Penn braces for increased political scrutiny as Trump returns to o ce
The Daily Pennsylvanian examined Penn’s political experience over the past year and analyzed the potential implications of a Trump presidency for the University’s future
ETHAN YOUNG Staff Reporter
While Penn is no stranger to political scrutiny, 1968 Wharton graduate, former President, and President-elect Donald Trump’s second term — and the ascent of Penn’s adversaries to political power — may foreshadow an era of more challenges and greater pressure for the University.
Since December 2023, congressional investigations and heightened federal scrutiny have shone a spotlight on Penn. This trend of political attention seems poised to escalate in the next four years, as Trump and his allies — longstanding critics of the University — appear to have a well-defined strategy for targeting higher education institutions nationwide during the president-elect’s second term.
The Daily Pennsylvanian examined Penn’s political experience over the past year and analyzed the potential implications of a Trump presidency for the University’s future.
The Republican-led United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s investigation into Penn’s response to alleged instances of antisemitism concluded on Oct. 31. The probe — which began in December 2023 and expanded in June — resulted in a 325-page report detailing the University’s handling of alleged antisemitic incidents, disciplinary actions, former Penn President Liz Magill’s resignation, and pro-Palestinian campus protests.
In January, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights launched its own investigation into Penn’s legacy admissions policies.
Project 2025 — The Heritage Foundation’s 900-page manifesto for a prospective conservative presidency — contains a robust section on higher education reform. The document includes proposals to restrict federal funding to higher education institutions, pause loan forgiveness programs, and restructure university-level pedagogy.
It remains unclear what action Trump or a Republican-controlled Congress would take to restrict federal funding from universities like Penn, or through what channels. While Trump has attempted to publicly distance himself from Project 2025, his campaign and allies have many connections to The Heritage Foundation and the initiative, with nearly half of the document’s authors and editors having served in Trump’s first administration.
Chair of the Faculty Senate and University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School professor Eric Feldman wrote to the DP that he expects
“challenges to higher education that have been percolating for years” are likely to “accelerate” under a Trump presidency. He added that the Faculty Senate is planning a series of panels to discuss “challenges to and future of higher education.”
“We have, by our very presence on this campus, made clear that we place a high value on both undergraduate and graduate education,” Feldman wrote. “Unfortunately, many people in the US take a different view of higher education and see it as overpriced and increasingly ideological.”
Vice President of Government Affairs Jeffrey Cooper warned of such threats to Penn caused by 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump’s incoming presidency at a Nov. 14 University Board of Trustees meeting.
At the local, national, and global engagement committee meeting, Cooper said the University was facing a “very challenging and changing environment.” He cited several potential effects of Trump’s leadership, including threats to higher education, changes to tax policies, and altered immigration laws.
“The president and vice president-elect, as well as many members of Congress … have been highly skeptical and critical of higher education, both in a substantive sense, and also sometimes in a political targeting sense, but we have to deal with both of those, and that’s our challenge,” Cooper said at the meeting.
Cooper also raised concerns about the status of research funding, especially through the National Institutes of Health amid “proposals to downsize” the agency. He pointed toward the status of federal funding for gun violence research — which was authorized in 2019 — as an example of funding “that is likely to come up again in terms of constraints” on research topics.
At a December rally, Trump said he would “take away” the “tax advantages,” “endowments,” and “grants” of several higher education institutions — with an explicit mention of Penn — if the universities “attack free speech.”
In December, Penn issued a statement recommending that international students return to the United States prior to Trump’s inauguration.
“If there are changes to US re-entry policies which may possibly occur during a change in administration, we will provide updates as needed,” the statement read. “To avoid any unexpected issues, we advise returning prior to the presidential inauguration on 1/20/2025.”
ETHAN YOUNG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Since December 2023, congressional investigations and heightened federal scrutiny have shone a spotlight on Penn.
Pro-Palestinian activism sweeps campus, sparking policy changes
The year included signi cant pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli activism, and the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at the end of the spring semester sparked Penn’s controversial implementation of temporary open expression guidelines
DIAMY WANG Senior Reporter
Campus saw significant pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli
Penn entered 2024 in a state of turmoil following months of protests surrounding the Palestine Writes Literature Festival and controversy regarding the campus’ response to the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.
The year included widespread pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli activism, while the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” at the end of the spring semester sparked Penn’s controversial implementation of temporary open expression guidelines.
Jan. 18 — A group of Penn faculty members formed Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine, standing in solidarity with Palestinians and advocating for “shared governance” of the University.
Feb. 22 — Penn community members hosted a vigil near the LOVE sign in memory of Israeli victims of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
March 9 — A group of Penn professors filed a lawsuit against the University, alleging a pattern of “McCarthyism” and seeking to stop Penn from complying with an ongoing request from the United States House Education and the Workforce Committee for documents.
March 21 — The Daily Pennsylvanian reported that Penn was investigating Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine, a pro-Palestinian student organization.
April 4 — Philadelphia community members gathered at Penn to protest the University’s connection with Ghost Robotics, a company founded by Penn alumni and housed in Pennovation Works that allegedly produced robot dogs used by the Israeli military in the ongoing war in Gaza.
April 19 — Nearly a month after the DP reported that Penn was investigating PAO, it revoked the organization’s status as a registered student group in a step that reflected increased tensions between the University and pro-Palestinian activists on campus.
April 25 — The Penn Muslim Students’
Association and Penn Israel Public Affairs Committee proposed dueling referenda of the undergraduate student bodies on questions relating to the University’s response to the Israel-Hamas war and divestment from Israel.
April 25-May 10 — Pro-Palestinian activists joined a nationwide movement in establishing a 16-day Gaza Solidarity Encampment on College Green. Over the course of the demonstration, protesters met with members of Penn’s administration several times, but negotiations eventually came to a standstill.
April 30 — The University began disciplinary proceedings on several student organizers involved in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. Penn further sought disciplinary measures against nine encampment members on May 7, according to an encampment spokesperson, and six students were placed on mandatory leaves of absence on May 9.
May 2 — Penn asked the Philadelphia Police Department for immediate help with managing the encampment amid heightened tensions between pro-Palestinian protesters and pro-Israeli counter-protesters — and the PPD declined the request.
May 9 — Shapiro said it was “past time” for Penn to disband the encampment during an unrelated press conference in Pittsburgh.
May 10 — At around 6 a.m., Penn Police in riot gear — with the assistance of Philadelphia Police — swept College Green and arrested 33 people, including nine students.
The sweep was swiftly condemned by faculty members and local politicians, but praised by Shapiro and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.). Former Faculty Senate Chair Tulia Falletti resigned her position in response to the sweep.
Later that evening, a group of protesters marched through University City in a critique of the sweep and Jameson’s actions. Several demonstrators breached the gates of Jameson’s
on-campus residence.
May 14 — Penn banned 24 non-University affiliated individuals involved in the encampment from campus.
May 17 — Pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to occupy Fisher-Bennett Hall — an effort met swiftly by Penn and Philadelphia Police officers, who arrested 19 people, including seven Penn students.
May 28 — Penn’s Committee for Open Expression called for a review of the Guidelines for Open Expression, citing a need for “strengthening consistent with the law.”
June 6 — The University released new temporary guidelines for protests and open expression, directly banning or addressing several aspects of the encampment or other protests from the 2023-24 academic year. A DP analysis of the guidelines revealed contradictions and ambiguities throughout the new policy.
June 27 — 63.6% of Penn students voted in favor of the MSA’s referendum asking undergraduate students whether the University should divest from Israel. Jameson rebuffed the results of the referendum, which 22% of undergraduate students participated in.
July 2 — Penn issued semesterlong or yearlong suspensions for four students involved in on-campus pro-Palestinian activism, including during the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, according to an Instagram post from the Freedom School for Palestine.
Sept. 10 — Penn announced it would limit statements on local and world events that do not directly impact the University in a move toward institutional neutrality. Community members expressed support for the policy but questioned Penn’s ability to effectively implement it.
Sept. 12 — Pro-Palestinian activists claimed responsibility for an incident of vandalism at the Ben Franklin statue in front of College Hall in which red paint was splattered on the statue.
Sept. 27 — The University sought to relocate a vigil mourning “martyrs, from Palestine to Lebanon to Syria” from the center of campus, citing the temporary guidelines for open expression. A Penn security officer said participants were trespassing.
Sept. 30 — Documents obtained by the DP, and interviews with Penn’s faculty, shed light on the negotiations between members of the encampment and Penn administration — and revealed how the University made concessions to protesters while drafting plans to arrest them.
Oct. 7 — Several Penn organizations commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel through events including a memorial service and a community dinner, drawing attendance from hundreds of Jewish Penn community members.
Penn MSA and the Penn Arab Student Society hosted a memorial for lives lost in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria.
