January 30, 2025

TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER BLITZ LEAVES PENN IN LIMBO

Trump set Washington ablaze with a furry of executive orders — leaving Penn and universities across the nation bracing for the uncertain fallout on higher education

DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN STAFF

In his first week in office, President Donald Trump set Washington ablaze with a flurry of executive orders — leaving Penn and universities across the nation bracing for the uncertain effects on higher education.

Among the 1968 Wharton graduate’s orders was a Jan. 29 pledge to deport non-citizen students involved in pro-Palestinian protests. At the same time, universities lost their status as “sensitive locations” exempt from immigration raids, and United States health agencies halted all external communications. In a message to the Penn community on Tuesday, Interim Penn President Larry Jameson addressed the “uncertainty” Trump’s policies have caused.

Jameson added that given how rapidly the situation is changing, Penn is “also reviewing [its] policies, programs, and practices.”

according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“First, we do not know how these developments will play out,” Jameson wrote in the email. “We have convened members of Penn’s administration, the Faculty Senate, the Council of Deans, and other leaders to review these orders, understand their implications, and ensure that we are taking appropriate action.”

On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to identify and deport non-citizens — including college students — who have been involved in proPalestinian protests. The order instructs the U.S. Department of Justice to report all “criminal and civil authorities or actions” available to combat antisemitism in the next 60 days, See TRUMP, page 7

“These attacks unleashed an unprecedented wave of vile anti-Semitic discrimination, vandalism, and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses,” the order read, referencing Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“To all the resident aliens who joined in the

UA passes resolution calling on University to disclose investments

The resolution — which passed by a 16-5 vote at the Jan. 26 general board meeting — comes after months of increased discourse surrounding the disclosure of University fnances

CHRISTINE OH Staff Reporter

proposal as “nonpartisan.”

Penn’s Undergraduate Assembly passed a resolution calling on the University to formally disclose its investments and initiate a review of its securities in external funds on Sunday.

The resolution — which passed by a 16-5 vote at the Jan. 26 general board meeting — comes after months of increased discourse surrounding the disclosure of University finances. The resolution is addressed to the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, the University Board of Trustees, and Penn’s Office of Investments.

A UA spokesperson wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian that they could not currently comment on the matter. A University spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The University of Pennsylvania’s Undergraduate Assembly, in turn, demands full transparency from the President’s Office, the Provost’s Office, the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Penn Office of Investments around the specific investments and securities held by the University, fostering accountability and ensuring alignment with the values of the University community,” the resolution read.

According to the UA spokesperson, the resolution will be delivered to College Hall on Monday morning.

The resolution also stated that “transparency in investments is a step toward ensuring that the University’s financial resources are not supporting industries or practices that conflict with its commitment to sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Several members at the meeting expressed concerns about the public nature of the voting record,

suggesting that their votes regarding the resolution could be interpreted within a political context that would threaten their safety. While the group voted to conduct the vote via secret ballot, the measure failed, and the vote was conducted publicly via roll call.

“While I do think it’s important that the public can see how we vote, I think that for a lot of people, there’s issues of safety or security, especially international students whose place here is uncertain, people who are more at risk than others for having opinions in this country,” a UA member said during the meeting.

During the meeting where the resolution vote was called, several members expressed their opinions on the matter.

“I think we know that realistically, even if this has administrative support, this is not going to be approved by the [University],” College sophomore and UA College representative Ben Woods said at the meeting. “I would bet the entire endowment that they’re gonna shoot this down. So this comes down to a statement by the UA. It’s not creating any sort of action, it’s just a statement in itself.”

Woods added that he thought the passage of the resolution would be “a political statement” related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

“I think if we push this, we have to ask ourselves: What other political issues do we want the UA to step in and talk about? And do we want to jeopardize our legitimacy by continuing to comment and make statements on political matters?” Woods said.

Wharton junior and UA Vice President Michelle Chen disagreed with Woods’ characterization of the resolution as political and characterized the

“Even though there is underlying reasoning that sprouts this statement to be made, there isn’t any political lingo,” Chen said during the meeting. “There’s nothing alluding to the [Israel-Hamas] conflict at all in this statement.”

College and Wharton sophomore and UA College representative Yaduraj Choudhary said at the meeting that while he thinks it is a “good idea to ultimately have some sort of disclosure,” he had concerns about how disclosure surrounding the investments might impact Penn’s finances.

“I think it’s a risk to the University’s investments, to the return on these investments, and the competitiveness relative to other higher education institutions, simply because these are held by other mutual fund managers, and if we sacrifice that confidentiality, they might not be willing to work with Penn to have those investments,” Choudhary said.

The pooled investment vehicle for the majority of Penn’s endowment — which totaled $22.3 billion as of June 2024 — is called the Associated Investments Fund. AIF holds investments in several types of assets, including short-term, equity, private equity, and real assets.

The fund is overseen by the Penn Office of Investments and managed according to policies established by the Investment Board, which is appointed by the Board of Trustees. The current Investment Board consists of six Penn alumni along with Interim Penn President Larry Jameson and Board of Trustees Chair Ramanan Raghavendran as ex officio members.

In spring 2024, the Gaza Solidarity Encampment

— which lasted for two weeks on College Green — called on Penn to divest from “corporations that profit from Israel’s war on Gaza and occupation in Palestine,” disclose its financial holdings under the Associated Investments Fund, and defend Palestinian students.

In a referendum organized by Penn’s Muslim Students Association and circulated in April 2024 by the Nominations & Elections Committee, MSA surveyed students on whether the Board of Trustees should publicly disclose all investments held through the endowment fund. 73.4% of voting students were in favor of disclosure, while 26.6% were against it.

22% of the undergraduate student population voted on the referendum, which also asked whether the University should divest its endowment fund from companies and organizations that “profit from, engage in, or contribute to the government of Israel’s human rights violations.”

CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER College Hall on Jan. 14.

INSIA HAQUE | DESIGN EDITOR

Penn graduate student workers rally as bargaining with University continues

The rally was hosted by Graduate Employees Together — University of Pennsylvania to “demand prompt negotiations toward a contract.” The next round of bargaining will take place on Jan. 29

DANIYA

SIDDIQUI Staff Reporter

Graduate student workers say they are gearing up to fight back against continuous resistance from Penn administration towards their unionization efforts this semester, including a 200-person rally that took place in front of College Hall on Tuesday.

The Jan. 28 rally was hosted by Graduate Employees Together — University of Pennsylvania, Penn’s graduate student union, to “demand prompt negotiations toward a contract that improves [the] compensation, benefits, and working conditions” of graduate student workers, according to an Instagram post from the group. According to the University, the next round of bargaining will take place on Jan. 29.

GET-UP representative Mary Talian — who is a current Ph.D. student at Penn’s Graduate School of Education — told The Daily Pennsylvanian that “[Penn administration] has been needlessly delaying their response to [GET-UP’s] proposals.”

A request for comment was left with a University spokesperson.

Violet Ullman, a GET-UP representative and third-year Ph.D. candidate at Penn, said that the rally is the next step in graduate workers “continuing to push back” and “get more movement at the table.”

“We’ve been pushing for turnout since the new year, and since we got back,” Ullman said. “I think it shows that there is a ton of graduate workers here ready to fight for this contract, even in the cold weather.”

Speakers at the rally emphasized the importance of “collective action” and “community support.” Many of the speakers described their frustration with Penn’s “slow” response to their proposals and Penn’s response to their initial seven-page proposal — which a GET-UP representative previously described to the DP as being completely “redlined” by Penn administrators.

Peter Bailer, a Ph.D. candidate and research assistant in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, spoke at the rally as a member of GET-UP’s bargaining committee.

“Even when Penn does recognize our proposals and respond to them, it is clear that they do not respect the rights we are fighting to protect,” Bailer said. “In response to our six-page-long proposed

article … [Penn] crossed every single line out and replaced it with three lines of text and a link to their website.”

GET-UP first voted to unionize in May after the University unexpectedly delayed its election and the workers formed their first bargaining committee in July. In December, over 1,300 graduate students came together to sign a petition asking the administration to “end the needless delays” and “commit to a fair contract.” Since October 2024, they have been negotiating their first contract with Penn. The union is advocating for better compensation, expanded benefits, and comprehensive protections for its members.

One of the most contentious moments for GETUP’s recent organizing, Talian said, occurred when the administration “redlined out every single line” of the seven-page proposal seeking protections against discrimination based on pregnancy, caste, and formerly incarcerated status — all categories not covered by current University policy — and replaced it with a link to Penn’s existing policy.

Despite the resistance, GET-UP has submitted 24 proposed articles and reached tentative agreements on three, according to Talian.

“We have the power of our union behind us to push for improved compensation, benefits, and protections,” Talian said.

