Penn administrators wrote in email announcements to the eligible groups. The entirety of the Penn community, including all students,

are eligible to receive the vaccine on-campus on April 19, when the city of Philadelphia begins vaccinating all adults.

Vaccination appointment times for the week of April 19, when all students will become eligible for the vaccine, will be released on the scheduling platform by Friday afternoon, Chief Wellness

Penn Museum will repatriate Morton Collection in effort to repair ‘racist and colonial practices’

Officer Benoit Dubé said.

2019 College gradate Amanda Geiser, who works as The Wharton People Analytics research coordinator, was among the first Penn community SEE VACCINE PAGE 9

College junior Tori Borlase elected Undergraduate Assembly president by 35 votes

Penn Museum and the University issued an apology for their “unethical possession of human remains”

College and Wharton junior Janice Owusu will serve as UA vice president

CONOR MURRAY News Editor

ELIZABETH MEISENZAHL Senior Reporter

Penn Museum announced plans for the repatriation of the widely criticized Morton Cranial Collection, a collection of about 1,000 crania that includes crania from individuals who were enslaved.

Penn Museum and the University issued an apology for their “unethical possession of human remains” in a Monday evening statement, adding that repatriation is a step toward “repair for the racist and colonial practices that were integral to the formation of these collections.” The plan is based on an April 8 report by the Morton Collection Committee, a team of students, Penn Museum leadership, staff, and anthropologists, outlining recommendations for repatriation.

The announcement comes as the collection faces condemnation from students and local residents, many of whom demanded repatriation. Penn Museum removed the collection from public view last summer in response to criticism, though it was still accessible for student research.

“An initial phase of rigorous evaluation was critical

for ensuring an ethical and respectful process around repair. As we move into implementation, the Museum will immediately begin the process of working with local communities to understand their wishes for repatriation,” Penn Museum Williams Director Christopher Wood said in the statement.

More than 50 students and local residents protested Penn Museum’s continued possession of the Morton Collection last week, demanding complete repatriation and a halt to the circulation of data collected from the skulls. The protest, organized by Police Free Penn and Black Lives Matter Philly, took place after a February 2021 report authored by School of Arts and Sciences Ph.D. sixth-year Paul Wolff Mitchell found that the Morton cranial collection holds the skulls of 14 Black Philadelphians, which were robbed from their graves in the 19th century.

“Requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for students this fall will help keep Penn’s campus and the West Philadelphia community safe, without imposing an undue burden on students.” - DP Editorial Board PAGE 4

SEE MUSEUM PAGE 3

The Red and Blue rode a shutout performance from pitcher Julia Longo to a 3-0 decisive victory in the opening contest.

PAGE 12

PHOTO FROM TORI BORLASE, PHOTO FROM JANICE OWUSU

College junior Tori Borlase and College and Wharton junior Janice Owusu will serve as the next president and vice president of the Undergraduate Assembly, respectively, the Nominations & Elections Committee announced Wednesday.

Borlase won with 1373 votes, a 35-vote margin of victory over College and Wharton junior Nikhil Gupta’s 1338 votes. Owusu won the vice presidential seat with 1273 votes over Gupta’s running mate, College sophomore Gaby Montes, who garnered 1208 votes.

Borlase and Owusu ran on a four-point platform of diversity and community advancement, wellness and mental health, academic reform, and administrative accountability.

During the two debates, Gupta and Borlase

Borlase (left) and Owusu (right) will lead the student body next year.

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ONE YEAR AFTER GRADUATING, A PENN ALUM TOOK HIS PAGE 2 POLITICAL AMBITIONS TO THE WHITE HOUSE

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PENN GLEE CLUB MERGES PAGE 7 WITH PENN SIRENS TO BECOME GENDER-INCLUSIVE ENSEMBLE AFTER 159 YEARS

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2 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Professors say some pandemic-induced changes to One year after graduating, this Penn alum took his teaching styles are here to stay political ambitions to the White House From small group discussions to pre-recorded lectures, many professors plan to incorporate new teaching strategies into in-person curriculum

Jay Vaingankar is now working as a staff assistant to the director of Management and Administration

HELEN RUDOLER Staff Reporter

TORI SOUSA Senior Reporter

As the University plans a return to widespread in-person instruction in fall 2021, Penn professors look forward to taking with them the lessons they learned from virtual instruction.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the ways in which professors teach, as they have been forced to adapt to virtual lesson plans and forgo any form of hands-on learning. Many, however, have found some of the changes to be positive — from small group discussions to pre-recorded lectures — and plan to employ them when the University resumes in-person classes.

Siddharth Deliwala, who directs the Electrical and Systems Engineeri ng L ab Programs, said he has found that i n-p er son classes a nd labs b u i lt “a sense of commun ity that o n l i n e learning cannot replace.” Yet he found posit ives that arose f rom t he University shipping students parts kits so they could conduct lab experiments on their own.

Deeming the education model a success that enabled students to explore ideas outside of the lab and be more creative, Deliwala said the ESE Department will offer the parts kits to students so that they can continue tinkering in their homes even when labs resume in person.

Physics and Astronomy professor Eugene Mele also said he will modify the way he teaches classes in person, continuing strategies he developed during the pandemic.

In the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters, Mele, along with other PHYS 150: “Principles I” professors, sent recorded lectures to students and used class time for active learning activities.

He said the switch has been an effective strategy and will continue next fall, regardless of whether classes are in person or online.

Some professors, like Mathematics and ESE professor Robert Ghrist, changed their examination policies.

“It would be foolish not to take advantage of all the data that we’ve gotten [after nearly three semesters of online learning],” Ghrist said.

Instead of holding two midterm exams and a final exam, Ghrist and fellow professors gave more frequent, shorter quizzes. Ghrist said he has found the frequent quiz model to be a success and he hopes to use them when in-person learning returns.

He also said that he plans to continue using prerecorded lectures, similar to Mele, as the lectures contain animations that help students visualize multidimensional problems, which were always a struggle to replicate on a blackboa rd.

Gh r ist a lso emphasized that this eliminates the need for costly textbooks.

History and Sociology of Science lecturer Meghan C r n ic a l s o prerecorded her lectures and used class time for small discussion g r oup s v ia ALANA KELLY Zoom breakout rooms, which helped her facilitate small discussions. She said she is working to integrate similar discussions in person.

Like Crnic, History and Sociology of Science professor Beth Linker tried to use class time as a way for students to interact with one another as opposed to just listening to her speak. She hopes that she can similarly use class time as a means for student discussion when the University returns to in-person learning.

While Linker expressed some concern that potential gathering restrictions, including mask wearing and social distancing, could create barriers to conversation in her usual seminar style, she said that she is looking forward to seeing students’ faces in person again. Crnic agreed, and said she is looking forward to returning to teaching students in-person.

“I really miss the energy that being in a classroom full of students brings,” Crnic said.

“Frankly, since I’m planning to be fully vaccinated by that time, I’m ready for it.”

From door knocking in New Hampshire, to campaigning for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), to helping oversee budget and personnel in the White House, recent Penn graduate Jay Vaingankar is taking his interest in public policy to new heights.

A 2020 graduate of the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business, Vaingankar is now working in President Joe Biden’s administration as a staff assistant to the director of Management and Administration. Vaingankar spoke to The Daily Pennsylvanian about his new role and how his experiences at Penn prepared him for it, as well as his journey into political activism.

In the White House, Vaingankar provides aid to the Office of Management and Administration, where he helps handle budget and technology issues, works closely with new hires and other government employees to ensure their work experiences are successful, and oversees COVID-19 testing and safety precautions.

“A lot of what we’ve been driving forward is trying to make sure that the White House staff is diverse and inclusive and reflective of the country, and I’ve been learning a lot that personnel is a form of policy, and that who we hire is important,” Vaingankar said. “Operationally, I work to make sure that the building is safe, in terms of making sure that [White House employees] are regularly getting tested [for COVID-19].”

Vaingankar said it has been wonderful to work with the “community of other White House assistants,” whom he described as young adults coming from diverse backgrounds who “are trying to find their place in public service, and very ready to do the work.”

As a former student in the University’s Huntsman Program, a dual degree program that places a strong emphasis on advanced language training, Vaingankar said he chose to pursue Spanish as a means to further “connect with other immigrant communities,” as his family is from India.

Outside of the classroom, Vaingankar served as a student organizer for Bernie Sanders for President and was involved in Penn for Bernie, for which he coordinated the group’s relations with local media stations and campaigned door-to-door in New Hampshire for Sanders ahead of the 2020 Democratic primary.

Vaingankar said that his upbringing in a diverse town in Central New Jersey inspired him to attend Penn and pursue politics as a career, especially after witnessing racial and socioeconomic inequality in his high school.

“On student council, I got to witness firsthand how students of color were written up for defiance more often or how students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds had to come late to school more often because they were staying up late working extra jobs,” Vaingankar said.

“That’s what brought me to Penn — I wanted to study that and figure out how to tackle inequality on the basis of race, gender, and class.”

Vaingankar said that when he arrived on campus as a first year, he was surprised by how many people were

geared towards finance and consulting. Social justice seemed like a “side gig” for many students, he said, which led him to seek political organizing opportunities off campus.

In the summer of 2019, Vaingankar joined Organizing Corps 2020, a program to recruit and train 2020 college graduates — specifically young people of color — and place them as field organizers in key states. Vaingankar’s experiences with the organization prepared him for his position at the White House, he said.

Prior to this role, Vaingankar organized for the Pennsylvania field team that led the state to elect Biden as

Vaingankar is a 2020 graduate of the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business.

president. As a Pennsylvania field organizer, Vaingankar said he worked directly with Pennsylvania State Asian American & Pacific Islanders Director Harinee Suthakar to engage the Asian American community by distributing in-language literature and creating ethnicity-based phone lists, reaching over 1700 voters.

If he could give advice to Penn students looking to follow a similar path, Vaingankar said he would recommend getting off campus and getting involved in local organizing, which he believes teaches important lessons not only on how city and state politics function, but also the importance of being a good listener.

“There’s this saying that goes, ‘The ones that are closest to the suffering will be the ones with the most expertise,’ and I think that’s really real,” Vaingankar said.

“It’s important to realize that having an Ivy League education doesn’t necessarily qualify you to handle all the struggles that you’re trying to tackle [for students looking to go into public service]. You actually have to listen to people who are directly dealing with those issues in order to do that.”

He said that students should not feel discouraged immediately when a job opportunity does not work out, adding that just a year ago, he never expected he would end up at the White House.

“Every day I walk through the [White House] doors, I just can’t get over how lucky I am,” Vaingankar said.

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NEWS 3

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

Activists pressure city over UN report alleging undue force by Phila. police The inquiries by the United Nations were based upon testimonies from Penn community members who were present at the Black Lives Matter protests last year IMRAN SIDDIQUI Staff Reporter

The City of Philadelphia has yet to respond to inquiries by the United Nations — which were based upon testimonies from Penn community members — regarding allegations of excessive use of force by the Philadelphia Police Department during the Black Lives Matter protests last year.

UN Special Procedures mandate holders, who are independent human rights experts, previously sent two letters concerning the protests that occurred during May and June of 2020. The first letter, issued on June 8, 2020, raised concerns about allegations of arbitrary arrests and detention, intimidation and harassment of journalists and protesters, and police violence against Black people.