Additionally, hundreds of protesters from across Philadelphia attended a rally and march organized by the Philadelphia chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which ended at Pennovation Works and led to the arrests of four people. In a statement issued on Oct. 12, Philadelphia SJP called the Hamas attacks “a necessary step towards the liberation of a colonized people.”
Oct. 10 — MSA and PASS organized a vigil at the LOVE statue to commemorate those killed in Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.
Oct. 14 — More than 250 individuals attended an Indigenous Peoples’ Day vigil mourning Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian lives in conflicts in the Middle East, and Penn community members criticized the large police response to the vigil as “overblown” and “disruptive.”
Oct. 18 — Penn and Philadelphia Police officers executed a search warrant on an off-campus house belonging to pro-Palestinian Penn student activists, prompting concern from faculty members and politicians. The University later said Jameson was “not involved” in the raid. Oct. 19-23 — Several instances of vandalism on locations in and around Penn’s campus commemorated assassinated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar — for which a group called “Sinwar’s Stick” claimed responsibility — while others used more derogatory and threatening language.
Oct. 22 — Penn’s chapter of Jewish Voices for Peace hosted a Gaza Solidarity Sukkot in the backyard of the Penn Women’s Center, commemorating lives lost in Gaza.
Oct. 24 — MSA demanded divestment from Israel at a University Council meeting, although the group’s divestment proposal was declined by the University Council Steering Committee. Oct. 30 — The Executive Committee of Penn’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors criticized the University’s temporary open expression guidelines.
Nov. 4 — Around 30 Penn students and faculty hosted a teach-out at Clark Park in protest of the search warrant executed at an off-campus house belonging to pro-Palestinian student activists.
Nov. 10 — A rally at Penn Hillel called for more media attention toward antisemitic attacks in the United States, Israeli hostages in Gaza, and victims of recent attacks on Israeli soccer fans in the Netherlands.
Dec. 4 — At a University Council open forum, several Penn community members addressed concerns about open expression on campus and Penn Police’s execution of the offcampus search warrant.
of campus labor organization continues with three new unions at Penn
From graduate student workers to local baristas, an unprecedented wave of campus labor organization continued across the Penn community in 2024.
The past year saw the formation of three new campus unions, one historic union contract ratification, and increased momentum in negotiations between the University and campus labor groups. Penn has also faced allegations of union-busting tactics and bad-faith negotiations with unionized campus workers.
The Daily Pennsylvanian compiled a timeline of labor organization efforts on and around campus over the last year.
Jan. 28 — Starbucks employees at the 39th and Walnut streets location near Penn voted to unionize, joining the 34th and Walnut streets and Penn Medicine locations as members of Starbucks Workers United.
March 12 — Graduate Employees Together — University of Pennsylvania, a group of graduate student workers, released a survey to determine the top priorities for future negotiations with the University.
March 25 — United RAs at Penn, a group of resident advisors and graduate resident advisors, filed a bargaining complaint against the University alleging “bad faith” negotiations as they worked toward their first contract.
April 11 — Penn abruptly postponed GET-UP’s election, which had been scheduled for April 16-17. The election was rescheduled for the first week of May, but the postponement sparked outrage among union members.
May 3 — Penn’s graduate student workers officially voted to unionize by an overwhelming majority, making GET-UP — representing over 3,700 workers — the largest union at Penn in recent memory.
May 16 — Penn’s RA union held a rally in response to alleged “bad faith” negotiations with Penn, including the University cutting their final scheduled day of negotiations of the semester short and refusing to accept the group’s counterproposals during bargaining.
June 11 — United RAs at Penn unanimously ratified their first contract, making it one of the first RA union contracts in the country.
July 17 — After filing a petition to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board in June, the Penn Libraries staff, known as Penn Libraries United, negotiated an agreement with the University and set a date for their unionization election.
Aug. 15 — United RAs at Penn accused the University of using union-busting tactics after filing an Unfair Labor Practice Charge with the NLRB. The union alleged that Penn was suppressing the ability of the newly unionized GRAs to seek other on-campus employment, thus violating the union contract, and created a petition addressed to the University in response.
Aug. 30 — University of Pennsylvania Health System residents and fellows attempted to deliver a petition addressed to Penn Medicine CEO Kevin Mahoney demanding an effort to finalize a union contract after a year of negotiations, but no representatives were present to receive the petition. Sept. 19 — Members of several Penn-affiliated unions accused the administration of union-busting
ETHAN YOUNG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
activism, marked by the Gaza Solidarity Encampment during the end of the spring semester.
PHL: Where Penn pride takes o
On my flights home to Georgia, I can’t help but notice my peers clad in Penn blue and red, whether it be a hat, sweater, sweatpants, or a combination of all three.
At first, I was puzzled by this transformation. On campus, Penn merch is almost invisible, reserved for sporadic homecoming enthusiasm or the occasional lazy day. Yet at the Philadelphia International Airport, Penn students wear their school identity like a badge of honor, a not-so-subtle flex aimed at fellow travelers.
Merch, anywhere, is a status symbol. For alumni who are years out of college, a Penn crewneck becomes a proud symbol of their lifetime achievements, a marker of an elite network that they carry into boardrooms and business events.
For Penn students, it’s a bit different. When Penn students don University-branded gear at the airport, they’re making a statement that goes beyond casual wear. It’s like flashing an acceptance letter to the world — a reminder of the 5.8% acceptance rate, a testament to the years of perseverance and ambition it took to make it here.
But once we step onto Locust Walk, the Penn paraphernalia fades into the background. Suddenly, that block-letter sweatshirt or baseball cap doesn’t carry quite the same weight. Here, everyone around you has the same affiliation. To reclaim their prestige, students turn to a different kind of status symbol.
Wearing a quarter-zip from an exclusive consulting club or a T-shirt from a performing
arts group is more than just a casual fashion choice, it’s a signal. It’s a way to distinguish yourself in a community already filtered through one of the toughest admissions processes in the world.
Club merch says, “Yes, I’m at Penn, but I’m also part of this group,” an invitation for others to recognize the additional exclusivity, competition, or skill that certain organizations represent. A simple Penn hoodie may assert an Ivy League affiliation, but a club sweatshirt or sorority tee takes that one step further, reflecting a specific identity or achievement within Penn’s elite circle. But not all signals carry the same weight. Pre-professional club apparel often signifies access to networks and opportunities that directly shape one’s future, aligning the wearer with Penn’s ethos of ambition and achievement. In contrast, merch from hobby-based or creative groups may reflect passion or talent, but without the same connotations of upward mobility or professional clout. It highlights the
Birds of a feather
implicit ranking of clubs where the organizations tied to career advancement are favored over those that prioritize personal interest or cultural expression.
There’s a calculated irony in this shift from general Penn pride to hyper-specific club swag. It’s not enough just to belong — you have to belong better. At Penn, belonging isn’t the endgame — it’s just the starting point for a new hierarchy of distinctions. There’s an ongoing need to differentiate yourself within the Ivy League fold, and students join clubs, secure roles, and wear their achievements on their chests to make that distinction known. In many ways, these club logos and society tees become a visual resume that speaks louder than the Ivy League branding alone.
Beyond just club merch, many students opt to represent their individual schools within Penn, whether that be the Wharton School, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Nursing, or the College of Arts
SAMRA’S SPOTLIGHT | Are the strength of our communities holding us back?
Penn prides itself on being a very diverse Ivy League university, and frankly, it deserves the title. Over half of the student body identifies as a minority, and the University does well in creating communities for various identities. The representation of unique backgrounds is one of my favorite qualities of Penn. Yet, self-segregation of the student body prevails, undermining the incredible value created by its diversity. The various communities on campus have arguably done “too well” of a job herding similar students and arranging them into defined social groups.
Studies show that it is human nature for us to seek like-mindedness and similar experiences in the people with whom we form relationships. It is easier for us to build trust and comfort amongst people to whom we can relate. A primary mode of commonality is racial and ethnic origin; humans have an ingrained preference to make connections with people from similar backgrounds and with comparable experiences.
Like many affinity groups on campus, Penn’s Black — particularly African — community is remarkable and has been a space where we have found our people. These spaces create an environment where students can wholeheartedly embrace their identities and cultures in ways that didn’t exist for them elsewhere.
However, being a part of these race-based communities also puts students in a box that very strongly influences our social position at Penn. Race has now become a supposed indication of the kind of people we are, who our
friends are, and whether we attend predominantly white fraternity parties, historically Black fraternity parties — often dubbed “Black parties” — or other affinity group parties. There is a backward and outdated obligation — largely perpetuated within our own communities — to exist in certain settings and avoid others simply because of our varying identities.
several students, many are deprived of this experience because of the dividing constructs that so heavily influence the way we interact with one another. As time went on, we found our communities, and our positions on campus fell into place. Unfortunately, I have never been more aware of my race now and how it affects my social life at Penn. For many of us, decisions
First stepping foot on campus, I was unaware of Penn’s existing social norms. We made friends with those who matched our vibes and shared our interests, eager to penetrate the massive melting pot of students. College was a place where I thought I’d meet and grow close to different kinds of people from various backgrounds, expanding my view of the world. And, while this is true for
that previously required zero thought are now second guessed because of the implications of being a certain race at Penn. There is a developed self-consciousness felt when venturing beyond our “assigned” spaces.