One of GET-UP’s priorities has been pursuing protections for international graduate student workers, Talian highlighted. With the start of the second Trump administration, she said this priority is further emphasized as these students face increased risks.

“We definitely see the election of Donald Trump as posing a serious challenge to all workers, not just us as graduate workers, but unlike in the first presidency, we now have one another to face this challenge together as a union,” Talian said. “It’s been an issue that we’ve been able to organize around and bring international grad student workers’ voices to the table.”

GET-UP is continuing to work on a contract that will protect international graduate students during the Trump administration, according to Talian.

“We are coming together to fight for our rights and ensure that Penn respects us as workers,” Talian said.

FactCheck.org, the award-winning political website at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, is now accepting applications for its 20252026 undergraduate fellowship program. The next class of undergrads will be trained if necessary) from May 27 to July 18. Those who are trained this summer must agree to work 10 to 15 hours per week at FactCheck.org during the fall and spring semesters, if their work merits continued employment.

The fellows at FactCheck.org help our staff monitor the factual accuracy of claims news releases. They also monitor viral claims and rumors that spread through email and social media. They help conduct research on such claims and contribute to articles for publication on our website under the supervision of FactCheck.org staff. The fellows must have an ability to write clearly and concisely, an understanding of journalistic practices and ethics, and an interest in politics and public policy. The fellows also must be able to think independently and set aside any partisan biases. If you are interested, please submit your resume and two writing samples by the February 11 deadline to FactCheck.org. Deputy Managing Editor Rob Farley at rob.farley@factcheck.org. Please direct any questions about the program or application process to the same address.

Wharton dean, LinkedIn founder discuss ‘Embracing AI with Purpose’ at Tarnopol lecture series

Dedicated to spotlighting global leaders, the Tarnopol series serves as a platform for addressing critical societal issues, including AI’s potential and ethical implications

MEGAN LIU Staff Reporter

Co-founder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman sat down with Wharton School Dean Erika James for a conversation on Jan. 27 to discuss the future of artificial intelligence as part of the Tarnopol Dean’s Lecture Series.

Titled “Embracing AI with Vision and Purpose,” the event drew 165 attendees in person and over 2,000 participants via a livestream on LinkedIn. Dedicated to spotlighting global leaders, the Tarnopol series serves as a platform for addressing critical societal issues, including AI’s potential and ethical implications.

Hoffman, who is featured in Wharton’s AI Leadership Program, introduced the concept behind his book “Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future,” which explores AI as a collective force that can amplify the potential of humans. Drawing comparisons to past technological shifts like the printing press and automobiles, Hoffman noted that current fears about AI’s impact mirror those of earlier innovations.

“The printing press was once feared to destroy human cognition, yet we have nothing of modern society without it,” Hoffman said to the audience. “The question is not just about the superpowers, but how you deliver them responsibly.”

While optimistic about AI’s possibilities, Hoffman acknowledged public skepticism, which James attributed to the abstract nature of AI in relation to more tangible technologies. Hoffman urged his audience to overcome their mistrust by engaging with AI tools directly, asking audience members to convert their challenges into opportunities. He added that certain tools like ChatGPT can help shift the public away from skepticism and toward curiosity and empowerment.

Hoffman also emphasized the role of educators and institutions like Penn in fostering “super agency” within their own communities. He described the shift from “being AI-fearful,

AI-skeptical, and AI-uncertain, to becoming AIcurious.”

To encourage a mindset of curiosity, Hoffman shared his approach to introducing hesitant individuals to AI.

“I’ll pull out my phone, turn on the audio mode, and demonstrate a few prompts tailored to their interests,” he said. “Then I’ll say, ‘Now it’s your turn.’ You don’t need to read ‘AI for Dummies’ before trying it out.”

Hoffman concluded his discussion with the ethics of AI usage. He stressed the importance of transparency and oversight throughout AI development, acknowledging risks like misinformation. Both Hoffman and James highlighted the need for responsible leadership to ensure AI benefits are distributed equitably and serve as tools for inclusion and not division.

Hoffman praised Wharton’s Accountable AI Lab for equipping students to think critically and ethically about AI. He encouraged Penn students and community members to approach AI with an open mindset and emphasized that active participation is essential for shaping the impact of technology.

After the event, Brianna Gurrell, a first-year Wharton MBA student, told the DP that AI could bridge gaps in less developed regions.

“Coming from Jamaica, where AI isn’t as developed, I see its potential as a positive,” she said. “Encouraging my mom to use tools like ChatGPT has been rewarding — she’s already using it to study and see how accessible AI can be.”

Hoffman also spoke privately to Alpha Omega Epsilon, a sorority for women in engineering and technical sciences at Penn, after the event.

Engineering junior and Alpha Omega Epsilon President Ashley Tang reflected on Hoffman’s remarks to the DP.

“He emphasized that AI isn’t here to take our jobs — it’s here to help us do them more efficiently,” she said.

A

of

JEAN PARK | MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Graduate Employees Together — University of Pennsylvania, Penn’s graduate student union, rallies in front of College Hall on Jan. 28.

CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Co-founder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman discusses the future of AI on Jan. 27.

At Penn, Mangione was involved in greek life, pursued a double-degree

suffering from back issues and “brain fog”

WILLIAM GRANTLAND AND

RIANA MAHTANI Staff Reporters

2020 Engineering graduate Luigi Mangione currently faces the possibility of a life sentence without parole in the state of New York and four federal charges that could result in the death penalty for the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

At his Dec. 23, 2024 arraignment in the New York State Supreme Court, Mangione pled not guilty to 11 charges — including first-degree murder, two variations of second-degree murder, and weapons charges. A week before, he pled not guilty to the Southern District of New York’s charges against him for murder through the use of a firearm, two stalking counts, and a firearms offense.

When Mangione was arrested, authorities found his 262-word note about his fight against the “parasitic” healthcare industry. In it, he wrote that Thompson’s murder was a “symbolic takedown and a direct challenge to [UnitedHealthcare’s] alleged corruption and ‘power games.’”

As the 26-year-old murder suspect’s past

continues to come under scrutiny, The Daily Pennsylvanian looked at Mangione’s ties to Penn.

While a student at Penn, Mangione pursued a dual degree in engineering and founded the University’s first game development club — all while periodically suffering from alleged back issues and “brain fog.”

Mangione graduated from Penn in 2020 with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer and information science after four years and was inducted into Penn’s Eta Kappa Nu honor society for excellence in electrical and computer engineering.

Several of the available courses for his degrees in computer and information science would have involved 3D printing knowledge. At the time of his arrest, Mangione was in possession of a 3Dprinted “ghost gun” in his backpack, which he is widely believed to have made himself.

Mangione was a member of Phi Kappa Psi, a University-affiliated fraternity. He suffered from mental and physical health problems while at Penn, which he claimed in a social media post

was exacerbated by his fraternity’s “hell week” — the final week of intense pledging ahead of initiation. Mangione also posted frequently on Reddit about his difficulty maintaining focus amid exhaustion and brain fog. His posts also attributed his decline in academic success to these issues, citing their negative impact on his overall wellbeing.

“It’s absolutely brutal to have such a life-halting issue,” Mangione wrote of his brain fog in a Reddit post. “The people around you probably won’t understand your symptoms — they certainly don’t for me.”

In screenshots of texts and voice memos obtained exclusively by the DP, a current Phi Psi brother said the new member education process for the fraternity included binge drinking and eating. According to the texts, the pledges had to “solve an ACT for [a] 36, straight drunk” and were “stuck” in a basement.

In a voice memo, the brother described an eating event as “really nasty” and said his “stomach [hurt] a lot.” The texts also included

a screenshot of a 9.07-mile pledging run the student tracked on a fitness application.

“We didn’t really sleep much,” he said in the voice memo. “I thought I was gonna be able to sleep between 7 [a.m.] to 9:30 [a.m.], but at 6 [a.m.] we did our running in between drinking.”

The DP could not determine whether the current new member education process has changed since Mangione was a pledge in the fraternity. Multiple members of Penn’s Phi Psi chapter directed requests for comment to the national organization.

The health problems Mangione allegedly faced seemed to be compounded by his back-related issues. Mangione’s now-deleted Reddit account first appeared in 2016 under the username “Mister_Cactus.” The user posted on a subreddit multiple times about spondylolisthesis, a condition where a bone slips out of alignment, putting pressure on nerves around the spine and lower vertebrae.

A July 2023 post indicated an injury flare-up around the region after “Mister_Cactus” had gone surfing, while other posts suggest the user had spinal fusion surgery around the same time. Medical professionals point to surgery as a lastresort option for patients like Mangione.

“In the gross majority of treatments, surgery is when everything else has failed to provide relief,” Jason Pittman, co-director of the Spine Center at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said to the Associated Press.