The second letter, issued on Oct. 16, 2020, concerned allegations of excessive use of force by Philadelphia’s law enforcement officials against peaceful protesters.

An official submission to the United Nations was compiled and sent in December 2020 by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and the Andy and Gwen Stern Community Lawyering Clinic, and it included witness reports from Penn Community for Justice members and other residents who were present at the protests, according to PCJ co-founder and Assistant Director of the South Asia Center Amelia Carter.

Following this submission, the United Nations issued their most recent letter of allegation on Jan. 7, and it included 15 questions that the United Nations is still awaiting clarification on in order to continue their ongoing investigation into the alleged abuses of human rights perpetrated by the city’s police department, Kline School of Law professor and Stern Community Lawyering Clinic Director Rachel Lopez said.

A spokesperson for the City of Philadelphia did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Daily Pennsylvanian.

The UN submission started last summer when Lopez took on an informal role of educating local protesters about their legal rights. As she heard stories about police officers’ excessive use of force in Philadelphia and became connected with local activists in the area, Lopez decided to start organizing a formal submission to the United Nations because she believed what was happening in Philadelphia constituted human rights abuses. “[The UN submission] was a vehicle for us to push and put pressure on the city to really change their priorities and change how they do their work going forward,” Lopez said.

Carter, with whom Lopez connected with online, provided testimony for the UN submission based on her experience at 52nd Street on May 31, when Philadelphia police officers tear-gassed the area. Carter said that it “really felt like a battleground” to see tanks roll down her street and police officers in full riot gear carrying guns full of tear gas canisters or rubber bullets.

Though Carter said she is not solely seeking justice for the harm inflicted upon her, she contributed her

experiences and insight to the UN statement because she believes it is a step towards reevaluating the entire policing system in America.

“In the moment, I didn’t understand what happened, but I knew that it was wrong and that it was something that I couldn’t allow to happen again in my neighborhood,” Carter said. “For me, it was about fighting for myself and for my neighbors to make sure that the police didn’t get away with it.”

Similarly, PCJ organizer and 2020 School of Social Policy & Practice graduate Chris Cannito contributed to the submission, stating he was protesting peacefully on

Philadelphia police tear-gassed protesters on the I-676 on June 1, 2020.

Interstate 676 on June 1 when Philadelphia police officers shot rubber bullets and sprayed tear gas and pepper spray on him and others who were walking in solidarity.

“As I got closer, I saw more people, and it was a nightmare situation. People were pushed up against the [highway embankment], there were pops and explosions behind me, there was a lot of vomit and blood, people were screaming, and it was muddy and hot,” Cannito said. “I remember we got hit with another wave of tear gas, and I legitimately was coughing so much that I thought in the next couple moments, I was going to die.”

Talking to people like Cannito, who were at the protests described in the UN submission, inspired local community members to reach out to international experts at the United Nations.

Katie Princivalle, Brenna Jeffries, and Ryan Nasino, all students at Drexel University’s Kline School of Law, helped work on the official submission to the United

New block schedule will not require profs. to teach 10 extra minutes Several faculty members reported unclear communication from administrators about whether they would be required to teach for extra time SUMMER WYLIE Staff Reporter

Penn’s new block schedule format set to debut in fall 2021 — which will standardize course start times and ensure at least 15 minutes between each class — will not require professors to teach for the 10 extra minutes in place of the currently observed passing time, administrators told The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Several faculty members, however, reported unclear communication from administrators about whether they would be required to teach for extra time, and if so, whether they would be compensated. More than 150 faculty members signed a petition led by Penn’s American Association of University Professors chapter objecting to the schedule change on the grounds that faculty members were not properly consulted, an increase in teaching time would increase the amount of work required of faculty without compensation, and professors who have the highest course loads would be disproportionately impacted.

“The apparent elimination of the existing 10 minutes of ‘passing time’ built into our current course blocks makes this schedule change amount to a tacit addition of 10 minutes of teaching per class period,” the petition states. “When faculty have asked whether the modified schedule indeed extends teaching time, administrators have not provided a decisive answer.”

Associate Vice Provost of Education and Academic Planning Gary Purpura told the DP on April 7 that, although he is familiar with the petition, the new schedule format will not make any explicit changes to class end times. He said, however, that since the 10 minutes are no longer necessary for travel time, an instructor who wishes to teach for an additional 10 minutes will have the freedom to do so.

“The idea of the new block schedule is really about the start times of courses, and it’s not really about the end times,” Purpura said. “Faculty who were teaching three times a week in a 60-minute time block — if they were doing 50 minutes, 55 minutes, 45 minutes, we never would police that before, and we’re not going to police that now.”

Earlier this year, Penn introduced plans for the new block schedule, under which classes will start at one of eight designated start times beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m., with the latest classes ending at 10 p.m.

The new format will ensure at least 15 minutes between course meetings. Currently, it is University policy that classes end 10 minutes before the scheduled ending time to allow travel time for students taking back-toback classes.

Students previously expressed mixed feelings about the new schedule to the DP, with some praising the decision to extend passing time between classes, and others saying they will miss the ability to schedule classes back-to-back.

Several faculty members reported a lack of communication from administrators about the details of the block schedule after its announcement, prompting some faculty members to believe that the schedule would entail a universal 10-minute increase to class times.

“There has been no communication. There’s been the announcement of this class scheduling grid, and after

Nations in the hopes that it will put more pressure on city officials by including the framework of international human rights and the experiences of local residents.

“We were really invested in speaking with victims,” Princivalle said. “There was definitely a need for accountability for what had happened, but there was also a desire to reform and to reimagine how justice and accountability can look like in Philadelphia.”

1993 Penn Law graduate and ACLU of Pennsylvania Deputy Legal Director Mary Catherine Roper said that the ACLU chapter had already been talking to witnesses and victims during the protests and agreed to

that, there hasn’t been very much at all,” English professor and AAUP-Penn President Suvir Kaul said.

AAUP is a membership-based national professional organization that seeks to advance shared university governance and academic freedom, define professional values and standards, and promote economic security for university faculty members. Penn faculty members organized an AAUP-Penn chapter earlier this spring.

Purpura said that, while communication from administration can always be improved, he and others in the provost’s office have communicated with deans and professors about details of the new block schedule. He added that he is willing to speak with faculty members who are confused or concerned about the new schedule’s format.

Kaul and Russian and East European Studies professor and Department Chair Mitchell Orenstein, however, said that undergraduate deans were unable to provide clarity on the issue. Orenstein added that “at [the School of Arts and Sciences], they communicated pretty clearly that they had also been asking for what’s going on, and they hadn’t gotten a real, definitive answer.”

AAUP-Penn leaders said they were concerned that a potential 10-minute increase to class meetings would have a disproportionate impact on lecturers and nontenured faculty members who teach large course loads and might not have sufficient job security to pressure administrators for answers.

“It’s especially common among language instructors, for instance, to teach three language courses in a given semester, and because language courses meet more frequently, someone who is teaching language might be teaching three courses that meet five times a week,” English professor and AAUP-Penn Communications Secretary Emily Steinlight said. “And so if you add 10 minutes to each of those sessions, a faculty member is now teaching 35 extra hours total over the course of a semester, and that would seem to be without any additional pay.”

Orenstein said he does not think that an increase in class time would greatly impact his teaching work, but added that it could impact language instructors in his department.

A foreign language lecturer who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, who teaches five courses per academic year, echoed Steinlight’s sentiment. The lecturer said that a mandated 10-minute increase to course times would add an hour of teaching per week to their current workload.

“As non-tenured faculty, we are much more vulnerable and more affected by that change as well, just because of our different course load,” the lecturer said.

Kaul emphasized that while a tenured professor may be comfortable ignoring directions from administration, a non-tenured instructor may feel pressured to teach for the full 60 minutes of a class period.

“AAUP-Penn is much more concerned about the impact on non-standing faculty,” Steinlight said. “Those faculty don’t have job security in the way that tenured and tenure-track faculty typically do, and have less ability to speak out and to get clarification on some of these issues that tend to affect them disproportionately.”

CHASE SUTTON

combine their efforts with the Stern Lawyering Clinic to strengthen the UN submission by contextualizing individual events to create a larger narrative.

“The police responded with extraordinary and excessive force to protesters who were — ironically — protesting police brutality and protesting for Black lives,” Roper said. “At the same time, [officers] gave a pass to white vigilante groups that were armed and violent in different parts of the city.”

In addition to the letter asking for more information from the Philadelphia government, the United Nations also released a joint statement from 23 human rights experts on Feb. 26, imploring the United States to address systemic racism and enact reforms to stop police violence.

Both Carter and Cannito said that this joint statement is significant because it represents one of the first times that international human rights experts have echoed the aims of the Black Lives Matter movement. Carter said

MUSEUM FRONT PAGE

The Morton Collection is the work of Samuel George Morton, an 1820 Perelman School of Medicine graduate who used the skulls of people who were enslaved to argue that there are inherent differences between the brains of people of different races. Morton used the findings from his collection to justify slavery and is known as a “founding father of scientific

SUKHMANI KAUR

Students and local residents demanded that the Morton Cranial Collection be completely repatriated at a protest on April 8.

racism,” according to Discover Magazine.

During the Penn & Slavery Project’s 2019 symposium, students presented findings that the collection includes 53 crania belonging to individuals who were enslaved from Havana, and two crania belonging to Americans who were enslaved.

The Morton Collection Committee urged Penn Museum to acknowledge that the collection contains

that while seeing this has made her hopeful for the future, she will not get complacent or stop fighting for justice.

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Perry World House Professor of Practice of Law and Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein also said that this joint statement is significant progress towards a more equitable future because, following worldwide solidarity marches with the Black Lives Matter movement after the police killing of George Floyd, it shows that there are international bodies committed to addressing systemic racism across the globe.

“The statement is an affirmation and confirmation that the message that the Black Lives Matter movement has been campaigning to put forward doesn’t just resonate within the [United States], but it also has applicability outside the [United States] as well,” Al Hussein said.

Now, both local organizers and the United Nations are waiting to hear from the Philadelphia government to see how it responds to the claims brought up in the original complaint compiled by the ACLU of Pennsylvania and Stern Community Lawyering Clinic and the United Nation’s subsequent investigation.

Lopez explained that the future of her team’s work is dependent on how the city responds.

If city officials decide to remain silent, she said, Philadelphia will be marked as unresponsive in the United Nations’ annual report — which may be indicative of a larger problem that city officials are not willing to put in the work to address systemic racism within policing.

“If the United Nations is coming in and saying that they think there may be a problem in the city, and you won’t even engage with them, to me there’s something that demonstrates an absence of accountability and thoughtfulness that is alarming,” Lopez said.

Al Hussein said that while a lack of response from the Philadelphia government is disconcerting, it might represent the time it takes institutions to come up with a response to situations that arise.

Although Carter said that she is not shocked by the lack of response from Philadelphia officials, she remains “incredibly disappointed in the lack of leadership in the city.” Moving forward, she hopes that students and other concerned community members continue to pressure all local officials to encourage Mayor Jim Kenney to respond and “actually work for the people of Philadelphia.”

