Gov. Josh Shapiro privately pushed Penn on response to antisemitism, encampment
Documents obtained by the DP reveal the extent of the governor’s involvement in Penn affairs during a year of turmoil
BEN BINDAY News Editor
Larry Jameson spent his first weeks as Penn’s interim president putting out the many fires which had sent the University into a state of turmoil: mounting criticism about antisemitism and Islamophobia, debates over free speech and academic freedom, and waves of national and political scrutiny.
Jameson quickly turned to the most powerful official in the state, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, for help. Documents acquired by The Daily Pennsylvanian indicate that Shapiro’s office seized the opening to claim increased influence over Penn. The documents, acquired under Pennsylvania’s
Magill defends response to campus divisions as Penn president
She addressed the viral moment from her congressional testimony in her rst publicly advertised remarks since resigning
GABRIEL HUANG Staff Reporter
Former Penn President Liz Magill addressed the viral moment from her congressional testimony and reflected on the challenges university leaders have been facing over the past year in her first publicly advertised event since her resignation.
The panel, titled “Institutional Speech & Administrative Challenges,” took place at the University of North Carolina on Friday and was co-sponsored by UNC’s Center for Media Law and Policy and the UNC School of Law. Magill discussed topics including institutional neutrality, institutional statements, and university responses to external political pressures.
Right-to-Know law, demonstrate Shapiro’s push for power during Penn’s year of controversy — from appointing a representative of his on the University’s Task Force on Antisemitism to privately interrogating Penn’s approach to Penn expands financial
The University will increase aid packages and raise the income threshold to guarantee full tuition scholarships to $200,000
NEEMA BADDAM Senior Reporter
“This
of demonstrated need without loans — as well as covering all billed expenses for families who make under $75,000 with “typical assets.” The billed expenses policy was introduced at the start of the 2023-24 school year and affected about 200 students.
In comparison, the new Quaker Commitment initiative is expected to affect about 900 currently enrolled students and will include an average grant aid increase of about $4,000. The higher income threshold for middle-income families is expected to increase packages by an average of $10,000 for an additional 180 students, according to the announcement.
“Penn is reaffirming its commitment to the core principle that a world-class education can be affordable to students from all backgrounds, not just those from lower-income backgrounds or those who are able to pay full price,” Vice President for Finance and Treasurer Mark Dingfield said in the statement.
The new program will cost approximately $6 million annually and will be funded through current and future donor endowed funds.
“If we were going to make a change, we wanted to make sure we were making a change that was going to impact the population,” Senior University Director of Financial Aid Elain Varas told The Daily Pennsylvanian, adding that she is a “strong believer in access and affordability.”
“Looking at our population over the last many years and determining what was going to be the income range that we could do a significant amount of support for, that’s how we came to the
Magill declined the DP’s request for comment.
A source familiar with Magill’s schedule told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the former Penn president has participated in events at Stanford Law School and Cornell Law School since her resignation in December 2023. However, the UNC panel — which was also live streamed on YouTube — was her first appearance to be publicly advertised and broadcasted.
UNC professor Mary-Rose Papandrea moderated the panel, which also featured UNC System President Peter Hans, George Washington University professor Christopher Bracey, and Yale Law School professor Keith
MAGILL , page 7
Former Penn President Liz Magill spoke at a UNC Chapel Hill event on Nov. 15.
DESIGN BY JANINE NAVALTA
Students express concern over future of Native American and Indigenous Studies program
Administrators said that there has been increased Native American student recruitment and funding for the program
SAMANTHA HSIUNG AND CHARLOTTE BOTT Senior Reporter and Staff Reporter
Students continue to express concern over the future of Penn’s Native American and Indigenous Studies minor a year after the program’s coordinator and only tenured professor retired.
In 2023, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported on student anxiety about the NAIS program’s future after Coordinator Margaret Bruchac retired. Students expressed frustration over the lack of communication from the University regarding a replacement for Bruchac, the sparse Indigenous representation among NAIS faculty, and the limited number of NAIS courses available to students.
A year later, students report similar challenges and assert there has been little done to improve the NAIS minor.
New leadership
The Anthropology Department’s undergraduate chair Katherine Moore took over as NAIS chair after Bruchac retired. Moore said that since assuming the position, she has enjoyed meeting students, listening to their stories, and “[helping] them find new ways to express those stories.” However, Moore explained that she requested to be relieved of the position because of other responsibilities associated with her position as the undergraduate chair of the Anthropology Department.
Moore also expressed a desire to focus on research, explaining that she feels that she has been “getting less done” lately.
“I know that it’s going to be a while until we have another faculty member who can take on this job, and so I’m ready to do it for as long as it’s needful,” Moore said. Moore plans to stay in the role until a new NAIS chair
is appointed. Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Brighid Dwyer did not respond to the DP’s request for comment on whether the University has initiated a search for someone to fill the role.
College junior and NAIS minor Carlyle Cornell expressed gratitude for Moore, but echoed her worries.
“We love having her, and it’s so wonderful — but we would really like a dedicated, full-time faculty member, Cornell said. “I can only imagine what it’s like to be doing two jobs at the same time. It must be really hard for [Moore].”
Faculty retainment and representation
College senior and NAIS minor Safaya Smallwood told the DP that there were “no material changes” that she has witnessed in the department since Bruchac’s retirement.
She said that to her knowledge, no new tenure track faculty members have been brought into the NAIS minor. Smallwood also touched on the lack of Native scholars involved in classes for the minor, and the effect that has had on the learning she’s been exposed to.
“That’s incredibly crucial,” Small said of tenured NAIS professors. “I feel really uncomfortable with the fact that I’m going to be graduating with an Indigenous Studies degree having taken a majority of courses that have been taught by non-Native scholars, because it’s really difficult, as a non-Native scholar, to learn about the profundity of the lived experience of Native identity without having that link to an actual Native scholar.”
Moore echoed these concerns, emphasizing that NAIS is not her teaching or research area and that she does not have a strong background in the topic.
“There’s a strong sense that [an increased Native scholar
presence] would be a great thing to have,” Moore said.
“I’m a strong ally. I have a lot of experience. I have a lot of colleagues, but I can’t provide that same connection that some people think would be the most appropriate.”
When it comes to hiring more Indigenous faculty, Moore said that there is a “a very conscious desire on the part of several academic departments to enhance hiring of Native faculty.”
However, she added that as of right now, Penn is “just not there.”
In a joint statement to the DP, Dwyer and the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Steven Fluharty wrote that a group of approximately 20 faculty and staff has met monthly for over two years to discuss support for Penn’s Indigenous community.
“[The group] discusses not only how to support NAIS, but also broader support for Native and Indigenous people at Penn and our local and national partners,” Dwyer and Fluharty wrote.
Funding and Support
Moore said that since Burchac’s retirement, there have been several changes to Penn’s support of the Native community at Penn. She emphasized that she has been able to secure funding for a small number of courses to be taught and to support initiatives within the Native community at Penn. Such initiatives include the annual Powwow hosted by Natives at Penn every April and speaker events featuring Native voices.
“We’re putting our stamp on a lot of different parts of the college, trying to creep into a sense of people recognizing the role of Native American studies on campus now and becoming aware of how large an issue it might be,” Moore said.
Moore added that the University has also successfully implemented including a land acknowledgement statement within Penn’s Compass program, which serves as a guide for incoming first-year students throughout the summer. The statement recognizes that the land that Penn currently resides on belongs to Indigenous people.
Student recruitment
Both Dwyer and Moore also discussed Penn’s efforts to recruit Indigenous students for Penn.
According to Moore, the admissions office has been “recruiting heavily” in parts of the country where there are large numbers of Indigenous students in public high schools and schools on reservations. She said that this has resulted in increasing Indigenous representation in Penn’s undergraduate student population.
The DP could not confirm that representation has increased. The University does not release a racial demographic breakdown of its incoming classes.
Cornell, the Natives at Penn treasurer, also expressed optimism for the program thanks to increased interest in NAP.
“There’s also a bigger interest because Natives at Penn has been growing recently, and we’ve had a lot of freshmen who are pretty involved,” she said. “We’re optimistic that hopefully the increase in interest will also bring more resources for the minor.”
Dwyer said that Penn has continued to partner with College Horizons — a non-profit with the goal of increasing Indigenous student enrollment in universities. The program brought 100 Native high school students to Penn’s campus this past summer.
“We are excited about the interest that has grown in incorporating Native and Indigenous perspectives into all areas of scholarship and teaching within SAS,” Dwyer
wrote to the DP.
Study-abroad conflicts Smallwood and College senior Erin Marble told the DP about the challenges they ran into with both completing the NAIS minor and studying abroad.
The minor requires the completion of six courses, and by Smallwood’s junior fall, she had completed only two courses for the NAIS minor. During her study abroad, she would not be completing any courses that would count towards the NAIS minor. In order to still complete the minor, she did an independent study with Bruchac. She and Marble mapped Lenapehoking — the land that is now known as Pennsylvania.
Smallwood acknowledged that completing the minor may still have been possible without credit from an independent study, though it would have been more difficult. There were three courses offered in the NAIS minor this fall and two that will be offered in the spring of next year, with one course in the spring being a repeat course from the fall semester.
Smallwood said that she “technically” could have completed her NAIS minor credits by taking her four remaining courses in her senior year. However, it would have been challenging due to requirements for her major and her honors thesis.
Marble, who also studied abroad, said that she was “lucky” that she had already taken the majority of the courses necessary to complete her NAIS minor. When she came back to Penn from her study abroad, she only had one remaining NAIS course.
However, she said that she encountered difficulties in other aspects of the minor.
