November 30, 2023

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885

PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023

VOL. CXXXIX

NO. 29

Magill to testify before Congress about antisemitism on college campuses

‘A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT’

The hearing concerns University presidents’ efforts to address antisemitism MOLLY COHEN Senior Reporter

rehired in the spring of 2022, which is when the allegations of abuse began.

A current housekeeper at the Center, who was granted anonymity due to fear of retaliation, told the DP that they witnessed Yanire Shafi giving certain employees harder workloads and changing their schedules when they complained about their mistreatment.

The employee said that Yanire Shafi was forced out by the Teamsters union for mistreatment when she first left the conference center, but she was rehired later.

Teamsters did not respond to request for comment.

“Everybody wonders how she came back,” the employee said. “It’s still a puzzle.”

The employee added that Yanire Shafi has multiple employees who report back information about their colleagues to her.

“She’s very dismissive of anything you say,” the employee said.

The employee added they witnessed Yanire Shafi increasing other employees' workloads and issuing disciplinary notices over small disputes that normally would not merit them. She also said Yanire Shafi forced out Ruthenia Thompson, a conference center employee of 26 years who now works in Huntsman Hall.

Penn President Liz Magill will testify before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce about addressing antisemitism on college campuses next week.

Magill will join Harvard University President Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth as majority witnesses, according to a press release Tuesday morning. The committee hearing — titled “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism” — will take place on Dec. 5 at 10:15 a.m.

“Over the past several weeks, we’ve seen countless examples of antisemitic demonstrations on college campuses. Meanwhile, college administrators have largely stood by, allowing horrific rhetoric to fester and grow,” Committee Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) said.

In the press release, Foxx said the hearing was intended to shine a “spotlight” on campus leaders and demand they take action to combat antisemitism.

“President Magill understands the critical importance of fighting antisemitism and other forms of hate on Penn’s campus and looks forward to sharing the actions Penn is taking at next week’s hearing,” a University spokesperson told The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Earlier this month, the United States Department of Education opened investigations into Penn and six other schools over alleged instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia.

A University spokesperson previously confirmed to the DP that Penn received a letter from the DOE, informing them of the investigation and said that the University looked forward to cooperating fully.

The DOE investigation came a week after the Brandeis Center, a Jewish legal rights advocacy group, filed a federal complaint with the Office of Civil Rights of the DOE, alleging that Penn failed to respond to the harassment of Jewish students.

The Brandeis Center's discrimination complaint alleges that Penn violated Title VI by nurturing a hostile environment against Jewish students and failing to protect them from harassment,

See STEINBERG, page 6

See CONGRESS, page 6

PHOTO BY ETHAN YOUNG

The Steinberg Conference Center houses Wharton Executive Education and offers a full-service hotel and dining room.

Employees allege workplace ‘abuse’ at Steinberg Conference Center Former and current employees say their complaints have gone unaddressed due to their manager’s marriage to a Penn HR administrator RYAN WOLFF Staff Reporter

The Steinberg Conference Center describes itself as a world-class facility for Wharton's Executive Education program — but multiple current and former employees of the center allege they faced mistreatment and an abusive workplace environment.

The Center, located at the intersection of 38th and Spruce streets, houses Wharton Executive Education and offers a full-service hotel and dining room for participants to utilize during their programs at Wharton.

The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with former and current hotel employees at the Steinberg Conference Center who alleged their complaints of a toxic workplace have gone unaddressed due to their superior's marriage to a top Penn administrator.

The employees told the DP they have filed multiple complaints to Penn’s Division of Human Resources, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Teamsters Local 115, which represents many of the conference center employees, and Aramark, which supplies management for the conference center. All employees said that nothing has come of their complaints and that none of their concerns have been addressed.

The DP obtained the employees’ complaints, emails between employees and Penn HR staff, and disciplinary notices filed against employees by their managers. All five employees that the DP spoke with

alleged mismanagement, mistreatment, and harassment at the hands of their superior at the conference center, who they identified as Yanire Shafi.

Shafi, who is a housekeeping supervisor at the conference center, is the wife of Jalil Shafi, the director of human resources at Penn. All of the employees and exemployees cited this relationship as an explanation for why action has not been taken against Yanire Shafi.

A Wharton spokesperson declined to comment. Jalil Shafi did not respond to request for comment, while a request for comment from Yanire Shafi was redirected to her manager, Faramarz Vakili, the executive director of operations and maintenance in Penn's Facilities and Real Estate Services division.

“We cannot discuss individual employee issues,” Vakili wrote. “Penn employees with concerns have many different resources to assist them. One resource that employees can contact is the Division of Human Resources Staff and Labor Relations to share their concerns.”

Penn Athletics has widespread gender-based funding gaps, DP data analysis finds

Middle East Center director resigns as faculty allege administrators violated academic freedom

On average, men’s head coaches earn 41% more than women’s head coaches CALEB CRAIN Sports Editor

Penn Athletics has a series of wide-ranging funding gaps across a variety of sports, according to an analysis by The Daily Pennsylvanian of publicly available data. This includes significant disparities in the salaries of men’s and women’s coaches, recruiting expenses, and the costs of game day and other operations.

Most notably, the average head coach for a men’s team earned upwards of 40% more than the average head coach for a women’s team in between July 2021 and June 2022. Furthermore, the total recruiting expenses for men’s teams are over twice as much as those for women’s teams.

According to Karen Weaver — a professor in the Graduate School of Education who specializes in college athletics — this gap is not unusual throughout the collegiate sports scene. Weaver noted that “51 years after Title IX was signed into law, we’re still struggling with this.”

The data used in the DP's analysis ranges from July 2021 through June 2022 and is publicly disclosed by Penn to the United States Department of Education under the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act. The data was pulled from the DOE’s website via their Cutting Tool.

Since this data is self-reported by Penn and the University is a private institution, ascertaining certain nuances, including the salaries of individual programs’ head coaches, is not possible. Additionally, several other databases — including that of the See PAY GAP, page 9 SEND STORY IDEAS TO NEWSTIP@THEDP.COM

Ties to a Penn human resources administrator Yanire Shafi was first hired by the conference center in the early 2000s as a business administrator but transferred to housekeeping as early as 2007, according to one employee. She then became a housekeeping manager around 2011 but left in 2015. Yanire Shafi was then

AAUP-Penn’s executive committee wrote that Harun Küçük submitted his resignation in response to “inappropriate ​​ pressure from administrators” DIAMY WANG AND ETHAN YOUNG Staff Reporter and Contributing Reporter

Penn Middle East Center Director Harun Küçük submitted his resignation on Nov. 28, according to the Penn chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

In an “urgent message” released Tuesday afternoon, AAUP-Penn’s executive committee expressed concern about alleged violations of academic freedom by University administration regarding Penn’s decision to refuse to allow Penn Chavurah to host a film screening of “Israelism.”

“The administration’s refusal to allow students to screen a documentary film on campus is one more expression of our university leadership’s failure to uphold the principles of academic freedom—principles enshrined in Penn’s policies and essential to the mission of a university,” AAUP-Penn’s executive committee wrote.

In response to a request for comment, Küçük confirmed his resignation, adding “I don’t believe I have anything to say. I would not have resigned if I had any comment left in me.” While Küçük will no longer serve in his capacity as MEC director, he told The Daily Pennsylvanian that he will remain as faculty at Penn. Küçük is an associate professor in the History and Sociology of Science Department.

The DP spoke with Penn faculty members, students, and alumni affiliated with the MEC about the implications of Küçük’s resignation and their concerns about academic freedom at Penn.

Professor Robert Vitalis, who served as MEC director from 1999 to 2006, wrote to the DP that he advised Küçük to resign.

“The president and the provost have lost sight of the university’s academic mission, and I am ashamed of a place that once inspired me,” Vitalis wrote.

Steve Weitzman, the Religious Studies department undergraduate chair and director of the Katz Center of Advanced Judaic Studies, emphasized the role of Küçük as a “bridge-builder” during his time as MEC director.

“The campus community must find a way to rebuild open-communication and trust,” Weitzman wrote to the DP. “[Küçük] has been trying mightily

PHOTO BY JESSE ZHANG

The Penn Middle East Center on Sept. 7, 2022.

to do that; and his departure from this particular role is a huge loss from my perspective.”

College junior Teddy Conover, who took STSC 0100: “Emergence of Modern Science” taught by Küçük his first year at Penn, described Küçük as “particularly formative” for him as he cultivated a classroom environment that was both “very intellectual” and “welcoming.”

“I think it’s concerning and super unfortunate that it’s come to pressures from administration to cause someone so professional, and so excellent to resign from — I know not his professorship — but a very prestigious leadership position,” Conover said.

Conover also made note of a Penn Today article from Nov. 20, which featured Küçük, highlighting his Locust Walk conversations designed to provoke

ONLINE AT THEDP.COM

conversations and bridge differences with Joshua Teplitsky, director of the Jewish Studies program.

“I thought [the resignation] is incredibly concerning for a couple of reasons. One was that Penn was using [Küçük] in a social media way, just a week ago with Professor Teplitsky.”

The “Israelism” screening was held on Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. in Meyerson Hall B1, a room that was reserved by the MEC. However, the statement wrote that the MEC had reportedly been told by Penn administrators to cancel the screening, and that Penn Chavurah’s status and funding as a student group may be jeopardized.

AAUP-Penn’s executive committee wrote that See RESIGNATION, page 3 CONTACT US: 215-422-4640

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

$10 off your next 10 meals Means more cheddar in your pocket. And on your burger.

Use promo code: EATSCOLLEGE10

W O N DER

OR

Terms apply. Offer expires 12/14/23. Taxes & fees still apply.

Limited to $10 off per order. Exclusions may apply. See app for details.

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

NEWS 3

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023

RESIGNATION, from FRONT PAGE

PHOTO BY ETHAN YOUNG

Penn Chavurah organized a rally in front of Houston Hall on Nov. 27 to protest Penn’s attempts to prevent the screening of the film “Israelism.”

Penn Chavurah screens film critical of Israel despite threats of disciplinary action Penn admin. attempted to delay the screening until February, sparking a protest on campus LARA COTA, JESSICA WU, AND FIONA HERZOG Staff Reporters and Contributing Reporter

Penn Chavurah, a progressive Jewish student group, screened a film critical of Israel amid attempts from Penn administrators to delay the screening.

Nearly 100 community members attended the “Israelism” film screening in Meyerson Hall on Tuesday after several University attempts to postpone the event due to administration concerns about the current campus climate. Prior to the screening, College senior and Penn Chavurah organizer Jack Starobin said that despite having a reserved room by the Middle East Center, the vice provost for University Life “said there may be disciplinary consequences if we continue the screening.”

A University spokesperson wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian that students did not inform Penn of future dates for the screening after postponing it for safety concerns, prompting them being referred to disciplinary action.

“The student organizers disregarded the University’s direction and secured a different space to show the film,” the spokesperson wrote. “Consistent with University policy, the student organizers will be referred to the Office of Community Standards and Accountability to determine whether a violation of the Code of Student Conduct occurred.”

The day prior to the screening, Penn Chavurah and IfNotNow Philly organized a rally at Penn Commons, opposing what they said was the University’s censorship of the film.

The film screening was originally scheduled over the summer to take place on Oct. 24 but was postponed due to the recency of the Hamas attacks on Israel, according to Jack Starobin.