“Human rights don’t mean anything unless people put meaning behind them and give them gravity. Otherwise, the daily violence that we experience in this country is normalized,” Carter said. “Now, it’s about showing your outrage and demanding change until the change is made, because otherwise people will hope that we forget. We are continuing to fight, and we will not stop fighting until we see some actionable change.” human remains that were collected unethically, return ancestors to their communities of origin whenever possible, and apologize for its possession and treatment of unethically obtained ancestors, among other recommendations.

Penn Museum will establish a committee to explore options for reburial in a historically Black Philadelphia cemetery in collaboration with Penn’s offices of Social Equity and Community, Government and Community Affairs, the University Chaplain, General Counsel, and others, per the Morton Collection Committee’s recommendation.

Community consultation will be considered at every stage of the repatriation and reburial process, according to the press release. The process will be modeled after Penn Museum’s 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which has been used to return relevant materials, including some from the Morton Collection, to Indigenous communities.

Penn Museum is also set to collaborate with SAS to create a new full-time faculty position for a BIPOC bioanthropologist, per the committee’s recommendation.

The faculty member will have expertise in the analysis of human remains, as well as a record of advocacy for Black and Indigenous matters in repatriation requests.

This person will also serve as a Penn Museum curator in addition to serving as a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology.

Penn Museum will reassess its practices of collecting, stewarding, displaying, and researching human remains, Woods said in the press release.

“There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to handling repatriation and reburial in any circumstance,” Woods said in the press release. “Each case is unique and deserves its own consideration. This is incredibly sensitive work. And while we all desire to see the remains of these individuals reunited with their ancestral communities as quickly as possible, it is essential not to rush but to proceed with the utmost care and diligence. As we confront a legacy of racism and colonialism, it is our moral imperative to do so.”

UA FRONT PAGE

agreed on establishing cultural houses on Locust Walk, hiring more diverse Counseling and Psychological Services staff, and bringing the concerns of student groups to administration.

The two candidates, however, clashed in the second debate over strategies to implement these policies. Borlase, who served as the Academic Initiatives Committee director this year, touted her experience organizing the Climate Seminar, where students and faculty asked top administrators questions about Penn’s climate policies.

Gupta, the UA treasurer this year, responded that a moderated town hall would be less likely to convince Penn to pay Payments In Lieu of Taxes than directly bringing up the issue with President Amy Gutmann and Provost Wendell Pritchett in the UA’s meetings with them.

At Sunday’s vice-presidential debate, Montes and Owusu both argued that their experience made them the best choice to lead UA Steering, a committee consisting of representatives from more than 40 student groups.

Montes cited her role as the Reopening and Response Committee director, which she said prepared her to connect Penn Student

Government members to appropriate student groups working on related projects. Owusu, who served as UA speaker this year, said she plans to add more student groups to UA Steering and create working groups to allow PSG members and student groups to work together.

The results for the rest of the UA and Class Board elections were also released following the conclusion of the three-day voting period, which began on Monday at 12 a.m. and closed on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

College junior Sam Strickberger will again serve as president of the 2022 Class Board.

Wharton sophomore Derek Nhieu, who ran unopposed, will continue to lead the 2023 Class Board. The first-ever 2024 Class Board will be led by College first year Toyosi Abu, who defeated five opponents.

This week’s election was Penn’s second fully virtual general election, following the fall 2020 election after it was postponed from the spring 2020 semester. The election also marks the first time the Class of 2024 will have a class board and elected seats on the UA, after PSG agreed to cancel new student elections in the fall since the class had not yet stepped foot on campus.

4 OPINION

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

OPINION EDITORIAL THURSDAY APRIL 15, 2021 VOL. CXXXVII, NO. 12 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 ALICE HEYEH 34st Design Editor QUINN ROBINSON Deputy Design Editor 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 NINA WEI Deputy Copy Editor KIRA LU Copy Associate SOPHIE APFEL Copy Associate

A

Vaccines should be required for the fall semester

s Penn plans a return to in-person instruction this coming fall, it has yet to announce whether vaccines will be required for students.

Several colleges and universities have recently announced that they will require students to have received a COVID-19 vaccine by fall 2021, including peer institutions such as Brown University and Cornell University. However, Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé said it is too early to determine whether Penn will require students to be vaccinated. Dubé also expressed concerns that it may not be possible to mandate COVID-19 vaccination, since the vaccines are only approved under Emergency Use Authorization.

Despite these concerns, requiring vaccination for students would come with many benefits, both for students and for the West Philadelphia community. Because of this, Penn should require COVID-19 vaccines for students this fall if legally possible, unless students have a reasonable religious or medical reason not to.

Requiring COVID-19 vaccination will

keep students safer and allow them to have a more normal campus experience. If all (or almost all) students are vaccinated, this will greatly reduce the risks associated with being in a classroom, eating with friends in a dining hall, living in a dorm, and enjoying other essential components of an in-person college experience. Students who are required to attend in-person classes will feel much more comfortable knowing that their classmates are vaccinated, especially given recent data showing that vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna substantially reduce COVID-19 transmission.

Additionally, if all students on campus are vaccinated, they may be able to participate in social activities, extracurriculars, and other events that would be too risky otherwise. This would not only help students stay safe, but also substantially improve the campus experience.

Penn should also require COVID-19 vaccines for students to protect the West Philadelphia community. Many West Philadelphia residents were upset that the University brought students back to

The 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.

receive a vaccine over the summer. Additionally, the University is planning to vaccinate students in the next few weeks, giving many the opportunity to be vaccinated even before leaving campus this spring. Thus, most Penn students in the United States should easily be able to be vaccinated before the fall semester starts.

Despite this, Penn should recognize that some students may not be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The University should offer medical and religious exemptions on a case-by-case basis and should accommodate international students who cannot receive vaccines in their home countries before moving to Philadelphia. These international students should be allowed to complete their vaccinations when they arrive on Penn’s campus.

Requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for students this fall will help keep Penn’s campus and the West Philadelphia community safe, without imposing an undue burden on students. Thus, the University should follow the example of peer institutions and implement this policy.

My uncle is a martyr: what we can learn from grief and trauma in light of tragedy The Remembrance Project | Sometimes the route from grieving, to coping, to healing begins with telling each other, “Help me understand”

T

here was an uneasy eeriness in my Philadelphia bedroom on Oct. 18, 2020; it was my first birthday in a global pandemic, a time where celebration was set against the gloomy backdrop of universal, severe loss. With the long, painful year that was 2020 coming to a close, I thought that turning 20 years old would be a marker for better things to come: hope, healing, and peace. My birthday was instead marked by intense tragedy, bereavement, and grief. It started with a simple birthday wish FaceTime call from my Baba, my father.

I picked up my phone alone in my Philadelphia apartment. Baba awkwardly said happy birthday with an unusual somberness on his face: “Iman, I have not great news to tell you. There has been an accident.” My dear Muhammed Mamo, my mother’s younger brother, had disappeared into the depths of the Indus River rapids. Displaying ultimate altruism, he jumped in to save his children, my younger cousins, who had fallen in while taking a picture.

My parents were to depart to Pakistan within the next couple of hours; I wouldn’t be home to see them off, to hug my mother goodbye, or grieve the presumed death of my uncle with my whole family unit. I hung up so Baba wouldn’t hear my yelps and cries; my roommate held me and stroked my back.

Surrounded by deep sadness, I slowly packed my things, repeating out loud, “I need shoes, I need shirts, I need …” to distract my brain from the severe anxiety and loneliness closing in on me. Returning to New York by train, I couldn’t stop the intense tears pouring down my face; I was coming back to a broken home, marked by grief and a lack of parental support. It was up to my siblings and me to navigate this new home life, one where our parents had no return date, and one where we were waiting for a verdict on my uncle’s life.

The last time I saw him was in December 2019 for a family wedding. His

importantly, the best younger brother, son, husband, and father to his family.

Muhammed Mamo is the most selfless person I’ve ever had the honor of knowing, displaying this most admirable trait up to his dying breath.

Grief is a complex emotion, affecting both the mental and physical health of the bearer. The days following his death and my return home, I fell into deep grief and depression; the circumstances became the elephant in the house, a shunned topic. I’ve experienced deaths in my family, but when someone so tragically and unexpectedly dies, and that’s compounded by the upheaval of my immediate family life, the grief is omnipresent. Sadness filled my house’s hallways. Empty chairs at the dinner table usually occupied by my parents were a constant reminder of the tragedy.

My body was fighting a sickness of its own sadness. Days were spent crying over the loss, and my nights were occupied by the appearance of Muhammed Mamo in dreams of us drowning in the Indus together.

Friends would reach out and proclaim how strong I was; I questioned what it meant to be strong. I felt the exact opposite: I felt weak. Merely surviving became difficult. I was numb to everything. Nausea consumed my days.

I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t drink water.

I couldn’t get out of bed. I could only mourn: mourn my uncle, mourn my family life, and mourn the self that once was.

Slowly, my interests dwindled, and an apathetic figure took the place of the old me. Suffering defined my identity.

With no word about my uncle’s body, I was instead reminded of the times: 25 members of my family were diagnosed with COVID-19 from gathering together in light of the family tragedy — most were elderly or deemed high-risk. The mysterious virus lived in my dad, my grandmas, my aunts, my uncles, and my mother. I prematurely prepared, grieving the deaths of family members

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

campus this spring, as they worried this would increase local infection rates. This semester, the University experienced spikes in COVID-19 cases among undergraduate students, and many students violated Penn’s Student Campus Compact and Philadelphia guidelines for reducing the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 outbreaks among students are unlikely to remain confined by campus boundaries, as students visit local businesses, eat at local restaurants, and travel within and outside Philadelphia.

Penn should require vaccination for students to minimize COVID-19 transmission by students and reduce the harm caused by irresponsible behavior.

Requiring COVID-19 vaccination does not pose concerns about access, as vaccines are expected to be widely available within the next few months. All adults in Philadelphia will be eligible for vaccination beginning April 19, and in many other parts of the United States, every adult is already eligible. Based on current vaccination rates, every American adult who wishes to be vaccinated will be able to

PHOTO FROM RAAZIA SYED

smile is still etched in my mind — so bright, just how he lived his life. A proclaimed extrovert, he was the life of any party. He had a fiery personality, and he lived his life with humor, laughter, and joy. He would tease me that I wanted to pursue history or international relations instead of a more “financially stable” field like medicine or engineering; he believed in me so much he thought I would be successful in any of those fields. He would be the first to the dance floor at any wedding and debated my dad on Pakistani politics.

He was an avid cricket player and, most

infected. What had my family done to deserve so much pain? What had I done to deserve this? I saw no light at the end of the tunnel.

These questions haunt me to this day.

I became jealous of friends and peers who didn’t have to deal with this unbearable burden; they were so free, and I was trapped, closed in by depression. I believed no one understood my pain, my suffering, and my grief.

I remember having a phone call with a then-acquaintance in late November; I had to explain my family situation to her, so I could get out of a sorority

PHOTO FROM RAAZIA SYED

commitment. After giving her the rundown, she interrupted me: “Iman, are you OK? Help me understand what you’re feeling?” I broke down; it was an unexpected response. She barely knew me or my family history but her empathy and willingness to listen took me by surprise. I responded, “To be honest, I am not okay.”