“The lack of so-called ‘thematic courses’ has been the biggest challenge for me — there are generally not many offered, and since I am in the final semester of my studies, it is extremely difficult to work around the required biology courses that I still have left,” Marble wrote in an email to the DP.
Scaling back the program
Since Burchac retired, NAIS has stopped accepting graduate students. During Burchac’s tenure, she recruited and trained graduate students alongside a couple of other professors — most of whom have retired or moved to other schools.
Moore said that to rebuild the graduate-level program would require “significant faculty hiring.” However, students hope to see the program grow. The NAIS program has only offered a minor since its inception, but Smallwood said that the development of an NAIS major is “100% essential.”
“It’s not enough to just have Natives at Penn,” Smallwood said. “We also need to be talking about the dynamics of Indigenous Studies and indigeneity within academia and without a major, the program is always kind of going to be relegated to a background position, at least in my opinion.”
Moore, however, said that she “wouldn’t seek a major at this point” and that she “does not hear that request.”
“Right now, I’m happy knowing I have a growing number of [students pursuing] minors, but the thing that really makes me happy is the growing number of people who’ve been exposed to the coursework at all,” Moore said. “People coming in, if they take one course, then that’s a different voice than they have heard at Penn any other place, from a personal point of view, from a legal and kind of historical point of view, from a programmatic point of view.”
CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Penn’s Native American and Indigenous Studies department is located in the Penn Museum.
Wharton board chair Marc Rowan floated for Trump’s Treasury secretary
Rowan was a prominent critic of former Penn President Liz Magill and the University’s approach to antisemitism last fall
JASMINE NI
Senior Reporter
1984 Wharton graduate Marc Rowan, who spearheaded donor backlash against Penn last fall over concerns about the University’s handling of antisemitism, emerged this week as a top contender for the role of Treasury secretary in Trump’s second administration.
Rowan — who also serves as the current Wharton Board of Advisors chair — is a potential candidate in a contentious debate for whom 1968 Wharton graduate, former President, and President-elect Donald Trump will appoint as Treasury secretary. Trump welcomed Rowan at his Mar-aLago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. on Wednesday to interview for the role, according to Bloomberg News.
Puck News wrote that the cabinet position — which will be responsible for managing the national debt ceiling, extending Trump’s proposed tax cuts, and regulating Wall Street — was “[Rowan’s] to lose.” However, on Wednesday evening, an ABC reporter said sources familiar with the matter were identifying Key Square Group founder Scott Bessent as the frontrunner.
If nominated, Rowan would step down from his role as chief executive officer of Apollo Global Management, where he has served since 2021, according to Bloomberg News. With Rowan at the helm, Apollo’s assets grew to $733 billion and its stock value tripled.
The Daily Pennsylvanian could not confirm whether Rowan would step down as Wharton board chair if nominated. A spokesperson for Rowan did not respond to a request for comment.
The contest for one of the crucial remaining cabinet appointments began after two of Trump’s key allies, 1997 College and Wharton graduate Elon Musk — Trump’s appointee to lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” — and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., used social media to publicly back billionaire Howard Lutnick for the role. The lobbying frustrated Trump and his aides, leading insiders to speculate that he would be returning to his shortlist of candidates — which included Rowan — for the position.
Rowan, at Yahoo Finance’s Invest conference on Nov. 12, expressed optimism about Trump’s second administration and aligned himself with Musk’s call for “wholesale change.”
A Peterson Institute for International Economics study found that Trump’s plans to impose broad tariffs, deport millions of undocumented workers, and influence the Federal Reserve may cause the Treasury secretary to face a new inflation crisis.
In a December 2023 interview with Bloomberg, Rowan expressed disappointment with the two former main candidates in the 2024 presidential election, Trump and former Penn professor and President Joe Biden. Despite his comments, public records reveal that Rowan has donated to both Republican and Democratic causes, including a $1 million contribution to Trump Victory in 2020.
Rowan led the call for the resignation of Penn’s leaders due to their response to the Palestine Writes Literature Festival and the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel throughout the fall 2023 semester, and was an architect of the growing political and donor pressure which caused the resignation of former Penn President Liz Magill.
At the time, prominent University donors, including Rowan, announced they would cease donations to the University, citing dissatisfaction with its handling of these events.
of Advisors Chair Marc Rowan to serve as Treasury Secretary.
Trump voters, conservatives at Penn claim ‘alienation,’ ‘threats’ after sharing beliefs
Kamala Harris secured 81.6% of Election Day votes for president on Penn’s campus — a decrease from how the Democratic nominees fared in 2020 and 2016
ZION ABEBE Staff Reporter
Heading into Election Day on Nov. 5, the Pennsylvania race between 1968 Wharton graduate, former President, and President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris was a tossup, with uncertainty over how much Philadelphia and University City, strong Democratic bastions, might shift right.
Harris won 81.6% of Election Day votes for president on Penn’s campus, reflecting a slight decline from Biden’s 2020 and Clinton’s 2016 campus results, while aligning with Philadelphia’s overall voting trends.
The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with several conservative Penn students about their thoughts on Penn’s campus’ shift in support of Trump and their experiences in a liberal University climate.
College senior Isabella Corman, who said that her viewpoints “align more with conservative ideologies,” said that she was surprised upon seeing the size of Penn’s Trump-voting contingent on in the election.
“I think that was a trend that not many people expected,” Corman said.
College junior and Penn College Republicans
President Peter Kapp wrote in a statement to the DP that Trump’s initiatives that create and protect jobs, border security, and a simplified tax system were ways the president-elect “has demonstrated commitment to the American people.”
Although the students said they remained steadfast in their conservative beliefs or support for Trump, they expressed mixed perspectives on Penn’s political climate and the receptiveness of others towards these views.
In a statement to the DP, College Republicans wrote that conservative students are becoming more reluctant to vocalize their support for Trump.
“The majority of Americans have voted for Trump, which speaks volumes about the concerns and needs they believe he addresses for all Americans—yet here on campus, many mischaracterize this choice with hyperbolic, misinformed rhetoric rather than seeking to understand it,” the statement read.
Both Corman and Wharton first year Jacques Papescu said that conservative students on campus are treated differently when they express their political beliefs.
“Here’s the difference: You can walk on this campus with a Harris-Walz hat, button, pin, sticker, backpack and be admired and people would smile at you or … just ignore you,” Corman said. “If you have
a Republican ‘Make America Great [Again]’ hat on … you stick out like a sore thumb, and I think people would fear for the confrontations they would reach.” Papescu echoed Corman’s perspective saying that “there are a lot of people who cut you off just because of political beliefs.”
However, the students also expressed appreciation and surprise by the spaces at Penn that foster open and mutually respectful discussions.
“I thought [the stigma] would be more widespread,” Papescu said. “There are, for sure, a lot of people that have this stigma, but it’s not everybody. I feel like there are [still] a lot of reasonable people.” Corman, acknowledging that most of her professors tend to lean more liberal, mentioned that they continue to show interest in her perspective as a conservative student — for which she was grateful.
“I’ve felt like I’ve had a space at Penn always to communicate those values and opinions,” she said. “I think it’s harder for people who are on this campus and don’t have those relationships to feel comfortable talking about their views.”
Best of
PHOTO FROM EMILY HEMMING 1968 Wharton graduate and President-elect Donald Trump is considering Wharton Board
ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR 1968 Wharton graduate and President-elect Donald Trump during his rally in Philadelphia on June 22.
Trump voters aren’t racist, but they excuse it
A DOSE OF DILLARD | When
The United States is swiftly moving right. A recent piece by The Washington Post highlighted this shift, displaying that Donald Trump saw major gains in a multitude of counties across the country. In Pennsylvania, a state that was perceived as the most critical battleground, Trump received 50.4% of the vote while Kamala Harris received 48.6%.
Taking a look at the global political scene of the past few years, this phenomenon is consistent across many countries. The rise of far-right political movements promotes ideas of nativism. In Argentina, President Javier Milei said, “In my government, there will be no cultural Marxism. I won’t apologize for having a penis. I shouldn’t feel guilty for being a white, blond, blue-eyed man.” Milei’s statement is intriguing as it taps into a broader, global sentiment regarding the perceived erosion of the cultural and social identity of men overall but, more specifically, white men. This perspective reflects a growing anxiety about the displacement of traditional Western values and identities in the face of a diversifying world.
Now, while we aren’t Europe or South America, our racialized history in this country knowingly runs deep. In an interview circulating online, a man being interviewed said, “I voted for Trump because his policies, if implemented, would slow the dispossession of whites in the United States.” While this was an overtly white supremacist statement, it is likely that — at least amongst the typical, white Trump voter — this notion is subtly reinforced, even if they are not fully aware of it.
In “The Sum of Us” by Heather McGhee, she calls this very phenomenon a result of the U.S.’s “zero-sum way of thinking about race and wealth.” McGhee delves into the fact that racism actually costs everyone, regardless of racial identity, and that there are people who are willing to side with their race over policies that will ultimately benefit everyone. She goes on to explain that many people in privileged positions, especially white Americans, are resistant to policies perceived as beneficial to people of color because they view it as a zero-sum game. If programs are created that might cater to people of color, the dominant group sees it as an infringement on their rights. However, it is also true that those who voted for Trump cast their vote for a number of reasons. While many voters seem to like what he says, many are also particularly concerned about the economy. One voter said, “I feel like [Trump]
identity and power are framed as zero-sum
battles
has a handle on making it about the American economy first and the American worker first.” Trump’s proposed economic plan, specifically as it pertains to tariffs, would actually increase prices and worsen inflation. Yet even then, there are numerous other reasons — abortion, gun rights, the border, or the return of Christmas — Trump voters all have something in common regardless of race or ethnicity. While Trump voters aren’t all explicitly racist, each one of them is able to excuse his racism for their perceived benefit. An individual being racist or not isn’t a judgment that can be made without truly hearing the extent of their reasons for voting. However, their support for Trump — through all that he says and does, and by looking at the groups that support him — proves that they are more than willing to overlook racism. They are willing to ignore the atrocities for a promise of lower prices. He fooled voters into thinking he was for the working class, when, in actuality, he is continuing to support himself and his rich buddies. It is exactly as McGhee outlines in her book: This zerosum game makes it clear that many voters really are willing to bypass some of the cruel actions and statements of Trump to
keep their guns or supposedly prioritize the economy.