The organization submitted a request to reschedule on Oct. 26, and on Nov. 21, the University denied their request, Starobin told the DP. Starobin said that the University informed him that if the film screening takes place as planned tomorrow, the status and funding of Penn Chavurah as a student organization may be jeopardized.

“Penn has released at least eight statements in the past several weeks talking about its supposedly earnest concern with antisemitism, and yet it just censored a Jewish student organization from hosting a film made

by Jewish filmmakers talking about Jewish people,” Starobin said.

“Israelism” is an award-winning documentary on the transformation of American Jews in relation to Israel.

It follows the lives of two young American Jews who,

4000 SPRUCE ST. COPABANANA.COM

after witnessing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, develop a conflicting relationship with Israel and the ongoing conflict. The film has been screened at other universities, including Haverford and Bryn Mawr, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and University of Notre Dame.

“Israelism” has drawn controversy from national organizations for its portrayal of Israel. Earlier this month, Hunter College also canceled a screening of “Israelism,” prompting backlash from the school’s Senate.

Starobin said that during an initial meeting with the Executive Director of Student Affairs Katie Bonner on Nov. 21, she expressed concern that the film was not right for the current climate on campus, adding that there is a lot of vitriol on campus and some community members would respond poorly to the screening.

During their second meeting on Nov. 27, Starobin said Bonner explained that there is more complexity to the University’s denial but did not clarify what that complexity is.

At the rally, Starobin said that the University’s censorship of the film shows that Penn is prioritizing the wishes of a right-leaning political agenda over their students’ safety and right to free speech.

“By censoring us, the University is giving in to the extortion of far-right donors and politicians who insist on silencing all critics of Israel, even at the expense of our safety and free speech, even as Israel commits what more and more of the international community is calling a genocide against Palestinians,” Starobin said.

“Censoring progressive Jews is only the latest example of Penn caving to the far-right.”

A University spokesperson said that Penn postponed the screening until February after discussions with the Division of Public Safety and administrators to ensure the film can be viewed “safely and constructively.” The spokesperson said that Penn “[appreciates] the understanding of Penn Chavurah, who have been both passionate and respectful of their fellow Penn community members.”

On the same day as the screening, Penn Middle East Center Director Harun Küçük submitted his resignation, according to the Penn chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Faculty committee members wrote that the organization was “alarmed” by the resignation and claimed that Küçük submitted his resignation in response to ​​”inappropriate pressure from administrators.” The Middle East Center had reserved the room for the screening.

Despite University efforts to postpone the screening, the documentary showing took place on Nov. 28 and was followed by a Q&A with producer of the film Erin Axelman, where Axelman shared their own process with the documentary and answered questions from Penn community members.

Students with a PennCard were unable to enter the School of Design building without someone inside opening the door for them. Once inside the building, individuals were checked by police to make sure they possessed a PennCard. Another check for a PennCard also occurred outside the screening room. Penn Police were also present.

A Penn Medicine student, who requested anonymity, said that they felt the level of security was “completely unreasonable.” While they were eventually allowed entry, the student said they were initially denied because they presented a hospital ID issued by Penn Medicine instead of a PennCard.

College senior Olivia Haynie, another organizer with Penn Chavurah, said that the University’s recent statements and actions have made it a “very stressful time on campus.”

In addition to frustration from University actions,

Haynie also said that as a Jewish student, she has been discouraged by the reactions from the broader Jewish community toward trying to bring a different perspective to the issue and having an honest conversation.

Lily Brenner, an Engineering sophomore and member of Penn Chavurah, said that “the administration needs to remind itself on who it needs to serve.”

In the live Q&A following the screening of the film, Axelman expressed frustration with Penn administrators who attempted to cancel the event, adding that they have not watched the film.

“It is a profound lack of intellectual discipline to be censoring films and academic material without interacting with it,” Axelman said.

During the Q&A session Axelman said that seeing a shift in people’s perspectives on Israel has given them hope for their community.

“It’s a very painful process, much easier for me than many people. But I think it’s also a necessary process.

And again, a lot of the adults are now changing. A lot of my generation has already changed and now a lot of our parents are listening to us,” Axelman said.

A student in the crowd shared their own story of how their mother didn’t want them to come watch the film, labeling it as antisemitic and pro-Nazi, without having seen the film. The student asked Axelman about how to engage in dialogue with those who they disagree with.

In response, Axelman noted that they believe in the film’s ability to get people talking and encouraged the audience to start that dialogue.

Another Penn student, who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation, said they came to the film screening because its controversy piqued their interest, adding that the Q&A section was a good opportunity to talk to someone who is knowledgeable about the Israel-Hamas war.

“I’ve been trying to educate myself more but was also getting burnt out from doing it so much over the past month, but this event seemed like a good way to learn more,” the student said.

the organization was "alarmed" by the resignation and claims that Küçük submitted his resignation in response to ​​”inappropriate pressure from administrators.”

The Middle East Center declined to comment, but Executive Director John Ghazvinian confirmed in an email to the DP that he was aware of the resignation.

A University spokesperson has not responded to a request for comment.

The AAUP statement comes a day after Penn Chavurah and IfNotNow Philly hosted a rally in Penn Commons where dozens of students protested the University’s refusal to allow for the screening of "Israelism."

The film screening was originally scheduled over the summer to take place on Oct. 24 but was postponed due to the recency of the Hamas attacks on Israel, according to College senior and Penn Chavurah organizer Jack Starobin. The organization submitted a request to reschedule on Oct. 26, and on Nov. 21, the University denied their request, Starobin previously told the DP. “When a faculty member stands up for free speech, they're not just standing up for the group that's speaking, they're standing up for the academic freedom of all students on this campus,” Starobin said in a statement to the DP about Küçük’s resignation, adding that the group plans to continue “to keep speaking out.”

“Israelism” is an award-winning documentary on the transformation of American Jews in relation to Israel. It follows the lives of two young American Jews who, after witnessing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, develop a conflicting relationship with Israel and the ongoing conflict. The film has been screened at other universities, including Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and the University of Notre Dame.

“Israelism” has drawn controversy from national organizations for its portrayal of Israel. Earlier this month, Hunter College also canceled a screening of “Israelism,” prompting backlash from the school's Senate.

On Oct. 28, the AAUP released a statement saying that fundamental aspects of University operations had been “impaired” by administrators and donors' response to the ongoing violence in Gaza and Israel and the Palestine Writes Literature Festival.

In September 2022, the DP reported that the MEC lost all federal funding due to insufficient institutional support from the University. The United States Department of Education had previously granted the MEC Title VI funding due to its status as a National Resource Center and its allocation of student language fellowships with the DOE’s Foreign Language & Area Studies program. In October 2022, Penn announced that it would fully fund the MEC for four-and-a-half years after outrage from students.

125 S 40th St. • (267) 292-2255 • zestopizzaucity.com

SLICES ARE BACK!

$8, $9, $10 Two slices of plain, one topping, or specialty Price includes soda and tax.

One of the most affordable lunches on Penn’s campus!

HOLIDAY

GIFT CARDS

Because you already know someone who would love one!

Monday-Friday: 11am-9pm Saturday: 12pm-9pm Sunday: Closed

4 OPINION

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Opinion

139th Year of Publication

THIS YEAR’S BOARD

Editorial | Addressing the status of free speech at Penn Koch Institute — ­ and this type of support has increased over time.

None of this information definitively labels FIRE as an institution with a political bent, but it is relevant context that should be examined. Given the causes that Kors has supported in the past, and the organization’s ties to right-leaning organizations, we should take its’ prognoses with a grain of salt.

JESSE ZHANG President EMI TUYẾTNHI TRẦN Executive Editor IMRAN SIDDIQUI DP Editor-in-Chief LILIAN LIU Design Editor COLLIN WANG Design Editor JARED MITOVICH News Editor MOLLY COHEN News Editor SAYA DESAI Assignments Editor ALLYSON NELSON Copy Editor JULIA FISCHER Copy Editor ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL Photo Editor CAROLINE MAGDOLEN Opinion Editor KIRA WANG Social Media Editor CALEB CRAIN Sports Editor ALEXIS GARCIA Sports Editor GEORGE BOTROS Video Editor RIANE LUMER Podcast Editor MATTEO BUSTERNA Diversity & Inclusion Director JOSH TRENCHARD Business Manager GRACE DAI Analytics Director MADISON SMITH Marketing Manager KRISTEN LI Product Manager AKANKSHA TRIPATHY Consulting Manager ZAIN QURESHI Finance Manager

THIS ISSUE’S TEAM JOSEPHINE BUCCINI Deputy Design Editor WEI-AN JIN Deputy Design Editor ESTHER LIM Deputy Design Editor SOPHIA LIU Deputy Design Editor ABHIRAM JUVVADI News Photo Editor KAMELIJA PATOSKA Sports Photo Editor DEREK WONG Opinion Photo Editor CHARLOTTE BOTT Deputy Copy Editor MADDIE PASTORE Deputy Copy Editor LAURA SHIN Deputy Copy Editor DIAMY WANG Deputy Copy Editor WALKER CARNATHAN Deputy Sports Editor YOMI ABDI Deputy Opinion Editor EMILY CHANG Deputy Opinion Editor VINAY KHOSLA Deputy Opinion Editor

LETTER SUBMISSION Have your own opinion?

Send your letter to the editor or guest column to letters@thedp.com.

Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. Editorial Board, which meets regularly to discuss issues relevant to Penn’s campus. Participants in these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on related topics.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Land on which the office of The Daily Pennsylvanian stands is a part of the homeland and territory of the LenniLenape people, known to the original Indigenous people as “Lenapehoking.” We affirm Indigenous sovereignty and will work to hold The Daily Pennsylvanian and the University of Pennsylvania more accountable to the needs of Native American and Indigenous people.

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

DESIGN BY DEREK WONG

How do we define free speech? How do we define how a university campus promotes, or discourages, free speech?

These are open questions that have sparked discussion and debate at The Daily Pennsylvanian in light of recent on-campus protests, speaker events, and professor investigations.

Now more than ever, we must emphasize free speech and academic discourse on college campuses. Students should be aware of the University’s open expression guidelines and demand these rights be met.

Dialogue on campus should not be dictated by anyone other than the students and faculty.

This week alone, Penn has been under fire for denying Penn Chavurah’s request to screen the documentary “Israelism,” and the Penn Middle East Center director has resigned in the wake of faculty concerns over academic freedom. Jared Taylor, a reported white nationalist who has been described as a promoter of eugenics and pseudoscience, spoke at a lecture taught by professor Amy Wax at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. His return as a guest speaker has reignited calls from student groups to fire Wax. There is one recurring statistic in our Opinion coverage that has often defined the state of free speech at Penn. According to FIRE — the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression — Penn ranks second-to-last in campus free expression for the second year in a row.

This is a bold, provocative assertion to make, and fits well into the narrative of “woke ideology run amok” that is often told by politicians in America today. But

FIRE’s 2024 rankings should be treated as more than a pithy soundbite that laments the death of free speech in “ivory tower” Ivy League schools like Penn. Instead, they should be held under scrutiny and analyzed by conservatives and liberals alike in Penn’s community.

History of FIRE FIRE was founded in 1999 by Penn history professor Alan Charles Kors and Boston civil liberties lawyer Harvey A. Silverglate after they co-authored “The Shadow University,” which critiqued attacks on freedom of speech on college campuses.