R.J. Martin, Mangione’s friend in Hawaii, reported similar information to NBC. Their last communication was in October, during which Martin asked Mangione if he had undergone spinal fusion surgery, and Mangione had responded with a photo showing screws in his back.

“You wouldn’t know he’s in pain until afterwards he might say, ‘Oh, sorry. I couldn’t get out of bed for a couple days.’ And that’s kind of the beginning and end of it,” Martin told NBC. While the killing prompted speculation that Mangione had negative personal experiences with the health care system, his Reddit posts point to a largely positive experience with spinal fusion surgery.

“Surgery was painful for the first couple days, but I was shocked that, by day seven, I was on literally zero pain meds,” Mangione posted on Reddit in August 2023. “Obviously will be awhile until I get into rigorous activity, but it was way less of a big deal than I had anticipated.”

INSIA HAQUE | DESIGN EDITOR

Rich and reich: The cost of billionaire immunity

MUSTAFA’S MUSINGS | ‘The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their fnal, most essential command.’ — George Orwell, ‘1984’

It began with a gesture. A deliberate motion of the arm, cutting through the air in a way that recalls some of the darkest chapters of history. Elon Musk, the wealthiest man in the world and a self-proclaimed champion of free speech, offered this Nazi salute during Donald Trump’s inauguration, leaving the crowd — and the world — to interpret its meaning.

Almost instantly, the clip found a home in the echo chambers of white supremacists. To them, it was a moment of validation. Christopher Pohlhaus of the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe shared the video adorned with lightning-bolt emojis, an homage to the Nazi SS, and gloated, “I don’t care if this was a mistake. I’m going to enjoy the tears over it.” Andrew Torba, founder of Gab — an infamous breeding ground for extremist propaganda — exclaimed how “incredible things are happening already.” The Proud Boys Ohio Chapter roared their approval with cries of “Hail Trump!” Far-right leaders reveled in

what they perceived to be a rallying cry, while Musk’s defenders scrambled to frame the moment as awkward, even attributing it to his autism — as if the two are mutually exclusive. One can be autistic and still propagate dangerous ideologies.

Musk, of course, offered no explicit denial. Instead, he dismissed the criticism with Nazi-themed puns and flippant tweets, claiming, “Some people will Goebbels anything down!” Experts like Amy Spitalnick, head of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, saw through the smokescreen. “The salute itself should be enough to warrant condemnation,” she said, adding that such gestures embolden violent extremists, regardless of intent.

To understand the weight of Musk’s actions, one must examine his history. Born in racially segregated South Africa, Musk grew up in a society where systemic oppression and white supremacy were not veiled but instead institutionalized. His family’s wealth and privilege

were built on a foundation of racial injustice, yet Musk rarely acknowledges this legacy. Instead, he aligns himself with ideologies that mirror the power dynamics of his upbringing.

Recently, Musk spoke at a rally for the far-right Alternative for Germany — a party known for its anti-immigrant stance — ironic given Musk’s own status as an immigrant. He urged the country to “move beyond” its Nazi history, echoing rhetoric that dangerously downplays historical accountability. In Italy, he has become a cultural touchstone for Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government, which drape its nationalism in the language of cultural preservation and repackagess exclusionary policies as patriotic pride. Intervening in British politics, Musk has championed Tommy Robinson, a far-right, anti-Islam provocateur. His amplification of the “Great Replacement” theory cements his role as a megaphone for white nationalist fears while cloaking his contradictions in the name of modernity and progress.

Not long ago, Musk even threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League, accusing them of tarnishing his reputation after they called out his role in amplifying antisemitism on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Yet today, the ADL stands in his corner. It’s not just a betrayal of principle — it’s a concession to the uncomfortable reality that antisemitism, in the hands of the “right” figure, can be reframed, forgiven, or simply ignored. Enter Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who hails Musk as a “friend of Israel,” underscoring how Zionism, after all, is a political project, and like any project, it leans on those who can fund or bolster it.

As the world bends over backward for yet another prejudiced billionaire, another story far removed from the wealth and spectacle of Musk’s world is taking place. On college

campuses, students protesting oppression have found themselves under relentless scrutiny. These are not violent agitators or extremists; they are young people speaking up for human rights. Yet, their dissent has been met with hostility: accusations of antisemitism often from the very organizations and individuals who eagerly defend Musk himself. At Penn, the machinery of surveillance has turned its gaze toward these students. Digital footprints have been combed through, phone records examined, and router data pulled. Let’s not pretend this is about “protecting campus communities” or ensuring security.

It’s about power — who wields it and who dares to challenge it. When students protest systems of violence, they’re not just dismissed; they’re treated as threats to be neutralized. Meanwhile, Elon Musk, a man who amplifies white nationalist rhetoric on X and replicates the Nazi salute, gets a free pass. Why? Because when power stumbles, we cushion its fall.

The students protesting on campuses across the world are not the villains of this story. The lead roles are privilege and selective outrage. Protests are criminalized, activism is pathologized, and people like Musk are insulated from accountability through their billions. While it began with a gesture, it didn’t stop there. Musk’s salute is a microcosm of a broader societal trend: the normalization of extremism and the criminalization of dissent. Will we hold the powerful to account, or will we allow their wealth to dictate our morality?

LALA MUSTAFA is a College junior studying international relations and history from Baku, Azerbaijan. Her email address is lmustafa@sas.upenn. edu.

Preprofessionalism won’t save us from the robots

DIYA-LOGUES |

Recently, my friend and I attended a networking event (in classic Penn-student fashion) and decided to run a little experiment. Every time we met a computer science or finance major, we’d take a sip of water. 15 minutes (and five bathroom breaks) later, we had our answer: We’re drowning in preprofessionalism. It’s no secret that the liberal arts are in decline. Between 2003 and 2017, Penn saw a 37% drop in humanities degrees. History, once one of the most popular majors on campus, has experienced a staggering 46% decline since 2005.

Meanwhile, waitlists for computer science classes are now longer than the line in front of Pret on a Monday morning.

This shift isn’t just about student preferences. Universities themselves are redesigning their priorities. In 2017, the Wharton School halved its foreign language requirement, citing the growing importance of “technology, innovation, and analytics.” Some schools, like Marymount University, have gone further, cutting majors like English and philosophy entirely, claiming they no longer align with student demand. Schools like Missouri Western State University and Eastern Kentucky University are making similar moves. What

A case

for

the

liberal arts in the age of AI

once made the American university experience unique — its emphasis on broad-based learning — is being traded for hyper-specialized fields promising clearer career paths. Less “learning how to think,” more “learning how to earn.”

As a College student, I find it hard not to feel this educational undercurrent. Wharton and School of Engineering and Applied Science friends seem to have their trajectories mapped: Goldman internships, SpaceX jobs, and impressive-sounding titles nobody fully understands. Being “undecided” about your future — even at 19 years old — feels borderline criminal. Preprofessional tracks seem boring, sure, but they also seem like guaranteed paths to financial stability. Right? Not exactly. Here’s the thing: the promise of stability? Not so stable after all.

According to the World Economic Forum, 65% of children entering primary school today will work in jobs that don’t even exist. Even for “safe” majors like computer science, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 10% decline in programming jobs over the next decade with AI tools automating major portions of software development. Anything repetitive or structured, whether it be customer service or accounting, will have “artificial intelligence” written all over it. So, that made me think: If even these supposedly “secure” paths are being disrupted, what won’t AI replace? The things we can’t quantify. The things that make us human — creativity, judgment, emotional intelligence, adaptability, ethics — aka the skills that liberal arts programs have been teaching for centuries.

At some point, the liberal arts morphed into a kind of caricature — a privileged indulgence, reserved for those who could “afford to learn for the sake of learning.” But they were never

meant to be luxuries. The very term “liberal” stems from liberalis, meaning “worthy of a free person.” In Ancient Greece and Rome, the liberal arts weren’t indulgent; they were essential for creating functional citizens who could debate, serve on juries, and lead civic life.

Today, as we face political unrest, social inequality, and massive technological change, don’t we still — if not more so — need people who can think critically, act ethically, and understand similar historical implications? Who else will wrestle with the ethical consequences of AI? Who else will tackle the messy human problems like systemic racism, climate change, and gun violence, challenges that no algorithm can solve?

The future of jobs is also going to demand the very skills that liberal arts cultivate. A 2016 report from the World Economic Forum found that many formerly “pure technical” jobs will require “creativity, critical reasoning, and problem sensitivity.” AI’s reliance on predictive technology means it’s never truly creating — only synthesizing what humans have already produced. We’ll still need the next Shakespeares to write new stories, the next Spielbergs to envision new genres, and, frankly, a grounding in philosophy to remind us why we’re learning at all in a world that often feels dehumanizing.