When I returned to school for the second semester, I started experiencing PTSD. Small reminders from the time of the accident would trigger my trauma and spur intense f lashbacks of grief leading to panic attacks. I avoided my bedroom — where months prior I heard the news — as much as I could. I hid the luggage case that I brought home initially. I folded the clothes I wore the semester prior in the back of my closet.

I felt unsafe in my shelter. I couldn’t escape it; I would close my eyes and see my uncle’s face. I was awaiting the next tragedy. When will it come? What is going to happen? Can I survive? I wanted it to be over, to no longer feel this overbearing and destructive pain.

My uncle was eventually found by a fisherman last month; he found his way back to us, buried in my family cemetery in North Pakistan, resting at the feet of his grandfather. Six months after his death, the pain is still fresh and will be a deep wound to heal; I still think and cry about him every day. Drowning is an act of martyrdom under Islamic tradition. In times of omnipresent suffering, I draw from my Muhammed Mamo’s status as a martyr and his selflessness.

I realized I am not alone; we are connected in our loss. Loved ones of nearly 3 million people are grieving their deaths from COVID-19 worldwide.

Communities around the United States grieve the deaths of Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and the countless unjust police killings of Black people. My peers grieve the loss of a normal school year and the Penn we once knew. I grieve the loss of my uncle.

The path to collective healing begins with these three words: “Help me understand.” The burden becomes lighter; my family, my friends, and strangers help carry my pain. Empathy, understanding, and actively listening to each other will set us free. We have to radically accept our circumstances and identify our pain

and suffering to start healing. This horrible event has happened — what can we do from here?

I asked myself this question recently.

I was frustrated: I still felt broken inside. I needed a new way to connect with this pain. I picked up reading poetry from 13th-century Persia by Sufi poet Rumi. Rumi himself, having gone through immense losses of close advisors, wrote immensely about grief.

After a particularly harsh f lashback, when I felt extremely weak, I turned to this mourning poem: “Don’t run away from grief, o’ soul / Look for the remedy inside the pain / Because the rose came from the thorn / And the ruby came from a stone.”

We have to accept that the thorns of grief still prickle; the stone of the loss still crushes. We hope, though, as time moves on, that we will finally see the roses grow and the rubies glow. His pictures reside in our family room. His resemblance lives on my cousins’ faces.

His love for my aunts, my mother, my grandmother, and my family occupy our hearts forever. Roses and rubies.

I recognize that even months later, I am still not myself. Until then, I remember the words that took me aback all those months ago: “Help me understand.” We recognize the fragility of life.

Be there for your friends. Extend a hand of empathy to your colleagues.

Tell your family members you love them. Avoid inf licting hurt towards others. It is never too late to apologize and seek forgiveness in yourself and your actions. Be compassionate. Choose kindness. Thorns may cause wounds, but all wounds eventually become scars.

One day, when they heal, the pain lessens. But the scars remind you: “I have survived.”

The Remembrance Project allows members of the Penn community to pay tribute to loved ones lost due to COVID-19. To submit your own tribute, please go to bit.ly/DPremembrance.

IMAN SYED is a College sophomore studying international relations from Rye, N.Y. She is The Daily Pennsylvanian’s newsletter editor. Her email is imansyed@sas.upenn.edu.

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

OPINION 5

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

What Penn hasn’t done to support Asian American Studies Guest Column | Instead of superficial support and neglect, administrators must truly support the faculty and students in the program On March 30, the College announced that there will be a cluster hire of faculty to teach in Penn’s Asian American Studies Program. While the Asian American Studies Undergraduate Advisory Board is grateful for this news, we are disappointed that our labor and the labor of our UAB alumni, who assembled to draft a petition to demand Penn retain Dr. David Eng and support ASAM, have been left out of this news. Though we should be excited about this cluster hire as current co-chairs of the UAB, we still remain wary of this ostensible victory and Penn’s responses to anti-Asian violence.

Penn refuses to acknowledge that ASAM is more than an academic program; it is a beautiful community that is one of the only spaces on campus dedicated to Asian American students.

The survival of ASAM is crucial to the experiences of Asian students who, through ASAM, can not only critically learn about their histories in classes but are also able to laugh during our joyful lunchtime gatherings alongside our faculty and staff. For us, ASAM professors, particularly Dr. Fariha Khan, the associate director of the ASAM Program, have become parentlike figures who have continuously supported us as we’ve navigated Penn’s challenging terrain. After reading the 800 signatures on the UAB alumni petition — many of which include personal testimonials, we know that students and alumni resonate with our sentiments toward ASAM. It is imperative to recognize that it is Penn’s institutional disregard that forces ASAM to be resilient.

Throughout its 25 years of existence, ASAM has continued to struggle from a lack of University support, including the absence of necessary administrative staff, faculty, space, and resources. As members of the UAB since our first years at Penn, we have attended several meetings with University administrators, such as School

ALICE HEYEH

of Arts and Sciences Dean Steven Fluharty and Provost Wendell Pritchett, who have previously shrugged off our concerns time and time again. This cluster hire is one of the largest efforts made by Penn to support ASAM, but why is Penn choosing to support ASAM now?

It is not lost on us that the University decided to implement this cluster hire exactly two weeks after Asian women were massacred in Atlanta. It is not lost on us

Penn, we need action — not emails Outspoken on Occasion | Cautiously worded statements are insufficient in combating the systemic issues our community faces

F

our weeks ago, following a surge of violent attacks against Asian Americans fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, University leadership sent the Penn community an email entitled “A Message to the Penn Community Regarding Violence and AntiAsian Hate Incidents.” The actual body of the email was in line with what has become boilerplate for institutions during a time of heightened discriminatory violence and other social issues: a statement condemning such actions and the linking of mental health resources. While this message was better than nothing, it failed to outline any structural changes the University would implement to combat anti-Asian sentiments within our community, especially when there was a very clear opportunity for Penn to do so with the Asian American Studies Program. Penn must do more than release these inadequate messages, and it must be transparent in how the University is responding to impactful issues raised by members of the Penn community.

Two days after Penn’s message on Asian American violence was released, it was reported that Asian American Studies professor David Eng would be leaving Penn, citing concerns over a lack of support from administration and a reluctance to hire new faculty for ASAM. This was especially concerning given that only three tenured faculty remain within the program after ASAM Director Grace Kao left Penn four years ago. Kao has yet to be replaced. Prompted by this announcement, and the increase in violence against the Asian community, a petition to retain Eng drafted by the ASAM Undergraduate Advisory Board garnered 800 signatures from the Penn community.

It was only several weeks later that I found out in an Undergraduate Assembly meeting with the ASAM UAB that Dean Steven Fluharty of the School of Arts and Sciences had initiated a search for new faculty hires for ASAM. While considerably more effective in showing support for the Asian community, the dean’s statement on this search did not find its way into my inbox like the previous message. And after reading the statement, I saw that no mention was made of the UAB’s petition or the departure of Eng. This mixture of inconsequential and non-communicative messaging effectively does very little to show that Penn values its Asian students. For many minority students, minority studies programs can be essential for forming community and navigating a predominantly white space like Penn, especially in the face of recent events that devalue our very existence. The University’s messaging fails to recognize this connection.

Diversity- and equity-focused initiatives cannot simply be reduced to providing support for

marginalized groups post-trauma. Rather, Penn must examine the ways in which it is responsible for perpetuating biases against such communities. Time and time again, students have been told, “We hear you — we see you,” but have yet to experience the changes that should come from that recognition. This issue extends beyond Penn’s minority communities and can be applied to any structural change students are pushing for within the University.

Penn’s investment in fossil fuels has been a longstanding issue for the Penn community, as evidenced by the tireless work of Fossil Free Penn, Student Sustainability Association at Penn, and other climate-focused organizations. Last week, my inbox received yet another “Message to the Penn Community …” this time on climate change. The message was conveniently timed to be released just hours before a Faculty Senate Climate and Sustainability Seminar co-sponsored by the UA was scheduled to take place. In the announcement, Penn administrators detailed their net-zero emissions plan, which they hope to achieve by the year 2050. A student later said that this plan put Penn in line with oil company BP. The plan, centered on offsetting fossil fuel investments with clean energy, only works because large energy companies historically do not release their emissions data in full. Additionally, the plan makes no mention of Penn’s investment in the fossil fuel industry and does not reveal any intent to divest from them, which is exactly what student activism and organizing efforts have been centered around. Thus, the message was just a convenient way for the Penn administration to place the accountability on their investment partners to be more climate friendly, rather than examine how we as an institution engage in practices that are harmful to the environment.

Instead of telling students that their concerns are heard and thoughts valued, show us. Take action. Fund our minority studies programs. Divest from fossil fuels.

Students understand such projects take considerable time, and we do not expect overhauling to occur overnight. And while the University may be making efforts towards resolving these issues, they do not communicate these projects to students transparently. As a result, we are left with muddied messaging that takes accountability away from Penn and resorts to measures that fail to do anything of substance. Students see through this.

So please, no more statements. We’d prefer action instead.

ALEX EAPEN is a first year in the College from Elkridge, Md. His email is aeapen@sas.upenn. edu.

that the College announced its Inclusion and AntiRacism Initiatives after a summer Black Lives Matter protests due to the police murder of George Floyd. It is not lost on us that it takes violence against Black, Indigenous, and non-Black communities of color in order for Penn to offer us the essential resources we have always lacked.

The struggle for ASAM is symptomatic of the University’s indifference toward the communities Penn claims to uplift, particularly those of students of color.

On behalf of campus student organizers — namely our Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQ, FGLI, and non-citizen peers — we are tired of the urgent necessity of our labor that so often amounts to the hours of a parttime job from which no sincere, meaningful change is enacted. We as students should not have to fight to have our own personhood recognized by the university, and we are tired of our labor remaining invisible while the University continues to tout our work as their own virtuous charity. We are tired of Penn’s disregard of the needs of students of color, and we are tired of only being visible to the University when our feelings of sadness and rage in response to devastating violence become an opportunity for Penn to advertise its “commitment” to diversity and inclusion.

Penn cannot continue to be reactive to high-profile instances of oppression and prejudice. Penn must be proactive in ensuring its community members are supported before such actions occur. Most importantly, Penn must be proactive in ending the violence it continues to inflict in Philadelphia every single day. In

addition to the forthcoming cluster hire, we need Penn to meet our longstanding demands: That Penn make its strongest efforts to retain Dr. David Eng, whose retention is supported by 800+ alumni and current students who signed the petition, as well as the 58 faculty members who are supporting Dr. Eng’s retention through this open letter.

That Penn allocate funds to stabilize ASAM’s infrastructure, including the hire of a full-time administrative staff person, and funds to continue the ASAM Fellowship, which was started through a generous donation to ASAM but needs financial support in order to continue to allow Penn undergraduates to pursue robust, original research projects to contribute to the field of Asian American Studies.

That Penn provide more monetary and institutional support for not only the ASAM Program but also for all ethnic and minority studies programs on campus When Penn finally enacts the changes that we, the co-chairs of the ASAM UAB, have demanded time and time again, as well as those of past and present student organizers — including abolishing the Penn Police Department and paying PILOTs — we may finally believe that the University is truly committed to supporting its diverse communities.

