November 4, 2021

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021 VOL. CXXXVII NO. 25

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Penn students report ‘quick, painless’ voting process on campus this Election Day

3 crimes, 0 alerts:

Nearly 400 ballots were cast at campus polling locations IMRAN SIDDIQUI & TORI SOUSA Staff Reporter & Senior Reporter

A LOOK INTO PENN’S CRIME REPORTING SYSTEM

timeline.”

The new Five Guys location will replace Beijing Restaurant, which closed its Spruce Street location last year.

Datz said a primary reason FRES pursued Five Guys is because Penn lost its on-campus burger restaurant two years ago when Bobby’s Burger Palace closed its Walnut Street location.

Dig Inn is set to open on 36th Street in January or February 2022, Dig Inn Chief of Staff Ben Kopelman said, adding that the company is still working out final details about leasing. The location will replace Cosi, which declared bankruptcy in 2016.

Dig Inn, a healthy fast-casual operation out of New York, will offer a range of build-your-own bowls, vegetables, and comfort food options. The company already runs a location in Rittenhouse and has several restaurants by college campuses in New York City and Boston, Kopelman said.

Kopelman said that Dig Inn’s menu aims to serve “a student body as well as the student community,” and is committed to providing locally-sourced, vegetable-driven meals.

“What makes it special is that we can serve so many different eats. If you’re a vegan, we’ve got you covered, and if you’re looking for a rainy day lunch to make you feel good, you can grab our Mac and Cheese bowl,” Kopelman said. “We’re not for a certain kind of customer or certain kind of mood, we are for everyone.”

El Taco is set to open at 3716 Spruce St. within the next

Pennsylvania’s General Election Day ran smoothly at Penn, with nearly 400 ballots cast at campus polling locations after political groups’ voter mobilization efforts.

Voters across the city headed to their respective polling places on Tuesday to elect a district attorney, city controller, and multiple judges, according to resources provided by the student-run, non-partisan political program Penn Leads the Vote. Many students on campus who are registered to vote in Pennsylvania were assigned to a polling location in Houston Hall’s Bodek Lounge or in room 108 of the ARCH Building, both of which remained open until 8 p.m.

According to data provided by all but one voting division — division 19 in ARCH — over 380 individuals voted at Penn’s polling locations.

There were 291 ballots cast from divisions 11, 18, 20, 21, and 22 in Houston Hall and 89 cast in division 3 in the ARCH Building. It is unclear how many people voted in division 19, but two poll workers at ARCH said there were about 30 voters who voted there throughout the day.

Out of the six divisions with reported results, 345 people voted for Democratic candidate and incumbent Larry Krasner to be the city’s district attorney.

Krasner’s race was called just past 11 p.m. on Tuesday night. With 96% of the vote counted as of 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, Krasner won nearly 70% of the vote — more than twice as many votes as Chuck Puerto, his Republican challenger. After facing no one in her primary or general election, Democratic City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart also won her second term last night.

In an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, City Councilmember Helen Gym stressed the importance of Pennsylvania in national politics, and noted that many reforms college students care about are addressed at the local level.

“On this very local level, this is a long ballot,” Gym said. “There are 46 different boxes that you have to check off, and this can often feel overwhelming for young voters, but many of the things Penn students may read about in terms of criminal justice don’t actually occur at the Supreme Court level.

They start and are most directly impactful at the municipal level.”

Students who voted on campus during Election Day were pleased with the voting process and political groups’ mobilization efforts, but they noticed lines were short.

“I appreciate that Penn had a lot of different places set up where we were able to vote on campus, so it was a very easy process, and we had a lot of great resources for us to access, too,” College junior and former DP Copy staffer Emma Blum, who voted in Houston’s Bodek Lounge on Nov. 2, said.

Blum said she used PLTV’s resources to help her navigate the voting process on campus, and added that as a Democrat, she found Penn Democrats’ guide on this year’s candidates to be particularly helpful in informing whom she selected on the ballot.

Blum, a California native, said she changed her voting registration to Pennsylvania because she believes her vote is more impactful in Pennsylvania, which is considered a swing state.