So, to my Wharton and Engineering School peers: Don’t roll your eyes at your “fun” humanities electives or skip them because you “don’t have time.” Gen ed classes aren’t just hoops to jump through — they’re a key part of making us more than a glorified trade school. At its core, Penn isn’t just buildings and rankings; it’s the product of our collective minds. Lose the humanities, and we lose what makes us human.

And to my fellow College-ites? Don’t abandon what you love just because it doesn’t feel

“practical” in an impractical future. College graduate Tory Burch built her billion-dollar brand with an art history degree, citing everything she knows about business from her working experience. And if you’re still worried about job prospects, know that according to a 2023 report from Penn Career Services, 48% of College graduates land top finance and consulting jobs — humanities degree and all. That being said, I still do believe higher education could do better. The liberal arts shouldn’t just exist in a vacuum. Here at Penn, as the College rethinks its foundational requirements, we have an opportunity to lead the way. Let’s facilitate interdisciplinary education, making unique, uncoordinated dual-degrees — like climate change and machine learning or philosophy and AI — easier to pursue without a long list of redundant requirements. Let’s build spaces where technology and the humanities can intersect, like Stanford University’s Humanities Lab, using computational techniques to study literature and history or develop existing, exciting projects like our very own Wharton Neuroscience Initiative.

We can’t cling to old ideas of education in a world that’s rapidly changing. But we also can’t afford to lose what makes education meaningful.

So, study what you love. Do what fulfills you. And each step of the way, ask yourself: How is this class or project changing the way I think and see the world? Because in a future where AI can do almost “everything,” the world will belong to those who do what it can’t.

DIYA CHOKSEY is a College first year studying cognitive science from Mumbai, India. Her email is dchoksey@sas.upenn.edu.

PHOTO BY STEVE JURVETSON | CC BY 2.0

Columnist Lala Mustafa discusses the double standards of speech, exemplified by Elon Musk’s “Roman salute.”

T FONG | DESIGN ASSOCIATE

Columnist Diya Choksey argues that Penn students should continue pursuing liberal arts to develop human skills in the coming age of artificial intelligence.

The 2024 Report on Diversity at The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc.

GUEST COLUMN | Sarah Marcus

The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. seeks to inform and drive conversation while providing enduring student experiences in journalism and leadership. In order to make sure that our work — both internally and externally — is representative and informative to the Penn community and beyond, it is crucial that we evaluate our organization and maintain our commitment to growth and learning.

During its tenure, the DP’s 140th Board of editors and managers believed that in order to accurately report on the community around us, it was crucial for the DP to embrace a culture of inclusivity and belonging and work to have a staff consisting of a diverse range of perspectives. The 141st Board is committed to continuing this mission.

The DP has collected demographic data of its community seven times before this, and published it four times previously. In other years, this report was published at the end of the calendar year from which it reflected data. For this report, we are publishing at the beginning of 2025 — not only to reflect on the initiatives conducted by the 140th Board, but also to include the DP’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Standards team’s goals for this upcoming year.

The information in this report reflects the fall 2024 demographics of 260 members of the company, across the DP, 34th Street Magazine, and Under the Button. The survey included both appointed and elected board members as well as the general staff who represent the majority of the company. The DP staff was also polled during spring 2024, and that data will be referenced in situations where the fall and spring data vary drastically. Our staff and board members are disproportionately Asian and white compared to Penn’s undergraduate population. The percentage of respondents who identified as Asian grew from 43% in the 2023 report to 48% in 2024. Additionally, the percentage of respondents who identified as white in 2023 decreased by six percentage points in 2024.

Black and Hispanic/Latino students are still underrepresented at the DP compared with Penn’s undergraduate population. The percentage of staff and board members who identified as Black decreased from 7% to 6% between 2023 and 2024. The percentage of DP members who identified as Latinx/Hispanic decreased from 9% to 3% between 2023 and 2024. This significant decrease will become the main focus for the DIS department to address during 2025 through our outreach and belonging efforts.

In order to address the lack of Black, Indigenous, and Latino students at the DP, the DIS department was created. In the spring of 2024, the department had five staffers, and in the fall of 2024, the department grew to almost 20 staffers. The growth of the DIS department is a reflection of the DP’s commitment to progress.

Within the department, staffers work on projects dedicated to increasing representation both within the DP’s coverage and its staff. To specifically address the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic/Latino students in the DP, the DIS team has begun outreach to cultural groups on campus. The aim of this outreach is to both understand how the DP is perceived across campus and to help us recognize where we can improve regarding our coverage.

Unlike many newsroom organizations, women are well represented on staff or in leadership at the DP. While Penn’s undergraduate population is roughly 53% women, 70% of staff respondents and 64% of Board respondents identify as female.

We are proud that the DP has made progress in gender diversity over the years, but that doesn’t mean that the company will stop working to ensure that it becomes an inclusive space for people of all genders.

While Penn releases the percentage of admitted students who identify as first-generation or low-income, the University does not publicly release data on the

You are absolutely nobody (but that’s fine)

LET’S BE FRANC | Why you have never had an original thought

Who do you think you are? No, seriously. I do not mean your hometown and major elevator pitch or your icebreaker fun fact; I mean, who is living your life? You assume there is a coherent and integral self pulling all the strings, but is that true? Sure, you “chose” Penn or Goldman or to attend medical school. But what about the myriad subtle influences, parental advice, and cultural norms? We may have free will, but when will we stop dismissing the congenital fabric of life? Let me explain. At Penn, you are your achievements, and your self-worth is supposedly contingent on the daily display of those achievements. Firm handshakes, shoulders back, fancy outfits, freshly polished resumes, bogus smiles. Self-curation culture coincides with performance culture. Every class, club, event, fair, and interaction requires you to introduce yourself, accustoming you to the relentless pursuit of likability. I am sick of introducing myself because I am incessantly reaffirming my identity: “I,” “I,” and “I.” What I am trying to get at is that the more we present our “self,” the more entrenched we become in the illusion that “I” is a compartmentalized and self-made entity. We assume that we are the authors of a linear step-by-step life script. We get so lost in the obsession of our path that we wear tunnel-vision goggles and forget how many decisions have in fact already been made for us.

I am genetically made of other people. I write in a language I did not create with rules I did not invent and that I was not self-taught, although our combination of words can also give birth to a unique voice (as I strive to do). I am a kaleidoscopic mosaic of

all the books I have read, movies I have watched, classes I have taken, people I have met, conversations I have enjoyed, and places I have visited.

My combination of those elements may be unique (I may be the only Sicilian who got a scholarship to Penn and joined The Daily Pennsylvanian) but there is not a single element uniquely mine, in that each individual piece of experience residing in my mind resides in someone else’s too. Even my articles are nothing original. I am fundamentally a consumer of already existing knowledge which I like to process, feel intensely, package, and pitch to you (I am in the Wharton School, after all) to create dialogue.

Here is a liberating truth, if a tad unsettling: You are not unique. Your thoughts are an ineffable mixture of ideas you did not creatively think up. Anything from your favorite expressions to your deepest convictions is borrowed from the world around you. However, that need not be an exasperating ignominious failure, but rather an indispensable reminder that you — excuse me, we — are simply a part of something larger. As my mentor and Religious Studies professor Justin McDaniel (from whom I recycle most of my ideas) would say, we just “recombine the circulating economies of knowledge in unique ways.”

Of course, I do not believe for a second we are doomed to a predetermined life of passivity. Quite the opposite. When you let go of the illusion of being a singular, exceptional “I,” you free yourself to embrace a life of delightful contradictions. Why not see your obligations in life as opportunities for spontaneity and absurdity? Why not laugh at the futility of trying to control life and instead focus on being a delightful, imperfect, work in progress?

The truth is, I am petrified at how many Penn students are desperately trying to prove that they are extraordinary. It is not stupid, and it is certainly not their fault, but it is saddening. The world does not need more extraordinary heroes. The world needs those who can find the marvel of an ordinary life, who can “make the ordinary come alive,” as poet William Martin assures us. Trust us. If you do that, the extraordinary will take care of itself.

Perhaps I am looking at life upside down, but at least for now, I am fine being an absolute nobody. What I truly seek is a displacement of identity to unravel my mind. I do not want to be someone just to be someone. So the next time you come talk to me about yourself starting a sentence with “I,” I hope you will not be surprised if I ask you: Who is this “I,” really?

SALAMONE is a Wharton junior studying decision processes from Palermo, Italy. His email address is frasala@wharton. upenn.edu.

percentage of current undergraduate students who identify as FGLI. For that reason, it is difficult to determine how representative the DP is of the student body in this regard.

However, there is still a clear disparity between the percentages of FGLI students on the Board and on the staff. Compared to the 2023 survey, the percentage of FGLI students has stayed the same for our staff, but has decreased by eight percentage points among our Board members.

During 2025, DIS department staff will also focus on internal aspects of the DP to address the decrease in FGLI students in Board positions at the DP, through community initiatives to ensure that people aren’t restricted from applying for leadership positions because of financial responsibilities.