Kors attributes the founding of FIRE to his defense of Eden Jacobowitz in the 1993 “water buffalo case” at Penn, which he described as mishandled in a guest column for the DP. This case, which garnered national news coverage, debated whether Jacobowitz had violated Penn’s racial harassment codes by calling five sisters of a traditionally Black sorority “water buffalo.” That same year, Kors worked with Penn’s Judicial Inquiry Office in 1993 to drop a case against Gregory Pavlik, a conservative columnist at the DP who wrote columns on racial issues on campus and was accused of 34 counts of racial harassment.

Though FIRE is purposefully nonideological and nonpartisan, its founding is tied to political backlash from the left in particular. FIRE has also been criticized for receiving significant donations from conservative and right-leaning groups like the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, and the Charles

FIRE’s methodology The methodology that FIRE uses to give Penn its dismal free speech ranking also deserves further examination.

The essence of FIRE’s ranking calculation comes from two sets of metrics. The first is a set of six components calculated from student surveys organized by College Pulse that assess perceptions of on-campus free speech. The sample size for Penn’s survey was 253 students, which is roughly 2.2% of undergraduate enrollment.

After these components are summed, the second set of metrics — behavior components — are incorporated through bonus and penalty points. Schools can lose points for sanctioning scholars, which is defined as either investigating, suspending, or terminating them. Scores for schools are then standardized, and schools may have standard deviations added or removed from that score based on FIRE’s rating of their speech code, which ranges from “green light” (+1 standard deviation) to “warning” (-2 standard deviations).

It is unclear how free speech perceptions are weighed compared to concrete actions taken by campus communities, or how FIRE decided on this methodology to begin with. What counts as a “sanction” is similarly suspect. Two of the four most recent targeting incidents against professors at Penn that were labeled as “sanction” outcomes and thereby incorporated into the 2024 FIRE ranking concern Wax. As two Harvard Crimson columnists remark in their own analysis of FIRE’s rankings, “exercise of discretion to fire or hire scholars is an important form of free speech in and of itself,” and express that professors can be criticized for the offensive statements they make. It is important to remember that in the eyes of the FIRE free speech ranking, Penn is penalized for even considering whether or not to exercise this discretion in the case of Wax. The framing of Penn’s free speech, when compared to other universities, may also be misleading.

Take these two student voices from the FIRE rankings: One student is “worried for [their] grade when [they] might want to express an opinion that is different” and another “did not want the professor to fail [them] for thinking differently than them.” They sound near identical, but these students attend Penn and Michigan

Technological University — ranked #1 in FIRE’s 2024 rankings — respectively.

Is it accurate to frame Penn as the second-worst university for free expression while it ranks higher than MTU on the “comfort expressing ideas” and “openness” axes of FIRE’s survey, and 55% of students at both schools say that they are worried about damaging their reputations if their words are misconstrued?

Many of the concerns that FIRE expresses concerning free speech are not isolated to Penn, or universities at the bottom of their ranking at all. While 30% of the surveyed Penn students state that “using violence to stop a campus speech” is at least rarely acceptable, 27% of all students across surveyed universities stated the same. 64% of Penn students stated that they self-censor at least once or twice a month on campus, while 58% of all students say the same.

These are not extreme differences. And yet, the quick-fire labeling of Penn’s state of free speech as second-worst has implied that there is something intrinsically different about how Penn handles open discourse compared to other universities.

Why FIRE’s ranking matters Following recent controversy on Penn’s campus, it has not only been staff and guest columnists in our Opinion section that have seized on FIRE’s ranking. Both Marc Rowan and Jonathon Jacobson reference the ranking in their letters to Penn’s administration announcing their withdrawal of funding. It has also been repeatedly mentioned in media coverage from Fox News and the New York Post.

The 2024 FIRE free speech ranking is not objectively incorrect or meaningless. However, we must recognize that, as with any ranking and any methodology that accompanies it, there were deliberate choices made in how this information was obtained, analyzed, and presented to us.

Objective data is a myth, and we discover that when we engage in nuanced discussion and ask questions about it.

The state of free speech at Penn cannot be encapsulated by a single number, and it is a disservice to treat it as such. We demand a more thoughtful examination of it from our readership and the media at large, and concrete actions from Penn’ administration to affirm a dedication to free speech on campus.

Editorials represent the majority view of the members of The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. Editorial Board, which meets regularly to discuss issues relevant to Penn’s campus. Editorial writers are not involved in any news reporting.

Navigating the maze of Penn’s resources JESSAYS | An introduction to Penn’s resources, from someone who’s (almost) seen it all During my first month at Penn, it was quickly apparent that I couldn’t do college the same way everyone else does. I had little energy to go to classes and mandatory events, let alone attend parties and live out the typical “college experience.” I was struggling with my classes in peculiar ways.

Namely, I had a harder time walking to and from class than keeping up with the content itself.

Cue what I call “the shuffle.” I would visit one office after another, walking in with the same few questions. Who could I talk to about the accommodations I needed?

Who would believe that I had a problem?

Who could figure out what was wrong?

Typically, I would leave with more questions than I started, along with a contact for some other office. As I dragged myself to multiple meetings a week, inevitably crashing afterward, I kept returning to one question: Where do you find support when it’s unclear who can help you?

Resources at Penn are abundant but not easily navigable, and many students who acutely need help are falling through the cracks.

In June, even before I set foot in the United States, I’d started with disability services. Over the course of the next five months, I made my way through Student Health, Counseling and Psychological Services, learning consultants, academic advisors, professors, CaseNet, and much more. One evening, I made a list of everyone I’d reached out to for help: It amounted to over 40 people across Penn, faculty, staff, and specialists alike.

Although my health will always be a work in progress, I’ve come out of the experience with much of the help I initially needed. I’ve learned from my many meetings that there is very real and tangible support available at Penn — I came out of the experience with competent healthcare professionals who were able to provide documentation to get accommodations approved, particularly welcoming (and accommodating) faculty and staff at the college houses, along with upperclassmen and friends who shared their experiences and knowledge of what was out there.

PHOTO BY ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

Columnist Jessey Shin offers advice on how to take advantage of Penn’s institutional resources.

Still, I believe there’s much to be improved about the accommodation process.

It was difficult to be able to pinpoint which offices were responsible for dealing with problems like mine, and the steps I would need to go through were not transparent.

I had spent much of my search trying to understand what type of documentation I needed, for instance, and which doctors and/ or specialists would be able to provide the “right type of” paperwork.

Especially when you have a complex and pervasive medical issue like mine, you run into many dilemmas. When one problem is impacting your academic performance, social life, and mental health, where do you start? Learning specialists? Cultural centers? CAPS? Additionally, there are few people you can reliably go to when you’re in the stage of figuring out what is wrong. Students who already have been diagnosed with a disability go through the process of consulting with a healthcare professional and submitting a letter and an accommodation request, which can be hard to figure out in and of itself.

However, those who are not yet at that point will have to wrestle with finding hospitals around Penn, understanding their insurance,

and finding a healthcare provider who will provide the right kind of paperwork for disability services.

With a body incapable of sitting up for half an hour a lot of the time, I spent so much of my time and resources trying to understand how Penn deals with disability, and setting up systems that could make it possible for me to continue my studies without irrevocably damaging my health.

I was fortunate to eventually find a doctor who suspected that I may have a chronic illness. However, this is certainly not the case for everyone. Moreover, the students who need the most support are also disproportionately more likely to lack the means to find available help.

For those in the same place as me, I have a few pointers: If your problem clearly pertains to disability, or if you suspect that may be the case, reach out to Disability Services sooner rather than later. On their portal, you have the option to schedule a meeting with a disability specialist or learning consultant.

The former will require you to submit an accommodation request, even if you aren’t asking for one just yet. Additionally, you can ask to be connected to their wonderful case manager if you need help coordinating with

Penn and healthcare provider(s).

For identity-related issues, the cultural resource centers may be worth visiting, and a variety of student organizations deal with this as well. Both CAPS and Let’s Talk sessions are available if something is impacting your mental health.

If you have a more complex problem, or aren’t sure where to start, the college office (or your advisor, if you’re in other schools) can be a good bet. Advisors can help you identify what you’re struggling with, give you suggestions on offices and contacts to reach out to, and maybe even walk you through the trickier parts of the process.

Generally, they can take some of the load off of finding what works for you.

Ultimately, Penn is one of few places in the world where resources are not scarce.

There is plenty of support around, so long as you know where to look; yet, it’s difficult to make the most of what’s available because few people have a clear-cut understanding of what is out there.

JESSEY SHIN is a College first year from Seongnam-si, South Korea. Their email address is jessey0@sas.upenn. edu.

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

OPINION 5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Penn’s intoxi-culture THE AIYER ASSESSMENT | Raise a toast to dear old Penn and its drinking problem

PHOTO BY KYLIE COOPER

Columnist Sangitha Ayer warns students about Penn’s social drinking culture.

Take a stroll across campus on any given Friday night and you will likely bear witness to alcohol-fueled scenes.

You might accidentally step on a stray can of Natural Light or a red Solo cup. Maybe you’ll watch an intoxicated party-goer stumble over an unlodged Locust Walk brick. On any given day, you may witness a fresh-faced first-year get MERTed. Welcome to Penn, the land where Ivy League prestige meets rampant alcoholism.

Our drinking culture is nothing new; it is even ingrained into the University's long history. Before the 1970s, students would sing our fight song and raise a champagne toast to “dear old Penn” during homecoming

football games. When alcohol was eventually banned from Franklin Field, a more lighthearted alternative emerged where students threw pieces of bread onto the field, a literal interpretation of making a “toast.” Despite its modern adaptation, the alcohol-related origins of this iconic tradition remain the same. Our fight song, named “Drink a Highball,” even references a popular type of cocktail. Talk about school spirit.

Even today, we see alcohol seep its way into everyday student life. One of the most popular and sought-after classes at Penn is CBE 5560: "The Biochemical Engineering of Wine," during which students learn about

biochemical unit operations behind the production of wine and even engage in weekly wine tastings.

Penn students are allowed to have fun. The origins behind toast throwing make for an amusing story, and a wine-tasting class does sound enjoyable. A more pressing concern arises, however, when these subtle elements of drinking cumulate into something larger. Binge drinking on campus has been normalized to an almost terrifying extent. Consuming alcohol three times a week, blacking out, and even having emergency services called seem to be staples of the Penn experience.

Penn has attempted to cease the overconsumption of alcohol on campus. From providing substance abuse recovery resources through Wellness at Penn to implementing a medical amnesty policy, it seems like the University has done its due diligence. This problem, however, is unlikely to be solved by administrative action. It is the responsibility of Penn students to reform our University-wide culture.

Unsurprisingly, binge drinking has damning repercussions. Each year, approximately 1,500 college students die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries.

About one in four college students experience academic difficulties from drinking, including missing class or falling behind in schoolwork. Around 696,000 college students are assaulted by another student who was drinking, per year.

These numbers, while unsightly, will not come as a shock to most. By the time they begin college, most students have been told time and time again that drinking in excess is bad. However, Penn’s drinking epidemic may be indicative of even bigger problems. It is both a cause and effect of many of the social issues that plague the University.

On college campuses, alcohol has been cited as a major contributing factor to sexual assaults. In 2019, 25.9% of undergraduate women at Penn reported unwanted sexual contact since entering college. Possibly, it is the presence of alcohol that has worsened our alleged rape culture.