And yes, many Latinos showed up for Trump this election with 43% voting for him. Reasons as to why generally boil down to these two: Many Latinos identify as white and see themselves in the world as such, and Trump found other inroads with racism, xenophobia, transphobia, and fear of communism. The general consensus amongst immigrants who voted for him is, “You want to come to America? Earn it, like I did.” One man, Luiz Oliveira, even called the influx of illegal immigrants an “invasion.” However, the rhetoric being spewed by Trump and many of his followers paints a broad negative picture of Hispanics and Latinos. In many ways, the racism is directed at them; however, they don’t consider themselves to be a part of the targeted demographic. Furthermore, Trump, “Make America Great Again” Republicans, and their supporters have convinced themselves that the identity of the white American male is under attack, much as Milei views it. One way he displayed this while campaigning was through his ad stating “Kamala Harris is for they/them, President Trump is for you.” This ad positions specific identities that liberals
Our goals don’t change under Trump
and Democrats tend to focus on as direct threats to Americans and American identity. While religion also plays a key role in issues around gender and sexuality, Trump’s campaign actually pushes it to the next level — insinuating this diversity is un-American. They are promoting an idea that American masculinity is under attack, and that alone could have united young male voters on the fence this election. The anxieties over the perceived loss of identity — whether tied to race, gender, or nationalism — are driving many voters to support leaders like Trump, who skillfully capitalize on these fears. While not all supporters are motivated by overt racism or white supremacy, their willingness to overlook or excuse such rhetoric in favor of policies that they believe will benefit them economically or culturally reveals a deeper, more systemic issue. So no, they might not all be racist, but they all overlooked it on Nov. 5.
MARIE DILLARD is a College first year studying history and urban studies from Englewood, N.J. Her email is mdilla@sas.upenn.edu.
IN PERSPECTIVE | While Trump’s victory is a painful blow, it is also an opportunity for reorganization
It’s been a dark few weeks. A painful tension lingers in the air, creating a palpable discomfort in every interaction. This certain awkwardness seems to permeate the pleasantries of our everyday life — almost nobody can answer “how are you?” without a sad laugh or a regretful shake of the head. Life simply feels unreal.
On Wednesday, Nov. 6, we didn’t talk about the election results. On Thursday, my first class was spent exchanging tissues and fears. Friday was a day of collective mourning, saying goodbye to our hopes for an outcome that might have signaled just a small step in the direction of progress. Over those few days, I watched my family and friends cycle through each stage of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. That last one — acceptance — has not come yet. And we should make sure it never does.
By this I do not mean contesting the results of the election — I do believe in a peaceful transfer of power. A denial of Donald Trump’s
victory would do no good. The people have spoken. And no matter how much I disagree with their choice, I do accept it as their choice. I feel this way especially because I recognize the flaws in the campaign of the Democratic Party.
I am in agreement with fellow columnists at The Daily Pennsylvanian who have argued that the party failed their voter base in this election. They took important groups — the working class and Arab Americans, specifically — for granted, assuming they had secured these votes based on the fact that Trump would be worse for them. But while Democrats made the case that Trump’s policies were bad, they failed to make the case that theirs were good and are now left to deal with those consequences. And so while I accept the truth that Trump has triumphed in this election, I reject the idea that we must resign ourselves to four years of dictatorship. Instead, the next four years represent a crucial period of organizing and collective action toward a common goal of
justice and liberation. Neither party was ever going to save us. We have to save ourselves.
After the 2016 election, we saw mobilization flourish. After eight years of praising Barack Obama, liberals were heartbroken at the thought of Trump taking over the White House. This fear and rage ignited movements across the country. Trump’s history of sexual assault and misogyny brought about the 2017 Women’s March. Along with this, we saw the creation of organizations like the Sunrise Movement and Fridays For Future, protesting Trump’s climate inaction. While we suffered under a Trump presidency, we entered a new era of action.
Studies also tell us that we tend to be more agreeable to breaches of conduct when they are performed by our own party. While this point is often weaponized against Republicans, research suggests that Democrats and Republicans exhibit little difference in their acceptance of norm violations by a president from their party. This logic extends beyond overreaches of power and translates into a general complacency that comes with having one’s own party in the White House. Placated by the belief that someone aligned with us politically is governing, we pay less attention to their actions — even those we disagree with.
While Trump is highly deserving of criticism for his policies, we must also acknowledge the failures of the Democratic Party. While in office, President Joe Biden approved plans for the expansion of fossil fuels countless times, offering permits for the Willow oil-drilling project and the Mountain Valley Pipeline project. He rejected calls to defund the police, instead encouraging the expansion of police departments across the country with stimulus funds. And most notably and cruelly, he remains unwavering in his support for the Israeli government while they commit genocide in Gaza. The Democratic Party has never fully represented the interests of progressives, and the liberal blindness to this fact was chilling. While deeply upsetting, Trump’s election may be the activation the left needs to get their priorities straight and get organized.
Trump’s victory may also trigger a shift toward reinvestment in grassroots organizing and mutual aid. Under a fascist regime, there is nothing more radical than community care, which was a tenet of the Civil Rights
Movement championed by the Black Panthers.
When the government is not protecting the people, they must protect each other. Organizations like the Yellowhammer Fund, funding reproductive care in the Deep South, and Serve Your City, providing mutual aid to D.C. ‘s Ward 6, are essential to this philosophy. They are necessary when Democrats control the White House and Congress, and they will be especially essential during a Trump presidency with a Republican-controlled Congress. Under a government controlled by any party, it feels impossible to make change. Presidents struggle to balance demands of voters with their need for a high approval rating, Congress is perpetually deadlocked, and the courts have an infinite backlog. When we focus on this, exhaustion sets in. But there are always opportunities to get involved in local action and build community solidarity. Instead of a Democratic-controlled government pacifying the people while ignoring our demands, Trump’s presidency will so blatantly violate them that the people will be forced to act. When bureaucracy fails, the people will redirect their attention to taking care of each other. The building and preservation of a strong and unified community is the biggest threat to fascism there is.
INGRID HOLMQUIST is a College sophomore studying urban studies from Silver Spring, Md. Her email address is ingridhh@sas.upenn.edu.
ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR
Columnist Marie Dillard examines the potential motivations of Trump voters.
KYLIE COOPER | DP FILE PHOTO
Columnist Ingrid Holmquist encourages community organizing in the aftermath of the election.
Black Penn faces an uncertain future
PENN UNHEARD |
Attending a PWI is hard enough as Black student, but it’s even harder with the overturning of af rmative action
Before coming to Penn, I never expected such a rich and diverse student body, especially within the Black community. I thought my experience would mirror many of the stories I had previously heard about Black student life at predominantly white institutions. I had mentally prepared to feel like another face in a sea of students — where Black students are barely seen. But when I first stepped onto Locust Walk, my experience was far different. I wasn’t just met with the faces of other Black students; I was also met with the dynamic community that is Black Penn — people who instill confidence in me, uplift me, and can empathize with the challenges I face daily.
Despite my initial excitement for the existence of this community, I was reminded of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action last year, the effects of which are slowly showing up on our campus.
According to Penn Admissions data on the Class of 2028, there was a 2% drop in the number of admitted students from historically underrepresented races and ethnicities in higher education. Additionally, the Wharton School has seen a 19% drop in the same category for the Class of 2028.
Any decline in the admission of underrepresented groups also means that there is likely a decrease in the number of Black students admitted, especially given the fact there is no exact way to know what the decrease in Black students is since the category is is generalized as “underrepresented.”
However, with the Black community at Penn being dubbed “Black Penn,” this community has become a safe haven for Black students.This includes events held by the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities, such as step shows, cookouts, or even debate watch parties. On the flip side, beyond purely social activities, we engage with vibrant extracurricular activities like the Black Pre-Law Association, Black Wharton, the Black Student League, and many more. These spaces allow Black students to find community, see representation, and take advantage
of resources that would otherwise be harder to access.
With the looming threat of diversity in Penn’s student body declining, we must stop and think about the effects it will have on Penn’s culture.
“It makes it really difficult when the group of people you have to draw from is dwindling, and that kind of has exponential effects on what it means to your chapter to uphold your chapter long term,” stated Grayson Grigsby, College junior and member of historically Black Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. “We’ve already seen it short-term.”
It is already hard for Kappa Alpha Psi to recruit new members given the lack of awareness and acknowledgement within the Penn community. Thus, a dwindling Black population at Penn will only make it even harder.
For the first time in my Penn experience, I am scared. I am afraid that the richness of Black Penn will disappear, and the depictions of Black excellence that I look to for inspiration will be few and far between.
Penn won’t be the safe haven that I know it to be; instead, it will be a place where I have to just survive. Black Penn as I know it — a community with richness and diversity and vital to my college experience — will cease to exist. It may not happen entirely right now or even during my time at Penn, but my understanding of Black Penn — the vibrancy, richness and diversity — will be drastically changed.
Beyond just Black Penn, the effects will impact other underrepresented groups: They will also lose the robustness of these spaces to find their own communities within Penn.