To make matters worse, this self-segregation is further amplified by each group acknowledging and following the fabricated constructs created at Penn. We feel
A love letter to Penn’s transfer community
IN PERSPECTIVE | A few notes on new beginnings
A few weeks ago at Friendsgiving, my group of transfer friends and I went around in a circle and all said what we were thankful for.
Unsurprisingly, we all had the same answer: to be here.
Last year, I would never have believed you if you told me what my life would be like now. I had never even considered transferring to be a real option until about two weeks before applications were due — when I was finally sure my previous school could never be the right fit for me. And so against the advice of my family, professors, and academic advisor, I applied.
I don’t know if many non-transfer college students are able to fully grasp the insufferable process that is filling out transfer applications as a first year. Aside from already having done the dance a year before, we were writing completely new supplemental essays for each school, since most transfer applications do not accept the Common Application personal statement. This was all on top of schoolwork and the emotional labor of existing in a place that makes you unhappy.
All of this to say, it was hard work to get here. And so when I did, it was hard not to feel regret that I hadn’t done it sooner.
I spent the months after my first year of college mourning a first year I’d never gotten: football games, campus traditions, wandering the city. It didn’t help when I got to Penn and fell in love with my life here. Making friends was a seamless process thanks to the Transfer Student Orientation. Living in Philadelphia still feels like a dream. In my first few weeks, it felt unfair that I only get three years here while everyone else gets four. I would always be one crucial step behind. What cured this vain mindset was a
realization. I pictured myself at 18, just coming out of high school. What would it have been like for that girl to be dropped in the center of Penn? How would I have felt standing amidst the academic pressure, social confusion, and pre-professional madness? I would’ve hated it. In many ways, transfer students are able to burst the Penn bubble. The academic pressure of a school like this is heavy. And at Penn specifically, the career-focused culture is intimidating. As a first year, I might have crumbled under the weight. I may have even caved and joined a consulting club. While I love being here, I can recognize that the want to conform is real. And it can get a hold of you, especially when you don’t know who you are or what you want. Transferring is the ultimate act of nonconformity in college; it’s a flat-out rejection of the space you are in. Even more, it’s a declaration of hope — the belief that something better exists for you. And so after doing that, I don’t feel the need to adhere to
and Sciences. Wearing a Wharton crewneck is not only about showing pride in their academic journey but also a way of signaling a specialized path within the University. It’s another layer of identification: a way of communicating the unique value that being affiliated with a specific school brings.
The selective rules we impose about when and where we wear Penn merch reflect a broader lack of unified school spirit. There’s no single sense of belonging to the Penn community that prevails for everyone; instead, our pride is layered, fragmented by the status we attach to our associations and the environments in which we display them. In public spaces like the airport, we wear the logo to stand out and assert our Penn identity in the world. But on campus, surrounded by the Penn community, we turn inward, using club logos to differentiate ourselves yet again, reshaping the elite association into ever finer distinctions.
When our pride in Penn becomes fragmented, we overlook the shared experience that brought us here in the first place. The Penn identity we wear so proudly at the airport should also have a place on Locust Walk — not just as a reminder of what we’ve achieved, but as a way to connect with each other across the silos we so often create.
ANANYA SHAH is a College first year studying philosophy, politics, and economics from Bonaire, Ga. Her email is aoshah@sas.upenn.edu.
uncomfortable leaving our established circles, so we don’t. And the lines are drawn harder and clearer. We continue to deny ourselves the enriching opportunity to mingle with and learn about our peers who are different from us.
All of this being said, I don’t want to discount those who defy Penn’s social politics. Whether the token minority or a genuine diverse group of friends, there are students who intermix and don’t let the Penn norm define them. However, the notion of resisting these norms is complex in and of itself, as we are quick to criticize the “sellouts” or those who “reject” their identities. We need to understand that intermixing is nuanced and not as black and white as “with them” or “with us.”
Social politics exist in every sphere of our lives, subtly shaping how we interact with each other and our environments. The historically polarizing effect of differing identities has made the notion so deeply rooted in American society and culture that we hardly blink an eye to the norms by which we so casually abide. As a student body, we need to work to release these norms by which we’ve limited ourselves and dismiss race as the defining aspect of our identities. Penn’s combined and multifaceted culture is too rich to go to waste.
SAMRA LULSEGED is a Wharton sophomore studying finance and legal studies from Castro Valley, Calif. Her email is samral@wharton.upenn.edu.
Penn’s social standards. That is not to say that transfer students do not or cannot participate in these groups or clubs. In fact, for those who do seek that experience, Penn’s resources can be a major reason for transferring. Either way, transferring allows students to come into Penn with a more clearly developed sense of their interests and tailor their studies and extracurricular activities accordingly. There is also an unparalleled sense of gratitude that transfer students tend to feel. I remember getting a text from my roommate on move-in day while I was on the way to my dorm. She sent me a picture of our high-rise entrance with the turnstiles and said it looked like a hotel. We spent the first few weeks comparing everything about this place to our previous schools. While many first years are also impressed by Penn’s vast amount of resources, I would argue the difference in the transfer experience comes from the fact that we can compare this to another school. First years know they are lucky to be here, but they don’t have an alternate vision in which their college experience could have gone an entirely different way. That is something we have, and we don’t forget.
But what is more special to me than my newfound insights about academics and career culture is the family that I have formed here. Firstly, I have to give immense props to the TSO who have made this place feel like home from the very start. Having a group of people who understand your past and are invested in your success might be one of the most important things to have in college. And the juniors and seniors of TSO make that possible for us. Even among the new transfers, there is a connection and support system that comes from sharing such a common experience. We all know what it is like to be deeply unhappy in college. We all share the drive and motivation that a transfer application demands of a college first year. And more than that, we are all well aware of how different our lives could have been had we not all taken this leap of faith together.
It has taken this whole semester for me to rework the narrative that I wasted my first year of college. Sure, it took a year of being miserable. But for the relationships I’ve formed and experiences I’ve gained already, I’d give a whole lot more than that.
INGRID HOLMQUIST is a College sophomore studying urban studies from Silver Spring, Md. Her email address is ingridhh@sas.upenn.edu.
DESIGN BY KATIE HIEWON AHN
DESIGN BY EMMI WU
WEINING
DING | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Columnist Ingrid Holmquist shares what she loves about Penn’s transfer community.
The point of opinion
GLADYS’ GRIEVANCES | Opinion is not that deep (or is it?)
Plato first expressed his doubts about the reliability of the written word in 350 B.C., and when the printing press was invented, it seemed that his fears had come to life. Throughout the 17th century, the press overflowed with Parliamentarian vitriol. Polemics have infested the news since: The gazettes circulating during the days of our Founding Fathers were beacons of political motive and took even littler care than their predecessors to differentiate fact from fiction. The opposite editorial, named for its position within the paper, was conceived to demand honesty from news reporters — an attempt at committing to neutrality in the media. No longer would our news be a puppet tugged in all directions; there would now be a section specifically dedicated to voicing and exchanging thoughts. The opinion section has, since its birth, been a reader favorite and reliable inclusion in newspapers across the world.
In late October, billionaire owner of The Washington Post Jeff Bezos blocked the op-ed team’s attempted endorsement of Kamala Harris, marking the first time in 36 years that the Post has abstained from supporting a presidential candidate. Amongst those who applauded Bezos’ veto, many felt that the vocal outrage of the Post writers was out of line and even began to question the place of Opinion in news reporting. Some American readers, once looking for a political voice partitioned off from mainstream news, now complain that this section itself is too partisan. This leads us to ask: Is there any true reason for op-ed columns? What purpose did we think “Opinion” served in the first place?
Perhaps there really is no public benefit of the circulation of op-eds, and our kind is simply biologically hardwired to be invested in what one another has to say. In “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” Yuval Noah Harari hypothesizes that our species has a natural tendency to share, and remember, one another’s thoughts; the ability to agree, and also to disagree, may be what granted us our longevity. This social
inclination allowed us to form the tribes and kingdoms necessary for survival and remains all around us to this day. Nothing seems to be able to inflame a person more than another’s unsavory take on their best friend, partner, or child. The need for, and reactivity to, others’ perspectives is all that Opinion is about.
Here we might compare the cross-generational embrace of social media: If one relishes mucking about in the gutters of Instagram, one should also be, by direct association, an avid fan of Opinion. Reading published Opinion pieces and scrolling through comment sections scratch the same human itch, and to insist — because the Post’s incipient endorsement was at odds with one’s personal views — that op-eds should be eliminated is just another petulant opinion. Are all of today’s respected newspapers not borne of the primitive desire to trumpet about, and form bands on, subjectively meaningful topics? Objectivity is a goal reserved for the other sections of the newspaper.