Simultaneously, Penn’s alcoholism may also be an

effect of some of the difficulties that students regularly encounter. Binge drinking can be caused by feelings of stress and is often utilized as an unhealthy way to manage negative emotions. Penn students are no strangers to mental health struggles, a common presence in high-stress institutions. The need to resort to alcohol rather than seeking mental health support may be indicative of the lack of proper resources on campus, an urgent issue that University administration still has yet to solve.

Of course, Penn students’ poor drinking habits also go hand-in-hand with the University’s “work hard, play hard” culture and reputation as the “social Ivy”. The former phrase, a motto that is so deeply intertwined with University life, is a popular discouragement of pursuing a balanced lifestyle. It implies that regularly “playing hard,” which is oftentimes analogous to drinking, is necessary to achieve the full college experience. The latter phrase, “social Ivy,” is indicative of the prevalence of Greek life organizations. They are often embroiled in alcohol-related controversies — whether it’s forcing pledges to drink as part of hazing processes or serving as the center of Penn’s party scene.

With that being said, my goal is not to drive all forms of liquor off campus. We are still a university, and, inevitably, students will continue to drink. That’s not a completely negative thing, either. Alcohol has its benefits, especially in situations where it can serve as a social lubricant and even help improve well-being.

Unfortunately, the slope from social drinking to binge drinking is a slippery one. Alcohol has become an integral part of what it means to be a Penn student and is almost inseparable from our University-wide culture.

For that to change, it is the responsibility of students to choose to reform our approach to alcohol consumption.

Only then can we begin to recuperate from an almost 300-year-old hangover.

SANGITHA AIYER is a College sophomore from Singapore. Her email is saiyer@sas. upenn.edu.

Penn is censoring Jewish-led criticism of Israel GUEST COLUMN | The University is caving to far-right political pressure and donor extortion at the cost of free speech and student safety On Nov. 21, the University officially denied Penn Chavurah a space to screen the documentary film “Israelism.” They gave the justification that the film is not right for the climate on campus at this time. The University is censoring Jewish students for criticizing Israel.

Produced and directed by Jewish filmmakers, “Israelism” follows two American Jews as they witness Israel's treatment of Palestinians and unlearn the unconditional love for Israel that they had been taught since they were children. By censoring us, the University is capitulating to an extortionary lobby of far-right donors and politicians who insist on quashing all criticism of Israel, even at the expense of our safety and freedom of speech.

Censoring progressive Jews is the latest example of Penn's adherence to the far-right lobby. Other examples include Penn's demeaning treatment of the Palestine Writes Literature Festival, selective outrage at violent threats made to community members on the basis of their ethnicities and political views, and dishonest representation of calls for Palestinian liberation, even as the Palestinian population undergoes a genocide.

The University does not censor pro-Israel events.

On Nov. 2, Penn Hillel hosted an event with Shmuel Lynn, the founder of Meor Penn. Lynn told his audience that they needed to prepare for war on behalf of Israel. He said, "it is not trite to say that there is … another front line. There's another camp of battle … I'm in the streets of New York City, in Greenwich Village. You're on a college campus."

Penn did not deem Lynn's rhetoric too vitriolic for the campus climate. But Penn has deemed our film — which advocates peace, not war

— somehow deserving of censorship.

By discriminating against us for our political views, Penn has demonstrated that it only protects speech that its donors approve. Penn is not protecting free speech. Penn is not even following its own Open Expression Guidelines. Section 1, Subsection B of the Open Expression Guidelines say: “the substance or the nature of the views expressed is not an appropriate basis for any restriction upon or encouragement of an assembly or a demonstration.”

Penn has also demonstrated a disregard for Jewish safety. Jewish tradition teaches us to think critically, to question, to dialogue, and when we are confronted with injustice, to speak out. In the past month, President Liz Magill has released at least eight statements insisting on the University's concern with antisemitism. But in censoring us, Penn demonstrates it is not really committed to protecting Jewish students. Penn is much more committed to satisfying its donors and satiating the far-right political apparatus lobbying for Israel's illegal, inhumane, and indefensible assault on Gaza.

Silencing us does not keep us safe.

Similar to how silencing Palestinian students or pretending that Palestinian students do not exist, silencing progressive Jewish students gives the far-right lobby what they want. Silencing us means caving to the 26 Republican congresspeople and Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie, who have, in recent weeks, targeted free speech at Penn for their own political gain, in complete disregard for the human rights of the population of Gaza.

Silencing us means giving license to the farright lobby to dictate campus discourse, even at the

PHOTO BY ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

Demonstrators criticized Penn’s efforts to stop the screening of the film “Israelism” during a rally held on Nov. 27.

expense of the safety of Jewish, Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and other students and faculty.

We have a message for the far right: You can bully our University. You can try to buy it out. But you will never buy our silence.

And we have a message for Magill: It's the same message that hundreds of Penn students, faculty, and community members have been saying for months. You are a leader of this University. With all due respect, show some leadership. When a group like Penn Chavurah comes to you with an opportunity to initiate a dialogue, we are counting

on you to set the tone, not shut us down. When bullies come to campus with thick checkbooks, doxxing trucks, and violent threats, we are counting on you to tell them loudly: Hands off our school.

PENN CHAVURAH is a leftist Jewish student group founded in 2021 as a response to the strong Zionist ties of Penn Hillel isolating parts of Penn’s Jewish community. Their email is pennchavurah@gmail.com.

Shallow solidarity: How ignorance trivializes the Israel-Hamas conflict UNHINGED | Misguided narratives at Penn have dehumanized the centuries-long conflict, leaving little room for productive dialogue

PHOTO BY DIEGO CÁRDENAS URIBE

Columnist Mritika Senthil argues that apathy eliminates nuance in discussions about the IsraelPalestine conflict.

"We can disagree and still be friends."

"Yes, bitch. About pizza toppings. Not genocide."

If you’ve been on the pro-Palestine side of social media lately, you might have come across this variation of an original dialogue that began to circulate during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Now, it’s been repurposed as an ultimatum of sorts: an implication that there is no middle ground when critiquing Israel.

By reposting these provocative messages on their Instagram stories and X, the site formerly known as Twitter, feeds, many students at Penn have contributed to a greater trend, one that estranges anyone who even marginally disagrees with their take on a centuries-long geopolitical conflict that’s only taken center stage in mainstream Western diplomacy after

the 1948 founding of the State of Israel.

This blatant partisanship can be found on either side of the Israel-Hamas conflict — including, in the eyes of many, the involved governments. I’ve never been particularly outspoken about my takes on a potential ceasefire or the two-state solution, at least publicly. I’ve never suggested that one side is somehow more justified in its attacks of the other. However, I have posted criticism of an antisemitic riot in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, after which over 60 Instagram users unfollowed me, including some whom I’ve been acquainted with for the past decade.

I do not mean to use this column to lament my loss of followers, many of whom I assume are not antisemites themselves. But I’m surprised by the extent to which my classmates can presume my

political positions based on a single post. I’m also disappointed: When anyone attempts to criticize what is objectively a violation of civil rights, they are flooded with DMs and comments from netizens asking, “What about the children of Gaza?”

For example, check out the comments under any of United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s recent Instagram posts. In a similar vein, a fellow Daily Pennsylvanian columnist’s critique of Penn’s retracting donor base has attracted multiple dismissive comments along the lines of "identifying yourself with the oppressed and rejected will not pay off as handsomely as it seems these days … you’re still a Jew." Unfortunately, I’m not alone. Many college students have garnered hostility for their silence on social media, but they tend to have the greatest stakes in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Many of them are international students using F-1 visas; their statuses as United States residents lie partly on their online activities. How can they be held accountable for their lack of slacktivism when their livelihoods depend on the vigilance with which they like, comment, and subscribe? It’s easy to dismiss these concerns as material, irrelevant in comparison to those of the children orphaned in war-torn refugee camps. But ignoring the nuances of any political conflict can lead to reductionist rhetoric, equating Israeli vs. Palestinian with Jew vs. Muslim or white vs. Arab, further escalating instances of ethnic and religious discrimination on campus. For instance, while Palestinians are predominantly Muslim, there exists a spectrum of esoteric communities, such as the Druze and Samaritans, that challenges the popular notion that Palestinian minorities are exclusively Christian.

As a South Asian-American, I’ve also realized that, oftentimes, my community fails to recognize how our people are affected by the existence of a

Jewish state. Most notably, the Israeli population consists of over 80,000 ethnically South Asian Jews from present-day India and Pakistan. Further, Ahmadiyya, an Islamic revival movement with roots in British India, is continuing to flourish near Israel’s Haifa city. Israel is the only Middle Eastern country that allows members of this community to publicly practice their faith. Nevertheless, many South Asians argue on behalf of the Palestinian cause to oppose India’s pro-Israel Bharatiya Janata Party, which has faced allegations of Hindu nationalism.

I am not trying to dismiss the genuine voices of Palestinians, many of whom are currently grieving for their families and homeland. They, as well as their allies, do not incentivize passive, derogatory commentary on social media.

Rather, I am calling out those of you who empathize selectively — an action that ironically reeks of privilege. By brazenly protesting ad hominem, it is clear that you are an activist for the sake of fulfilling your self-satisfaction or signaling virtue. As a testament to how desensitized we have become, there are now satirical "missing cow" flyers that have recently been hung near 1920 Commons. Are we so open to discrediting civilian deaths on the basis of nationality? I don’t know about individuals on the front lines, but what is the necessity of implying that us students are not even disturbed by but actually seek the concessions accompanying such gruesome casualties?

We were chosen to attend this institution because we demonstrate at least some desire to learn. And so, we must begin to engage in productive dialogue without assuming ill intentions.

MRITIKA SENTHIL is a first year studying management and Russian & East European Studies from Columbia, S.C. Her email is mritikas@upenn.edu.

6 NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023

CONGRESS, from FRONT PAGE representing a violation of the statute. The Center also filed a similar complaint against Wellesley College.

Previously, the DP reported that over 20 Congress members sent a letter to Magill, which criticized the University’s response to Hamas’ attack on Israel. The letter was sent on Nov. 1 and asserted that the administration’s response was untimely and put the University’s moral compass and commitment to counterviolence in question.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) was the lead Congress member in the effort to send the letters.

Magill recently announced a University-wide action plan to combat antisemitism on campus, emphasizing increased security and education.

While many commended the plan, some students told the DP that they wanted to see follow-through from the University or a stronger commitment to combating Islamophobia on campus.

The House hearing comes after multiple antisemitic incidents have occurred on Penn's campus since the start of the fall semester.

Studying too hard?

Don’t wait Take a break with us. for santa We’ve got your ! holiday beer!

WE DELIVER Corner of 27th and South St. DIRECTIONS: East on Chestnut, right on 23rd, right on Lombard

STEINBERG, from FRONT PAGE

These incidents include a spray-painted swastika discovered in Meyerson Hall in the Stuart Weitzman School of Design and an unknown individual who overturned furniture and vandalized Penn Hillel while shouting antisemitic rhetoric.

A vacant property run by Campus Apartments — next door to the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity chapter house at 4040 Walnut St. — was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti on Oct. 20. DPS previously wrote to the DP in a statement that they will investigate the incident as “a potential hate crime.”

Magill has condemned antisemitism multiple times since the Palestine Writes Literature Festival and the Hamas attack on Israel.