These communities aren’t just about finding a home away from home. They provide resources that enrich the academic and professional experience at Penn. The cultural centers such as Makuu, La Casa Latina, and the Pan-Asian American Community House allow students to attend conferences, tutoring workshops, network with alumni, and access job opportunities.
These opportunities will be greatly diminished if entities like Black Penn shrink over time following the
overturn of affirmative action. This, in turn, will exacerbate the already existing separation and isolation that Black students may feel attending Penn.
It is a sobering reality that the future generations of Penn students won’t be able to experience the communities that I was fortunate enough to. This rich community is unfortunately a privilege and no longer a part of the status quo.
Now, with the Black enrollment declines at Penn and beyond that have come in the wake of affirmative action
A Brit’s guide to American democracy
ELO’S ENTRIES | The election, progressivism, and everything in between
The night of Nov. 5 felt like a fever dream. Sitting on my friend’s bed watching the sea of red on my laptop, I found myself comparing the stark differences between this American election cycle and those I’d experienced in the United Kingdom. In the past year, I’ve watched Britain’s political pendulum swing dramatically — from Conservative dominance to Labour rule, with four prime ministers in just two years. But here, in my first American presidential election, the stakes feel much higher, and the political landscape is even more polarized than I had imagined. Democratic systems inevitably reflect the cultures they serve. Over the last decade in the U.K., political allegiance has become fluid, with voters regularly switching between Labour, Conservative, and other parties based on current circumstances during election seasons and policy proposals related to the National Health Service, immigration and the economy. I am old enough to remember the Conservative landslide of 2019 after a
Labour Party implosion, while just this year, the Conservative Party were, in turn, unceremoniously thrown out of power by Labour. This fluidity, while creating electoral volatility, stems from a pragmatic approach to politics. British voters typically view politicians as civil servants — fallible individuals temporarily entrusted with administrative duties rather than messianic figures. The American approach could not be more different. Here, political affiliation often functions more like a cultural identity or even a form of secular religion. The “Make America Great Again” movement exemplifies this phenomenon — complete with merchandise, rallies that feel like revival meetings, and an unwavering dedication amongst its supporters that persisted even when Trump was out of power. This unyielding commitment to a candidate fosters an environment where political loyalty transcends policy consideration, making it more about belonging to a team than evaluating ideas critically.
As I reflect on my first American presidential election,
three distinct aspects of American political culture stand out to me, especially when compared to my experience in the U.K. First is the facade of progressivism within the American political system — particularly amongst the Democratic Party — that masks a persistent resistance to change. While other nations worldwide — from Britain with its three female prime ministers to India with Indira Gandhi — have elevated women to their highest offices, some as early as the 1960s, America’s claims of meritocracy ring hollow against its track record — although women have come close twice, there has never been a female president.
The resistance to female leadership, particularly when combined with racial barriers, reveals uncomfortable truths about American society. The American Dream’s promise that anyone can achieve anything loses its weight when examining these persistent glass ceilings. The election of Barack Obama in 2008 stands as an extraordinary exception and yet, the backlash and resistance to diverse leadership in the years since only highlight the troubling limits of America’s progressivism.
Compare this to the rise of Kemi Badenoch, Nigerian like me, who ascended to leadership within the British Conservative Party. While questions of tokenism certainly arise, the fact that a Black woman who wasn’t raised in the U.K. could ascend within Britain’s rightwing establishment demonstrates a pragmatism about representation that seems almost unthinkable in American conservative circles. This isn’t necessarily about one system being more progressive than the other — it’s about fundamentally different approaches to political identity. In the U.K., political identities seem more adaptable, while in America, they are often tied to entrenched cultural symbols and tribal loyalties.
Second is the conflation of politics and entertainment,
For marginalized students at Penn, fascism is already here
GUEST COLUMN | Can a professor refuse to grade an assignment containing facts they don’t like?
“I will not be grading that because I feel unsafe,” my play therapy professor said after I made a presentation in class on using zines to create mad maps as a form of expressive arts therapy with disabled survivors of state violence. She did not allow me to have the same Q&A discussion every other student had after they made their presentations. Instead, she said we would take a class break early so she could “regulate.” When we returned from the break, she moved along to the next presentation. I was in shock. Other students sent me private messages of support, and the next presenter opened by thanking me for sharing my work. I appreciated the support, but that didn’t change that I had just been discriminated against by my professor and then expected to move along like nothing happened. I logged off.
I had carefully followed the guidelines of the assignment: present a problem and its prevalence, offer a play therapy intervention with evidence, and share ways that social workers can engage in advocacy to address the problem. Make the presentation in six and a half minutes using 20 slides and at least 10 references. I did not threaten anyone. I didn’t use graphic images or graphic language.
I opened the presentation with a statement of my positioning: I’m a disabled survivor of state violence, and a Caribbean student of Black and Lebanese descent, with a perspective rooted in my experiences and the experiences of communities of which I’m a part. Then I named the problem: State violence targets disabled people, and state violence is disabling. State violence is the use of force against civilians, and it can include police or military violence, or even the ways social workers break families apart under the guise of “child welfare.” I cited examples. Here in Philadelphia, Walter Wallace was experiencing a mental health
crisis when he was killed by the police. In Gaza, 10 children lose one or both of their legs every day to state violence carried out by the Israeli army in its United States-backed genocide of Palestinians.
For those who survive, the traumatic impact of state violence is often unacknowledged. Rather than offering therapeutic interventions, social workers regularly involve the state in disabled people’s lives through practices like mandated reporting and family policing. Parents with psychiatric disabilities are more than eight times more likely to have contact with the family policing system and 26 times more likely to have children removed from their homes. Using expressive arts therapy to support disabled people in creating mad maps, or wellness plans, to prepare for crises, can be a powerful intervention that supports agency, self-expression, and self-understanding without increasing the risk of state violence.
Just like other presenters, I closed my presentation by sharing how social workers can engage in advocacy to address the problem I had discussed. We can put an end to harmful practices in social work like mandated reporting, educate ourselves about the ways social work upholds oppressive systems like settler colonialism, and organize toward collective liberation. My play therapy professor was not “unsafe” when I made my presentation on Zoom that day. Using this racist dog whistle, she recast herself — a white woman and professor — as the victim and me — a Black and Arab student — as a threat. My grades, my ability to finish the class, my ability to graduate on time were all in her hands. I had no power over this person; she had power over me.
For marginalized students at Penn — Black students, students of color, disabled students, queer and trans students, students who oppose genocide — fascism is already here. We see it in the ways
being overturned, it is evident that there is a crack in the community that has given me and many others a sense of belonging.
HALIMA OSMAN is a College sophomore studying political science and communications from Boston. Her email is halimao@sas. upenn.edu.
which feels almost alien to me. The regular appearance of politicians on shows like Saturday Night Live to directly promote their campaign represents more than mere public engagement. It suggests a bread and circuses approach where governance becomes indistinguishable from performance. While this might make politics more accessible, especially amongst Generation Z voters who are engaged with pop culture, it risks reducing complex policy discussions to sound bites and viral moments — did Kamala Harris being “brat” help her campaign at all? Third, and perhaps most concerning, is the elevation of political figures to almost mythological status. This phenomenon crosses party lines, from the deification of the Obamas to the cult of Trump. When political leaders become brands rather than public servants, it fundamentally alters the relationship between citizens and their government. The transformation of political discourse into team sport dynamics inhibits the kind of critical thinking essential to democratic health.
Looking ahead, I find myself wondering if these patterns are too deeply woven into America’s political fabric to ever truly change. As we stand on the precipice of another four years of Trump’s presidency, I’m both apprehensive and curious. Will the fusion of entertainment and politics deepen further? Will governmental diversity regress? Will U.S. politics ever not devolve into a polarized shouting match? Whatever unfolds, I’ll be watching this next chapter of America’s democratic experiment with the unease of someone who has experienced democracy differently elsewhere.
ESALOMI is an Engineering first year from London. Her email is eloe@seas.upenn. edu.
our school refuses to use the word “genocide” to refer to the mass murder and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and Arabs in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. We see it in the armed police raid on unarmed students in their home. We see it in the new repressive guidelines restricting expression on campus. And now we’ve seen it in the ways professors can get away with blatant acts of discrimination: I have been told it’s very unlikely that there will be any institutional consequences for my play therapy professor’s discriminatory actions toward me and other students who have shared similar experiences with me. In the past, she misgendered a nonbinary student for an entire semester and, in another case, refused accommodations for a disabled student.
Many marginalized students at Penn know we
can’t count on any election or institution to protect us. Instead, we must turn to each other. The institution will likely not suspend or terminate this professor for discrimination. But an effective boycott can lead to low enrollment in her classes until they are discontinued. It’s up to us as students to firmly reject the ways fascism shows up in our classrooms, on our campus, and in our communities. Let’s get to work.
ELO
ZARA
ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR Guest Columnist Zara Raven shares her experience with discrimination at Penn.
EBUNOLUWA ADESIDA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Columnist Halima Osman considers how the end of affirmative action may harm Black student life.
JESSE ZHANG | DP FILE PHOTO
Columnist Elo Esalomi shares the insights she gained from her first election in the United States.
the
It
actions while publicly exerting pressure on administrators and placing himself at the forefront of the national debate over the demonstrations.
Penn’s weakness — and Shapiro’s opening Long before the nationwide pro-Palestinian encampments this spring, Shapiro took a hands-on approach to addressing antisemitism on Penn’s campus, even when it required becoming deeply enmeshed in the University’s activities.