Funnily enough, those who claim the endorsement would have compromised the integrity of the Post seem to take no issue with Bezos’ mandated silence. If one’s concern were truly for the health of unbiased media, how could one not be outraged that the entirety of the Post must bend backwards to cater to a billionaire’s every whim? The sudden, retroactive questioning of op-eds seems to be based on little more than sulky disagreement; it just so happens that, this time, corporatist interests aligned with a select portion of reader values.
Jeff Bezos himself published an op-ed at the Post not long after, complaining about the lack of trust in the media (again: after having just single-handedly stifled the voices of an entire department). He assured us that there is no “quid pro quo” at play and that lack of media credibility can somehow be remedied by abstention from contentious political topics. Herein lies the glory of the op-ed: It’s entirely your choice, as the esteemed reader, to decide what you think of Bezos’ thinking.
Centuries ago, while our Neanderthal cousins wrestled bison, we sat in the bushes with our enlarged brains, blathering. Today, our clannishness manifests itself in our magazine subscriptions, clothing choices, and political affiliations. Somewhere along the way, the op-ed was invented and then gradually misunderstood, until it was labeled as naught but another means of political indoctrination. No outlet ever claimed that their op-eds contained information that was objectively, or
even subjectively, valuable. The bottom line was always that someone cared. Whether you’re a nobody or the Ethicist himself, there is another human who, whether they’re aware or not, minds what your two cents are.
GLADYS SMITH is a College sophomore from Williamsburg, Va. Her email is gldysmth@sas. upenn.edu.
Penn: Require first years to take ‘Why College’
PIPER’S PENN PAL | Why we should implement a universal course for rst-year students
The word “explore” is written thrice in the College of Arts and Sciences mission statement. Penn urges college students to explore (1) “the broad spectrum of human knowledge” (2) “fundamental approaches to the acquisition and interpretation of knowledge” and (3) “our intellectual heritage.” Students are encouraged to explore fields of knowledge from quantum physics to renaissance poetry (even the intersection between the two), essentially curating a plate of academic curiosity from an intellectual buffet. Yet, we’re rarely asked to explore the intellectual buffet itself — why college exists, what it’s for, and whom it serves.
That’s exactly the type of exploration offered by first-year seminar HIST 0012: “Why College? Historical and Contemporary Perspectives.” The class description notes, “What is the purpose of ‘college’? How have these goals and objectives changed across time and space? What should college do, and for whom? And how can colleges be reformed to meet their diverse purposes and constituencies?”
As a member of the class, along with 14 other students and history of education professor Jonathan Zimmerman, I went through a period of discovery of both myself and Penn that was integral to my college experience. Professor Zimmerman (who I now call “JZ”) first challenged us to confront ourselves with “Why college?” Why did we choose Penn? Why pursue higher education at all? An answer like, “Because that’s just what you’re supposed to do after high school,” didn’t suffice. For possibly the first time ever, we weren’t just sampling from the intellectual buffet of college — we were examining who created it, for whom, and what it meant for us to have a seat at the table.
The following weeks in Zimmerman’s classroom were spent dissecting the origins and foundation of higher education. We examined the inner workings of institutions, and how each role shapes the creation of university classes and culture. We delved into how we, as students, navigate our place in college, and how historical barriers have excluded many from doing so. Zimmerman refused to hide behind a facade of Penn’s perfection, insisting that we speak about the unspoken. Our discussions did not shy away from complexities of college campuses: Topics like campus politics, religion, greek life, hookup culture, suicide, and sexual assault were all on the table.
In addition to exposure to literature such as “American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus” by Lisa Wade, “Campus Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know” by Professor Zimmerman himself, and others, we also benefited from the insights into numerous figures on Penn’s campus. The class had the opportunity to speak to admissions officers, authors, greek life members, political and religious spokespeople, and even Penn’s Provost John L Jackson Jr.
The course worked to give first-year students the opportunity to discuss many of the most pressing
issues on Penn’s campus. For instance, we examined sexual victimization beyond “no means no,” delving into the social contexts that shape how university culture can contribute to students becoming both victims and perpetrators of sexual assault. We came to essential conclusions with Penn Violence Prevention about the issue of sexual assault on Penn’s campus that couldn’t be reached in a 75-minute consent circle during New Student Orientation. We also examined mental health issues on elite campuses, analyzing what societal and Penn-specific factors can foster a culture detrimental to mental wellness. Through these discussions, the course deepened our understanding of critical issues facing college students, fostering discourse that Penn’s admissions website neglects to mention.
We discussed the experience of disadvantaged and underrepresented students at Penn and theorized how Penn and institutions like it can fail students. These conversations pushed us to not only question the institution, but also our roles within it — a mindset that will shape how I navigate and engage with Penn for the rest of my college career.
The instrumental knowledge gained in this class, though, was given to a mere 15 students — only 0.006% of Penn’s Class of 2028. The critical conversations held within our David Rittenhouse Laboratory classroom are ones to which every Penn first-year student deserves to contribute. Expanding “Why College?” to every first year could transform the very culture on our campus. If Penn wants students to explore, the very best exploration should begin with an understanding of the institution itself.
Former Yale professor and author of “Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life,” William Deresiewicz advises students to “Avoid a school that’s going to hand you a course catalog when you walk in the door, pat you on the shoulder, and leave you to figure it out on your own. A couple of advising sessions aren’t going to do it, either. What you want is a dedicated freshman seminar — meaning more than just a writing class — that is designed to introduce you to the purpose of a college education.”
Penn could foster such a course, and they wouldn’t be the first to do so; Stanford University’s highest course enrollment is their own version of “Why College?” College 101 is a course offered in their “COLLEGE” program required for first years, which aims to ensure that “going to college is not just about acquiring the ability to make a living, but about exploring what makes living worthwhile.”
The concept of exploration should not be limited to students in the College of Arts and Sciences. First-year undergraduates should be forced to question what it means to be at Penn regardless of major or school. Of course, it’s impractical to add an additional 160 “Why College” seminars to Penn’s course directory. However, the same curriculum can be applied to larger lecture classes and
be complemented by discussion in small recitation groups. These recitation groups, while all students will not get the privilege of Zimmerman’s admirable honesty, should be led by faculty and Penn students committed to improving our campus. Although each class may not get the opportunity to speak individually with members of the Penn community, making a universal course could compel more Penn figures to offer essential insight to first years. Expanding access to this course can foster a campus-wide development towards improvement of self and community, as well as compel students to go through Penn purposefully. If Penn is truly committed to cultivating classes for intellectually curious students ready to sample
from an academic buffet, it must prioritize giving space for students to ponder: Why college? Why Penn? HIST 0012 gave me the tools to think critically about my future in a classroom setting that was fundamental to my adjustment into Penn. I know my answer to “Why college?” and although every student may not by the time they exit the classroom, we should give them the opportunity to begin asking themselves the same question.
PIPER SLINKA-PETKA is a College first year studying health and societies from W. Va. Her email address is pipersp@sas.upenn.edu.
DEREK WONG | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Columnist Gladys Smith examines the role opinion pieces play in journalism.
In Photos: 2024
JAN
Mangione
2020 Engineering graduate Luigi Mangione’s ties to Penn immediately drew attention after he was named a “strong person of interest” in the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on Monday. Mangione was charged in Manhattan with second-degree murder for the killing of Brian Thompson on Monday evening, as well as three gun charges and forgery. The charges came after Mangione was charged with five crimes in Pennsylvania not related to the CEO’s murder, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Altoona, Pa. police department.
Even as details remained sparse, a profile of him began to emerge, including that he received
a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Penn in May 2020 while founding a gaming development club and serving as a teaching assistant for a class as an undergraduate.
Shortly after 6 p.m. on Monday evening, the Altoona police charged Mangione with forgery, carrying firearms without a license, tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of crime, and presenting false identification to authorities, according to their criminal complaint. In the days after the CEO’s murder, Mangione traveled to Philadelphia en route to Pittsburgh, officials said, though it is not clear if he was in proximity to Penn’s campus.
The criminal complaint states that at 9:14 a.m.
on Monday, two police officers found Mangione in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa. wearing a blue medical mask. It further claims that Mangione provided false identification to the officers, and that he “became quiet and started to shake” after the officers asked if he had been to New York recently.
The complaint also alleges that, during a search of Mangione’s backpack, police officers found both a 3D-printed pistol and a 3D-printed black silencer.
Mangione was a computer and information science major and mathematics minor at Penn who also received a master’s degree in computer and information science from the School of Engineering and Applied Science, with a concentration in artificial intelligence. Several of the available classes for his computer and information science degrees would have involved 3D-printing instruction.