“I stand, and Penn stands, emphatically against antisemitism,” Magill wrote in a statement on Oct. 15. “We have a moral responsibility — as an academic institution and a campus community — to combat antisemitism and to educate our community to recognize and reject hate.”

beer springfield distributor

(215) 546-7301 springfieldbeer.net

WE DELIVER (215) 546-7301 | 22nd & Washington ave

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Because this employee said that she has not directly been affected by Yanire Shafi’s actions, she has not filed a complaint with Penn or Aramark, but she has submitted an anonymous complaint to the Teamsters 115 Local Union.

“We are not slaves,” the employee said. “I feel like [Yanire Shafi] is treating us like some slaves there.”

The employee alleged that the reason Yanire Shafi is still employed by Penn is because her husband is a senior HR administrator.

“Her husband is a director at Penn, so that’s the only way she could be doing these things,” they said.

“There’s no way else that she could be mistreating people like this and get away with it.”

Another current employee, who was also granted anonymity for fear of retaliation, said that Yanire Shafi cultivates an unprofessional work environment and creates stress in the workplace.

“When she came back, it was even worse than it was the first time she was there. She’s very unprofessional, and she doesn’t relay proper information to the staff,” the employee said. “It’s just nonsensical, and it’s becoming stressful.”

The employee said that Yanire Shafi is also unwilling to listen to the employees.

“When we try to relay that to her what’s best for our job, she doesn’t want to hear that,” the employee said.

Forcing out a 26-year employee Since being hired in spring 2022, the employee further alleged that Yanire Shafi has caused three employees to either transfer or leave the conference center.

Thompson, the former conference center employee and current Huntsman Hall employee, served as a laundry worker at the conference center, and told the DP that she has had multiple encounters with Yanire Shafi. Thompson worked at the conference center from November 1997 to January 2023.

Thompson alleged that Yanire Shafi gave her disciplinary notices multiple times after speaking up to her about how the supervisor gave certain workers preferential treatment and gossiped about them. She also alleged that Yanire Shafi gave her disciplinary notices when she pointed out that other laundry workers were on their phones during their shifts.

Thompson also said she noticed her workload began to increase when she started to report Yanire Shafi’s actions to Penn HR. She added that near the end of her time at the conference center this January, Mrs. Shafi would send people to inspect the rooms Thompson had recently cleaned, which led to a disciplinary notice that prompted her transfer to Huntsman Hall.

The notice filed against Thompson by Yanire Shafi on Jan. 18 alleges that Thompson failed to set the thermostat at the correct temperature, did not properly

center a pillow, left a window slightly ajar, and did not clean dust on the top edge of the TV. The report states that Thompson’s cleaning was a “failure to meet Steinberg’s basic cleaning standards.”

After the form was filed, Thompson was suspended without pay on Jan. 26, and she did not return to work until Feb. 9 — when she said she was transferred to Huntsman Hall under an arrangement with Penn HR. Thompson said that she almost never received disciplinary notices before Yanire Shafi started working there in May 2022. She mentioned that her last “real” write-up was in 2007 or 2008.

However, in the last year of her employment at the Steinberg Conference Center, once Yanire Shafi began working there, she received six distinct disciplinary notices.

Thompson said she first contacted Aramark and James Bean, Penn’s Facilities and Real Estate Services’ director of labor relations, in June 2022 about these issues and received no response from either party.

She then contacted Jeffrey Rowland, Penn’s Human Resources executive director for staff and labor relations on July 25, 2022, and did not receive a call back after leaving a message.

Thompson then contacted Penn's Staff and Labor Relations office and was transferred to Penn’s Employee Solution Center. After speaking with multiple representatives, she was told that her concerns would be brought back to Staff and Labor Relations.

Thompson said that she did talk to senior staff relations specialist Andrea Boozer, who spoke with her about her concerns on Aug. 22, 2022 and said she would speak to Bean. It is unclear if Bean addressed the concerns.

During the same summer, Thompson also called Teamsters Local 115 multiple times about the issues but said that her grievances against the disciplinary notices she received from Yanire Shafi were never resolved.

The EEOC and Aramark said that they cannot comment on individual charges or employee matters.

“We are prohibited by federal law from commenting on charges (complaints/claims) or even confirming or denying the existence of a charge," the EEOC wrote. "Any written materials or decisions that may result from a charge or any resulting investigation are also confidential by law.”

Aramark said that it values feedback and treats “all associates with integrity and respect,” encouraging employees with concerns to use the company's anonymous hotline.

Curry said that when people report anything through Penn about Yanire Shafi, “it has to go through her husband.”

Read the full story at thedp.com

ANNUAL WINTER

SALE-A-BRATION SEASONAL FESTIVITIES BOTH DAYS Free Gift Wrapping 10am - 2pm

Penn Glee Club Performance 2pm — 3pm

Wintry Scene Photo Op 2pm — 6pm

Penn Jazz Performance 4pm — 5pm

Complimentary Hot Chocolate & Cookies 4pm — 6pm

SALE-A-BRATION IS PART OF SHOP PENN’S 12 DAYS OF DEALS

20

%

OFF

STOREWIDE* *Other limits may apply

2023 Sale-A-Bration DP-Ad-10.875 x 10.indd 1

*In store only.

Cannot be combined with other offers. Not valid for the purchase of gift cards, textbooks, electronics and specialty items. Other limits may apply.

Wednesday, December 6 & Thursday, December 7

3601 WALNUT STREET (215) 898-7595 UPENN.EDU/BOOKSTORE 11/21/23 2:07 PM

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

NEWS 7

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Inside Penn’s $600 million new phase of campus development, including renovations to DRL The DP spoke with Penn’s architect about how the latest phase of campus development will affect the University and Philadelphia communities RYAN WOLFF Staff Reporter

PHOTO BY ABHIRAM JUVVADI

An aerial of Penn’s campus on Oct. 28, 2022.

Penn is entering a new, $600 million stage of campus construction, including renovations to David Rittenhouse Laboratory and a focus on expanded space for student performing arts groups.

As Penn Connects 3.0 — the third phase of the campus planning strategy launched under former Penn President Amy Gutmann — is completed, planning for a number of new construction and renovation projects is underway. The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with University architect Mark Kocent about the latest phase of campus development, its current timeline, and how it will affect the University and Philadelphia communities.

Penn Connects was conceived in 2006, intended as a “land use and urban design strategy with a 30-year horizon to advance Penn as a premier urban research university,” according to the Office of the Executive Vice President. The first phase, Penn Connects 1.0, concluded in 2010 and included renovations of the high rises.

Penn Connects 2.0 took place from 2011 to 2016 and included the construction of Lauder College House, while Penn Connects 3.0 was intended to conclude in roughly 2022 — although some final projects are still underway. This third phase has seen the construction of Gutmann College House and the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science

Community members discuss concerns about antisemitism, Islamophobia at open forum Approximately 15 attendees held up paper signs stating “Let Gaza Live,” “Penn Students For A Free Palestine,” and “Penn is Complicit in Gaza Genocide” throughout the event NITIN SESHADRI, VIDYA PANDIARAJU, AND GRETTA MAGUIRE Senior Reporter, Staff Reporter, and Contributing Reporter

Penn community members expressed concerns about antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus at the University Council’s open forum on Wednesday.

The open forum — an opportunity for any member of the University community to direct questions to administrators on the council — included speakers on various topics, including student safety, faculty involvement, and calls to action on campus amid the Israel-Hamas war. The event, which took place in the Hall of Flags in Houston Hall on Nov. 29, was open to all members of the Penn community.

Penn President Liz Magill opened the forum by acknowledging the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent that occurred last Saturday in Burlington, Vt. “[The shooting] confounds the pain and the fear that many of our Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab communities are feeling so acutely right now,” Magill said.

Throughout the open forum, approximately 15 attendees held up paper signs stating “Let Gaza Live,” “Penn Students For A Free Palestine,” and “Penn is Complicit in Gaza Genocide.” 21 speakers spoke during the open forum, some of whom had not registered prior to the event. Many of the Penn community members discussed their experiences and feelings about the University’s response to antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Cinema and Media Studies professor Karen Redrobe criticized University administration for becoming “increasingly autocratic,” noting that School of Arts and Sciences faculty meetings have been unidirectional and poorly attended, and asserting that the Penn community should not tolerate withdrawn or uninvolved faculty.

Engineering and Wharton junior Noah Rubin spoke about how Jewish students at the University are “paralyzed by a fear of leaving [their] rooms,” unable to focus on academics, internship searches, and recreational activities due to antisemitism on campus.

and Technology, the renovations of the Quad and of Stouffer College House, and the recently completed expansion of the Graduate School of Education.

Because the Penn Connects vision was largely conceived under Gutmann’s tenure, the next phase of campus development may not be named Penn Connects 4.0, Kocent said. He added that Penn President Liz Magill may unveil these forthcoming projects as part of her own strategic vision for the University that she is expected to announce under a plan titled “Tomorrow, Together.”

The next stage of campus development includes five major projects: a new Student Performing Arts Center, expanded studio space in Stuart Weitzman Hall, a new Weitzman Theatre at the Annenberg Center Plaza, a comprehensive renovation of David Rittenhouse Laboratory, and the Ott Center for Track and Field, Kocent said.

Altogether, these projects will cost almost $600 million. The first of the projects scheduled for completion is the Ott Center, an indoor track and field facility, which is currently under construction and estimated to be fully in use by September 2024. The four other projects are scheduled for completion in four to five years, and all are being conceived with the goal of achieving a LEED Silver rating, Kocent said.

“This is not the university we applied to, this is not the university we came to, and this is not the university we will leave to future Penn students,” Rubin said. “Please restore Penn as a leader for Jewish life on campus and for collaboration with Israel.”

During his speech, Rubin called for student organizations like Penn Against the Occupation — which he called explicitly “pro-Hamas” — to adhere to University guidelines. He said that professors and students that have torn down posters of Israeli hostages should be publicly investigated and disciplined.

Penn Residential Services business administrator Jacob Brooks spoke about the projections of pro-Palestinian messages on campus, challenging Magill’s classification of them as “vile” and “antisemitic.” He criticized her sharing of the statement of the projected messages without attaching their content, calling it “incredibly irresponsible to the point of fear mongering.”

He said that the use of the word antisemitism turns marginalized groups against each other, and called for the President’s office to adopt a more “accurate” definition of antisemitism.

Nahrin Ahmed, a regulatory affairs specialist at the Perelman School of Medicine, spoke of Magill’s released statements, saying that her letters for one group over another in the same conflict “[encourage] feelings of alienation, marginalization, and dismissal for those suffering from what is happening in Gaza — for people like me.” Ahmed said that it has been “painful” to work at an institution censoring the suffering of a demographic.

College sophomore Beaue Bernstein spoke about how the events of antisemitism on campus have reminded her of the homicide of her elder brother six years earlier, calling on the University to acknowledge that students matter and are “living through the hate that gets served from your faculty, your students, and your supporters.” College sophomore Blaze Bernstein was found dead in a park in Orange County, Calif. in 2018, and the suspect accused of his murder was part of an extremist, neo-Nazi group.

College first year Henry Planet acknowledged the safety threats to Zionist Jewish students while pointing out the lack of consideration given to the safety of Palestinian, non-Zionist, and anti-Zionist Jewish students in comparison. He called the university’s recent behavior a “convenient tool for the donors to push their broader political agendas.”

Planet also spoke of the diversity of the Jewish community, saying the Jewish students on one side of the conflict feel unheard and unsafe.

A number of unregistered speakers came to the podium toward the end of the open forum, with firstyear medical student Ivan Chan calling for clear guidelines and procedures for medical students who want to hold educational events surrounding events in Gaza.