CLAIRE NGUYEN AND ERIN O’MALLEY are the co-chairs of the Asian American Studies Program Undergraduate Advisory Board. Their emails are claireng@sas.upenn.edu and eomalley@sas.upenn.edu.

Guest Column by 58 Penn Faculty Members | In support of Dr. Eng and the Asian American Studies Program We write in response to the School of Arts and Science dean’s announcement that the school will initiate cluster hires in Asian American Studies Program to compensate for the impending loss of professor David Eng (and indeed professor Grace Kao, who moved to Yale several years ago). ASAM has been woefully understaffed for many years, as generations of students and faculty have asserted. As a belated response, these cluster hires are welcome, but we wish to remind the deans that it is crucially important to retain professor Eng, who has proved vital not only to ASAM, but to the English Department and the programs in Comparative Literature and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. He has demonstrated a unique capacity to connect diverse intellectual constituencies across Penn, and is, quite simply, irreplaceable. To lose professor Eng while making plans for the future is simply bad policy; his presence here will reassure potential Asian American faculty that SAS is committed to the development of ASAM. To not retain professor Eng is to send a terrible message to future candidates, and we are likely to lose the very best of them.

We stand in solidarity as Asian, Asian American, and queer, of color faculty and allies; and alongside our brilliant and impassioned ASAM Undergraduate Advisory Board students and 800 students and alumni who have petitioned the University for adequate support for ASAM and the retention of professor Eng. Signed, 1. David Kazanjian, English, Comparative Literature 2.Chi-ming Yang, English, Comparative Literature, Asian American Studies 3. Eiichiro Azuma, History, Asian American Studies 4. Guobin Yang, Sociology, Annenberg School 5. Ayako Kano, EALC, Comparative Literature, GSWS 6. David Young Kim, History of Art, Italian Studies 7. Ania Loomba, English, Comparative Literature, GSWS 8. Suvir Kaul, English, Comparative Literature 9. Ken Lum, Fine Arts, Weitzman Design 10. Paul Saint-Amour, English, Comparative Literature 11. Max Cavitch, English, Comparative Literature, GSWS, Psychoanalytic Studies 12. Melissa E. Sanchez, English, Comparative Literature, GSWS 13. Jean-Christophe Cloutier, English 14. S. Pearl Brilmyer, English 15. Julia Alekseyeva, English, Cinema & Media Studies, Comparative Literature, REES 16. D. Brian Kim, REES, Comparative Literature 17. Jean-Michel Rabaté, English, Comparative Literature 18. Emily Wilson, Classical Studies, Comparative Literature 19. James English, English, Digital Humanities

20. Margo Natalie Crawford, English, Comparative Literature 21. Rahul Mukherjee, English, Cinema & Media Studies, Comparative Literature 22. Jennifer S. Ponce de León, English, LALS, Comparative Literature, GSWS 23. Abdulhamit Arvas, English, GSWS, Middle East Center 24. Deborah A. Thomas, Anthropology, Center for Experimental Ethnography 25. Joan DeJean, Romance Languages, Comparative Literature, GSWS 26. Hsiao-wen Cheng, EALC, GSWS 27. Joan DeJean, Romance Languages, Comparative Literature, GSWS 28. Rita Copeland, Comparative Literature, Classical Studies, English 29. Kristen R. Ghodsee, Russian and East European Studies 30. Karen Redrobe, Wolf Humanities Center, ARTH 31. Gerald Prince, Romance Languages, Comparative Literature 32. Scott Francis, Romance Languages, Comparative Literature 33. Kevin M. F. Platt, Russian and East European Studies, Comparative Literature 34. Anne Norton, Political Science, Comparative Literature 35. Liliane Weissberg, German and Comparative Literature 36. Ericka Beckman, Romance Languages, Comparative Literature 37. David Wallace, English, Italian Studies, Comparative Literature, GSWS 38. Siyen Fei, History 39. Michael G. Hanchard, Africana Studies 40. Sophia Rosenfeld, History 41. Jonathan D. Katz, GSWS, Art History 42. Kathleen Brown, History, GSWS 43. Ezekiel Dixon-Román, SP2 44. Sharon Hayes, Fine Arts, Weitzman Design 45. Emily Steinlight, English 46. Toorjo Ghose, SP2 47. Sophie Hochhäusl, Architecture, GSWS 48. André Dombrowski, ARTH 49. Nancy J. Hirschmann, Political Science and GSWS 50. Robert Vitalis, Political Science 51. Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, History of Art, ASAM, LALS 52. Gerald Campano, GSE 53. Fernando Chang-Muy, Law and SP2 54. Greg Urban, Anthropology 55. Peter Holquist, History 56. Kaja Silvermant, History of Art 57. Ivan Drpić, History of Art 58. Rita Barnard, English and Comparative Literature

What is the future of American conservatism?

Lexi’s Take | Examining the complex outlook of the Republican party and right-leaning youth in a post-Trump era

I

n light of the past four years of a Trump administration, increasing progressive influence, and the rise of cancel culture, it’s not a far reach to say that “conservative” has become a dirty word for many liberals.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) so much as called for a blacklist of public figures who had supported former President Trump in a tweet that felt reminiscent to McCarthyism-era political shunning.

These calls for a “Trump Accountability Project” or something of the sort aren’t limited to the former President’s political opposition, but have instead become regular occurrences within families, in businesses, and at schools.

At Penn, there have been calls to revoke the former president’s degree from the Wharton School, investigations into the merits of his SAT score, and recommendations to bar members of his administration from speaking on campus. While it’s without question that Trump is a controversial figure, is it really possible to “cancel” the 73 million Americans who voted for him? Even more so, is “conservatism” or even “republicanism” synonymous with Trump in 2021?

The label “conservative,” when discussed in terms of political ideology, is loosely defined as the holding of political views that favor free enterprise, private ownership, and socially traditional ideas. Looking at this definition alone, one can see the very clear divergence between the politics of the Trump administration and purported conservative values. While conservatives largely encourage free trade both domestically and internationally, many of Trump’s policies were protectionist

and restricted global import and export.

Similarly, while claiming to uphold “socially traditional values,” Trump entered into office with a history of not adhering to these sorts of values, unlike other politicians who have called themselves conservatives.

Therefore, it becomes almost illogical to condemn the values of an entire half of the political spectrum, ideology, and party when they don’t even agree with the politics they are getting chided for. Nevertheless, this doesn’t discount the very present divide within the Republican Party between those who supported former President Trump and his agenda and those who didn’t.

There is a clear line being drawn within the party, indicated by the presence of The Lincoln Project (antiTrump Republicans) and the backlash faced by Senators like Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) over their contesting of the election results. However, party divisions aren’t anything new in the GOP, as the American right has seen friction between fiscal and social conservatism since the unification of libertarian-esque small government prioritization and the religious right under Ronald Reagan.

While Trump was by no means a conventional “conservative” politician, his presidency did indicate the desired change by a large portion of the American public to a more upfront and relatable presidency. This does not necessarily mean that all hope is lost and Trumpism or right-wing populism has permanently taken over the Republican Party, as suggested by Jonathan Last, executive editor of “The Bulwark,” at the Paideia Program’s “The Future of Conservatism” talk earlier this semester.

The GOP must instead be careful when returning to the drawing board in 2024; a regression to overly polished and buttoned-up conservatism could cost them the executive branch. However, this desire for politicians who share the thoughts and values of their constituency should be more reflected in the diversity of age, gender, and race within the party rather than in the unfiltered nature of their speech.

The 2020 House and Senate races already saw the beginning of this new Republican era. In the 117th congress, 14% of Republican seats are held by women, the highest the number has ever been. On the local level even more, women are holding gubernatorial and local legislative positions under the Republican party. The same can be seen in racial and ethnic minority groups, with 17% of members of minority groups being Republicans, an increase from last term’s 10%. Furthermore, representation within right-leaning activism has increased substantially with well-known activists like Candace Owens and Rob Smith, who show the growing platform for people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and women within the conservative movement. These changes similarly reflect the growing diversity of the GOP’s voting base.

Latinx communities made up a large portion of the Trump electorate and played a critical role in flipping many of the House seats this term, a point emphasized

by Olivia Troye, a former aide to Vice President Pence, during the aforementioned Paideia Program event. She went on to explain how rhetoric and policies that prioritized the family and economic growth appealed to

Hispanic voters especially in light of the Democratic party’s increasingly progressive platform.

The GOP has also seen an increase in support and representation of younger Americans pushing for counter-culture against the growing favoring of socialist policies among our age group. Despite unity on issues like climate change and the legalization of marijuana, political divisions are very present among Gen Z. With increasing conservative youth activism through organizations like Turning Point USA, a lot of the rhetoric is aimed at promoting free speech, smaller government, protecting financial freedom and a culture of less political correctness. This is different from the conservative movements of our parents and grandparents, which focused more on social issues.

This conservative presence is evident at Penn through organizations like Penn College Republicans and Penn for Liberty, which actively represent right-leaning ideas even in the strongly left-leaning culture at Penn. The next few years of the Republican Party will bring with them their own sets of trials and tribulations to overcome the internal divisions exasperated by Trump’s presidency. Nevertheless, be careful not to underestimate or shut out the new era of conservatism. Our generation will play a pivotal role in shaping American politics, and the right is no exception.

LEXI BOCCUZZI is a College first year studying philosophy, politics, and economics from Stamford, Ct. Her email is abb628@sas.upenn.edu.

6 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

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NEWS 7

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

Penn Glee Club merges with Penn Sirens to become gender-inclusive ensemble after 159 years Glee Club members voted unanimously on April 9 to amend its constitution to remove gender restrictions for membership of its choir section KAMI HOUSTON Senior Reporter

what was done in the past,” Milner said.

Before making this decision, the choir was the only section of the Glee Club that was restricted by gender. The club’s technical crew, instrumental accompanists, and band members had already chosen to welcome members of any gender in previous years.

The first woman member in the Glee Club joined as a piano accompanist in 1992, and the first woman technical crew member joined in 1993, Penn Today

For the first time in 159 years, the Penn Glee Club — the University’s oldest student performing arts group — is opening its choir to singers of all genders.

Members of the Glee Club voted unanimously on April 9 to amend its constitution in order to remove gender restrictions for membership of its singing section. Penn Sirens, an all-female singing group founded in 2011, will merge with the Glee Club and form a soprano-alto subgroup, expanding the ensemble’s repertoire to include all four voice parts. The change will go into effect on June 1.

While the chorus previously only included tenor and bass vocal types, it will now be expanded to include soprano and alto voices, according to Wharton senior and Glee Club President Jake Milner. The choir section will also include a soprano-alto and a

Dauer said that both clubs met frequently to discuss gender integration and how to best preserve Penn Sirens’ history and traditions following the merger.

Creating a subgroup within the Glee Club allowed Penn Sirens to be equal members of the choir, while also creating an additional performance opportunity for alto-soprano voices, she added.

“I’ve been involved in performing arts and especially singing my whole life, and so I think it is extremely important to have a group that only pursues musical excellence and doesn’t have any other barriers unrelated to that,” Dauer said.