Several of Mangione’s professors and classmates from his time at Penn did not respond to requests for comment. The Daily Pennsylvanian left multiple requests for comment with individuals who claimed online to have known or interacted with Mangione during their time at Penn. A request for comment was also left with a University spokesperson.
to college, he noticed that several universities — but not Penn — had a student-run video game development club. Before getting to campus for his first year, he posted in a Class of 2020 Facebook group to solicit student interest in developing games and formed the club after receiving overwhelming interest. The group’s projects included “Animancer,” a semi-open-world role-playing game, and “Aeiaton,” a science-fiction role-playing game, according to Penn Today.
Mangione presented his senior computer science design project at Penn on “CityRun: The User-friendly scenic route generation.” His group mates could not immediately be reached for comment.
The current presidents of UPGRADE and Mangione’s co-founders both did not respond to requests for comment. According to MyPenn, he lived in Harnwell and Harrison College Houses, while voter registration records indicate that he also lived at Lauder College House.
This afternoon, reporters’ knocks on the door of the Phi Kappa Psi house went unanswered, and two students who were seen leaving the house declined to comment on the matter, instead lighting cigarettes and walking away. Several current and former members of the fraternity declined requests for comment from the DP and directed requests for comment to the fraternity’s national office.
While at the University, Mangione was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and founded Penn’s Game Research and Development Environment, also known as UPGRADE. The game development club aims to “foster creative expression and cultivate career skills for the artists, programmers, and creatives interested in game development in the Penn community.”
Mangione was also a teaching assistant for CIS 121: “Data Structures and Algorithms” from January 2018 to May 2019, and led the class’ Recitation Committee. In statements to the DP, two teaching assistants who worked concurrently with Mangione said that they were unfamiliar with him.
In a now-deleted article from Penn Today, Mangione explained that he learned how to code during his first and sophomore year of high school with the intention of programming a game, adding that it provided the impetus for his major in computer and information science. Mangione also said that, while applying
Mangione appeared to be well known on campus, as evidenced by a 2019 post in the Penn Crushes Facebook group that tagged him. It read: “Hot damn. Are you single? You make us engineers have hope!”
“Despite all my best efforts … yup still
See MANGIONE, page 9
Magill’s resignation is followed by turmoil, unrest on Penn’s campus
The Daily Pennsylvanian compiled the fallout from Magill’s resignation over the past year, from national scrutiny of the University and political fallout to increased student activism
NEEMA BADDAM AND JASMINE NI Senior Reporters
Last December, former Penn President Liz Magill resigned amid mounting pressure following her controversial testimony before the United States Congress about antisemitism on college campuses.
The Daily Pennsylvanian compiled the historic fallout from Magill’s resignation over the past year — one that can only be characterized by unprecedented campus unrest — from national scrutiny of the University and political fallout to increased student activism.
Congressional investigations
In January, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means opened an investigation into the University, asserting that its leadership has failed to comply with the antidiscrimination laws that make Penn eligible for tax exemptions. On May 2, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced the expansion of the two ongoing investigations into Penn, which he called a “House-wide crackdown on antisemitism” on college campuses.
The Republican-led U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce released a 325page report with the committee’s findings from its yearlong investigation into antisemitism on college campuses on Oct. 31 revealing details about how the University handled disciplinary proceedings, Magill’s resignation, and pro-Palestinian campus protests.
Title VI lawsuit
In February, Penn moved to dismiss a lawsuit brought by 2024 College graduate Eyal Yakoby and College sophomore Jordan Davis alleging that Penn violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by subjecting them to a “pervasively hostile educational environment” that is discriminatory against Jews.
At the start of the 2024-25 academic year, Interim Penn President Larry Jameson announced the creation of a new Office of Religious and Ethnic Inclusion and cited its formation days later as evidence in the ongoing lawsuit. To date, Penn has filed three motions to dismiss the lawsuit, which is still active.
Student demonstrations
The year featured significant demonstrations on campus.
Penn’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment, which began on April 25, stood for 16 days on College Green and prompted significant pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations on campus. Penn ultimately disbanded the demonstration on May 10 and arrested 33 individuals, including nine
single,” Mangione replied in the comments.
In response to a request for comment, Phi Kappa Psi Executive Director Ron Ransom wrote: “We can confirm that Luigi Mangione was an undergraduate member of our chapter at the University of Pennsylvania from 2017 –2020.”
In 2018, Mangione was inducted into Penn’s Eta Kappa Nu honor society for excellence in electrical and computer engineering. The academic honor society, which was founded in 1904, invites the top quarter of the junior class and top third of the senior class in those two majors for membership.
Mangione’s peers in Eta Kappa Nu and the current president of the society did not respond to requests for comment.
One former Penn classmate of Mangione, who requested anonymity, told CNN that Mangione was a “totally normal guy.” Another classmate reported living alongside Mangione in Honolulu after graduation.
Mangione’s account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, was suspended on Monday afternoon after surging in popularity during the day. Mangione’s Instagram account, now also deactivated, featured a number of photos alongside what appear to be brothers in the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
Mangione was also a member of the popular book website Goodreads. His account — which was set to private this afternoon — shows that he left a four-star review on domestic terrorist Ted
Kaczynski’s anti-technology essay “Industrial Society and its Future” in January 2024.
Penn students.
On June 6, Penn introduced the Temporary Standards and Procedures for Campus Events and Demonstrations, which banned encampments and revised rules on protest activities.
The Jewish community at Penn commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel with events organized by Penn Hillel, Chabad House at Penn, and the Penn Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Antisemitism task force and task force on countering hate
At the end of May, Jameson shared the final reports from the University Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community with the Penn community, calling for the University to clarify its opposition to boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel.
The task force also suggested that Penn commit to “incentivize growth and strength in the broad area of Jewish scholarship” by expanding the curriculum and advised the University clarify its open expression policies.
Shift toward institutional neutralit y
On Sept. 10, Jameson announced that Penn would limit statements on local and world events in a major move toward institutional neutrality. Jameson claimed that the new policies aim to protect the “diversity of thought” central to the University’s mission. The shift to the new policy, which Penn initiated several years ago, will limit the University’s role in commenting on controversial issues that do not directly relate to it.
Sanctions against Amy Wax
In late September, Penn upheld sanctions against University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School professor Amy Wax following her history of discriminatory remarks and two years of disciplinary proceedings with little precedent.
The sanctions mark the first time in recent history that a tenured University professor has been sanctioned through Faculty Senate procedures.
Shared governance
Many Penn faculty members voiced concerns that shared governance at the University has eroded in the past year amid challenges to open expression and academic freedom. Several administrators and trustees, however — including University Board of Trustees Chair Ramanan Raghavendran — remained adamant that Penn stood fully behind shared governance.
The essay, also known as the “Unabomber Manifesto,” was the ideological foundation for Kaczynski’s mail bomb campaign. For nearly 20 years, he targeted academics and businessmen with homemade bombs, aiming to trigger the collapse of modern society.
“[Kaczynski] was a violent individualrightfully imprisoned - who maimed innocent people,” Mangione’s review reads. “While these actions tend to be characterized as those of a crazy luddite, however, they are more accurately seen as those of an extreme political revolutionary.”
After being held in custody throughout the morning, New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified Mangione as the department’s person of interest in the “brazen, targeted murder” of Thompson at a press conference around 1:40 p.m.
Tisch said at the press conference that officers “recovered a handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset.” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny later said that — while the department does not believe the document contains threats toward other specific individuals — “it does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America.”
Mangione’s manifesto contained passages reading “These parasites had it coming” and “I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done,” according to The New York Times.
The NYPD had been leading a search for Thompson’s shooter since Wednesday, when Thompson was killed outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Police previously said that they believed the killer left the city by bus. MANGIONE, from page 8
ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Former Penn President Liz Magill resigned shortly after her congressional testimony about antisemitism on college campuses last December.
PHOTO FROM THE FACEBOOK OF UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA GAME RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT Mangione in a classroom at Huntsman Hall.
Penn sees drop in underrepresented students after a rmative action ruling
Penn saw a change in the racial makeup of its student body with a decrease in the percentage of students from historically underrepresented groups
SAMANTHA
HSIUNG Senior Reporter
The overturning of affirmative action in 2023 has continued to impact Penn’s admissions processes throughout the past year.
In 2024, Penn saw a change in the racial makeup of its student body with a decrease in the percentage of students from historically underrepresented groups in higher education. The University also maintained the practice, first implemented for the Class of 2026, of releasing sparse information on the racial breakdown of its admitted classes.
Jan 18 — The United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights began an investigation into Penn’s legacy admission policies after a complaint was filed by education activist Justin Samuels.
March 6 — Penn announced that it would be extending its test-optional policy to the Class of 2029 as other Ivy League universities reinstated their standardized testing requirements.
March 28 — The Daily Pennsylvanian analyzed text messages and emails between President Joe Biden and former Penn President Amy Gutmann, which suggested that Biden consulted University administrators about his granddaughter’s application to Penn.