During the new business portion of the event, Wharton sophomore and Penn Muslim Student Association representative Mouctar Diarra — who spoke at a University Council meeting in October — criticized the University for refusing to create an environment consistent with its open expression guidelines. He said that the University is willing to speak to them and express sympathy and concern behind closed doors, but that they had only been comfortable with MSA hosting their vigil under the cover of darkness and as a silent vigil.

PHOTO BY JULIA NGUYEN

A speaker during the open forum in the University Council meeting held on Nov. 29.

The Ott Center — an almost $70 million six-lane indoor track stadium — will provide space for groups in the Philadelphia region to hold events throughout the winter and during periods of inclement weather.

Because there is currently no other indoor track facility in the Philadelphia region, teams who would otherwise have to travel to the Lehigh Valley or New York may no longer need to do so, Kocent said.

The Student Performing Arts Center and Stuart Weitzman Hall expansion are currently in the construction documentation stage. The Weitzman Theatre is currently in the schematic design stage, and the renovation of DRL is currently in the programming and conceptual design stage.

The $350 million renovation and rebuilding of DRL, which will include a new physical sciences building, will be the most complex and costly of the five projects. It comes as part of a $750 million investment in science, engineering, and medicine announced in fall 2021.

Because of the complexity of actively tearing down part of DRL’s structure and rebuilding it while another part of the building is still in use, Penn needs to perform the construction in phases, Kocent said.

DRL’s renovations will follow a similar process to the Quad construction project, which was divided into three distinct phases for each college house.

The timeframe of the DRL renovation is not yet concrete, Kocent said, but the current stage of the project is in conceptual design. He anticipated around three to four years before the project design and construction would be completed.

The 33rd Street entrance of DRL was built in the 1950s and will probably be the focal point of the demolition, Kocent added. However, the portion of the DRL structure along Walnut Street is newer and is more likely to be retained.

Although faculty offices will have to be moved to other locations during the construction, Kocent said that “everyone involved with DRL, all the math, astronomy, physics, [and] physical science faculty are very excited about finally having new space.”

Penn is also undergoing two projects aimed at providing more space for performing arts students.

Construction of the Student Performing Arts Center on 33rd and Chestnut streets is scheduled to start construction in the summer of 2024. The $75 million project is estimated to be finished in winter 2026. The Performing Arts Center is in addition the Stuart Weitzman Theatre project in Annenberg Plaza, which will cost $20 million and is scheduled for completion in summer 2027.

Because most performing arts groups hold performances at the end of the semester, the two investments will alleviate the pressure of not having enough space for these groups to perform, Kocent said.

A $57 million graduate-student-oriented expansion of Stuart Weitzman Hall consisting of fine arts studios and architecture planning spaces is scheduled to be completed by fall 2025.

“The School of Design really hasn’t built a new building for 50 years,” Kocent said.

Kocent said that administrators must balance upgrading facilities with providing financial aid to students and aligning these considerations with fundraising capacity. Recent donor backlash following the University response to instances of antisemitism on campus and the Israel-Hamas war will not jeopardize the construction of these projects, he added.

“The funding is all in place,” Kocent said. “Penn’s trustees are pretty conservative in that we have very detailed funding plans for our commitments.”

Penn’s style of financial management has avoided major financial destabilization through periods such as the 2008 recession and the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. “[These projects are] a reflection on what the schools’ and centers’ programming needs are,” Kocent said.

PHOTO BY ABHIRAM JUVVADI

Penn Labs has recently implemented new features on Penn Mobile, like checking the capacity within Pottruck Health and Fitness Center.

Penn Labs releases new features for fitness monitoring, schedule sharing, student polling Students involved with Penn Labs said that they implemented the new feature after only a few months of development KELLY YANG Contributing Reporter

Penn Labs recently released new features on Penn Mobile and Penn Course Plan to respond to student needs.

Penn Labs is a group of student engineers, developers, and designers that create products to improve student life. The newly launched features allow for monitoring of fitness areas, schedule sharing with friends, and student polling.

Teams within Penn Labs currently maintain six major products — Penn Course Review, Penn Course Plan, Penn Course Alert, Office Hours Queue, Penn Clubs, and Penn Mobile. College senior Kepler Boonstra, one of the co-directors of Penn Labs, described the idea generation process as entirely student-driven.

“I don’t really enforce anything at all,” Boonstra said. “Everyone at Penn Labs is really self-motivated.”

After noticing the convenience of laundry monitoring on Penn Mobile, Penn Labs members decided to implement a similar feature for fitness. Students can now check the capacity and popular hours of various areas within Pottruck Health and Fitness Center.

After waiting around six months to receive data

from the University, the team was able to implement the new feature after only a few months on the developing end, according to Boonstra.

An update to Penn Course Plan allows students to share their schedules with each other. Boonstra said that the new feature has advantages beyond simply viewing a friend’s schedule. For example, he recalled that the captain of the gymnastics team was able to coordinate practice times by looking at her teammates’ schedules.

Another new addition is the Penn Polls feature on Penn Mobile. Student groups can submit polls to gain “user research” as a way to garner feedback on all aspects of the University.

“The aim is to connect everybody and make them feel integrated and that their opinions matter,” Boonstra said. “Eventually, we’re hoping to collaborate more with administration so that there’s tangible effects from this.”

Through the use of Google Analytics, Boonstra observed that Penn Labs had around 8,000 users in the last month and averaged about 16,000 users per year. According to Boonstra, these numbers represent the upper 90th percentile of the student body, indicating the popularity and practicality of Penn Labs’ offerings.

“I think it’s really awesome that almost everyone has heard of these tools that we work on, and that’s a kind of personal impact level that I get to see on my day to day,” Boonstra said.

Several members of the Penn Labs team double as teaching assistants for computer science classes, underscoring their role as both users and creators of the products.

Temporary disruptions to the Office Hours Queue website would also affect club members, providing an additional incentive for ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of their creations.

The idea of feedback is also important to the Penn Labs team. Every product contains its own feedback form for student requests. Based on the popularity of demand, Penn Labs will often work to implement what students are most interested in.

“The tagline is ‘for students, by students,’ and I think the ‘by students’ aspect is really important,” Boonstra said. “We are a part of the Penn community, part of the users of the products ourselves, and I think that’s what makes us really special. There are only a few organizations that have a stake in what they are creating every day.”

8 SPORTS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

FALLON, from BACK PAGE

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUNTER MARTIN

Seniors Dana Santry (left) and Nick Spizzirri (right) of Penn men’s squash.

Teammates, roommates, and friendship: Dana Santry and Nick Spizzirri of men’s squash The two seniors have known each other since they were seven years old NIK KATHIRESAN Sports Reporter

For Release Friday, November 17, 2023

NEWYORKTIMESCROSSWORDPUZZLE Edited by Will Shortz Crossword Crossword

ACROSS ACROSS… 1 “A-a-a-and 1 ___!”

Ones getting lit at a party, who maybe 6 Character doubloon 8 nails Somea subway art to the Pequod’s 15 mast Hit 2011 film based on a 2009 10 One on novelknocking

by Kathryn many doors Stockett 14 drop 16 Cough Interminably flavoring 17 Tame, 15 Surfer’s wish metaphorically 16 18 Last Rockremaining subgenre named for its 17 First name in aggressive vocals cosmetics 19 Polymath Pitching coach?

18 21 called All in, “The in a way 24 First PourTeacher” on the by medieval affection scholars 25 Waste ___ 20 What a 26 multitasker Where more hot dogs are might kill sold than at all Major 22 Long, long time League Baseball stadiums 23 Say further combined 24 Off the hook, so 30 to “Tospeak the stars,” in Latin

27 Author Zora ___ Hurston 34 Focus of some ethical 29 modern Sunny side of debates breakfast 38 Figure 31 Digital with number? exactly 10 digits?

32 What it’s 39 Flag bearer to be impossible in 40 Loose 35 Bobby-soxer’s 41 House painted dance with polka dots, might say 37 you Boating noun and verb hate 42 Absolutely 38 Curator’s field 44 What a sports 39 fan Reluctant might call a “dub” to relive an experience 45 Kind of phase 44 Subgenre 48 Adds, as anlead-in app 45 Plays the ponies, 52 Music festival say lineup 46 Sanctuaries 56 Point of no 49 return Farm animal, in tot-speak 57 Seeing red 51 Abbr. after a dot, 61 Foe of Ferocious usually Flea in Hanna52 Barbera Slice (off) cartoons 54 Top-grossing 62 Raw fish dish movie of 1987 63 “Wish me luck!”

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

Edited by Will Shortz

No. 1026 No. 1013

58 “Get out of bed, sleepyhead!”

64 Make things 60even Narrow 61 Something one may regret DOWN hitting 1 “Becoming a 62Popstar” City of Paris? airer 2 “Eureka!”

63 Commercial 49-Across 3 Hamilton 64 Crafty 4 Herb in site many dishes 65potato ___ Gruber, archvillain 5 Choppers in “DieEaston Hard” ___, 6 Bret 66“American Finer points, Psycho” slangily author 7 Scatterbrain 8 50.1%, DOWN technically 1 Biblical kingdom 9 Way back when on the Arabian 10 Emmypeninsula 2nominated Take on a joint Gilbert liability 11 Some speech 3starters Salad, sometimes, but 12 “Napoleon soup, rarely PUZZLE BY JOHN DONEGAN Dynamite” PUZZLE BY JOHN-CLARK LEVIN 4setting Desperate 21 Inkling 48 “All right then” straits 35 Where Miss 13 Ajax competitor 29 Commercial 51 Beverage 43 Best seller Aloha Hula is Look up and 25follower Like half theor ofof Mcbrand 50 The founded treat in “trick 145[What a bore!] crowned down 45 Highest-rated Odd Couple Nesin or Osaka treat” 20 Where the daytime 36 Ones giving you 6Tokugawa Tony, e.g.

31 5351 Kind of palm or 26Two-bit Tolkien tree talk show Show 6-Downs a leg up?in berry creature staple 7shogunate Word with was copy 32 Polynesian American history 39 Sound of a sock established They’re lit at or currency 5453 Early sports 28 Book it: Abbr.

4640Waze funerals F.D.R. purchased video game 218Who said “Issues 33 World capital Alamo it’s illegal calculation 29where Hearty the first one are never simple. competitor toaffirmations display the 5555 One stepbrand ahead Razor One thing I’m Curriculum 4741Setting for a Soviet hammer of, say 9proud “Settleofdown” is that 56 ___ tetra overhaul 30and Noted honkygreen wedding, sickle rarelyout? will 10very Bottoms triggered by the 58 “Skedaddle!” perhaps tonk venue, you hear me 35 Junkyard warning What with a Sputnik crisis familiarly 5957 Runner 11simplify Foragerthe with haymaker makes 49 Where early vestigial wings Threat tiny hooks on its 36 42tablets Slice, were e.g. issues” 33 Damage, so to tongue Manipulate 37 Main characters 6058 Some speak unveiled?

22 European hotel 43first Spirit-filled? in “Booksmart” smokeless 12amenity Afflicted 34and Low“Easy islands 59 Stroke A” tobacco 5047ToGo thebypoint 13Junkyard Do or ___warning (hair 23 salon name) 27 Paramount Onlinesubscriptions: subscriptions:Today’s Today’spuzzle puzzle and more than 7,000 past Online and more than 7,000 past 19requirement?