The number of respondents who identified as international students increased from 12% in 2023 to 16% in 2024. This number remains consistent with the percentage of Penn’s international undergraduate population.

The percentage of students who attend the College of Arts and Sciences decreased by 12 percentage points among Board members and six percentage points among DP staff. Students from the College are well represented at the DP, but we are glad that our recruiting efforts have increased the number of students from other Penn schools.

Penn does not collect data on religion or disability, so there are no available points of comparison for these categories. DP data is included below.

DIS Deputy Directors Alyma Karbownik and Hailey Griffis contributed reporting.

SARAH MARCUS is a College sophomore studying law and society. She currently serves as the director of diversity, inclusion, and sandards for The Daily Pennsylanian, Inc. Her email is disdirector@thedp.com.

Anonymity is killing college

PIPER’S PEN PAL | How Penn’s culture is inhibiting students from true self-discovery and the college experience

Think Rory Gilmore, Amory Blaine, Carmen Lowell, and practically every character in “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” For these characters, and the young and free high school graduates watching them, college appears to be a period of self-discovery and wild liberation. College functions as a sort of dress rehearsal for the play of life. There are no stakes in trying on a dress you’d never wear, playing an identity you haven’t tried, or testing an experience that might not work. There’s no pressure of permanence but rather a fleeting chaos of just “becoming.” College is meant to embody freedom and introspection, expression without fear or limitation. Yet at Penn, this ideal feels out of reach.

As a student from a small high school, I was exhilarated to escape the watchful gaze and narrow judgements of my peers. I was coming to Penn, and I was ready to find the real me; ready to have my Felicity moment or blossom in university like Marianne Sheridan. However, what I soon found is that after New Student Orientation, Penn was functioning in the same ways as high school did. It suddenly wasn’t the mid-sized university I was promised. Everyone knows everyone, and if you don’t, you know their friend, roommate, classmate, etc.

There’s nothing wrong with having a close community — in some cases, it can help Penn feel more manageable. The problem arises when students organize themselves into high school-esque cliques and spread information about other students.

I would lie if I said I hadn’t participated in the same process with friends — the nightly categorizing of new information about our peers, building a sort of filing system with their profiles. This process was a buoy to catch my flailing and nervous firstyear self in a sea of strangers. I began organizing people by their associations as if a club, greek organization, or major could tell me everything I needed to know about them. Suddenly, it seemed as if I recognized everyone I saw at Stommons. I’d already been briefed with their life story, embarrassing nights, and current situationships. People I’d never met were doing the same thing, reciting information about my own life I’d never shared with them. This attitude is counterproductive to the liberated exploration that college should be, feeling much more like the shackles holding me down in my small town.

Sidechat boasts thousands of posts by Penn students each day, all anonymously. The spread of information goes beyond word of mouth, with little

“Penn” usernames discussing people on campus with their initials. No information is safe, and often, it’s not the kindest.

I’m far from praising Sidechat, but I’m more interested in examining why Penn students rely on anonymity so much. The anonymous app feels like the only medium in which students are truly expressing their unfiltered thoughts, experiences, and discussions about campus culture. Why is this so?

Does Penn’s culture require anonymity?

The short answer is yes, but it shouldn’t have to. An ongoing critique of elite universities is their lack of free speech and tolerance. In a 2024 survey by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Penn was ranked fourth-worst for free speech on campus. Free speech is typically discussed in the realm of political opinions being stifled, but freedom of speech goes beyond politics. If discussing intimate parts of your life means that information shared in confidence is spread, discussed, and defiled, how is it really free? Can students really discover themselves and gain their own perspective?

You guessed it: They can’t. Penn’s culture has students using anonymity as a crutch. Students can’t speak freely or act freely in a way that is integral to our development in college.

I see the allure of anonymity, and as an opinion columnist I still often struggle to articulate thoughts in class, social situations, and even writing, fearing social consequences. As a student newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian aims to report on and expose Penn students to these real conversations. Yet gathering student perspectives is harder than ever. Students are hesitant to express or speak without anonymity in fear they will alienate themselves and face social repercussions, especially in subjects pertaining to greek life, politics, and campus dynamics. Discussion of these topics is confined to the hallowed dorm rooms and silent walls of GSRs. Penn should foster an environment where students feel free to express themselves. We should feel emboldened to speak out through our opinions and reveal our true selves, even when that means being wrong.

In the age of media activism, the terms “safe spaces” and “cancel culture” are popular yet invisible and are untouchable boundaries that dictate how we interact with each other. 2020 College graduate and former DP opinion columnist Ton Nguyen says it best: “Harmful language should never be tolerated. But consider the dangers of silencing people’s true opinions. We can hold a critical view of the world while also checking our own egos and biases to understand where others are coming from.” Penn students are far from perfect, and we shouldn’t expect every word or action from young adults to be perfect. However, on a campus that makes any expression a risk, we cannot expect valuable exploration to occur. Penn should create a community where anonymity isn’t required to speak and nurture a culture that celebrates diversity in thought. We must give our peers more grace than what we hear about them and learn to hear their thoughts with consideration rather than judgement. Students, take off the masks you wear — over anonymous platforms, but also in real life. College is meant to be wild and messy and experimental and freeing. Make Penn a place where discovering who we are doesn’t have to come with consequences. Speak up and mess up. We shouldn’t need anonymity to do so.

PIPER SLINKA-PETKA is a College first year studying health and societies from West Virginia. Her email address is pipersp@sas.upenn. edu.

JACKSON FORD | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Sarah Marcus, the DIS director of The Daily Pennsylvanian, poses with a copy of the DP.

FRANCESCO

DP FILE PHOTO

Columnist Francesco Salamone challenges the illusion of a self-made “I.”

DEREK WONG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Senior columnist Piper Slinka-Petka discusses how Penn’s culture of judgement forces students to hide behind anonymity.

In Photos: Penn

Luther King Jr. Commemorative Symposium

Events for the symposium began on Jan. 20 and will run through Feb. 2

Staff Photographers, Staff Reporter, and

“It’s

On Jan. 23, the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith and Awards Commemoration — a partnership between the Office of the Chaplain, the Office of the President, and AARC — took place, featuring performances from community groups and a keynote speech from Princeton University Professor and bestselling author Eddie Glaude. The event also included the presentation of five Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Involvement Recognition Awards.

Bois House, organized by

spoke

Penn’s Center for Africana Studies honored historian and Harvard sociology professor Orlando Patterson with the Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award at the Zellerbach Theatre on Jan. 21. Patterson received the 24th annual award for his extensive research into Jamaican slavery. Awarded as a collaboration between the Center for Africana Studies and the Annenberg School for Communication, the recognition highlights an individual with “influential scholarship and commitment to social justice.”

SANJANA JUVVADI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SADIE SCOTT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SANJANA JUVVADI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SANJANA JUVVADI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

DEVANSH RANIWALA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SADIE SCOTT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

TRUMP, from front page

pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you,” Trump said in the fact sheet for the order.

“I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.”

The fact sheet promises “immediate action” and prosecution from the DOJ against all threats against American Jews and calls for “all federal resources” to help combat antisemitism on “campuses and streets,” specifically “anti-Jewish racism in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities.”

A University spokesperson declined to comment on the particular executive order, and a request for comment was left with the White House.

In a statement responding to the new executive order, Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) praised Trump for “keeping his promise to protect our students, hold schools accountable, fight campus antisemitism, and empower parents to be stewards of their children’s education.”

“This is a much-needed change from the previous administration, which put politics over students for the past four years,” Walberg continued. “We are finally putting our students first.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations released a statement on Wednesday calling the executive order “a dishonest, overbroad and unenforceable attack on both free speech and the humanity of Palestinians.”

“It’s time for President Trump to pursue an America First agenda, not an Israel First agenda,” the group wrote.

Numerous pro-Palestinian protests took place on Penn’s campus last year, culminating with the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on College Green, which lasted for 16 days near the end of the spring 2024 semester and resulted in the arrest of 33 individuals, including nine Penn

students. It remains unclear how Penn students involved with pro-Palestinian protests might be affected by the order.

Earlier this month, Trump announced the reversal of a policy that previously declared “sensitive locations” — such as schools, churches, hospitals, colleges, funerals, and rallies — off limits to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.

“This action empowers the brave men and women in [Customs and Border Protection] and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murders and rapists—who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” a U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson wrote in a statement. “The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”

In November 2016, shortly before Trump took office for his first term, then-Penn President Amy Gutmann announced that Penn would be a “sanctuary” for undocumented students and that the University would not allow ICE raids to occur on campus.

“I know everyone is afraid, and everyone is highly critical of Penn for not doing anything about it or publicly supporting their undocumented and immigrant population,” a Penn for Immigrant Rights Executive Board member — who was granted anonymity for personal safety reasons — told The Daily Pennsylvanian.