Over five days last December, Shapiro — who frequently invokes his Jewish faith — denounced a proPalestinian protest outside an Israeli falafel restaurant in Philadelphia as antisemitic, celebrated Hanukkah at Penn Hillel, and decried anti-Jewish hate at a rally in the city.
Shapiro, also a nonvoting member of Penn’s Board of Trustees, used those opportunities to heap criticism on
Magill after her “shameful and unacceptable” testimony before Congress the same week, describing a “failure of leadership.” He urged the board to decide whether her testimony “reflect[s] the views and values” of Penn.
Days later, Magill resigned.
Shapiro’s public comments suggested a loss of faith in Penn’s leaders. In the weeks and months that followed, Jameson worked to assure Shapiro of Penn’s response to antisemitism — and Shapiro maintained involvement in the University’s affairs at multiple levels.
On Jan. 3, Jameson provided Shapiro directly with student, faculty, and staff disciplinary statistics on a phone call. Later that month, a Penn official forwarded Shapiro’s office a copy of a letter sent by Jameson to a Republican state legislator, seeking to address concerns over antisemitism which had led the state legislature to withhold $34 million in funding from Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine.
In response to the legislator asking the question which led to Magill’s downfall at the congressional hearing, Jameson also marked a different tack from his predecessor.
“To be clear, calls for genocide do violate our standards,” Jameson wrote. “Penn’s Code of Student Conduct unequivocally affirms a student’s right to freedom of thought and expression, but also a right to be free from discrimination.”
Shapiro extended his reach into the University’s crisis management as the spring semester began. Jameson coordinated the appointment of Robert Fox — a Philadelphia-based attorney and his designee on the Board of Trustees — as a non-voting member of the University’s
antisemitism task force.
An interrogation of Penn’s encampment response
Shapiro and his office, which positioned itself in opposition to pro-Palestinian activism, exerted pressure over Penn in public and private as it responded to the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. The Governor’s Office obtained negotiation documents, names of protesters, and key operational details — at times in advance of plans being enacted.
The close contact between officials in College Hall and Harrisburg began the morning after Penn’s encampment formed on April 26 when Penn Senior Director of Commonwealth Relations Michael Smith quickly forwarded Warren, Shapiro’s director of external affairs, the first University-wide email Jameson sent about the demonstration.
That email was cited by Shapiro’s team in its first public statement on the encampment, in which spokesperson Manuel Bonder called on leaders to maintain student safety while defending demonstrators’ right to peaceful protest.
The University later previewed its plan for handling the encampment, providing Shapiro’s team with a list of “the general categories of Penn codes and guidelines that will be cited to encampment protesters as potential areas of violation.”
Shapiro largely remained quiet for the next several days. In the meantime, Jameson and other Penn officials continued to push Parker’s office to authorize the PPD to assist with limiting campus to only Penn affiliates and to disband the encampment “in the event that we deem it necessary for the health and safety of our community.”
Vice President for Public Safety Kathleen Shields Anderson formally emailed PPD Commissioner Kevin Bethel at 11:43 a.m. on May 9 to request assistance with its impending sweep. Her email also cited a conversation and request to Bethel on the evening of May 8.
Later on May 9, Shapiro — before Penn’s plans to disband the encampment the following day were public — jumped ahead of the planned police action by publicly stating it was “past time” for the University to do so during an unrelated speech in Pittsburgh. Shapiro, referencing the encampment’s expansion the night prior, said that “the situation has gotten even more unstable and out of control” over the past 24 hours and described the encampment as “absolutely unacceptable.”
At 6 a.m. the next morning, Penn Police and PPD officers disbanded the encampment and arrested 33 protesters. In a community-wide email, Jameson explained his rationale for ordering the sweep, citing the need to “take action to protect the safety and rights of everyone in our community” and prevent “further disruption of our academic mission.”
Shortly after noon, Bonder wrote in a statement on behalf of Shapiro that Penn “made the right decision” in disbanding the encampment.
Smith detailed six main categories of violations: “Potential instances of harassment, threats and/or intimidation; using campus space for a group event without having reserved it; erecting structures on campus, using unpermitted signage, and not providing ‘required security coverage;’ noise violations and disruptions of campus operations; trespassing by non-Penn community members; and failure to provide identification.”
“Unfortunately, the situation at Penn reached an untenable point — and as the University stated publicly, the encampment was in violation of University policy, campus was being disrupted, and threatening, discriminatory speech and behavior were increasing,” Bonder wrote.
The evening of April 26, Jameson sent a message to the University community in which he called for protesters to disband the encampment immediately. The message, which Smith also forwarded to Warren, followed the plan laid out in Smith’s earlier email.
Jameson cited “harassing and intimidating conduct,” violations of Penn’s facilities policies, and the demonstration preventing students from accessing portions of campus “without fear of harassment or being subjected to discriminatory comments or threats.”
The statement from Shapiro’s office after the sweep marked a starkly different tone from that of Philadelphia’s mayor. Parker did not praise or criticize Penn’s decision, instead writing that she was “thankful that the clearing occurred without violence” and expressing gratitude to the PPD officers involved.
Continuing close contact
Penn followed this game plan in public and private messaging for the remainder of the encampment.
A different tack from Philadelphia’s mayor
As Shapiro’s office kept in touch with Jewish students, the governor at times took a stronger tack against the encampment than his partner at the local level, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker.
On May 2, Parker’s office pushed back against a request from Jameson for Philadelphia Police Department assistance in managing the demonstration, instead advocating “that a peaceful resolution is the best solution.” Parker noted that she had met with several relevant stakeholders who agreed — but notably did not mention Shapiro.
The communications show that Penn and Shapiro’s office remained in contact after the encampment. A few weeks after the sweep of College Green, Smith forwarded Warren the announcement of the final reports from the antisemitism task force and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community.
Shapiro and Parker maintained public rapport despite any disputes about Penn’s handling of the encampment. Parker publicly endorsed Shapiro to be Kamala Harris’ vice presidential nominee despite concerns from pro-Palestinian activists — including those on Penn’s campus — over his apparent staunch opposition to the wave of demonstrations.
Above all, Jameson and Shapiro’s cordial relationship appears to have continued beyond concerns of antisemitism on campus. On June 21, Jameson penned a message to Shapiro wishing the governor a happy belated birthday.
The next day, Smith responded to a request from Warren for an updated list of the demonstrators’ demands. In a follow-up email to Warren that night, Smith cited “the Governor’s engagement with Mayor Parker’s office” and forwarded several documents previously sent to Parker’s office. The documents included a list of nine contacts associated with the encampment, documentation of negotiations between Penn and the encampment, and an Instagram post by Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine.
“As a fellow child of the summer solstice season, I have always appreciated having a birthday this time of year — warm weather, summer vacations with family and friends, and extra daylight to ‘GSD,’ as you and your team might say,” Jameson wrote. “I wish you all the best in the coming year and a joyous summer with your family.”
Whittington. Papandrea asked Magill, who resigned after a widely publicized hearing at the House Committee on Education and the Workforce last December, to reflect on her testimony.
Magill looked back on her interaction with United States Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), where Stefanik asked if calling for the genocide of Jewish people violated Penn’s code of conduct. Magill’s response at the time, which resulted in a viral clip, was that the question was a “context-dependent decision.”
“I am empathetic and could definitely understand and have stepped in the shoes of someone who hears something like that on our campus,” Magill said at
the panel. “It was a mistake not to do that, and I don’t think that’s who I am.”
The panel opened with a discussion of the increasingly popular decision among universities, including Penn, to move towards or adopt institutional neutrality policies. Magill attributed the increase in neutrality statements to the “trial by fire” caused by the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, which were followed by significant activism and pushback from both pro-Palestinian and proIsraeli students, faculty, and alumni.
“[These events] taught a particular lesson that led many institutions to adopt institutional neutrality positions,” Magill added.
Magill also reflected on her experiences as Penn president during this time, including “unrelenting pressure” on university leaders to make statements on divisive issues, which she said mirrors expectations of leaders across all industries. Magill stated
Penn’s fourth climate action plan prioritizes sustainable purchasing, waste reduction
The overarching goal of the new plan is to “expand and be more inclusive,” the University’s sustainability director told the DP
DIEMMY DANG
ETHAN YOUNG AND
Staff Reporter and Contributing Reporter
Penn announced the fourth iteration of its Climate and Sustainability Action Plan on Monday, outlining sustainability goals for the University through fiscal year 2029.
This iteration, which is known as CSAP 4.0, targets waste reduction and sustainable purchasing while highlighting a new action plan for the University of Pennsylvania Health System. It builds on three previous sustainability plans, which chart a path for University-wide carbon neutrality by 2042. Penn introduced the plan at an open house in the Hall of Flags on Tuesday.
“Since Penn launched its first sustainability plan in 2009, we have made extraordinary strides across campus, in our teaching and research, and in our contributions to the world,” Interim Penn President Larry Jameson wrote a press release. “Penn now serves as a national sustainability leader for higher education and the world.”
Sustainability Director Nina Morris told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the overarching goal of the new plan “is really to expand and be more inclusive,” while “moving us all together towards our shared vision for climate action and sustainability.”
“What I'm excited to see is the development of our decarbonization plan,” Morris said, adding that the plan will help Penn develop "specific, actionable strategies" towards the 50% decarbonization needed to reach carbon neutrality.
Under the new plan, the University will prioritize sustainable purchasing practices, including piloting zero-emission vehicles and exploring zero-waste operations in dining facilities. The plan also calls for the creation of a working group aimed at reducing singleuse plastics on campus by 2029.
Commuter Benefits Program Manager Michael Nevorak discussed the transportation pillar of the plan at the open house. Nevorak introduced an initiative to make commuting more efficient for the Penn community, which will include a commuter concierge program online and a commuter services location in the Penn bookstore.