“California is always going to go Democrat,” Blum said. “I feel like my vote is more important here — it means a lot more.”

Like Blum, College sophomore Ilana Jacobs also voted at Houston Hall’s Bodek Lounge at around 5 p.m. on Nov. 2, and she said the voting process was “quick and painless.”

Jacobs, a Democrat originally from New Jersey, said she changed her voter registration because it was more convenient for her to vote at school, and also because, like Blum, she felt her vote would mean more in a swing state. She emphasized the importance of college students voting in local elections, noting that policies made at the local level have a large impact on those who are just graduating and entering the workforce.

“I think that people tend to only care about very high-profile elections — presidential elections and such — but it is really a lot more important, I think, to vote in these local elections because that’s where the policies that are most likely to affect us are

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The Clery Act of 1990 requires that universities send timely warnings to the campus community when a crime poses a serious or ongoing threat LINDSEY PERLMAN Senior Reporter

Sitting on her neighbor’s porch steps, College senior Diane Chernoff faced a man with a gun.

The man pointed a gun at Chernoff and her friend sitting next to her, demanding that they hand over “everything [they] have,” Chernoff said. The robber fled after taking their phones, her friend’s wallet and keys, and Chernoff’s bag.

Penn’s Division of Public Safety never issued an alert to the Penn community about the crime, which alarmed Chernoff.

“I feel like it would only be appropriate to know that a person with a weapon who’s mugging people is out on the streets, and [that the police] don’t know where they are,” Chernoff said.

Chernoff’s robbery is one of three crimes commit-

ted against Penn students this semester that The Daily Pennsylvanian has identified, none of which resulted in immediate arrests, and none of which prompted DPS to issue campus safety alerts. While there has not been a “big uptick in crimes against people” on campus, according to DPS, and the total number of violent and property crimes in Philadelphia has decreased slightly since 2015, these incidents have led some Penn community members to raise questions about how DPS issues alerts.

These crimes also reveal longstanding problems with a federal law governing campus crime reporting that universities have for years struggled to understand and interpret, according to campus safety consultants.

The Clery Act of 1990 requires that colleges and universities send timely warnings to the campus community when a Clery crime, like a sexual assault, robbery, or burglary, poses a “serious or ongoing threat,” Associate Executive Director of the Clery Center Abigail Boyer said.

It also mandates that colleges and universities maintain a daily crime log of all reported crimes within their jurisdictions.

The law was enacted after a Lehigh University student raped and murdered fellow student Jeanne Clery in a residence hall. Her family realized that Lehigh never publicly reported a number of prior violent crimes committed on

Five new restaurants to open near campus over the next year Dig Inn, Raising Cane’s, Five Guys, El Taco, and Amma’s South Indian Cuisine will be coming to University City ABBY BAGGINI & ECE YILDIRIM Contributing Reporter & Staff Reporter

University City is set to see a surge in its number of restaurants over the next year, creating more dining options for the Penn and West Philadelphia communities.

Five restaurants — Dig Inn, Raising Cane’s, Five Guys, El Taco, and Amma’s South Indian Cuisine — will be opening new locations near Penn’s campus, coinciding with Philadelphia’s ongoing economic recovery after local businesses took a hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dig Inn, Five Guys and El Taco will open under Penn’s Facilities and Real Estate Services, which operates as the landlord of several stores on and around campus. As a landlord, FRES manages leases and provides establishments with allowances to spend towards their opening.

While FRES does choose retail offerings to cater to the

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Five Guys will be opening at 3714 Spruce St.

needs of students, it also hopes that the West Philadelphia community, as well as Penn faculty and staff, will benefit from the opening of these new locations, Penn’s Executive Director of Real Estate Ed Datz said.

Five Guys is set to open before the fall semester ends or at the start of the spring semester, Datz said. Five Guys declined to comment on its opening timeline, stating in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian that, “there are too many unknowns concerning permits to know a realistic

and around campus.

How DPS decides to issue crime alerts DPS issues UPennAlerts — emergency notifications sent to all Penn students, staff, and faculty via text, email, and a posting on the DPS website — when reported crimes rise to the level of an “ongoing threat” to the campus community, Vice President for Public Safety and Superintendent of the Penn Police Department Maureen Rush said.