The member added that many of her fellow board members felt that Trump’s status as a Penn alumnus “became a little more important [to the University] than the students” and added that they believe a lack of preparation on the part of Penn may cause the situation to become “chaotic.”

In a written statement to the DP, the Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies said that it ”always been a welcoming place for the Penn community to gather and explore ways to study and address the most pressing challenges Latin American and Latinx cultures and populations face, including immigration.”

“We will continue supporting our affiliated faculty and students in achieving this mission,”

Ghost Robotics, subject of proPalestinian protests, to leave Pennovation Works

The company, which activists allege has produced the robotic dogs used by the Israeli military in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, has been the source of extended protests at Penn

AUDREY LEVENSON Staff Reporter

Ghost Robotics, a company that produces and sells four-legged robot dogs, will be moving out of its current location at Pennovation Works following months of protests.

In a press release from Jan. 22, the company said it will be moving in order to “transition to the next phase of growth and its commitment to advancing the field of robotics.” The new location will be elsewhere in Philadelphia.

“We are thrilled to be moving to a new space,”

said Ghost Robotics CEO Gavin Kenneally, who earned his Ph.D. from Penn in 2021, in a press release. “The expanded space and advanced infrastructure will support our rapid growth and facilitate greater innovation.”

The press release noted that the company has experienced “significant growth since its founding in 2015,” largely due to its quadrupedal robots. The new office space will provide ”ample room for future expansion.”

Wharton Undergraduate Healthcare Club annual conference explores health care systems around the world

The conference, entitled “Healthcare Beyond Borders,” included talks from two keynote speakers, panel sessions, and a career fair

SERENA EL FEGHALI Staff Reporter

Wharton Undergraduate Healthcare Club hosted its annual undergraduate health care conference on Jan. 25 at the Inn at Penn, featuring Daiichi Sankyo Chairman, President, and CEO Ken Keller; Novartis United States Chief Commercial Officer Reshema KempsPolanco; and other industry leaders as guest speakers.

The conference, titled “Healthcare Beyond Borders,” included talks from two keynote speakers, panel sessions, and a career fair, with representatives from the Perelman School of Medicine, Boston Consulting Group, and Prenuvo Medical Group. Attendants could choose which session to attend. The daylong conference consisted of discussions on the interconnectedness of health systems around the world with a focus on biotech, policy, pandemics, and precision medicine.

The first “fireside chat” featuring Keller focused on the value of customer-centric leadership. There’s nothing more powerful than being a senior executive who actually knows customers. It’s a rare but invaluable asset,” Keller said. He urged attendees to maintain a close connection with the people their organizations serve, regardless of their specific roles.

The discussion also touched on the role of pricing in the U.S. healthcare system. Keller acknowledged the complexity of the system, describing it as “a convoluted network that has evolved over time.” While he recognized the need for reform, he emphasized the intricate balance between funding groundbreaking research and ensuring affordability for patients. The conversation was mediated by Mark Sellmyer, Professor of Radiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics at Penn Medicine.

Keller ended his talk with similar sentiments stating that making an impact on others’ lives is his priority, whether it be by overseeing the creation of something as revolutionary as TNF-alpha inhibitors for arthritis or by being recognized by his employees as someone who propelled them forward in their careers.

the Center wrote.

A spokesperson for the Division of University Life — which oversees cultural spaces on campus such as La Casa Latina — wrote to the DP that it “remains committed to supporting all student communities and their sense of belonging on campus.”

“Our Cultural Resource Centers will continue offering resources, programming, and space so that every Penn student feels supported and valued,” the spokesperson wrote.

As Trump also cracks down on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Jameson emphasized that Penn continues to prioritize “non-discrimination and prizing excellence” and that the University remains committed to its values.

“This approach guides how we identify and recruit the most talented individuals based on their accomplishments and potential,” he added.

Trump’s executive orders have culled DEI initiatives across the federal government — and encouraged similar actions at private corporations, nonprofits, and universities.

On his second day in office, Trump issued an order mandating that all executive agencies and federally funded educational institutions — including Penn — eliminate DEI programs that may violate federal civil rights laws.

The order requires the U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Secretary of Education to issue guidance to all federally funded state and local educational agencies, as well as higher education institutions receiving federal grants or participating in Title IV student loan programs, within 120 days.

“Institutions of higher education have adopted and actively use dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion,’” the order reads.

Trump’s appointees to the U.S. Department of Education are also tasked with pushing universities, including Penn, to scale back DEI policies.

Penn has DEI offices across its 12 graduate and undergraduate schools. The University of Pennsylvania Health System also has its own set of DEI initiatives.

Sonja Ogden, an executive assistant in Penn

The company, which activists allege produced the robotic dogs used by the Israeli military in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, has been the source of extended protests at Penn. The Washington Post confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces were using robot dogs to explore Hamas’ tunnels in December 2023, though it did not specify which company produced them.

The Daily Pennsylvanian cannot confirm if Ghost Robotics robots are used by the IDF.

“We will keep organizing and fighting for a world where weapons and companies like Ghost are obsolete,” pro-Palestinian student organizers wrote on Instagram. “Our struggle continues.”

Ghost Robotics is a participant in the Penn Center for Innovation Ventures’ UPstart program, which supports early-stage startups “founded on Penn technology.” According to its website, PCIV “actively seeks entrepreneurs to lead its companies and investors to provide funding for a portfolio of new ventures in development.”

Protesters have repeatedly called on the University to cut ties with Ghost Robotics. In June 2024, about a dozen demonstrators entered the Engineering Quad’s Towne Building to deliver a petition

Medicine’s Neurology Department who was charged with spearheading DEI programs, described a “flurry of emergent meetings” taking place as Penn Medicine took stock of a funding freeze that the White House announced on Tuesday and suddenly rescinded Wednesday afternoon. She wrote that the system was organizing town halls and letters to elected officials. The freeze would have affected all federal funding and was blocked by a federal judge later on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the White House reversed the order that had frozen trillions of dollars in federal grants, leading to further confusion.

“[W]e are working with our academic and government relations colleagues to understand and respond to the potential impact of these events,” UPHS Interim Executive Vice President and Perelman School of Medicine Dean Jonathan Epstein wrote in an email to affiliates on Jan. 23.

Funding for Penn Medicine from the National Institutes of Health has remained in limbo after the Trump administration moved to freeze communications from United States health agencies — including the NIH — last week. The pause is set to last through at least the end of the month. In his email, Epstein added that Penn is working to understand the impacts of these changes and acknowledged the “anxiety” they are causing.

“Please know that we are working with our academic and government relations colleagues to understand and respond to the potential impact of these events,” Epstein wrote. “We are working closely with your department chairs and institute/center directors, and we remain focused on our strategic priorities.”

In the message, Epstein added that the current circumstances reminded him of the COVID-19 pandemic, when “information arrived frequently but the implications for the future were hard to predict.”

“Then and at other times during our long history, we have learned how adaptable and resilient we are when we support one another and innovate to meet every challenge,” Epstein wrote. “I believe that our strength lies in our shared commitment to our missions, to our patients, to our trainees, and to one another.”

against the connection between the two groups. At the time, the petition had over 3,000 signatures. Six protesters received trespassing citations from Penn Police.

In December, students and faculty reiterated their concerns about Penn’s connection with Ghost Robotics at a University Council meeting. Physics Ph.D. candidate William Chan described the University as “complicit in genocide” because of its ties with the company, echoing a common sentiment among activists.

During a panel about Biotech’s next Venture, Troy Mullane, Managing Director and Partner at Boston’s Consulting Group, spoke specifically about the intersection between business and medicine during a panel about Biotech’s next venture. “The impact one can have by being involved in business of medicine is just much greater than other businesses,” Mullane said. Pfizer CEO and Chairman Albert Bourla; Regeneron Co-Founder, President, and Chief Scientific Officer George Yancopoulos; and other industry leaders were guest speakers at the 2024 WUHC conference.

Nearly 300 new undergraduate members were inducted into WUHC this year. “[This year] has been truly transformational,” Wharton Junior Alina Zaidi, co-VP of Conference at the Wharton Undergraduate Healthcare Club said. She hopes that the attendees will walk away with new inspiration and ideas for their own years ahead.

HANS BODE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The 12th annual WUHC undergraduate health care conference was hosted at The Inn at Penn on Jan. 25.

ABHIRAM JUVVADI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pennovation Works is located at 3401 Grays Ferry Ave.

NBA , from back page

one; Donahue personally knows Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson and Warriors coach Steve Kerr, while Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins is a Penn alum. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s friendship with former Penn coach Fran Dunphy has also made San Antonio a frequent guest.