Penn Medicine's new sustainability plan aims to reduce the use of environmentally harmful chemicals by adopting new sanitation technologies. It also includes replacing all single-use plastics currently used in food service initiatives across the hospital.
“Our focus on the future drives innovative possibilities in medicine and challenges us to also consider how providing health care impacts the health of the environment,” CEO of the Health System Kevin Mahoney wrote in the press release. “The Climate and Sustainability Plan represents our dedication to cultivating a sustainable health system so that we can build a healthier world for future generations.”
Morris added that the new plan will also
incorporate civic engagement practices into the plan for the first time by "looking at how we support the sustainability outcomes of Penn and Philadelphia, and really relying on those community partnerships to collaboratively address climate issues."
Director of the Environmental Innovations Initiative and Chair of the Academics subcommittee, spoke at the open house on the ways in whivvh the new Action Plan interacts with its 3.0 version.
“I think in a lot of ways this builds directly on 3.0 and some of the goals are basically extensions of the goals that were set up in terms of faculty hiring, reducing barriers to interdisciplinary research, augmenting climate sustainability, education pathways,” Unger said. “Other different areas of emphasis are, for example, promoting ethical community engaged research.”
Penn achieved 100% progress towards all seven initiatives under CSAP 3.0, including a 49% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the 2009 baseline, joining the City of Philadelphia's Zero Waste Partnership program, and enrolling over 5,000 students in environment-related courses during the 2023-2024 academic year.
Penn also partnered on a Solar Power Purchase Agreement that will eventually generate approximately 70% of the electricity used by Penn's academic campus and the Health System in the Greater Philadelphia area. The solar energy comes from two new solar facilities in Franklin and Fulton counties, which became operational in December 2023.
College junior Allyson Ye was at the open house with several other students on behalf of the Student Advisory Group for the Environment, a group which works to facilitate transparency between students and administration as it pertains to sustainability initiatives.
“One of the key aspects of our job that makes us different from other organizations is that we represent students,” Ye said. “As students, we understand that you can’t always be thinking about climate all the time, and it’s like, how do we meet you where you are and make this information as readily available as possible? And that’s what I think makes our job so important.”
Morris emphasized the collective effort that went into crafting CSAP 4.0 over the last year and a half, explaining that nearly 200 people, including students, faculty, administrators, and members of the Health System participated.
“I think that speaks volumes about Penn's overall commitment,” Morris said. “There have been so many parts of our institution that worked on this plan together, and so I just want to stress that this is absolutely the whole community working towards this goal.”
that this, combined with the deep divisions between students, faculty, and alumni on issues like the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, made it extremely difficult to make statements that satisfied all parties.
“The divisions were so deep that very few of those statements served [the] purpose the institutions hoped they would serve,” Magill said.
Magill explained that despite these challenges, her decisions were made with the best interests of the University in mind, even while recognizing that those decisions sometimes upset donors and alumni.
“My job was to listen and do what I thought was the best for the long-term interest of the University, so sometimes that means saying ‘this is how we’re handling this, we’re sorry if that makes you stop supporting us’,” Magill said. Magill also discussed the increased political
FINANCIAL AID, from FRONT PAGE
result of increasing it up to $200,000,” she said. She added that Penn believes that “we should not be penalizing families who are living paycheck to paycheck and penalizing the equity in their home to support their education.”
The Quaker Commitment also aims to simplify the financial aid process for students and parents.
Director of Finance Administration and Communications Paul Richards called the Quaker Commitment the “top level” of what someone needs to know when applying to Penn.
“It also fits in with some recent initiatives to simplify the application process,” he told the DP.
“Basically taking that checklist that [financial aid services] put[s] out through the year and actually reducing some of the requirements. I think this all fits into that larger narrative of ‘how do we make this process that can be daunting and confusing more accessible and understandable to the widest range of families possible?’”
Community experts have expressed varying opinions about the change.
President and chief educational consultant of One-Step College Counseling Laurie Kopp Weingarten said that the families she works with who find Penn affordable are “the lower-income families who receive significant aid from Penn” and “upper-income families that can easily afford the cost.”
“It’s those middle-class and upper-middle-class families who are really struggling to pay Penn’s Cost of Attendance of $92K+,” Weingarten, a 1986 Wharton graduate, added. “They have been squeezed the most, and many of those parents simply tell their students that a private college without merit scholarships like Penn is not affordable.”
Weingarten also highlighted that the new policy’s language has some ambiguities.
“It’s still unclear how Penn will define ‘typical assets,’ so there may be families ineligible for aid if their assets are assessed as higher than average,”
pressure on universities. At the beginning of 2024, multiple U.S. House committees launched investigations into Penn over alleged “ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic harassment and intimidation” on campus. The Committee on Education and the Workforce requested a plethora of documents from the University in January, and released the findings from its yearlong investigation of several higher education institutions including Penn in a 325-page report on Oct. 31.
Magill recognized the difficulties of defending large and diverse universities in the face of government involvement and “attacks on universities,” but said that universities and their leaders needed to do a better job communicating their missions and values.
“Universities need to be better at explaining our noble missions of knowledge generation and dissemination, and what [that] does for individuals and collective society,” Magill said.
she added.
Managing partner of college counseling service Ivy Coach Brian Taylor believes the University has more work to do in making financial aid more accessible.
He commented on the presence of a question on Penn’s application asking students if they require financial aid as evidence that Penn is “need
CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Penn community members attend the Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 4.0 Open House.
SADIE SCOTT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER College Hall on Sept. 27.
“I think the camaraderie and ability to be around people that share a lot of the same thing and understand this … there’s not a whole lot that understand as much as people that have been around. I think it’s pretty special.”
The first quarter was all Hawks (3-0) with 5-0 start against the Quakers (3-1) fueled by offensive rebounds and strong post presence from their frontcourt of forwards Talya Brugler and Laura Ziegler. In total, the Hawks grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded the Quakers 43-31.
“I didn’t think our guards tracked the ball well enough to get those 50-50 balls and some balls on the ground,” McLaughlin said. “Again, they’re out on the perimeter — it’s not an easy task — but for us to be a good rebounding team, our guards need to rebound the ball.”
On the Quakers’ side of the ball, freshman forward Katie Collins, the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Week, was the one off to a hot start, scoring off a hook shot and going 2-for-2 from downtown in back-to-back possessions. She played all 40 minutes of the game up against the frontcourt of Brugler and Ziegler, who were first team All-Big 5 selections.
“To even play 40 minutes against that talent with all that contact around the rim, to be able to stay vertical and play 40 minutes — to me, that translates,” McLaughlin said.
Almqvist started to heat up with several successful drives to the paint, bringing her tally to a team-high 12 points at the half. But the Quakers’ second star struggled, with sophomore guard Mataya Gayle failing to score in the first half, resulting in a 39-29 halftime lead for the Hawks.
“She still sometimes struggles with pace, understanding when to go fast, when to go slow, when to change speeds, when to score at times. She is on all the time,” McLaughlin said of his reigning Rookie of the Year. “And I don’t want to take that away from
her but to develop herself to that next level, trying to envision things for her in advance... That’s the next level that she’ll get to.”
Midway through in the third quarter, Penn switched to an aggressive full-court defense. The switch moved the needle in the Red and Blue’s direction with the defense forcing a turnover on one end and then Almqvist getting another big basket in the paint on the other. On the next trip back, St. Joe’s was called for a carry and a floater by Gayle cut the lead to eight.
“I thought the score was where we need it to be. We had that run, we had a little momentum there. You get a deflection, layup there. The whole thing changes,” McLaughlin said. “Perhaps maybe you look back [and] we should’ve went pressure a little earlier than we did, but I was also trying to protect some players who were playing a lot of minutes.”
After trading runs, St. Joe’s used a pushed tempo to punish Penn’s press. Brugler was a frequent beneficiary, as was Ziegler, who combined for 37 points and 23 rebounds.
“I feel I learned that experience is very important. Composure was really evident on the other team,” Collins said after the matchup with the Big 5’s best.
A 9-3 scoring run gave the Hawks all the momentum they needed to fly away with the win in their quest to capture the Big 5 crown. And while the Quakers would keep up the fight, including six points from Gayle and another and-one for freshman guard Ashna Tambe in the fourth quarter, they could not complete the comeback.
But still, Penn leaves with its head held high.
“Every Big 5 game is so fun because it means so much more. Even though we didn’t play our best game, I think our effort and defense took us a long way today…” Almqvist said. “These games are the effort level, so we need to stay more focused, and our shots are gonna fall.”
The game is both Penn and St. Joe’s first contest in Big 5 pod play, and the first toward determining their seed for the inaugural Big 5 Women’s Classic. Both teams will also face off with Villanova later this season.
For answers to today’s puzzles, check page 7!
Men’s basketball su ers largest defeat since 2009 in 93-49 loss to Villanova
The Quakers went nearly 14 minutes of game time without a made basket
WALKER CARNATHAN Sports Editor
VILLANOVA, Pa. — Last season, Penn men’s basketball defeated nationally ranked Villanova at the Palestra 76-72, leading fans to storm the court and creating a moment that would be remembered forever. This year, the Quakers delivered a performance to forget.
In their final game of Big 5 pod play, the Red and Blue fell to rival Villanova 93-49, the team’s largest margin of defeat since 2009. In a matchup further dramatized by the presence of Wildcats guard Tyler Perkins, who transferred after breaking Penn’s freshman scoring record in 2023, the Quakers (2-3) were unable to replicate the magic of last season’s upset. A string of 15 straight misses over the first and second halves ultimately sealed Penn’s fate.