March 28 — Penn released limited admissions statistics for the Class of 2028’s regular decision pool, but omitted acceptance rate data and racial demographics.
April 11 — The Wharton School returned to the top spot in this year’s U.S. News & World Report rankings of MBA programs after it ranked No. 3 the previous year.
June 14 — Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule presented admissions statistics for the Class of 2028 to the University Board of Trustees. Out of
a pool of 65,235 applicants, 3,508 students were admitted, resulting in an acceptance rate of 5.4%. The Class of 2028 consisted of 2,400 students from 47 states and 95 countries. Legacy students constituted 14% of the class.
July 18 — A DP analysis of Penn’s Common Data Sets found that 72% fewer students were admitted off the waitlist for the Class of 2027 than during the Class of 2026’s admissions cycle. Other notable changes included the reporting of in-state acceptance rates for the first time and a shift in the “relative importance” of factors influencing admissions.
Sept 10 — Penn dropped to No. 10 in the U.S. News annual Best National University rankings, marking its lowest position since 1997.
Sept 8 — Demographic data breakdowns for the Class of 2028 revealed a two percentage point decline in admits from historically underrepresented minorities from the previous admissions cycle.
Oct 2 — Wharton’s undergraduate program saw a 13-point decrease in the percentage of students of color between the admitted Class of 2027 to the Class of 2028. The percentage of admits from historically underrepresented races and ethnicities in higher education dropped from 31% to 22%.
Oct 31 — 2013 Engineering graduate and Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia) told the DP that “Penn should think about what it can do to be more supportive of low-income students of color.”
Nov 19 — Wharton removed demographic information from its undergraduate class profiles, citing inconsistencies in methodology between the Class of 2027 and Class of 2028.
This year, the University maintained the practice
breakdown of its
Penn campus sees business, food scene turnover — including return of McDonald’s
Over a dozen business — ranging from clothing stores to restaurants — opened or closed their doors over the past year
GRETTA MAGUIRE Senior Reporter
The area around Penn’s campus experienced significant business turnover throughout 2024.
Over a dozen businesses — ranging from clothing stores to restaurants — opened or closed their doors over the past year. More recently, Penn’s late night food scene shifted drastically, generating a mixture of approval and criticism from the Penn community.
December 2023 — In late 2023, shortly before the new year, the Urban Outfitters at the corner of 36th and Sansom streets closed its doors.
January 2024 — In January, Asad’s Hot Chicken opened at 40th and Market streets. Soon after, Amina Ocean Restaurant — which serves Southern cuisine with a West African twist — opened on 41st and Market streets.
At the same time, Federal Donuts announced plans to close their University City location near 34th and Sansom streets, citing a desire to move somewhere accessible to both Penn and Drexel students. They have yet to announce a new location or a timeline to move.
On Jan. 31, Two Locals Brewing opened at 37th and Market streets, becoming the first Black-owned brewery in Philadelphia.
Summer 2024 — Over the summer, two new businesses came to Walnut Street near Penn’s campus: In June, the Center for Creative Works opened, and Cork and Candles opened in July.
September 2024 — In early September, Penn’s late night food scene was drastically altered when Allegro Pizza and Grill eliminated its late-night hours, citing staffing issues. Students expressed discontent and concern at the shift, with one source close to the pizzeria calling it a “disastrous f**king decision, not just for the store, but for the Penn community broadly.”
Later in the month, McDonald’s reopened on 40th and Walnut streets after an extensive renovation. The changes prompted varied reactions from Penn students, with students praising McDonald’s’ convenience while voicing concern over limited healthy late night food options.
October 2024 — Two eateries in Franklin’s Table Food Hall — local cheesesteak spot Delco Steaks and hoagie restaurant High Street Hoagies — closed at the end of October. November 2024 — On Nov. 22, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream opened months after it had originally been set to
Penn completes two new buildings, first phase of Quad renovations
The completion of two new buildings marked signi cant infrastructural developments on Penn’s campus this past year, with additional construction projects set to break ground in 2025
SANYA TINAIKAR AND RICHARD ZHUANG
Senior Reporters
for
floors of the building are dedicated to teaching labs, active learning classrooms, and collaboration spaces, providing a flexible environment to teach and foster innovation. The upper levels will
house advanced research centers and laboratories.
Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology The Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology, located at 32nd and Walnut streets, was completed in September 2024 and is slated for occupancy in January 2025. Consisting of seven stories, the $173 million building serves to consolidate Penn’s energy research with a focus on chemistry research and sustainability. The building’s design is intended to maximize learning potential and research productivity and aligns with sustainability goals outlined in Penn’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan, which recently reached its fourth iteration.
David Rittenhouse Laboratory DRL, located at 33rd and Walnut streets, will undergo a partial demolition to build a brand-new physical sciences building in the coming years. The
proposed physical sciences building will house the Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Sciences departments, in addition to new classrooms. The University Board of Trustees voted to allocate $11.25 million for an early phase of the renovation process at last month’s Board of Trustees meeting.
1920 Commons 1920 Commons is slated to undergo its first complete renovation since its construction in 1971, which will include a significant revamp of the building’s interior and exterior. The project is not expected to start for several years, and a specific construction date has yet to be established.
According to Penn’s Director of Communications and External Relations for Business Services Courtney Dombroski, the timeline, phases of renovation, and potential adjustments to campus paths to accommodate the
construction have not yet been finalized.
College Hall
The $87.4 million College Hall renovations — which began in early 2023 — are set to be completed in January 2025. Primarily focused on the West Wing of College Hall, restoration efforts include new HVAC systems, upgraded windows and roofing, allgender restrooms, and new elevators. Additionally, the building will now house two new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant elevators.
In October, the University partially removed the fencing surrounding College Hall, reopening and allowing students to use the full area of the plaza in front of Houston Hall.
Fisher Fine Arts Library
A $17.8 million renovation of Fisher Fine Arts Library is scheduled to begin in spring 2025. Senior Vice President of Penn Facilities and Real Estate Services
Anne Papageorge announced the project at a Facilities and Campus Planning committee meeting on Nov. 14, stating that the goal of the “envelope” restoration is to restore the 133-year-old building’s exterior to its original form. The renovation will include sandstone cleaning, window replacement, roof repairs, and the installation of lightning and fall protection.
The Quad
The first phase of a three-phase renovation to the Quad was completed in August with the renovation of Riepe College House in the Lower Quad. The second phase of construction, which began in May of this year, focuses on the renovation of Ware College House in the central area of the Quad and is scheduled for completion by fall 2025. The final phase of renovations, for Fisher-Hassenfeld College House, is set to begin in May 2025 and end by August 2026. Renovations will include improvements to interior finishes and bathrooms, replacement and repair of roofs and windows, elevator upgrades, chimney reconstruction, and replacement of mechanical and electrical systems, according to Penn Residential Services.
Stuart Weitzman Hall Construction on Stuart Weitzman Hall — involving an addition to the back of the building and a full renovation of its historic structure — began this summer. The addition aims to support art and architecture programs with new design studios, student maker spaces, faculty offices, classrooms, and exhibition spaces. Research hubs for the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites, and works on paper in the Penn Art Collection will also be part of the addition.
JOSÉ BRENES | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
On Jan. 31, Two Locals Brewing opened at 37th and Market streets, becoming the first Black-owned brewery in Philadelphia.
ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR
The Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology, located at 32nd and Walnut streets, was completed in September 2024 and is slated
occupancy in January 2025.
BAMELAK DUKI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
of releasing sparse information on the racial
admitted classes.
made to cut her from the team, adding that she had not been given a “fair chance” to prove herself. Oyebode said Dolan declined to intervene.
“I went to coach Dolan … and it was very discouraging,” Oyebode said. “[He was] saying it was out of his hands and not really his issue to deal with.”
Oyebode withdrew from the team on Jan. 2, 2022.
Osezua, also a member of the throwing team, described her own challenges with Dolan.
Osezua found immediate success after joining the team as a freshman in 2020, recording what was then the ninth-best hammer throw in program history. Then, in the spring of 2022, Osezua took a yearlong mental health leave from Penn but said she returned the following spring without any pushback from Dolan.
On Oct. 15, 2023, Osezua tore her PCL after a car nearly struck her. The injury left her unable to walk, so then-volunteer assistant coach and 2017 College
graduate Noah Kennedy-White drove Osezua to see the team’s trainer, Moe Louidor, the following evening. Kennedy-White confirmed Osezua’s sequence of events in an interview with the DP.
There, Osezua said Louidor claimed that since the injury occurred off campus, Penn would not cover an MRI and that Osezua would have to entirely pay out of pocket. As a result, Osezua said she decided to delay the process until she returned home to Canada, where she could receive the procedure for free.
Because the injury made it difficult for her to get to class, Osezua dropped down to two course units, making her ineligible to compete athletically. Eventually, after being referred to Student Health Service by her academic advisor, Osezua’s MRI was completed for just a $50 copay. By that time, it was February 2024 — four months after the initial injury.