But both Donahue and Haughey agree that the legacy of the venues is the primary draw. Donahue said that NBA players “appreciate this kind of building,” including the Cavaliers’ shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, shooting guard Ty Jerome, and forward Georges Niang, all of whom Donahue recruited during his time at Boston College. Haughey added that coaches like the 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan have “an understanding of the historic value for Franklin Field and the Palestra.”

Hosting professionals also has its perks for Penn.

“It builds our brand when we get to have these teams and host them here,” Haughey said. “So it’s a mutual benefit. They get to show their teams the history of the sport … but then we also get to say ‘Hey, we have some of these teams coming in to work out at our facilities.’”

In other ways, the impact of rubbing elbows with the best in the sport is impossible to describe. When asked his favorite memory from an NBA team practicing at the Palestra, Donahue smiled and pointed to the court’s west baseline.

“The Warriors used our team room, and as they’re going in to watch film, [Steph] Curry shoots it from there, and hits it on [the opposite] basket. Some of our guys saw it.”

“It was beyond the court, and he swished it,” Donahue said with a laugh. “We should have had it filmed.”

Penn women’s swimming shattered three program records in the regular season

Freshman Kayla Fu performs freestyle during swim practice on Nov. 19, 2024.

the program the potential to step into the spotlight athletically for the first time in decades.

WEINING DING | MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

In a season without a pool to call home, Penn women’s swimming and diving swam past the wintry storm and emerged anew. The Quakers finished the regular season with 8-4 overall and 3-4 conference records — greatly improving their 4-6 and 1-6 records from last year, thanks to a combination of standout freshmen and improved performance of the overall team. While the team didn’t have access to Sheerr Pool, the team adapted and progressed amid the change.

“I’m amazed at how well we’ve swam … given all the challenges we have this year without having any facilities,” coach Mike Schnur said. “We were training maybe 75% of what we usually do. … It’s been a very challenging year, and they’ve responded beautifully.”

Indeed, the women’s team has had many exceptional performances this season.

Freshman butterfly and freestyle specialist Kayla Fu came out the gate swinging — recording consistent victories in the 50-yard free, 100y free, and 100y fly events. Fu also notched a new program record in the 100y fly at a tri-meet in November 2024.

Junior freestyle specialist Anna Moehn’s performance at the Big Al Invitational earned her three NCAA B-Cut qualifying times, with 1:46.77 in the 200y free, 4:41.61 in the 500y free, and 16:04.71 in the 1650y free. Moehn looks to make a second trip to the NCAA championships following her appearances in the 500y and 1650y free events last year.

Also at the Big Al invite, sophomore individual medley specialist Katya Eruslanova broke two school records: her program record in 200y IM and 2024 graduate Anna Kalandadze’s 400y IM program record. With stellar performances and a drastic improvement of their overall and conference records last year, the Quakers have their eyes set on gold at the Ivy League championships in February.

“I hope we’ll be as aggressive and as focused and as team-oriented as we were at [the Big Al Invitational],” said Schnur. “I expect us to be pretty fast ... and hopefully two or three more women can join in at NCAA this year.”

The Red and Blue are set to appear next at the Ivy League championships held in Princeton, N.J. from Feb. 19-22.

DECISION, from back page

greener pastures, including star former guard Tyler Perkins’ shocking departure to Villanova. Spinoso wrote that he is “not surprised” by the Ivy League’s decision.

“Honestly, I’m not surprised that the Ivy League is opting out of it,” Spinoso wrote in a statement. “I understand there are a lot of pros and cons on either side, but I’m a senior and I’ve got five months left here, I’m honestly not too concerned about it. I’m sure it would be nice to get something, but I’m used to it by now and haven’t been expecting anything.”

Senior quarterback and Penn football captain Aidan Sayin found himself in a similar position. Also a four-year starter, Sayin has also witnessed a young star — sophomore running back Malachi Hosley — announce his departure from the program.

“The Ivy League’s decision doesn’t surprise me much, but I still don’t understand it,” Sayin wrote. “Opting into ‘House’ as a league could provide an easier pathway for its schools to compensate their players.”

Despite expecting the decision, Sayin doesn’t fully understand why the Ivy League wouldn’t use this situation to its advantage to make up for the ban on athletic scholarships — which would give

“With no current athletic scholarships, it would be a radical change for the Ivy League, much more than any other league,” Sayin wrote, expressing concern that athlete retention will become increasingly difficult as the Ivy League falls behind financially.

“Opportunities elsewhere will continue to take the top players in the league from each sport at an even higher rate than we saw over the past few years,” he wrote.

Transfer Athletes

Recent graduate transfer Isabella Whittaker, who was part of the recent 4x400-meter relay pool for the Paris Olympics and holds a multitude of Ivy League records for the 400m relay, went past the disappointment expressed by current athletes about the decision. Whittaker, who recently transferred to Arkansas to further her track career, accused the Ivy League of taking advantage of its students.

“The recent Ivy League decision to opt out of the House v. NCAA antitrust settlement only further epitomizes the reality of Ivy League athletics: they do not support their athletes,” Whittaker wrote to the DP. “As a former student-athlete who has single-handedly helped to uplift the Penn program, I am extremely disappointed. Ivy league schools are under the impression that they can take, use, and reuse their athletes and give them nothing in return.”

Hosley, the 2024 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, recently announced his transfer to Georgia Tech, where he will now have the ability to benefit lucratively from direct NIL opportunities available to Athletic Coast Conference players. He expressed a similar disdain for the decision, writing that the decision feels “outdated” and questioned how opting out will affect competitiveness.

“It reinforces outdated notions of amateurism that fail to reflect the modern realities of collegiate athletics, and wide the gap between Ivy League athletes and those in other conferences — potentially affecting recruitment and overall competitiveness,” Hosley wrote in a statement.

“And I believe it will hurt the competition in the long run since [the football program] got added to the [Football Championship Subdivision] playoffs.”

Alumni

1972 Wharton graduate, 1974 MBA graduate, and Philadelphia trial lawyer Alan Cotler is one of few in America who understands the complexities behind the Ivy League opting out of this deal. Cotler was the starting point guard on the 1971-72 Penn men’s basketball team that ranked third in the country and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.

When it comes to success, Cotler is very familiar with what a well-supported program can achieve. Despite his illustrious career for the Red and Blue, Cotler feels that the Ivy League no longer cares for

its athletes and is content with strong-arming students into accepting worse treatment for the shine of an Ivy degree.

“When it comes to providing Ivy athletes with the same rights and resources that the athletes get from the other 357 [D-I] athletic programs in the NCAA, the Ivy presidents and trustees have made it clear where they stand — they do not care,” Cotler wrote to the DP. “Take the Ivy financial need concept or do not get an Ivy League education, which they broadcast all over the world as the best education in the nation.” Cotler is confident that change can still occur for Ivy athletes who feel as though they have no voice in this decision. Understanding the size of Penn’s endowment and the strength of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Cotler hopes students “take a stand” for the future of the Ivy League.

“Apparently, it will take a court order to make them change. Short of that, the Ivy athletes and SAAC representatives have to take a stand if they want to even have a chance of having these eight Ivy League schools join the 357 other [D-I] programs by allowing athletic scholarships, let alone sharing revenues and pay for play,” Cotler wrote. “And that is the situation with an Ivy League that has about $200 billion of endowment money — endowments that dwarf every other conference in [D-I], conferences that have as many as twice the number of schools as in the Ivy League.”

Read more at thedp.com

NATHANIEL SIRLIN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Center Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers walks by the Palestra on Jan. 24.

Freshman Kayla Fu

DEREK WONG Sports Reporter

Sophomore Salman Khalil wins College Squash Association Individual Championships

The Egyptian native defeated teammate Omar Hafez in the fnal round to secure the victory

In reflection of the team’s outstanding performance this season so far, No.1 Penn men’s squash had two players fighting for the Pool Trophy in the College Squash Association’s Individual Championship final — with sophomore Salman Khalil taking the trophy. Seeded first heading into the championships, Khalil was expected to make it far in the tournament. The Cairo native is the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year and a first-team CSA All-American.

In the final, Khalil played against teammate junior Omar Hafez.

“It’s never easy playing a teammate, especially when you both grew up together,” said Khalil. “But sometimes you have to put emotions on the side and do what you’re born to do.”

The match began with an assessment of each player toward the other, as both Quakers knew their opponents’ style well after countless practices together, which made the original play style hesitant and defensive. While Hafez dictated match play in the rallies, Khalil consistently capitalized on his opportunities to secure points. In the end, Khalil quickly and efficiently made a 10-point comeback — winning the first game 11-4.

The second game began similarly with Hafez gaining an early lead of 4-0. Unlike the first game, Hafez continued a strong, impressive fight. The two Quakers found themselves in long, intense rallies. Eventually, Khalil won the second game 13-11 — securing two-out-of-three needed wins.