2016 College graduate and former Penn Sirens president Nora Leuth said she and other Penn Sirens alumnae are excited by the merger, as it will provide the group with access to more resources and opportunities, such as rehearsal space and event performances.

“I think that this [merger] is one of our long-term goals to firmly establish the foundation and future of Sirens,” Leuth said.

The Glee Club previously considered a few different scenarios to make the chorus gender-inclusive, Milner said. The club could have either kept the chorus gender exclusive, or remain a tenor-bass chorus, but remove gender restrictions on who could sing the vocal parts. The club also considered removing gender restrictions and allowing soprano and alto voices, but not merging with Penn Sirens. Milner explained that these options were ultimately unappealing because they did not take enough steps to make the club inclusive and risked alienating Penn Sirens.

College senior and member of the Glee Club choir Connor Beard said he did not expect gender integration within the club to happen while he was at Penn, and that he is glad the organization is becoming more inclusive of other gender identities.

“We’re finally moving past that framework that was put in place by the founders of the Glee Club, and moving into a much more inclusive space that isn’t just inclusive for white, [cisgender] straight males,” Beard said.

Milner agreed, stating that the Glee Club’s transition to becoming a fully gender-inclusive organization was long overdue.

“A significant portion of the student body until just a few days ago wasn’t able to have the experience I had as a singer at the Glee Club simply because of their gender identity,” Milner said. “It shouldn’t be that way.”

Engineering junior and Glee Club Publicity Manager Lynn Ahrens, who will be the new president of the Glee Club in the fall, said she’s excited for the future of the organization. The first performance as an integrated organization will take place during the Baccalaureate ceremony on May 16.

“Even though the 160th anniversary is coming up, I really see it as the first anniversary of a new club moving forward,” Ahrens said.

In the fall, PWC and the LGBT Center facilitated two conversations within the Glee Club to help the organization become more gender inclusive. The first discussion was centered on the Glee Club’s values, and how they could embrace gender equity and still preserve the club’s history. The second conversation was centered on the identities of the club members, and how to embrace identities that are underrepresented.

“We’re finally moving past that framework that was put in place by the founders of the Glee Club, and moving into a much more inclusive space that isn’t just inclusive for white, [cisgender] straight males,” College senior and member of the Glee Club choir Connor Beard said. tenor-bass chamber choir, and Penn Sirens will exist as an a cappella subgroup alongside the Penn Pipers, an a cappella subgroup within the Glee Club.

Milner said that the Glee Club had been thinking about creating a gender-inclusive singing group for years.

“The more we talked about it, the more everybody realized that we can do this and still preserve what we love about [the] Glee Club,” Milner said.

When the Glee Club was founded in 1852, Penn’s student body was entirely male. In previous decades, members were less enthusiastic about an all-gender ensemble because they felt there were opportunities outside of the Glee Club for other genders to perform, Milner said.

The Glee Club had seriously considered making its singing section gender inclusive in 2015, when 2016 College graduate and former Glee Club board member Sonja Breda advocated for gender inclusivity, and in 2018, when 2019 Engineering graduate Susanna Jaramillo was elected as the first woman president of the Glee Club, Milner said.

“We want to move forward with the most inclusive and equitable space we can, rather than be held to

PHOTO BY ERIC SUCAR

The board members of both student ensembles are pictured on the steps of College Hall.

reported.

Director of Platt Student Performing Arts House Laurie McCall provided the Glee Club with a list of directives to consider before integrating the chorus, which she said included consulting the Penn Women’s Center, Penn Violence Prevention, and the LGBT Center on creating an inclusive environment, receiving alumni feedback, and meeting with Penn Sirens.

Associate Director of the LGBT Center Malik Muhammad said he and his colleague Maria Acosta, the financial and administrative coordinator of the Penn Women’s Center, worked closely with the Glee Club to ensure they could create an inclusive environment within the organization.

In order to officially change its mission statement and remove the word “male” from the phrase “male chorus,” the Glee Club needed to present a proposal to the Performing Arts Council Executive Board. The proposal, which outlined the club’s path to gender integration, was approved in March, which set the stage for the unanimous vote among club members on April 9.

One of the primary reasons Penn Sirens is merging with the Glee Club, College sophomore and Penn Sirens Vice President Zoe Goldstein, said, is out of concern that Penn Sirens’ recruitment would be negatively affected if the Glee Club accepted singers regardless of their gender.

College junior and Penn Sirens President Marina

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8 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

NEWS 9

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

Penn experts pose solutions to Philadelphia’s pandemic-fueled gentrification Penn-affiliated experts believe the city has seen gentrification through increased housing prices and new development — making access to affordable housing more difficult SHEILA HODGES Staff Reporter

With the pandemic laying bare Philadelphia’s grave economic and racial inequalities, Penn-affiliated experts believe that the city has seen a more gradual form of gentrification through increased housing prices and new development — making access to affordable housing even more difficult for residents.

Penn experts and Councilmember and Penn alumna Jamie Gauthier spoke to The Daily Pennsylvanian about gentrification in the city and effective solutions against it, as well as the adverse relationship between housing affordability and the pandemic.

As a representative of the 3rd District, which covers West Philadelphia, including University City and Penn, Gauthier is taking action against Philadelphia’s increasing gentrification rates. Gauthier’s district had a poverty rate of 35% before the pandemic, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, which is 10 points higher than the city as a whole.

One form of gentrification in the city that Gauthier said worries her is when companies come back to communities where they were once based in order to take over vacant lots that the community has been using as recreational spaces. The 3rd District is seeing the greatest amount of “naturally occurring” affordable housing being replaced by new development, Leo Addimando, president of the Building Industry Association, previously told the Inquirer.

In response, Gauthier said she is working on new legislation that “would put more of the city’s vacant owned land into community hands to build affordable housing or to keep as urban gardens or green spaces and things that are beneficial socially and environmentally.”

VACCINE FRONT PAGE

members to be inoculated on Wednesday. She said the entire process took less than 30 minutes, and she never had to wait in any line. “[The process] seemed like a well-oiled machine already, which is really impressive, since this is the site’s first day,” Geiser said.

Assistant professor of History Anne Berg also found the process to be smooth and efficient. “[The nurses and health care workers] were super friendly and were as excited to administer the vaccine as I was to get the vaccine,” Berg said.

“I’m not sure if excitement is just contagious, but it was a great experience.”

Both Berg and Geiser said the only inconvenience they experienced with the vaccination process was when scheduling appointments.

The University is using the same scheduling platform for COVID-19 vaccinations as COVID19 testing, which Geiser described as slightly confusing. She was initially concerned that she had signed up for a COVID-19 test but was reassured she had correctly signed up for a vaccine after reading that the location of her appointment

The legislation, titled “Community Land For Us,” is supported by a campaign by local activists such as Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities. Rather than letting the market lead and then retroactively recognizing disparities, Gauthier said that companies should begin the process of development by keeping in mind often overlooked communities.

“We have to ensure that we are building equitable neighborhoods, and I think no matter what income you make, you should be able to live in an amenity-rich neighborhood with transit, parks, schools, [and] access to jobs, and that is what I am fighting for,” Gauthier said.

Ira Goldstein, Penn lecturer and president of policy solutions at Reinvestment Fund, said that he has seen gentrification in the city as a result of increased housing instability caused by the pandemic, which he added could be a possible catalyst for COVID-19 cases.

In places where gentrification in Philadelphia has been most active, such as areas like Point Breeze, Brewerytown, and parts of University City, Goldstein stated that people have had to find new places to stay, often having to “double up, increasing their potential exposure to other people who are susceptible or have the virus.”

Although Philadelphia has historically been seen as an affordable place when compared to other large cities, Goldstein said that rising home prices, coupled with the stagnant and low wages earned by Philadelphia residents, are making living in the city less affordable — primarily for people of color.

“Demographically, more often than not, the people who benefit from the new construction — and we see this through analysis of the city’s real estate tax abatement

— those beneficiaries are disproportionately demographically white,” Goldstein said.

While he emphasized that there are multiple solutions to ongoing gentrification in Philadelphia, Goldstein said that naturally occurring affordable housing will still only help those in the $40,000 to $60,000 income level. This affordable housing occurs through small contractors and small property owners renovating properties with little subsidy and then creating housing units that people can rent or buy at a reasonable level, Goldstein said.

He added that the income of $40,000 to $60,000 is “at best aspirational” when put in the context of Philadelphia’s poverty rate of 23.3% , however, which makes it the poorest large city in the United States. Thus, Goldstein believes another solution to combat gentrification is enhancing access to more substantially subsidized housing, especially after the pandemic.

Similarly, Eugenie Birch, Lawrence C. Nussdorf Professor of Urban Research & Education and the president of General Assembly of Partners, a global network working on sustainable urban development, believes gentrification can be prevented through making the city more economically and socially stable — particularly by attracting residents who can pay taxes and supporting those who cannot afford to do so. Birch added that if the city invests further in sustainability efforts, it can develop a stronger tax base that can be used for public goods.

As president of GAP, Birch is tasked with leading an assembly that is implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal No. 11 to create more sustainable cities and communities.

In 2015, the UN Member States had adopted 17

Sustainable Development Goals — ranging from ending global poverty to ensuring access to clean and affordable energy — that would enable “peace and prosperity.”

Penn community members have also long engaged in efforts to create a more equitable relationship between the University and West Philadelphia.

Amelia Carter, Penn Community for Justice cofounder and assistant director of the South Asia Center, believes that paying taxes — specifically Payments in Lieu of Taxes — is a way for institutions like Penn and Drexel University to begin paying back what they owe to the Philadelphia community.

Through PCJ, Carter helps organize work around addressing how Penn and other major institutions contributed to displacing thousands of Black residents and gentrifying West Philadelphia through their Urban Renewal Plan. Carter referred to the process of gentrification driven by the University in West Philadelphia as “Penntrification.”

She explained that the once-taxable land in West Philadelphia was prevented from contributing public funds due to nonprofit organizations like Penn, which are now multi-million and multi-billion dollar nonprofits establishing tax-exempt development.

Members of the University and local community believe that greater citywide engagement and empathy is needed in order to fight gentrification.

“An important piece of it is community engagement,” Gauthier said. “If you engage with the community, then they’ll tell you what works for them, what’s good for them.”

was Gimbel Pottruck, which is not one of Penn’s testing sites.

Penn community members are instructed to arrive at the back entrance of Pottruck at 3730 Samson Street for their appointment, where they will be asked to check in, show Penn identification, and their green PennOpen Pass. They will then be instructed to go upstairs to the Gimbel Gymnasium, which is accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, to receive their vaccine.

After being vaccinated, 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 is currently administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine through at least April 16.

Dubé said, however, Penn does not know the quantity, nor the type, of vaccines it will be able to offer next week, as both are completely dependent upon what the city is able to provide.

The University will not administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conclude their investigation of “rare

and severe” type of blood clotting cases among individuals who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Dubé said.

The FDA and CDC announced Tuesday morning that they are recommending that the United States pause the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine “out of an abundance of caution” after six blood clot cases were reported in the U.S. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices committee met on Wednesday to review the cases but put off making any new recommendation on the vaccine, citing a current lack of information on the rare type blood clot.