Maker of puzzles,nytimes.com/crosswords nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). ($39.95 a year). small front-end puzzles, 28 Gender-neutral loaders Readabout aboutand andcomment commentononeach each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

Read puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay. pronoun

“I think coming in as freshmen, it was definitely a lot easier to assimilate to the team culture with someone that you knew so well coming in with you,” said Spizzirri. They have lived together during their whole time at Penn, a situation they are quite familiar with. In high school, the two would hang out at each other’s houses every day before squash practice, and practically acted like brothers.

Their chemistry, both on and off the court, has been a driving force behind the team’s cama raderie and success. This yea r, while Spizzirri is playing in the two spot and Santry is recovering from injury, they are both team captains. The two shared this title in their senior year at Brunswick as well, and feel the past experience will benefit them during this season.

While their journey at Penn has been marked by victories and personal growth, it hasn’t been without its challenges.

“For me, it’s always good to have someone who you’re really close with to keep you in good spirits when things aren’t really going your way,” Santry said of Spizzirri in regards to his recovery process after suffering an injury earlier in the year. “Especially when [Spizzirri] is playing squash, he can look quite angry on the court, but really, he’s someone I can always talk to. I’ve come to see that he’s just so passionate about the game.”

As the senior season of their collegiate squash careers unfolds, Santry and Spizzirri are determined to make it one for the books.

But of course, eventually, the sun will set on these great collegiate careers, and perhaps give way to a new chapter of friendship.

“I don’t see it being difficult to stay in touch with Santry,” Spizzirri said. “I mean, to be honest, I probably see us being roommates after college too.”

SUDOKUPUZZLE

7 8

3 4 1 3 4

2

6 6 1 7

Skill Level:

1

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.

5 3 2

6 5 3 8 3 4 3 1 5 2 6 3 7 4 9 5 9 6 8

Solution to Previous Puzzle:

© Puzzles provided by sudokusolver.com

In the realm of collegiate sports, enemies and to squash. “Playing with someone better than rivalries are very common. Lifelong friends? me drove me to get better myself,” Spizzirri Harder to come by. remarked of Santry. From there, two youth caSo, for the friendships that do exist, they reers blossomed side by side. often extend beyond the playing field or court “Growing up, we had the same coach for and become the backbone of an individual’s a long time. I think we played [against each and team’s success. For Penn men’s squash, the other] 35 times in organized junior tournabond between seniors Dana Santry and Nick ments,” Santry said. “At the same time, we had Spizzirri is not only a formidable force on the played so many times that we kind of figured court, but also a testament to transcending the out how to battle it out on the court, but have a boundaries of competition. separate relationship off the court independent The two first met when they were seven of who won or lost on a given day.” years old at a weekly tennis clinic in their When they were both 17 years old, Spizzirri hometown of Greenwich, Conn. They quickly and Santry shared a common goal of making became best friends, as they attended the same the world junior team, which would consist of middle school and played on numerous youth four of the top under-19 players selected to go sports teams together. to Malaysia to represent the United States at From their early days as friends in Green- the World Junior Championships. “We were wich to their current senior campaign at Penn, competing for a common goal and it brought Santry and Spizzirri’s joint journey has been us closer together — not only in terms of play one marked by camaraderie, mutual support, on the court, but just the fact that we were with The New Times Syndication Sales Corporation and an unyielding passion for theYork sport they each other so much,” Spizzirri said.

620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation love.

This friendship spilled into college when both For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 It was Santry who first introduced Spizzirri chose Penn for their collegiate careers.

ForFor Release Thursday, November 30, 2023 Information Call: players 1-800-972-3550

Fallon used his signature back-half technique, turning a seventh-place finish in the 100m to a second-place one in the 150m to take home the win.

Come the 2022-23 collegiate season, expectations were high, and the then-sophomore delivered for the Quakers. For the first half of the regular dual meet season, Fallon was undefeated in breaststroke events and shined at the mid-season Zippy Invitational.

However, Fallon suffered an in-practice injury before the Ivy League Championships, leading to a less-than-ideal performance, and an absence at the 2023 NCAA Championships.

“Matt took [his injury] seriously and didn’t swim for about six weeks,” Schnur said. “He went home for spring break, and when he came back, we started from scratch and slowly built back up. By the time we got to early/mid-April, he was back in shape and started base training in him.”

That summer, eerily similar to the one before, Fallon returned to Georgia with Athens Bulldogs Swim Club to prepare for the 2023 Philips 66 National Championships — where this time, the top two finishers at the meet qualified for the U.S 2023 World Championships team.

Fallon stayed in control through prelims and finals to take home back-to-back national titles and qualify for the Worlds team. Trusting his training and back-half technique, he swam to a 2:07.71 finish — two seconds faster than the year before to clock in as fifth-fastest in the world in 2023.

Unlike some other events that had a clear international favorite, luckily for Fallon, the 200m breast was a wild card event. World record holder and defending champion Australian Zac Stubblety-Cook was not competing at his best, and Léon Marchand, fastest 200m breaststroker of the year, opted out of the event. Despite Fallon’s lack of senior international experience and injury a few months prior working against him, he at least had many familiar faces from his childhood swimming days with him in Japan.

Fallon, even with his rookie status, delivered for Team USA. In signature Fallon fashion, he came from eighth at the first 100m to finish third at 2:07:74, just off his time from the month before.

He became the first-ever Penn swimmer to medal at the World Championships. “[The biggest difference on the international stage] is how the entire meet is carried out in general,” Fallon said. “With international competition, you’re representing your country. There’s a lot more emphasis put on everything. On the national stage, you represent your club team and mainly yourself, whereas on the international stage, you’re feeling representative of something bigger than yourself.”

With that impressive debut, Fallon is a favorite to represent Team USA for the 200m breast at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and his experience, drive, and personality increase the odds of an Olympic berth next summer.

“Matt’s confident, and he also has a great attitude about swimming,” Schnur said. “Nothing bothers him. He’s just a big, fun kid who has an impressive good time and practice. He never gets too high, never gets too low, and nothing really bothers him. That’s very unique for someone who’s at that international level. He doesn’t drive himself crazy about the little things.”

“He is relentless, and he does not give up doesn’t no matter what. It translates into so many areas of his life from academics, practices, and meets. He is always forward-looking. He wasn’t one to dwell and was always looking to move forward learning from his mistakes,” O’Mara added.

This spring Fallon is planning to take a lighter course load and keep his back-half racing strategies unchanged. But unexpectedly, his current mindset in preparing for the Olympic Trials in June is treating the season like any other.

“I don’t want to say it’s like any other season because Trials is important, but I’m not throwing everything else away to just become a pro swimmer,” Fallon said. “This year, I still want to have a good overall school year while putting a little extra focus on swimming. I treat it as ‘don’t make a big deal out of it, but definitely, put yourself in a position to swim fast.’”

As the end of the year approaches, Fallon is looking to end 2023 on a high note at this week’s Toyota U.S. Open in Greensboro, N.C, which is serving as his mid-season meet while the rest of the Red and Blue head north to Princeton for the Big Al Invite. He’s seeded first in the 200m breast and ninth in the 100m.

“I’ve been training long-course five times a week,” Fallon said. “It’s going well and helping me get revved up for the U.S. Open. It has been a little bit of a rocky training block, but I think I’ve been putting in a lot of good work. Most of the time, good, long coursework has been reserved for the summers. This is the first fall where I’ve definitely improved as a long course swimmer. I’m happy about that and excited to see what I can do at the U.S. Open.”

Create and solve your Sudoku puzzles for FREE.

Play Sudoku and win prizes

at:

prizesudoku.com

The Sudoku Source of

“Daily Pennsylvanian”.

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023

SPORTS 9

PHOTO BY SUKHAMANI KAUR

The DP analysis found that men’s teams had more than double the recruiting expenses of women’s teams.

PAY GAP, from FRONT PAGE the Knight Commission, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting equity and the educational mission of collegiate athletics — only include limited information for Penn and most other private schools.

“There is an awful lot of room in there for lack of clarity,” Weaver said. “The largest databases … are almost all public institutions. So it’s really hard to look inside the private institutions.”

In response to a series of questions from the DP, Penn Athletics and Recreation wrote that most of their programs’ funding comes from “University support and philanthropy,” and other sources of income include “recreation memberships, racquet sports, ticket sales for intercollegiate events and the Penn Relays, sponsorships, and rentals.”

“Penn Athletics does take efforts to ensure equity in pay for coaches in similar roles between men’s and women’s teams. There are some pay differentials that are driven by the employment market,” their statement added. “The limit on the number of assistant coaches and their status is determined by the NCAA and Ivy League. Two examples of what creates differences in recruiting and operational expenses for programs are the size of the team and the equipment needs of the program.”

Coaches’ salaries One particular area of disparity comes from the salaries of both head and assistant coaches at Penn. For men’s teams, there are 15 head coaches, who made an average of $168,346 in 2021. In contrast, the 14 head coaches of women’s teams made an average of $111,613 that same year — amounting to a 41% gap in pay between the two.

Differences in pay also extend to assistant coaches.

In 2021, 45 assistant coaches of Penn’s men’s teams earned an average salary of $52,060. Meanwhile, 27 assistant coaches of the University’s women’s teams had an average salary of $41,617. While this disparity is not equal to that of head coaches, it still amounts to a 22% difference.

Beyond this, while each team has only one head coach, there are some differences in their status within the university. Most notably, in 2021, the men’s lacrosse head coach was a full-time institution employee assigned to the fulltime team. However, the women’s lacrosse head coach, despite holding the same employee status, was only assigned to the team on a part-time basis.

According to both Weaver and sociology professor Janice Madden, these pay disparities often boil down to the presence of a marketplace for coaching services in men’s versus women’s sports. For certain men’s sports, there has been a development into a “robust, mature marketplace” for coaching talent, while this emphasis is lacking on the women’s side, according to Weaver.

Madden noted that while men’s and women’s coaches are “the same quality,” the external labor market is gender differentiated.

“It’s easier to get talented women at cheaper prices than talented men,” Madden said.

Beyond just salaries, the DP’s data analysis shows that there are as many men coaching women’s teams as there are women coaching women’s teams. While all 15 head coaches of men’s teams are men, only seven out of 14 women’s head coaches are women.

This trend extends to assistant coaches as well, where there are just four women assistant coaches of men’s teams out of 57 total — equating to just 7% — but 15 out of the 39 assistant coaches for women’s team’s, or 38%, are men.

Madden believes that these disparities trace back to lower levels of coaching and playing sports, where men often outnumber women.

“Historically, there’s been more male participation in

sports than female participation,” she said. “So there’s probably more male coaches out there than women coaches, so the men coaches probably would prefer to work for the men’s teams because they generally pay higher salaries. But there’s more of them around, [so] the men are being hired into women’s sports.”

Total expenses In areas beyond coaching, there exist differences in the expenses of men’s and women’s teams. For example, men’s teams had recruiting expenses of $532,248 in 2021, which is more than double the $238,181 spent on recruiting for women’s team’s.

Weaver said she believes that this difference is often based in the historical sense that men’s sports had more potential to generate revenue than women’s sports, and therefore deserved a higher emphasis on recruiting top talent. However, she does foresee a shift, especially given the marketing potential of women’s basketball stars like Iowa’s Caitlin Clark or LSU’s Angel Reese.

These differences extend past recruiting and into operating expenses as well. There, all men’s teams spent over $3.1 million in 2021, which is 49% more than the women’s teams, whose expenses totaled just under $1.9 million. Even without football — which accounts for over $650,000 of operating expenses — there is still around a 25% difference.