“The confidence isn’t there,” coach Steve Donahue said, specifically referencing the growing pains of Penn’s five new rotation players. “I’ve gotten my ass kicked by 40 a couple times, and we had great years those years. … We know what we need to learn.”
Perkins, who had averaged 7.6 points per game in five appearances for the Wildcats (3-3), got his first start of the season against his former team, opening with a turnaround jumper over sophomore guard Sam Brown on the game’s first possession. That score was a sign of things to come, with Perkins’ seven points in the first five minutes bringing Villanova to an early 18-13 lead.
“This is a whole new world of college basketball — it never happened to me before,” Donahue said of Perkins’ situation. “I got to know his family. I’m a coach, I’m a relationship-based [coach], and he thought it was best to leave. That’s his decision. … I thought he played really well. … Obviously I didn’t want him to do well tonight, but I hope he has a good career here at Villanova.”
There appeared to be no love lost between Perkins and his former teammates. Midway through the first half, Perkins passed through a Penn huddle and appeared to make contact with freshman guard A.J. Levine. Then, Perkins wound up on the floor after being guarded physically by junior forward Johnnie Walter on an inbound. Perkins and Walter exchanged words after the play. Later, after blocking Brown’s shot out of bounds, Perkins flexed and shouted in Brown’s face.
Penn’s offense was led by junior guard/forward Michael Zanoni, who led the team with nine points, as well as senior forward/center Nick Spinoso, who was back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench for the first time February 2023 against Saint Joseph’s. Spinoso made an impact as both a scorer and a facilitator, finding Walter for an open wing three to tie the game at 26.
But from there, the Quakers’ scoring screeched to a halt. Walter’s three, which came with roughly nine minutes left in the first half, proved to be Penn’s final points of the period, with the Wildcats opening a 17-0 run into the halftime break.
“I thought they were open,” Donahue said of Penn’s shot selection during the slump. “I think it’s this lack of confidence and this tension and this anxiety of what’s going on, and that’s leaking into both sides of the ball.”
The Quakers’ offensive woes continued into the second half. Though a free throw from Walter broke the scoring drought, Penn’s first made basket did not come until the 15-minute mark, ending a streak of 15 consecutive misses. By that point, Villanova’s 60% three-point shooting had allowed them to punish Penn’s late rotations, leading to a 25-point deficit the Quakers could not overcome.
Perkins slowed down after his hot start, finishing the night with 12 points and nine rebounds. After the game, Perkins downplayed the significance of the matchup with Penn, saying it was “like any other game.”
“Nothing,” Perkins said when asked what he had to say about playing his former team. “It’s just our next game, our next day. We just try and play Villanova basketball.”
With the loss, Penn will now play in the Big 5 fifth-place game on Dec. 7 against Drexel. More immediately, the Quakers have a lengthy break before taking on Navy on Nov. 29 in the Cathedral Classic Invitational at the Palestra. During that break, Donahue says the team will hit the reset button.
“I like getting punched in the mouth,” Donahue said. “I know that sounds crazy, but for a team, we gotta know where we’re at. …. Right now, I got nine days off, we’re going back to camp. And we’re going to work our tails off, and we’re going to get better.”
WEINING DING | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Sophomore guard Sam Brown gets blocked by Villanova’s guard Tyler Perkins on Nov. 19.
GRACE CHEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman forward Katie Collins attempts a shot against St. Joseph’s on Nov. 15.
minute when Burney lost the ball at the top of the 18-yard box, forcing Falcon to come out of his goal. Princeton midfielder Jack Jasinski dumped the ball behind the sophomore keeper — caught in no-man’s land — for forward Ian Nunez to bury into goal.
The Red and Blue’s fate was sealed by forward Daniel Ittycheria sneaking one past Falcon down and low in the 76th minute to put the Tigers up three. A late goal from Burney in the 84th minute ensured that Penn wouldn’t leave the match scoreless but meant very little in the grand scheme of the results.
With the loss to Princeton, the Quakers were unable to secure an automatic bid in the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer tournament, which was instead granted to the Tigers. Instead, the team had to wait until Monday at 1 p.m. when the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer selection committee announced its at-large bids to find out if its season would continue.
The team wouldn’t have to wait long, as the Quakers were named the sixth seed. Penn’s selection as an at-large team is a testament to its
successful season.
The Quakers began the year with a statement victory, defeating then-No. 3 Pitt in a closely contested matchup. In all three of its games against ranked opponents this year, the Quakers were undefeated. Throughout the regular season, Penn also maintained a consistent presence in the NCAA rankings, climbing as high as seventh in the country.
The Quakers were also the regular season Ivy champions, maintaining an undefeated record in regular season conference play. The strength of the Red and Blue is also reflected in numerous individual accolades. Penn boasted two Ivy League Player of the Year selections in Korzeniowski and Burney, with nine total players named to the Ivy League All-Ivy teams. Coach Brian Gill also took home Ivy League Coach of the Year honors.
Though it fell short in the conference tournament, Penn’s record as regular season Ivy champions and its impressive performances against top-tier competition made for a compelling case for its inclusion in the NCAA bracket. It’s no surprise that the Quakers will keep playing into late November.
As the sixth seed, the Red and Blue will receive a first-round bye. The Quakers will play host to the winners of Massachusetts versus Evansville. Penn’s first tournament game is currently set to kick off in Rhodes Field on Sunday at 5 p.m.
Both teams improved to 5-0 records over the weekend
ANTONIO MELONI Sports Associate
There are only a handful of certainties in life: death, taxes, and Penn Squash’s dominance over its Pennsylvania rivals.
In a packed opening weekend, No. 1 Penn men’s and No. 3 women’s squash got off to hot starts, finishing the weekend undefeated.
Both teams opened up their schedules against a trio of Pennsylvanian schools in Franklin & Marshall, Haverford, and Drexel. The men’s team was able to cruise to a 9-0 sweep over both No. 13 Franklin & Marshall and Haverford while dropping just one game to Drexel. The women’s team saw similar success, with 9-0 sweeps of No. 24 Franklin & Marshall and Haverford as well, dropping two games to Drexel.
Convincing wins over Dickinson and Chatham at the Penn Squash Center on Sunday wrapped up the eventful weekend where both teams enjoyed two separate 9-0 sweeps over their opponents, with each improving to a 5-0 record, respectively. With these victories, the Red and Blue earned the men’s and women’s Pennsylvania State Championship titles.
Men’s squash began its Sunday by defeating Dickinson early in the morning. All nine athletes swept their respective opponents three games to zero. Among the many standout performances, senior Oliver Green stood out. Green barely gave his opponent a sliver of hope, winning each game 11-2, 11-1, and 11-2. Senior Nathan Kueh also dominated, limiting his opponent to only seven total points across all three games.
The fun continued into the afternoon as the Quakers rotated some of their squad to take on Chatham.
OTT, from BACK PAGE
success of the Penn Relays and the history of track and field 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. That was our mission. And I stand here today to tell you that this facility, among other things that have been happening, are starting to really make that dream a reality.”
The 73,000 square-foot facility features many state-of-the-art competition areas, including a 200-meter banked track, two pole vault runways, two long/triple jump runways, a throwing area, an eight-lane infield for sprints, and more than 1,000 spectator seats.
The grand opening event also featured remarks from Wren, President Larry Jameson, and donors – including Jane and David Ott, the principal benefactors and namesake of the center, Jay Alix, for whom the throws area is named, and Adria Sheth, for whom the track is named. All of the speakers echoed Dolan’s sentiment about the significance of the center, while also emphasizing the merits of track and field.
“So many of the wonderful aspects of my life – my career, my family and friendships, and above all, my now 37-year marriage to the woman of my dreams [Jane Ott] – seemed to trace back to that initial meeting with coach [Pat] Devine,” David Ott said, referencing his high school track and field coach who gave him his start in the sport. “So since then, I’ve seen myself as Exhibit A of the profound influence a coach can have on a person’s life.”
“Track and field is an ideal sport for our times,” Jane Ott said. “The sport enjoys broad participation. It is diverse and inclusive, racially, economically, and geographically. Track and field offers equal opportunities to both men and women, who typically compete in the same venues in front of the same crowds. Coaching is often based on event group, rather than separated by gender … Track and field offers a multitude of events, accommodating
Green, as well as senior Shaam Gaambihr, freshman Rustin Wiser, and sophomores Ben Mathias and Kyle Penman played against both Dickinson and Chatham. Sophomore Salman Khalil led the way for the Red and Blue, beating his opponent in each of the three games 11-3, 11-1, and 11-3.
The story is quite similar for women’s squash. Senior Emma Carter limited Dickinson’s Thea Hedge to only five points across three games. Freshman Hailey Wong also wrapped her match in only three games. After a statement win against Franklin & Marshall earlier in the season, Wong has looked to string together consistent performances. If her fast-paced start to her Penn career gives any indication of what’s to come, coach Jack Wyant will have reason to be optimistic.
The Quakers finished the day with another sweep against Chatham. Sophomores Ashna Tumuluri and Ishani Wadhwa won again after successfully beating their respective Dickinson opponents earlier in the day. Senior Yoshna Singh won her games 11-9, 11-4, and 11-6, respectively. Some other matchups were a lot tighter. Sophomore Madeline Oh came out on top over Chatham’s TaNiya Nored in a five-game thriller. After overcoming this formidable challenge, Oh and her teammates will look to continue their momentum against out-of-state opponents.
Women’s squash will take on Georgetown this Friday in Washington before traveling to Charlottesville, Va. for a match against UVA. Men’s squash will also face the Cavaliers on Saturday in what should be a testing matchup for the Quakers.
participation of athletes with diverse athletic skills.”