Penn will release appointment slots for the upcoming week by Friday afternoon of each week.

Dubé said the University will also continue to update the scheduling platform with new vaccine appointments if the city allots the University more doses. Dubé encouraged students to continue to check the scheduling website throughout the week and, most importantly, to remain patient.

“Not everyone will be able to get the vaccine next week, as much as we all would like that,” Dubé said. “There is no perfect system, so we ask that everyone remain as patient as possible.”

Medical Director of Student Health Service Vanessa Stoloff added that although the vaccine clinic will be open Monday through Friday beginning April 19, days of operation may change depending on how many vaccine doses the city provides in a given week.

The University will not prioritize any student over another in its rollout plan, but Dubé encouraged students who can afford to wait to receive the vaccine, to let others who may not have the same flexibility to get vaccinated sooner.

“If you are someone that has a lease that doesn’t expire until May 31, for example, consider waiting to sign up and allow someone else — an international student, maybe — who might not have the same flexibility and availability to receive the vaccine at home to get it sooner,” Dubé said.

Dubé wrote in an emailed statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian on Wednesday evening that access to COVID-19 vaccines on-campus is the latest mitigation strategy in the University’s effort to keep the Penn community safe.

“Our first day of vaccinations was the result of an amazing collaborative effort and extensive planning by dedicated stakeholders across campus,” Dubé wrote.

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10 SPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Penn basketball alumnus Dylan Jones graduates from shooting basketballs to shooting videos coordinator for the Houston Rockets Carter Lynn Sports Reporter

The smell of a freshly waxed hardwood floor with a faint hint of buttered popcorn filled the tightly packed Levien Gymnasium, home of the Columbia Lions.

The gentle whir of the air conditioning accompanied the symphony of squeaking shoes, rhythmic dribbling, cheers, and whistles.

But it was all just quiet white noise as 6-foot-8 forward Dylan Jones took his first step onto the hardwood. It was nothing new. After all, Jones had been a captain for his basketball team in high school and even earned his team’s Best Defensive Player award three times. But this time it was different.

The crowd’s roar came to a brief pause. The referee blew his whistle, indicating the start of the game. The ball was tossed into the air, and with that, Jones had his first collegiate basketball start.

Winning the jump and quickly pushing the ball down the court, the Quakers kicked the game off with a quick bucket. It was Columbia’s turn to answer. Getting an easy lane to the basket, Columbia guard Meiko Lyles went for the easy layup. Leaping into the air and with a swift motion of the arm, Jones swatted the ball away, preventing the would-be layup.

Today, Jones is still standing on freshly waxed hardwood f loors. He still smells the soft trace of popcorn in the air. But now he has swapped out the Red and Blue threads for more casual attire. He still sees the court and hears the orchestra of basketball sounds, but this time, it’s from the media room of NBA arenas.

Almost seven years after his first start in his freshman year, Jones is now an assistant video coordinator for the Houston Rockets. A crucial part of any NBA coaching staff, Jones is responsible for using video editing software to compile breakdowns of specific techniques or plays.

Some of his responsibilities include analyzing his team’s performance in any given game and scouting opponents to inform future practice

sessions and film study meetings.

But this isn’t at all what Jones imagined for himself during college.

Unsure of what he wanted for his future, Jones initially decided to pursue something other than sports. After graduating from Penn, Jones immediately went onto Rice to get his master’s degree in global affairs, concentrating in cybersecurity.

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do in life when it came to working, because I didn’t feel happy with cybersecurity,” Jones said. “I knew I wanted to work in either music, media, or sports, so I was on the job hunt.”

Breaking into any of these industries, however, was no easy task. Jones had to rely on connections he’d made in the past to help get him in the front door. With the help of former Penn basketball coach and alumnus Jerome Allen, he ended up taking an internship with the Boston Celtics.

Trying to move up within the Boston basketball team, Jones applied for an assistant video coordinator role. To his disappointment, Jones did not get the job. But that didn’t mean the door had closed on video coordinating for an NBA team.

Hearing from Allen that the Houston Rockets were looking for a new video coordinator, Jones was put in touch with the Rockets’ head coach, Stephen Silas.

“Coach Silas gave me an interview through the phone,” Jones said. “In all honesty, I didn’t think he was going to offer me the job [on the spot]. I thought we were just going to introduce ourselves, but I’m glad he offered me the job, and I feel blessed to have this opportunity.”

Now that he has finally landed the position he’s had his eyes on, Jones hardly has time to rest.

On practice days, Jones is at the Rockets’ facility at 8:30 a.m. to receive his daily COVID19 test. After the test, he helps coach Silas prepare film to show the players, and sets up the practice courts. The morning is followed by a coaching staff meeting at 11 a.m., and finally, film sessions or practice will kick off around noon.

But as the age-old saying goes, there’s no rest

for the weary. After practice concludes, Jones is either helping edit the practice video or labeling a scout video for their next matchup.

On game days, it’s more of the same: get a COVID-19 test, set up pregame film, and help walk through the opponents for the team. When the game starts, Jones is back in the media room live-editing the film.

When Jones does have a day off, you can find him working as a DJ — as he did during his undergraduate years at Penn — reading comic books, or learning about cars. He’s working towards getting a car dealer’s license.

While Jones ended up pursuing his passion for basketball professionally, he could have easily followed one of his many other interests that he cultivated at Penn. For Penn students who are also struggling to find where their passions and future careers align, Jones has one piece of advice: “Make sure to explore places outside of the Penn bubble and get to know people at the schools near Penn. Establish these relationships with people and grow a network.”

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SPORTS 11

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021

Penn track and field’s success continues at the team’s first away meet of the season SPORTS | The Quakers piled up 13 firstplace finishes across two days of competition Andrew Lopez Sports Reporter

Coming off two successful meets, Penn track and field carried its momentum to its first meet away from Franklin Field.

The Temple Invitational, which included Big 5 schools and the women’s teams from Delaware and Loyola University Maryland, was hosted by Temple on Friday and Saturday.

“After two weeks at home, it was fun to compete in a different venue,” Penn head coach Steve Dolan said.

Day one of the event saw multiple personal bests and historically great performances on the track. Sophomore Grace O’Shea continued to dominate the 100-meter hurdle, racking up her second consecutive first-place finish. O’Shea also improved on her 100m dash time from the Penn Challenge, finishing in 12.24 seconds.

Junior Haley Rizek not only set a personal record in the 400m hurdle, but her time of 1:01.20 was good for sixth-best in school history.

Impressive feats continued to pile up for the jumpers of the women’s team. Junior Claire Moreau improved on her third-place high jump finish at the Penn Challenge, going from 1.65m to 1.73m. This 1.73m mark qualified as the

fifth-best in school history. “[Moreau] jumped to 1.71m in practice last week, which made her confident that she was capable of it,” Dolan said. “She even exceeded that just in the moment of competition to jump 1.73m.

That is a current top-20 jump in terms of all the NCAA Division I jumpers on the East Coast.”

Additionally, just a week after setting the school long jump record twice in one meet, senior team captain Camille Dickson netted another first-place finish in the event.

The women’s team also found success in the 5000m run, with four top-10 finishers, including seniors Niamh Hayes and Alyssa Condell, junior Ariana Gardizy, and freshman Laura Baeyens.

Gardizy led the way with a fifth-place finish and a time of 16:38.34, which was over half a minute better than the next finisher.

Dolan credited the seniors’ success to their “impressive resilience and focus” during what has been an emotional time.

The men’s runners and jumpers were also successful on Friday. Sophomore Emerson Douds finished first in both the 100m and 200m sprints, with times of 10.92 and 21.74, respectively.

Junior Weston Wendt placed second in the 100m, finishing a tenth of a second behind Douds, and also finished third in the 200m sprint.

Sophomore Alex Ruhl took second in the 200m. Ruhl also set a personal best in the 400m, finishing third with a time of 49.86. This was

not the only impressive time for a Penn sophomore in the 400m, however, as Robbie Ruppel finished first with a time of 49.38. This was Ruppel’s second first-place finish in two races, and his time improved from 49.55.

“THAT IS A CURRENT TOP-20 JUMP IN TERMS OF ALL THE NCAA DIVISION I JUMPERS ON THE EAST COAST.” COACH STEVE DOLAN Freshman George Adams, who has now improved his time in the 800m in three consecutive

meets, placed third with a time of 1:58.13.

“It’s pretty impressive with the freshmen that are competing, and competing well, with all that we’ve been through this year,” Dolan said.

Both the 1500m and 5000m races saw recordbreaking performances from Penn runners.

In the 1500m, senior and team captain Ryan Renken finished second with a time of 3:44.45, only .02 seconds behind the first place finisher.

Renken’s time was good for third-best in program history, and shattered his personal best by 12 seconds. “[Renken] led the whole second half of the race, all the way until the finish line, and it’s really difficult to be in the lead. It’s easier to be the chaser,” Dolan said. “The group at-large would not have done as well, if he wouldn’t have pushed the pace.”

The fourth and eighth best 1500m times in Penn history are now held by senior Noah Carey and sophomore Michael Keehan, respectively, as they placed third and fourth behind Renken.

Junior Justin Cornetta now holds the 10th best time in school history as he finished sixth in the event, just ahead of fellow Penn junior Mason Gatewood.

A week after setting his personal best in the 1500m, sophomore Zubeir Dagane set his best in the 5000m with a time of 14:27.47. He finished third as freshmen Will Shaughnessy and Justin Iler finished fourth and fifth.

In another event with three top finishers from Penn, sophomore Michael Hermes finished first in high jump, and sophomore Mark Anselmi tied freshman Jack Miegel for second.

The Quakers were also successful on Saturday in the throwing events at Mondschein Throwing Complex. Sophomore Olatide Abinusawa finished first for the third consecutive week and set a personal record with a 15.68m throw in the shot put. Sophomore Andrew Colbert, who is typi-

“IT’S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE WITH ALL THAT WE’VE BEEN THROUGH THIS YEAR.” COACH STEVE DOLAN

CHASE SUTTON Penn track’s success continued at the Temple Invitational, as the team notched four top-10 finishes in the women’s 5000-meter, including freshman Laura Baeyens.

cally a jumper, placed first in the discus throw with a throw of 35.51m.

Dolan credits the team’s “group spirit and communal support” with allowing them to compete at a high level week-to-week. The Red and Blue will compete next at the Quaker Invite on April 17.

Junior pitcher Joe Miller is refining his technique for his MLB dreams SPORTS | Miller created a makeshift gym in his basement using Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace Matthew Frank Sports Associate

Nobody expects to remain the same player after they transition from one level to the next, but Joe Miller’s game has undergone a significant revitalization since he’s arrived at Penn.

Hailing from Hatboro, Pa., the junior pitcher is known for having a solid changeup and slider and has become a leader for Penn baseball as he’s progressed in his time with the program. During his freshman year, Miller earned a 4-1 record, and in his sophomore season, he had a 3.00 ERA in just two starts before the season was abruptly canceled due to COVID-19.

At La Salle College High School, Miller helped lead his team to a Philadelphia Catholic League championship and garnered a first-team All-Philadelphia Catholic League nomination his senior year. It was only in his sophomore year, though, that Miller considered a serious future in baseball.