As the third game began, Hafez appeared fatigued, which shifted the match in Khalil’s favor, as he swiftly gained the first five points. Khalil extended his lead throughout the end of the match, winning 11-2.

After the final point, the two teammates shared a heartfelt hug, showcasing their camaraderie and respect for each other on and off the court.

“The love that they have for each other, they grew up playing juniors against each other,” Lane said. “They weren’t necessarily that close … but the brotherhood is real, and so is the mutual respect.”

Looking towards the future, the Quakers are looking to cap off their perfect season with wins against their remaining opponents, including three Ivy League rivals, and at the CSA Team Championships in March.

“There’s no better way to end the season than by winning the national championship title in March,” said Khalil.

CYNTHIA DONG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophomore Salman Khalil celebrates against Harvard on Jan. 28, 2024.

‘Maybe the transfer portal would be best for me’: Penn athletes react to NCAA settlement decision

Current and former Penn athletes weighed in on the Ivy League’s decision to opt out of ‘pay for play’

SEAN MCKEOWN Sports Editor

On Jan. 21, Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris announced in an email to Ivy League players and coaches that the Ancient Eight will be opting out of the House v. NCAA settlement that aims to allow schools to pay past and current student-athletes.

The email states that the conference will not participate in the $2.8 billion settlement and that its athletic programs “will continue to not provide student-athletes with revenue sharing allocations, athletics scholarships, or direct [name, image, and likeness] payments.” The decision was made in accordance with the Ivy League’s commitment to a focus on academics over athletics.

Following the decision, The Daily Pennsylvanian

gathered reactions from 10 current and former Penn athletes.

Current Athletes

In a new era of college athletics that includes the expansion of the transfer portal, player payment, and finance-based recruiting, the Ivy League’s decision leaves its athletes on the outside of benefiting financially from their play on the field. Junior Jared Richardson, Penn’s star wide receiver who was fifth in the Ivy League in receiving yards last year, told the DP that he has been forced to think about what may be best for him and his family.

“It’s honestly a letdown for us Ivy League athletes,” he wrote in a statement. “I understand that

Inside the minds of walk-on athletes at Penn

Often ignored and overlooked, walk-ons face unique challenges on their climbs to the top

PHOEBE WEINTRAUB Senior Sports Reporter

There exists a group of student-athletes on almost every sports team that doesn’t often get recognized for their contributions. Though they possess superb athletic talent, practice every day, sacrifice personal time, and come to or play in every game, they might never be asked for a post-game interview. These athletes are the backbone of their teams. They’re walk-ons.

Sam Smith | Kicker, Football

Depending on the person you ask, there is a stigma surrounding walk-ons. They aren’t sought out by universities due to fewer years of experience with their sport. As a result, walk-ons might receive looks of disdain from sports fans or superiority from their teammates. Sometimes it’s self-imposed, a feeling with which junior football kicker Sam Smith is familiar.

“When I first started telling people I was a walk-on, I was honestly … super ashamed,” Smith admitted. “I was super, just super embarrassed of being a walk-on, like I wasn’t good enough to get recruited.” Coming from Maryland’s Quince Orchard High School, which prioritizes achievement in football, Smith felt he should have accomplished more athletically before college. He chased the popularity experienced by classmates who posted their recruitment status on social media.

“I always wanted to be the one to post that, get a little bit of clout. Like, who doesn’t want a little bit of clout, right?” he said.

To cut him some slack, Smith only played one year of football in high school: his senior year. He played center mid in soccer up until junior year, which lent him some help when he started to kick. It was a good thing he switched sports because, during his first football season, his team went undefeated and won the state championship. Smith’s contributions earned

him All-State Second Team Honors and First-Team All-County Awards.

“It was a pretty good year for me, I’m not gonna lie,” he laughed.

Because he only played football for one year, formal recruitment was out of the question. Smith admitted he didn’t even know how the process worked. He recalled that former Penn cornerback and then-coach Eric Franklin, who currently coaches at Cornell, reached out to him and a teammate and informed them that if they could get into Penn on their own, they had spots on the team. This interaction made Smith a preferred walk-on, as opposed to a typical walk-on who has to formally try out for the team once enrolled.

Upon arriving at Penn for summer camp, Smith met the rest of the team. He remembered the slight disparity between recruits and walk-ons in terms of athletic apparel distribution. While recruits were gifted an excessive amount of clothes and shoes, the walk-ons received only the necessities.

“I was like, oh, here we go. Here’s the walk-on culture,” Smith said. “Literally, all the walk-on stories I’ve heard of, like on TV and stuff, it’s coming true.”

He laughs about it now, pointing out that being a walk-on never affected his relationships within the football community. He worked as hard as possible on Wednesdays, the practice dedicated to the thirdstring kicker, which resulted in the day being named after him: Sam’s Super Bowl. In retrospect, Smith realized how his status as a walk-on gave him the “clout” he desired in high school because it proved his academic prowess.

“Everyone [was] like, ‘no way you actually got in here on academics, no way, how’s that possible?’” he said.

“ … So honestly being a walk-on is cool, and being a walk-on is one of the really special titles you can get at this school, and I cherish every minute of it.”

Niners, Grizzlies, and Spurs, oh my! Inside the NBA and NFL’s visits to Penn

The San Francisco 49ers, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Golden State Warriors have all practiced at Penn in recent years

On

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“This is the jewel,” Penn men’s

In

the main focus is on academics, but when you see all these other schools looking out for their athletes, it sort of gets you thinking like, ‘Oh, maybe the transfer portal would be best for me and my family.’”

“Hopefully, this ruling will get changed in the near future because I am honestly not a fan of it, nor are my teammates,” he added.

Senior forward/center and captain of Penn men’s basketball Nick Spinoso has seen a lot during his tenure with the Red and Blue. A consummate professional and one of the best frontcourt passers in the Ivy League, he has witnessed many teammates leave the program for

See DECISION, page 8

and Memphis Grizzlies.

Penn’s other historic venue also has had its fair share of professional visitors: Multiple NFL teams have utilized Franklin Field for walkthroughs ahead of matchups with the Eagles, including the San Francisco 49ers, who practiced at the Birds’ former home ahead of their NFC Championship clash in 2022. Penn has also hosted multiple MLS franchises, who prefer to practice at Penn because of its FIFA-regulated, real-grass field.

Joe Haughey, the Penn Athletics assistant athletic director and head of business development, handles many of the professional requests. Though he says most teams only use the facility for short periods, their visits still require an administrative lift.

“Whether it’s NFL or NBA, our [director of basketball operations] or our director of football operations gets contacted,” Haughey said. “They’ll loop in myself, and then our scheduler, Mike Manson, to see if it works. We say no — sometimes — if we have practices or if we just don’t have the time.”

Haughey also noted the importance of small logistical tweaks, like adding an NBA three-point line in the Palestra and reinstalling the uprights in Franklin Field when necessary. Which teams choose to practice at Penn depends on a number of factors. Existing relationships are

Though football comes with a demanding schedule, Smith expressed gratitude for how Penn football has changed his life and college experience.

“I thank [football] for that, because it’s really helped me grow as a person and as a man, and it’s helped me with time management and just knowing that life isn’t fair.”

John Ruvo IV | Wide Receiver, Football

Smith’s teammate, junior wide receiver John Ruvo IV, is also a walk-on who didn’t play football as his primary focus in high school. Ruvo was a track and field recruit to Penn, sprinting the 100 meter and 200m, until he realized he missed the camaraderie and brotherhood of football.

“[During] winter break freshman year, [it] kind of hit me again. I was like, I want to play football again,” Ruvo said. The Scottsdale, Ariz. native evaluated track and field as a very individualistic sport because “your performance only represents yourself,” whereas in football a performance represents that of the entire team. Though he would miss his track and field

teammates, Ruvo was ready for the change. He sent in his film and waited. It took months, but by that summer, he received an invitation to fall camp.

Joining the team as a sophomore, Ruvo was initially concerned about being the new guy and being a year behind the bonding experience. His worries were quickly lulled, thanks to the hospitality of the football program who welcomed Ruvo with open arms.

Ruvo agreed with Smith that walk-ons are treated the same as recruits, though Ruvo takes on a different mindset to ensure he improves his game.

“For me personally, though, I like to treat myself like … I’m at a disadvantage, just to push myself harder,” Ruvo said. Ruvo’s work ethic is his version of a solution to the pressure he feels as a walk-on, whether it’s selfimposed or coming from the coaches.

“I do feel a bit more pressure just because I walked onto the team, compared to someone getting recruited, so I feel like I have a little bit more to prove,” he admitted.

Read more at thedp.com

LYDIA TONG

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

INSIA HAQUE AND ANNELISE DO | DESIGN EDITOR AND SENIOR DESIGNER