Certain sports have even wider gaps. For example, men’s lacrosse had $413,849 in operating expenses, while the women’s team had just $159,948. Even adjusting for the women’s team’s smaller roster, men’s lacrosse still cost nearly $4,000 more on a per-player basis.

Overall, of the 10 sports that field a men’s and women’s team, the per-player operating expenses are over $200 higher for the women’s program in just one: soccer.

In 2021, women’s soccer spent $149,353 on operating expenses, and men’s soccer just $111,857. Given the women’s roster’s smaller size, this computes to a per-player

The holidays are here, and Shop Penn has a variety of events and contests planned to help you “Eat, Shop, and Be Merry” this December.

Looking forward Overall, this data suggests that across the board Penn spends more money on its men’s teams than its women’s teams. In total, men’s teams paid coaches $4.87 million in 2021, which is 58% higher than the women’s teams’ cumulative $2.69 million. Recruiting, operating, and non-subset expenses all exhibit significant disparities between men’s and women’s teams.

Weaver notes that some change is occurring at the highest echelons of college athletics, especially with very high head coaching salaries for women’s basketball, gymnastics, and softball, headlined by Dawn Staley’s historic $3.2 million annual salary to coach South Carolina women’s basketball. But the question remains whether any of these changes have yet to reach Penn.

Senior reporter Imran Siddiqui contributed to this story.

SHOPSATPENN.COM

Celebrate the Season!

difference of over $2,000.

But soccer is the exception, rather than the rule at Penn.

Men’s basketball has operating expenses $3,500 per player higher than women’s basketball, fencing spends over $1,000 more on its men’s team per player, and each men’s rower has approximately $1,800 more in operating expenses than their women’s counterpart.

These trends continue when looking at the total expenses of programs. Men’s basketball cost Penn $1.79 million in 2021, over 50% more than women’s basketball, which had total expenses of just $1.04 million.

Excluding basketball and football, the expenses of all men’s sports totaled approximately $6.07 million, while the women’s teams had expenses of just $5.07 million — an 18% difference. When football and basketball are included — with their $2.99 million of expenses that make them just under half as expensive as all the women’s teams combined — the total costs of $10.85 million for men’s teams versus $6.10 million for women’s teams come out to a staggering 56% difference.

• Days of Deals returns on December 4-15 with 12 days of sales and giveaways • Voting for the Shop Penn Holiday Window Decorating Contest runs from December 6–15 • Visit shopsatpenn.com for our Holiday Gift Guide and list of Holiday Happenings Shop Local.

Shop Penn. #SHOPPENN @SHOPSATPENN

Eat Shop + Be Merry

SPORTS

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885

PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023

VOL. CXXXIX

ALL EYES

NO. 29

on

Fallon PHOTO BY SAMANTHA TURNER

Now-junior Matt Fallon competes in the 1650-yard freestyle race against Rider on Jan. 27.

Inside the junior’s journey to becoming a 2024 U.S. Olympic hopeful Fallon finished third in the 100-meter breastsroke at the 2023 World Championships this past July VALERI GUEVARRA Sports Reporter

Years of 6 a.m. practices, hundreds of hours spent traveling to meets, and millions of yards in the pool have brought him to this point in his career: being a frontrunner for the 2024 United States Olympic Team. After medaling at the 2023 World Championships this past July, Penn men’s swimming and diving junior breaststroker Matt Fallon is ready to reach a goal that many only dream of.

Fallon began his competitive swimming career across the Delaware in Warren, N.J., at five years old on what is currently the Greater Somerset County YMCA club swim team. He was no stranger to the sport, though, as his parents and older siblings swam and served as an influence when he was just starting out.

He first made headlines after picking up two YMCA national records in the 200-meter breast and 400m individual medley events at 15 years old. In the latter, Fallon first gained attention for his “back-half” technique — meaning the second half of the race was faster than the first. The year after, Fallon made his first international team in the 200m breaststroke, representing the U.S. at the 2019 World Junior Championships.

“From my club swimming years, I’ve tried to carry with me a genuine love for the sport, no matter what level I get to,” Fallon said. “There’s nothing like swimming on a club team with that feeling of wonder about the sport and seeing

what’s next. As you compete at higher and higher levels, it’s more difficult to keep that sense of wonder about how everything is new and still fun.”

While swimming for his club team, Fallon also competed for his middle and high school, The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, N.J. It was no surprise that he excelled in both environments by remaining undefeated in the regular season, earning three state championships in the 100-yard breaststroke, and holding his high school’s independent national record in the 100m breast and 400m freestyle.

“Matt is always trying to take it to the next level, but he always takes the rest of the team with him,” Fallon’s high school coach, Deirdre O’ Mara, said. “Even if it’s an intense workout and everyone else is kicking and screaming through it, he’s always been that leader who encourages and pushes everyone to be their best and get to the next level. Being able to chase Matt was the biggest gift for those guys.”

As captain during his fragmented 2020-21 high school season, Fallon led his team to an undefeated dual-meet season, including a victory over the program’s biggest rival — the only loss suffered the season prior.

2021 continued to be a year of breakthroughs and triumphs. Days after his high school graduation, Fallon burst back into the spotlight at the

2020 Olympic Trials. In the 200m breastroke, he raced to first place in the preliminary and semifinal rounds, ahead of veterans and 2016 Olympians. However, Fallon’s performance dipped in the finals, where he finished in eighth, falling short of a spot on the team. He did walk away with a national age group record in the 200m breast and a top-20 time in the world in 2021.

“I’m grateful to have that experience under my belt,” Fallon said. “Although I don’t know the outcome, it’s comforting to have a general sense of what the [upcoming] Olympic Trials will be like.

Putting up a good swim in the semifinals was great because I know I’m able to put up a good swim under high-stakes pressure. That was just like a good learning experience.”

With his Olympics Trials debut in the books, Fallon turned his attention to his collegiate career at Penn. Fallon ranked as high as the No. 8 overall swimming recruit in the nation during recruitment. At Penn, he isn’t taking the easy road, studying an uncoordinated dual degree in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Wharton with a math minor.

“I’m not surprised to hear about [Fallon’s equal academic and athletic priorities]. His brother Billy was the same way,” O’Mara said. “I truly believe Matt would have gone anywhere and worked hard and been a successful overachiever student, but I do believe that Penn’s programs and coach [Mike]

Schnur are perfect for Matt, his skill set, and his headspace.”

Fallon’s 2021 momentum rolled into his collegiate career, and it certainly did not hurt that a familiar face awaited him in Philadelphia — his older brother, Billy. As one Fallon began his Penn swimming career, another was a senior finishing up his.

And Fallon stunned during his freshman season. He became an Ivy League champion in the 200y breast, etched his name in program record books in several events, and finished third at the NCAA championships.

Like his career at Pingry — in an environment where his individual goals can easily rise above team goals — Fallon thrived with his new team rallying behind him.

“Of course, Matt has different goals and is always focusing on the national and international level — that’s much bigger than just dual meets.”

Schnur said. “Day to day, he’s a joy to coach. He works hard. Everybody on the team loves him.

He’s a great teammate. He keeps it fun. We laugh every day with him.”

As described, Fallon is always striving to be better. In the 2022 postseason, that meant switching it up and training with the Athens Bulldog Swim Club in Georgia to prepare for the 2022 Philips 66 National Championships. In the race, See FALLON, page 8

Women’s basketball improves to 4-2 following three-game California trip The slate opened with a dominating 92-46 triumph over Chapman PHOEBE WEINTRAUB Sports Reporter

Entering Thanksgiving break with a 2-1 record, Penn women’s basketball traveled to California in hopes of extending its winning record in games against Chapman University, San Diego State, and University of California, San Diego. Ultimately, the team returned to Philadelphia with a bundle of air miles traveled and a record of 4-2.

The Quakers opened their trip with a powerful triumph over Chapman in the two programs’ first-ever matchup, with a final score of 92-46.

Apart from three instances when Chapman tied the score in the game’s opening minutes, the Quakers dominated the scoreboard for the rest of the game, with all of the team’s players seeing court time and 11 of 14 Quakers scoring points.

Penn started out with an aggressive approach, following up Chapman’s effort to tie the game with seven straight points — five of which came from senior forward Jordan Obi. She put away a total of 18 points, nine rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and two assists.

Other players had a very successful game as well, with junior guard Stina Almqvist recording her third 20-plus point game of the season, junior guard Lizzy Groetsch registering 13 points, and freshman guard Abby Sharpe scoring 10. Penn ended up maintaining the lead for 94% of the game and pulled away to its largest leading margin of the game of 46 points thanks to junior forward Iyanna Rogers’ swift efforts.

“Whatever happens during the first game, you have to respond the next day, win [or] lose,” coach Mike McLaughlin said. “The next day is a new day and you have to mentally respond.”

After their victory, the Quakers suffered a 74-49 loss SEND STORY IDEAS TO DPSPORTS@THEDP.COM

to SDSU. The Aztecs gained an early lead of six points before Almqvist responded with a layup. SDSU maintained its lead throughout the first quarter, though the Quakers stayed strong, knocking in free throws from Almqvist and a second-chance jumper via Obi. By the end of the first quarter, the Aztecs built their lead back up to 10 points and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second quarter. At halftime, the Quakers trailed 34-16 with Almqvist leading the team with 12 points.

Almqvist remained the star on the court for the Quakers going into the second half by scoring another seven points. Despite these efforts, San Diego steadily built up its lead to 24 points, ending the third quarter up 58-34.

Almqvist followed up her scoring streak set at previous games, completing her fourth 20-plus point game with a total of 24 points against the Aztecs. The end of the game saw two three-pointers by freshman guard Mataya Gayle and junior guard Marianna Papazoglou, while freshman guard Ese Ogbevire added six points.

“We played against a very good team which really controlled the game, and they played really well while [we] struggled,” McLaughlin said.

The Quakers came back strong for their third and final game in California, securing a 76-68 win against UC San Diego. This is Penn’s second win against the Tritons, having previously beat them 60-55 exactly two years earlier on Nov. 26, 2021.

Similar to the Chapman contest, 10 of the team’s 14 players saw court time, with Obi playing the entire game.

The Quakers started off strong, with Almqvist scoring the first point of the game. After a jumper from UCSD, Penn

PHOTO BY CHENYAO LIU

Senior forward Jordan Obi during the team’s matchup against St. Joseph’s on Nov. 14. bounced back into the lead for three straight plays. They The Quakers never wavered in the contest, shooting a maintained this lead for the rest of the game.

0.526 from the field, 0.316 from three, and 0.714 at the free Obi and Gayle both experienced successful games, throw line. scoring 22 and 12 points, respectively. The Quakers’ early Throughout the three games, Almqvist remained a lead allowed more players to come in off the bench, with standout, though she ran into foul trouble in the last game.

Sharpe scoring 11 points, and senior guard Michaela Stan- Captain Obi also gained the opportunity to showcase her field and sophomore point guard Saniah Caldwell each leadership among her stellar basketball skills. scoring two.

Moving forward, the team will take a day off to rest, but “We played three freshman guards upwards of 20 min- will immediately resume practice to prepare for its first utes each, and they’ve really responded,” McLaughlin Big 5 matchup of the season against La Salle on Nov. 29 said. “I thought we played as a better team.” at the Palestra.

ONLINE AT THEDP.COM

CONTACT US: 215-422-4640