Prior to her MRI, Osezua had regained her ability to walk, returned to a full course load, and met with Dolan on Jan. 12, 2024 to discuss her return to the team. This time, Osezua said Dolan told her that he and the other coaches had decided it would be “best for the team” if she did not return.
“I always got the sense that he didn’t want me back because I had taken a mental health [leave],” Osezua said, adding that Dolan’s response to her struggles “felt really fake.”
Osezua said she told Dolan that her absence had resulted from her PCL injury, to which Dolan responded that no one on Penn’s staff was aware of her injury.
“It just comes out like a slap in the face,” Osezua said.
When asked if he had told Dolan about Osezua’s injury, Kennedy-White said he “would like to think” that he did.
“At the very least, I was thinking that that information would filter up via the athletic training staff,” he added.
Osezua added that she felt a lack of support from Dolan during her entire tenure on the team, including during her mental health leave.
“Dolan is just MIA when it comes to a lot of the [female] throwers,” Osezua said.
Other Penn athletes reported positive experiences with Dolan and the program at large. College senior thrower Elijah Cook specifically highlighted how
Red and Blue in review: Fall sports recap
With the conclusion of the fall semester, let’s take a look at how the Red and Blue’s teams fared this season
VALERI GUEVARRA AND KRISTEL RAMBAUD
Sports Associate and Sports Reporter
With the semester coming to a close, it’s only fitting to take a look back at the fall sports season as several of the Red and Blue’s teams have found success on the conference and national stages as well as areas of growth to build upon in the offseason. Here’s a recap of how the teams fared this fall.
Football After being ranked 3rd in the preseason poll the Quakers had a disappointing season, where they finished 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the Ivy League.
The season continued their trend of one-possession losses, falling in their first two conference matchups to Dartmouth and Columbia. Their conference slump continued in a blowout loss to Yale. In the opening drive of that game, senior quarterback Aidan Sayin went out with a season-ending injury. Sayin finished his career as the program leader in completions with 719 and second in passing yards with 7177 yards.
With Sayin out, junior quarterback Liam O’Brien got the starting nod. He smashed the record books in Penn’s win against Cornell, where he threw six touchdowns and rushed for one. His seven are the most touchdowns attributed to a quarterback in a single game. The seven touchdowns led to 67 points for Penn.
In their last two games, they fell to Harvard on Homecoming by the way of a last-second field goal and to rival Princeton in their season closer.
The Princeton game not only served as the last for the seniors but also for sophomore running back Malachi Hosley. Hosley, a Walter Payton Award Finalist, entered the transfer portal the same day. He finished the season with 1192 yards — the most in the Ivy League.
The Quakers’ future stands uncertain as they look to rebuild in the offseason and get back to the top of the Ancient Eight.
Sprint Football Spring football kicked off their season with a shutout against St. Thomas Aquinas — the first of three in their 5-2 season. For the first five games of the season, no one could stop Penn as they outscored opponents 162-27. The script flipped in their annual matchup against Collegiate Sprint Football League conference rival Navy, who defeated them 31-0. The heartbreak continued for Penn in their last match against Chestnut Hill where they fell in a very narrow 7-12 loss. The season was a marked improvement over last, where they went 2-4 overall.
Multiple players were honored for their accomplishments this season. Senior kicker/punter/defensive back Adrian Montemayor completed the three-peat and won Special Teams Player of the Year. Senior linebacker Cam Janock also had a remarkable year where he tallied 45 tackles and a team-leading 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. His stats earned him CSFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.
The team’s offense ran through the hands of freshman quarterback Michael Malone — the CSFL Rookie of the Year. He had a total of nine touchdowns on the year and completed 62 of his 131 attempts. He landed as an Honorable Mention All-CSFL.
While players like Montemayor and Janock graduate, players like Malone remain and will look to continue to trend upwards — and break a six-year losing streak against Navy.
Men’s Soccer
Penn men’s soccer meant business coming into this season. The Quakers opened their season at home with a big upset over then-No. 3 Pitt that set the tone for the rest of the regular season: winning. The Red and Blue dominated the conference and claimed their third-straight Ivy League regular season title, finishing the regular season with a 14-4-1 overall record and 7-0 in Ivy League play.
The accolades came flooding in for the Quakers. Nine Quakers earned All-Ivy honors while senior defender Leo Burney and senior striker Stas Korzeniowski took home Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and CoOffensive Player of the Year, respectively. Coach Brian Gill also collected Ivy League Coach of the Year. This is the second time this trio has received these respective awards — the first was in 2022 following the Quakers’ title-winning season.
In the postseason, the Quakers could not replicate their 2022 title and fell 3-1 to Princeton in the Ivy League Tournament final after defeating them the week prior. Not all was lost, though, as men’s soccer claimed the sixth seed in the NCAA tournament thanks to an at-large bid, but the Red and Blue could not complete the redemption arc on the national stage, as they were defeated 1-0 by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Although ending in disappointment, the Quakers can hold their heads high knowing that they were one of the best teams in the nation this season. Next fall, it will be interesting to see young talent shine as the program graduates seven seniors including stars Burney and Korzeniowski.
Women’s Soccer
While the season wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for
Dolan supported him through two season-ending injuries.
“I always felt like my concerns and my health were a priority with coach Dolan,” Cook said. “I believe that’s consistent within the whole staff in my experience on the men’s side.”
As the host of the country’s largest meet, the Penn Relays, and the producer of three Olympians for last summer’s Paris Games, Penn has been long regarded as one of the nation’s premier track and field institutions. Last month, the University officially unveiled the Ott Center for Track and Field, a $69.3 million indoor facility.
“[The vision] was to … establish Penn and the city of Philadelphia as a major hub for track and field on the East Coast, the United States, and the world,” Dolan said at the center’s grand opening on Nov. 16. “… This facility, among other things that have been happening, are starting to really make that dream a reality.”
But behind the scenes, some of Penn’s athletes face a different reality.
“It was devastating,” Lindner said of her time on the team. “And I had to stop doing something that I loved.”
women’s soccer, it did end on a high note. The team finished the season with an overall record of 2-8-6 and 1-3-3 in Ancient Eight play — the sole win in their final game against Cornell. This season-ending win is eerily similar to the conclusion of last season.
Two veterans shined for the Red and Blue for women’s soccer — junior goalkeeper Annabel Austen and senior defender and captain Maya Leschly. The two collected All-Ivy selection at the end of the season. Leschly helped lead the Quaker defense that was a highlight of the season even if it didn’t translate to success. Austen had the most saves and played the most minutes in the Ivy League. The junior also excelled in the classroom, collecting an Academic All-Ivy for the first time.
In the offseason, the Quakers will look to improve their offense as well as build up their young squad to hit the ground running when next fall comes.
Field Hockey After a trip to the Ivy League Tournament, the team took a step back and missed the berth after going 2-5 in conference play — the reverse of their conference record from last year. All but one of their conference losses this season were decided by one goal, including three overtime games. With the standings so close, they were still in contention leading into their season finale against Brown but ultimately fell 3-4.
Two juniors shone offensively for the Red and Blue: midfielder/defender Julia Ryan and forward Livia Loozen. They had 18 and 14 points, respectively, and both led the team with six goals each. Ryan secured herself a second team and Academic All-Ivy selection. Read more at thedp.com.
‘I DON’T FEEL SAFE’
Penn track and field program accused of sexual harassment, mistreatment
The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with 16 sources familiar with Penn track and eld and Title IX as part of an investigation into allegations against the program
Content warning: This article contains mentions of sexual harassment and gender discrimination that can be disturbing and/or triggering for some readers.
Three former athletes on the Penn women’s track and field team alleged mistreatment during their time with the program, describing instances of sexual harassment and retaliation after reporting the incidents to the team’s coaching staff.
In interviews with The Daily Pennsylvanian, two Penn seniors and one recent graduate described a training environment in which some female athletes felt “unsafe” and unsupported during their time with the throwing program from 2020-23. The athletes cited a pattern of “inappropriate” remarks and actions from former volunteer assistant coach Vlad Pavlenko. Athletes also claimed that current head coach Steve Dolan told the women’s throwers that if Pavlenko’s alleged misconduct did not involve physical touching, their concerns were “not an issue.”
Wharton senior Kira Lindner later alleged two individual instances in which then-assistant coach Fletcher Brooks — now the throwing coach at Harvard — touched her without her consent in ways that made her feel “incredibly uncomfortable” and that Lindner found “sexually suggestive.”
After a yearlong mental health leave, College senior Omonye Osezua suffered a torn posterior cruciate ligament in October 2023 and alleged that she did not receive an MRI for four months due to erroneous guidance from the team’s training staff. After healing, Osezua claimed that Dolan asked her not to rejoin the team, adding that she felt Dolan did not want her to return due to her previous mental health issues.
Each athlete said their experiences were part of a larger team culture that they claim failed to properly address the concerns of its female athletes.