Alerts are issued on a case-by-case basis after deliberation among 18 to 20 members of DPS, who will join a closed conference call at any hour of the day, according to Rush.

This case-by-case method is typical of many universities, which weigh and consider factors such as the timeliness, severity, location, and the nature of an incident before sending out an alert, said Sue Riseling, the president and founder of The Riseling Group, a professional services firm specializing in campus safety and the Clery Act. “It’s anything but black and white,” Riseling said.

“There’s a large group of people who often scratch their heads, trying to figure out what’s the right thing to do by SEE ALERTS PAGE 2

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the rules and then what’s the right thing to do by practice.”

Since the start of the fall 2021 semester, DPS has issued nine UPennAlerts: three in response to criminal incidents, and six to test the alert system or warn of inclement weather.

While UPennAlerts generally cover Penn’s Patrol Zone — which extends from 30th Street to 43rd Street and Market Street to Baltimore Avenue, while also including the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and Pennovation Works — threats on the border of or nearing the Patrol Zone can still prompt alerts, Rush said.

Chernoff’s robbery took place after midnight on Sept.

24 at the heart of Penn’s off-campus undergraduate residential community on 41st Street and Chancellor Street, a side street nestled between Walnut and Locust streets.

Police found Chernoff’s belongings later that morning at the edge of the Patrol Zone — approximately half a mile from the scene of the crime — on the 400 block of University Avenue, near the School of Veterinary Medicine. DPS never arrested the robber, according to the Clery Crime Log. DPS did not issue a UPennAlert for Chernoff’s case because after the suspect fled, he was “well outside of the Penn Patrol Zone; therefore [he was] no longer posing an ongoing threat to the community,” Rush wrote in an Oct. 13 email to the DP. DPS walks a difficult line in determining which crimes warrant UPennAlerts, according to Rush. While the Clery Act constrains DPS officials, Rush said they try to be mindful of “alert fatigue”: not wanting to send out too many alerts for fear of desensitizing the Penn community to the warnings, or causing unnecessary emotional distress. Because there has not been a big uptick in crimes against people near campus, Rush also expressed concerns about creating an unnecessary climate of fear.

Rush said that DPS makes decisions about whether to issue an alert in a fast-paced environment with limited resources.

“On any given Wednesday to Sunday night, we’re handling a lot of alcohol cases in the hospital. We’re breaking up parties,” Rush said. “People are human. We might not get it right.”

In fact, the Clery Act penalizes universities that send out “too many” timely warnings, such as those for crimes that are not deemed serious or ongoing, said Melissa Carleton, an attorney and consultant for INCompliance Consulting, which specializes in the Clery Act. Even so, students like Wharton junior Mea Ayers feel

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two to four weeks, depending on the result of its upcoming health inspection. The Mexican restaurant has operated a location on Drexel University’s campus since 2018, and has established itself as a favorite among the Drexel community.

With three new restaurants under its landlordship on the way, Datz said FRES is continuing to explore new retail options in University City, adding that it wants to expand the number of apparel or accessory establishments on campus.

“We think that the opportunities are there to bring in

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the absence of alerts for crimes committed near campus can put them in danger.

Ayers walked past the scene of the Chernoff robbery, unaware of the events that had transpired 30 minutes prior, and was surprised to see a “flood of cop cars” by Chernoff’s residence. She wished the student community was alerted about the incident as soon as possible.

“A new level of fear takes over when you realize that you knew the person that the event happened to, and that it happened, really, in your backyard, and that you weren’t warned about it,” Ayers said.

Crimes deemed “too far” from campus for alerts On Aug. 24, an unknown man grabbed College senior Santana Browning as she walked home at midnight near 45th Street and Baltimore Avenue, wrapped his arm around her neck, and threw her to the ground, she said.

Though the incident took place two blocks outside the Patrol Zone, Penn and Philadelphia Police responded to the scene, Rush confirmed in an Oct. 7 interview. The Philadelphia Police Department’s Special Victims Unit handled Browning’s case, according to Rush. SVU did not notify Browning of an arrest or charges that were filed against the assailant.