“In 1749, 275 years ago, Ben Franklin decided to pay it forward and give us the first university in the United States,” Alix said. “And in 1881, 143 years ago, Joseph Wharton decided to pay it forward and gave us the Wharton school, all of which I’m the beneficiary [of] ... This is what they were trying to accomplish by creating a place where students could… have a sense of community, a sense of belonging, a sense of accomplishment. All that’s happened here at Penn and this facility will take that even further.”
The Ott Center will be busy during its inaugural year. Officially opening to the public on Dec. 6, the center will host 43 indoor meets including the first Penn Relays Winter Showcase on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2025. The center will also be frequented by Philadelphia’s youth track and field teams, which Dolan and others cited as one of its primary purposes.
To ring in the new track, Penn hosted ceremonial men’s and women’s mile races that were populated by recent program alumni. Olympian and U.S. 800-meter champion Nia Akins won the women’s race, while the men’s race was won by 2020 graduate Colin Daly.
Many speakers also emphasized the resilience required to see the center’s completion through.
“It wasn’t always easy,” Wren said. “We had moments in this project where we were all a little nervous, and the fact that you all stood strong and stood with us to get to this point is a really powerful testament to your love of this community.”
At a school with its fair share of iconic venues, from the nation’s oldest football stadium to its most historic basketball arena, Penn hopes the Ott Center will become a new jewel in the University’s crown.
“During my time at the med center, my office overlooked this construction site, and I used to look over and wonder ‘What’s that pit going to be?’”
Jameson said. “[The Ott Center] will be an anchor for our region. It will pull people from around Philadelphia… and it will provide access to our campus and exposure to college life for so many young people.”
“What we’ve created is an opportunity and an experience,” Smith said. “And I think that’s what we’re most excited about.”
DEREK WONG | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Senior defender Ben Do kicks the ball against Princeton in the Ivy League tournament finals on Nov. 17.
CYNTHIA DONG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A banner celebrating the Penn men’s squash team win of the Potter Cup outside of the Penn Squash Center on April 14.
Men’s soccer named sixth seed in NCAA Tournament despite Ivy final loss to Princeton
After falling 3-1 to the Tigers, the Quakers had to wait until Monday to nd out their NCAA Tournament fate
DASH,
ALEX
SAMANTHA WICKHAM, VIVIAN YAO Sports Reporter, Sports Reporter, Sports Editor
All good things must come to an end, and in the Ivy League Tournament finals, the Kings of Rhodes have finally fallen. After a run of 11 games unbeaten at Rhodes Field, No. 1 Penn men’s soccer fell to No. 3 Princeton 3-1.
After traveling down to New Jersey last Saturday to take on the Tigers in a game that saw two red cards issued in a 1-0 Penn win, Princeton had plenty of motivation heading into the rematch. It showed as the Tigers opened the match with a much higher intensity that had the Quakers on the back foot.
Following several good looks at goal, Princeton was rewarded for its efforts in the ninth minute. A shot from the top of the box by Tigers midfielder Papez Dash hit sophomore goalkeeper Philliip Falcon III in the chest. In an uncharacteristic error, Falcon was unable to hold on to the ball, and Princeton forward Nico Nee was there for the rebound. Nee made no mistake in redirecting the ball into the back of the net to give the Tigers an early lead. The goal came as a shock to a backline that has led the Ivy League this season in goals allowed. This showed as senior defender and Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Leo Burney went into the referee’s book on the following kick-off as he committed a late tackle on a Princeton forward. In the 16th minute, the Tigers almost doubled its lead but the Quakers caught a lucky break as the shot bounced off the top of the cross bar.
The tempers from a week ago came to a head in the 25th minute when a collision between Princeton midfielder Sam Vigilante and a Penn player on an attempted bicycle kick resulted in a brief confrontation between the two teams. Vigilante was issued a yellow card, as officials stepped in to separate the two rivaling squads.
Senior forward Stas Korzeniowski found an open Erickson Sakalosky behind the backline on a freekick in the 27th minute before a Princeton slide tackle poked the ball out of the corner. Penn defender Oliver Pratt — who had scored the game winner in the semifinal on Friday — left the field after the ensuing corner kick with an apparent head injury after a midair collision in a sea of orange.
Penn’s best chances came at the end of the half with senior midfielder Charlie Gaffney’s shot rifling wide of the near post in the 29th minute. A minute later, sophomore midfielder Jack-Ryan Jeremiah was able to get around his defender with a neat back-heel, but his shot was ultimately deflected out of bounds. Penn would enter the halftime break down a goal. Coming out of the break, Penn was unable to turn the tides. The Quakers struggled heavily trying to build out from the back under the Tigers’ intense pressure. The Red and Blue caught a lucky break when a misplaced pass to Falcon resulted in Falcon catching Princeton attacker Kevin Kelley instead of the ball. After review, the referee did not give the penalty shout.
The Quakers were less fortunate in the 62nd
‘The rivalry is rich’: Penn football gears up for clash with Princeton
In a season full of adversity, the Quakers are looking to send their seniors off on a positive note
When it comes to rivalries, there’s none bigger to Penn than Princeton.
“It’s one of those games where you can throw out your records. It doesn’t matter,” coach Ray Priore said. “It doesn’t matter what sport — I’ve been here that long. … The rivalry is rich, which really adds more appetite to the game.”
It doesn’t matter that Princeton is currently on track to finish the season with its worst record since 2011, as the team has won just two games all season and currently sits comfortably in the basement of the Ancient Eight. Penn football will still have its work cut out if it wants to tame the Tigers. In the last game of the season, the team is certainly hungry to do so.
“We don’t like Princeton. They don’t like us. So that speaks for itself,” junior quarterback Liam O’Brien said.
With the loss to Harvard this past weekend, the Quakers are officially out of Ivy League title contention. The upcoming face-off with the Tigers will be the culmination of a 10-week season that has seen the Red and Blue overcome plenty of adversity.
After starting the season off hot, winning two of three non-conference games — with the only loss coming to a Delaware team that has lost just one game all season — Penn got off to a slow start in conference play. Three straight losses there were highlighted by the team losing senior starting quarterback Aidan Sayin — who was just shy of setting several program records — to a season-ending elbow injury.
“The best way to handle adversity is just to deal with it,” Priore said. “To trust your training … [and] understand that there’s blue skies ahead, and that’s what our kids have done. They’ve kept that optimistic attitude the whole entire season.”
O’Brien has been one of the players who has really stepped into the spotlight without hesitation. The junior signal caller had a record-setting performance against Cornell in his second ever start and followed it up with a solid performance in the loss against the Crimson. Since getting the nod at the starting position, O’Brien has thrown for 850 yards, 11 touchdowns, and just one interception along with 285 yards on the ground and four rushing scores.
Ahead of the highly contested matchup against the Tigers, O’Brien’s focus isn’t on himself — it’s all about the seniors, who will be suiting up in the Red and Blue for one final time. Currently, there are 30 seniors on the roster. Among those include team leaders such as the captains: defensive back Shiloh Means, defensive lineman Paul Jennings, and Sayin.
“I feel like a lot of our leaders on defense are seniors,” junior linebacker Kadari Machen said. “It’s extra motivation and also sentimental that it’s gonna be the last time stepping on the field with those guys.”
With 38 years of coaching experience with the Penn program under his belt, Priore has seen his fair share of players graduate from the university. For him, it isn’t about the four years he gets with the
Ott Center hosts grand opening as donors, administrators celebrate new facility
The event featured remarks from Interim President Larry Jameson, Athletic Director Alanna Wren, and Penn track and eld coach
Steve Dolan
The first of many ribbons has been broken at Penn’s newest athletic facility.
On Saturday, the University and Penn Athletics hosted the grand opening of the Ott Center for Track and Field, marking the completion of a years-long planning and construction process that first began in 2019. Penn director of track and field and cross country Steve Dolan called the event “a celebration,” emphasizing the new role the center will play in the rich tradition of Penn track and field.
“This is a monumental moment,” Dolan said while addressing a crowd of roughly 400 attendees that included donors, administrators, and program alumni. “I was asked tonight when I came up here, ‘What does this new facility mean for track and field?’... The first word I keep telling people is: it’s a home … It’s the home of Penn track and field, the home of Philadelphia track and field.”
“My second word to bring up is vision,” Dolan continued, citing initial conversations he had with Athletic Director Alanna Wren upon coming to Penn in 2012. “[The vision] was to build off of the
players, but what they do once they depart. What’s so awesome to see is what these young men have done, not just when they were here for four years, but what they’ve done over the last five, 10, 15, 20, 25 — and this group of seniors will be no different,” Priore said. “They’ll be successful in all the things that they put their minds to. They’re gogetters. They’re hard workers. They’re resilient. And I think sport teaches that — you can’t learn that in the classroom.” If that wasn’t motivation enough, the team will also get the chance to play spoiler to Princeton’s own senior night.
“[It means] a lot to just be villains,” sophomore running back Malachi Hosley said. “Our senior night got ruined, [so it is] time to roll somebody else’s.” To do so, Hosley will be looking to pile on yet another game where he tallies over 100 yards rushing. He is on a three-game streak and has surpassed the mark in six of the nine games the team has played this year. In last season’s one-score loss, Hosley accounted for 119 yards on the ground. Another focus will also be feeding junior wide receivers Jared Richardson and Bisi Owens, who both had career days in the last meeting between the two sides. The Quakers will take on the Tigers on their home turf, with kickoff in Princeton, N.J. currently scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
“Whatever we can do to get [the seniors] the last win and leave with the taste of victory, that’s what we’re gonna do,” O’Brien said. “And we’re gonna put our hearts and our bodies on the line to do that.”