“I had a coach at the time, and he started running a private facility, and I started actually training and lifting weights and practicing every single day outside of just playing high school baseball,” Miller said.

From that point on, the southpaw pitcher saw a marked improvement in his game, and with it came interest from prospective colleges such as Penn.

In his junior year of high school, Miller took a visit to Penn and coach John Yurkow saw a prospect who he felt could be molded into a very successful player on the team.

“I was looking back at some old pictures the other day when he was a junior and he took a visit to Penn,” Yurkow said. “It’s funny to see how much he’s changed, how much stronger he is. He looked like a little kid, looking back on that picture. Any time you see lefthanded pitchers that are that athletic, even if they’re a little bit on maybe the shorter side, we felt like it was a good opportunity to see if we could make it happen with Joe.” After committing to Penn, Miller had the task of upping his game to the caliber of college ball. He found the transition during his freshman year to be fairly smooth, especially given his local roots just outside of

SAMANTHA TURNER Junior Joe Miller is known for his solid changeup and slider and has become a leader on Penn baseball since he joined the Quaker pitching staff.

Philadelphia.

“Towards the end of my freshman year, I think I really started to put some things together,” Miller said.

“Going into the end of the year, I felt like I finished the year pretty well, and then I went away and played summer ball and felt like I was throwing really well and sophomore year was going off to a great start, and I was gonna have the opportunity to start in the conference series on the weekends hopefully.”

His sophomore season’s cancellation proved to be a significant hindrance for Miller, as he was continuing to ramp up his throwing abilities.

“I was probably throwing the best I ever had, which was really frustrating, and obviously, I think it was frustrating for everyone, and just how it happened for us was really tough,” Miller said.

At that point, Miller was left in the same predicament as all other college athletes and was forced to adapt his training at home.

“My dad and I had found some things on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, so I had a little bit of a gym

put together in my basement, and a couple of my friends play, my neighbors play college and pro baseball too, so I trained with them, and we all trained with each other, working out in my garage trying to throw live at-bats at home,” Miller said.

Miller also bounced around from league to league over the summer and the fall, as he was looking for a way to stay fresh. Eventually, he ended up in a league for college baseball players who also had their seasons canceled. Miller said that they were pretty much just scrimmages, but that they were a good way to get some reps in and face some hitters.

In his shortened junior season, Miller has started twice so far, but sees the rest of this year and potentially the next as good opportunities to gauge whether or not there might be interest in him during the MLB Draft.

The possibility of an MLB transition comes after a substantial uptick in the quality of Miller’s game.

Yurkow describes Miller’s high school abilities as being a bit less refined.

“I think he was more of a thrower, like a lot of high

school kids are, where they just try to rear back and throw the ball as hard as they can,” Yurkow said.

At Penn, though, Miller made a conscious effort to try and amend that aspect of his game.

“I think I have pushed myself a lot in high school and since I’ve been here to get better and to become a better player,” Miller said. “I think I’m a completely different player than I was when I got here. I had to work pretty hard to change my game and focus on a lot of things that I still need to work on so that I can provide for the team.”

Yurkow sees a player now that has a much more streamlined delivery.

“I thought coach Schwartz did a really good job trying to simplify his delivery over the past couple of years, and I think it’s helped his command, as far as being able to locate his fastball a lot better,” Yurkow said. “I also think it’s really helped him improve his secondary pitches like his changeup and his slider as well.”

These and other changes have helped Joe Miller become a key player on Penn baseball, as he hones his game even more day by day.

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 VOL. CXXXVII NO. 12

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The doubles pair of sophomore Zach Smith and junior Jason Hildebrandt captured victories in their matches, and Penn swept their singles matches to earn the win against Villanova.

CHASE SUTTON

Penn men’s tennis notches first wins against Villanova and Drexel SPORTS | The Quakers play St. Joseph’s next weekend Joey Piatt Sports Associate

Penn men’s tennis entered its weekend with an opportunity to enter the win column for the first time in 2021, after dropping its opening match to Temple.

The Quakers were successful in righting the ship this past weekend as they defeated both Villanova and Drexel in a pair of home contests at the Hamlin Tennis Center. On Friday, the Red and Blue swept all six singles matches to cruise past the Wildcats. The next day, the Quakers used a strong showing in doubles to propel them to a match victory over the Dragons.

In Friday’s contest, the duo of sophomore Zach Smith and junior Jason Hildebrandt played a large part in the Quakers’ victory. Despite Penn losing the overall doubles points to Villanova, Smith and Hildebrandt won their matchups. While it was Villanova that took the early lead in the match

by winning the doubles points, Penn was able to bounce back and use their success in the singles to defeat their cross-town rival.

“It was great to battle back,” Hildebrandt said.

“It was a great team effort, winning all of the singles. It’s even a greater achievement after dropping [the doubles], [to] be able to compete that well as a team.”

Though most of the singles matches were decisive victories in favor of the Red and Blue, Hildebrandt’s matchup against Villanova’s Josh Robinson was tightly contested. Although the match had already been decided by that point, the contest still carried meaning for both Hildebrandt and the Quakers.

“It was a hard-fought win,” Hildebrandt said.

“I think my opponent played really well. I saw the other guys winning, and luckily we were in a position where we had already won the match, but it’s important not only for me, to get some positive momentum … but also for the team … to show them that I’m there winning tough matches as well.”

Hildebrandt took the early advantage with a 6-3

victory in the first set, but then he surrendered the second set to Robinson. In the extended third set, however, it was Hildebrandt who came out on top with a 10-7 score, securing the singles sweep for Penn.

With the victory over Villanova, Penn had evened its record moving into Saturday’s match against Drexel. Unlike on Friday, where the Quakers lost the doubles point and used the singles points to come out on top, the team was able to win the doubles.

The Red and Blue’s No. 1 doubles pairing of Hildebrandt and Smith won their third consecutive opening doubles contest. The Quakers clinched the doubles point at the No. 2 when the pairing of Aditya Gupta and Harsh Parikh defeated Drexel’s pairing of Youssef Lahlou and Gustav Wogen.

Though Penn couldn’t complete the sweep in the doubles action, with Sameer Gangoli and Jonah Jurick falling in the No. 3 matchup, the team started the match off with the doubles point.

With the momentum of the doubles point, the team carried its success over into the singles action. Gupta defeated Drexel’s singles No. 1,

Penn softball sweeps surprise double header against La Salle SPORTS | The Quakers shut out the Explorers in the first game Joey Piatt Sports Associate

Penn softball left its Wednesday doubleheader against Villanova expecting its next matchup to be against Big 5 rival Saint Joseph’s University a week later. However, after picking up a last-minute doubleheader against cross-town rival La Salle, the Quakers took the field on Saturday eager to take advantage of the chance to compete.

The Red and Blue rode a shutout performance from pitcher Julia Longo to a 3-0 decisive victory in the opening contest. After falling behind early in the second game, the Quakers used a late-game comeback, including a four-run fifth inning, to come out on top 8-5.

Longo entered her start on Saturday with two complete game victories in her last two starts. The junior had no problem replicating her success, as she was able to put together yet another complete game performance. She held La Salle to only three hits and struck out eight batters, never allowing the Explorers to come within striking distance.

The Quakers’ offensive performance in the first game was headlined by the play of Emma Nedley, who scored the game’s opening run on a throwing error. One inning later, the junior outfielder added an RBI single to give Penn an early 3-0 lead.

After the second inning, neither team was able to mount any offense. Instead, the teams traded back-andforth scoreless frames for the rest of the game as Longo

TAMARA WURMAN Junior outfielder Emma Nedley scored the opening run and added an RBI single, helping to build the Quakers’ 3-0 lead.

and La Salle starting pitcher Sarah Dowalo turned the contest into a pitcher’s duel.

Though Dowalo shut down the Quakers’ offense following their early rally, the Explorers’ offense could never mount a comeback effort.

“With the first game, we were definitely eager,” Nedley said. “We sat on our pitches and really just controlled the game, and Julia [Longo] commanded in the circle, and that definitely helped.”

With a controlled victory in the first contest, Penn entered the second matchup looking to secure its second series sweep of the year. On the other side of the field, La Salle was looking to record its first victory, as

the Explorers entered the Saturday doubleheader with an 0-13 record.

In the first inning, it looked like the Quakers were on their way to another clean win. A first inning double

by Julia Schneider scored Nedley, giving Penn an early lead. Both teams were held scoreless in the second inning, and freshman pitcher Olivia Szewczyk took to the circle to keep the score in Penn’s favor.

After Szewczyk loaded the bases to start the inning, the Explorers had their chance to tie things up and possibly even take the lead. La Salle tied the game when sophomore Mia Recenello hit an RBI single to knot the score at 1-1. Then, with the bases still loaded, Victoria

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Lahlou, in two sets to kick off the singles action.

Following Gupta’s victory, Smith and Aleks Huryn were able to clinch the overall match victory for the Quakers with straight-set victories in their matchups. Hildebrandt and Jurick also won their respective singles matches, with Jeff Zucker being the only one to surrender a point to his Dragons’ counterpart.

With its pair of weekend victories, Penn is well-equipped to move into the rest of its schedule looking to build on this success. Although the season is short, the team is thankful for any opportunity to compete alongside one another and put their hard work on display.

“We’re really grateful for every match we can have,” Hildebrandt said. “Now, we’re just all really grateful to have competition in the first place. I remember the first match against Temple was just an unbelievable experience, competing with the guys again.”

The Red and Blue will get their chance to continue their success and keep building their team chemistry on Wednesday, when they host local rival Saint Joseph’s University.

Zatko hit a grand slam, giving La Salle a 5-1 lead over the Quakers.

Following the grand slam, Penn coach Leslie King pulled Szewczyk and turned to Bella Fiorentino. However, after Fiorentino walked three La Salle batters, King pivoted to senior Abigail Abramson. Although Abramson was able to work out of the jam, the Red and Blue still found themselves in relatively uncharted territory: down by several runs.

“I think we did get a little bit nervous when we fell behind in the game,” Nedley said. “That was honestly one of the first times this year that we had been at a deficit that large, so we knew that we just had to chip together and piece everything together.”

The Quakers were unable to create any offense during the fourth, leaving the La Salle lead intact. It wasn’t until an inning later that the Quakers were able to break the game back open, as the team scored four runs of its own. It was a Sarah Schneider two-run blast that ultimately knotted the score at 5-5.

Any early struggles by the Quakers’ pitching staff were gone by the latter portion of the game, as Abramson closed out the game with four and one-third scoreless innings. Abramson’s effort in the circle gave the Penn offense a chance to take the lead and secure the sweep.

The offense delivered on this chance, scoring three runs over the final two frames. Alyssa Pope and Laurel McKelvey both hit RBI doubles in the sixth inning, giving the Quakers the momentum shift they needed.

“As soon as we got the first hit, there was a little bit of momentum,” Nedley said. “As soon as we had the first hit, we all kind of fed off of that.”

Nedley was one of the contributors to Penn’s late offensive surge, as she hit a solo shot in the final inning to help the Quakers close out their series sweep of the Explorers.

Saturday’s pair of victories brings Penn’s record to 5-3 on the shortened season. The Quakers will look to continue their recent success when they host St. Joseph’s on Wednesday.

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