“It was just horrifying,” Lindner said of her experience on the team. “You think that these people — these coaches and the Title IX officers — you think that they’re on your side … then they continue to make actions that prove over and over again that they’re just trying to make you go away.”
“There’s this guise of ‘Oh, we’re a family, we all care about each other,’” Osezua said of the team’s culture. “And then something happens.”
All four male throwers the DP spoke with were complimentary of Dolan and Brooks. In a statement to the DP, Penn Athletics wrote that the “safety and well-being of our student-athletes is paramount.”
“We take student-athlete concerns seriously and when issues arise, we work directly with University resources, including the Title IX Office. When Head Coach Steve Dolan was made aware of the allegations, he reported to athletic administration and the complaint was communicated to the Title IX Office. As student and employee records are protected under federal privacy law and institutional policy, we cannot comment on the details of any particular case,” the statement continued. The DP spoke with 16 sources familiar with Penn track and field and Title IX as part of its investigation into the allegations against the program. Lindner also provided the DP with 35 pages of
VIVIAN YAO, WALKER CARNATHAN, AND SEAN MCKEOWN Sports Editors and Deputy Sports Editor
documents — including text messages, emails, and practice schedules — spanning from September 2021 to August 2023, as well as a copy of her official Title IX complaint, which she lodged against the University in June 2023.
Pavlenko and Brooks could not be reached for comment.
Brooks was hired as Penn’s throwing coach at the start of Lindner’s freshman year in fall 2021 and brought Pavlenko, whom he coached from 2015-2021 at Iowa State, with him. At Penn, Pavlenko often worked in one-on-one or small group sessions with the Quakers’ hammer throwers, including Lindner.
During these sessions, Lindner claimed that Pavlenko frequently made sexually charged remarks about her and other female athletes.
“He would make super inappropriate comments — sexually inappropriate — he would make a lot of innuendos. It was so awful,” Lindner said. “Specifically to me. He would make these jokes, and then he would look at me in front of everybody and be like, ‘Kira gets it. Kira knows exactly what I’m talking about.’”
While using a broom handle to clean out a drainage hole, Pavlenko said “Kira knows about this.” At meets, Pavlenko pointed out other female throwers whom he found attractive with the phrase, “She’s not safe. She’s not safe.” Pavlenko routinely made jokes about “little girls,” including that he enjoyed when Girl Scouts knocked on his door. Pavlenko also once said “Little boys are safe around me. Little girls on the other hand …” During a one-on-one practice with Lindner at sunset, Pavlenko said that the sunset is “a good way to get a girl to make out with you.”
Lindner has nearly 300,000 followers on her Instagram account, where she posts fitness content. After learning of Lindner’s following, Pavlenko attempted to “mimic” what he imagined Lindner must do on her account, groping himself and adding the phrase “I’m Kira.” Pavlenko frequently made suggestive remarks about other female Penn athletes, including “I need someone to introduce me to the rowing ladies,” or “the squash ladies.”
According to Lindner, Pavlenko’s comments persisted throughout her freshman season, causing her and her teammates to not feel “safe or comfortable around [Pavlenko].”
“When you’re a freshman, the hardest part is you don’t know what’s normal,” Lindner said. “So you’ll take it for a while, you’ll be like, ‘This must just be what [Division I] athletics is like.’ And then when the gross, weird stuff starts happening, especially as a female athlete, you start to question if this is normal or not.”
Emails reviewed by the DP show that Lindner and three other members of the women’s throwing team met with Dolan on April 1, 2022, to discuss their concerns about Pavlenko and Brooks.
During the meeting, Lindner said Dolan asked her and the other throwers if any of them had been physically touched.
“No,” Lindner said.
“Then it’s not an issue,” Dolan said, according to Lindner.
Another women’s thrower present at the meeting,
who was granted anonymity for fear of retribution, said that she felt as if Dolan “was trying to … determine the level of severity he should treat it [with],” and that she “didn’t give a f**k what the severity was.”
“[Pavlenko] was making all of us very uncomfortable, and [Dolan] should’ve taken it seriously at the jump,” she said.
Later in the meeting, Lindner said she told Dolan she did not feel safe around Pavlenko, to which Dolan responded by saying that despite the throwers’ concerns, Pavlenko would be present at the team’s home Big 5 meet the following day, and that it was Lindner’s decision if she wanted to attend or not.
After this meeting, the women’s throwers were contacted individually by Michele Rovinsky-Mayer, Penn’s Title IX officer, who offered one-on-one meetings with each of them to discuss their experiences. According to Lindner, Pavlenko was separated from the women’s team after the meeting but continued to train with the men’s team.
Lindner said the men’s team had “no idea” the women’s team was experiencing these issues.
“I don’t remember people ever raising a super serious concern to me,” 2022 Wharton graduate Marc Minichello, the Penn throwing captain at the time, said. “In track and field, your performance usually dictates your mood. So if you’re having a bad season, you’re gonna look for some type of a scapegoat in order to correlate that lack of success.”
According to text messages reviewed by the DP, Brooks requested to meet with Lindner individually on April 5, 2022. Lindner said Brooks entered the meeting “pissed” and said that the throwers had “violated his personal integrity” by going to Dolan instead of him.
Later in the meeting, Brooks assured Lindner that he understood the gravity of the situation. While doing so, he placed his hand on her upper thigh.
In her Title IX complaint to the University, Lindner wrote that this action “felt like [Brooks] was trying to exert power in a sexual way.”
After their conversation, Brooks told Lindner it was her decision whether or not Pavlenko remained with the program, a choice she said overwhelmed her as a new member of the team.
“I feel like it should be an objective measure,” Lindner said of Pavlenko’s fate. “[It should be]: ‘He has been harassing you, so he’s off the team.’ Not: ‘Your choice. Up to you.’”
Pavlenko left the program in the summer of 2022.
After Pavlenko’s departure, Lindner alleged a pattern of what she felt was “retaliatory behavior” from Brooks during her sophomore year.
According to Lindner’s complaint, this behavior included an incident during a team lift in fall 2022 where Brooks “grabbed [her] hip and massaged it while standing behind [her] without [her] consent” after Lindner informed him that she was experiencing pain in her left hip.
Lindner described this event, and Brooks’ previous touching of her thigh, as “extremely disturbing.”
“In both instances, I felt very uncomfortable, because [Brooks] was in a position of power over me,” Lindner wrote in her Title IX complaint.
Lindner also accused Brooks of frequently berating her in front of her teammates, routinely leaving her off of team communications, and referring to the Lindner family as “the enemy” to other athletes.
At the end of the season, Lindner was left off the team’s roster for the Ivy Heptagonal Championships despite ranking as one of the conference’s top throwers — her season-best mark of 49.07 meters in the hammer throw would have placed 14th out of the 23 athletes at the championships. Lindner also alleged that Penn fell short of the roster limit for the meet, meaning the team chose to send fewer athletes than it could have.
Messages reviewed by the DP show that after Lindner requested clarification on why she was not selected on May 2, 2023, Brooks responded on May 3, 2023 by asking Lindner, “Why do you think you weren’t selected for the Heps lineup?”
That summer, Lindner and her parents acquired legal representation and lodged a formal Title IX complaint with the University against Brooks in June 2023.
“Young women go through these types of experiences and just walk away. It’s easier for them to do that,” 1992 Wharton graduate Ari Lindner, Kira’s father, said. “But then sometimes they say, ‘You know what? I need to share my story. Maybe it’ll prevent it from happening in the future.’”
With Brooks still on the team when the fall semester began, Lindner ultimately decided to leave the program, informing Brooks and Dolan via email on Aug. 25, 2023. Just over a month later, Brooks was named the throwing coach at Harvard.
The Lindner family told the DP they are still considering further legal action against Brooks and the University. Penn’s initial Title IX investigation into Brooks and Pavlenko remains open, according to correspondence from the school to Lindner on Nov. 26 of this year.
“[Throwing is] this thing I spent my entire life doing; it’s what I came to Penn to do,” Lindner said. “ It’s one of my passions. And it was stripped away, slowly and painfully.” 2023 College graduate Inumidun Oyebode also recalled a poor experience during her time under Brooks. After walking on to the team as a freshman, Oyebode struggled to match the performance of her recruited teammates, making her a frequent target of Brooks’ criticism.
In one instance, Oyebode severely strained her knee, but because the injury fell short of a full tear, she said Brooks treated “[her] as if [she] had been faking it.” Oyebode also alleged another instance in which a female teammate came to practice “extremely ill” and informed Brooks of her sickness but was not allowed to leave until she began to cry.
“If [Brooks] wasn’t able to cut you, he would make your life as difficult as possible until you wanted to quit,” Oyebode recalled being told by an assistant coach at the time.
According to a draft of an email from December 2021 which Oyebode provided to the DP, she reached out to Dolan for help regarding a threat Brooks had See TRACK , page 11
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