A Philadelphia Police report obtained by the DP described the crime as a “sexual assault,” adding that the assailant was “pulling at [Browning’s] clothes” after knocking her to the ground.

The incident did not prompt a UPennAlert, and DPS did not log it in the Clery Crime Log. DPS deemed the incident “too far” from the Patrol Zone to warrant an alert, Rush said. Rush added that the Clery Act only obligates the University to report crimes committed within the Patrol Zone in the Clery Crime Log. The lack of a UPennAlert frustrated Browning, who stressed that other women deserved to know about the incident, which took place during on-campus move-in.

Riseling said the incident reveals a problem that she herself experienced as police chief at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Once a university starts to report or investigate crimes beyond its Clery boundaries, it can face pressure from the Department of Education to take on additional liability by expanding its Clery boundaries altogether.

“The Department of Education wants you to draw the line and stick to it. If you start to fudge that line, and go beyond that line, then the Department of Education’s expectations change that line,” Riseling said.

Last year, the Trump administration rescinded more detailed guidelines about when universities must issue timely warnings after a Senate report found the 2016

Clery Handbook to be “unnecessarily voluminous.” The Department of Education enforces the Clery Act through a “program review process” in which it selects institutions randomly or based on complaints and “media audits,” Boyer said. She added that if an institution is found to be out of compliance, the Department of Education can impose fines of over $50,000 per violation. Penn State University, for example, was fined $2.4 million in 2016 for failing to notify students about an assistant football coach charged with sex abuse, among other violations.

Second-year Penn Law student Robert Blake Watson, who is a board member of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, said that some alerts could equip the “large quantities” of students who live outside the Patrol Zone with the knowledge they need to take adequate precautions against crime. Watson, however, expressed reservations about issuing too many UPennAlerts outside the Patrol Zone, citing concerns about how the alerts will shape students’ views of West Philadelphia.

These concerns are magnified by Penn’s complicated relationship with the West Philadelphia area that surrounds campus, Watson said.

During a public hearing conducted by the Penn Public Safety Review and Outreach Initiative, students, staff, faculty, and West Philadelphia residents provided testimony about their encounters with DPS, including concerns that messaging can be exaggerated and that police presence can be physically and emotionally traumatizing for people of color.

Crimes without alerts may be in the Clery Crime Log — but some are unaware it exists On Sept. 6, as Engineering senior Hussein Khambhalia was walking home around 8:40 p.m., a man approached him from behind and stole his cell phone, Khambhalia said. Khambhalia alerted DPS to the crime, which took place on 40th and Market streets.

No one arrested the assailant, according to the Clery Crime Log, and Khambhalia never got his phone back that night. The crime did not result in a UPennAlert, surprising Khambhalia, who said he knew of many students who lived nearby.

The crime did not pose an ongoing threat because the “offender fled north and ran outside of the Patrol Zone,” Rush said. Khambhalia’s phone was on the edge of the Patrol Zone at 40th Street and Powelton Avenue, according to an Android tracking software that Khambhalia used to locate his phone after it was stolen. DPS refused to search the block, Khambhalia added.

After the incident, he transferred his lease to a different off-campus location, citing safety concerns.

Khambhalia said DPS appears to operate on the assumption that a person who enters Penn’s Patrol Zone to commit a crime, and then departs the Zone, will not return, and therefore poses no threat to the community.

The incident was logged in the Clery Crime Log, which all students can access. But few students check it, and many don’t know it exists at all, according to College sophomore Bekezela Mbofana.

“Knowledge is power,” Mbofana said in reference to the Clery Crime Log. “If we’re going to be safe, we have to know when things are unsafe.”

College junior Humberto Caballero agreed, adding that “there’s a difference between the [Clery] Crime Log being publicly accessible, and the public actually being informed.”

In early October, a group of more than 60 parents of Penn students signed onto an email to top officials, including Penn President Amy Gutmann, requesting “concrete plans” that the University will take to address the “feeling of augmented insecurity” among students due to un-alerted crimes, according to Erika Goldgewicht, who authored the email.

In an Oct. 8 emailed response to Goldgewicht’s email, Rush wrote that Penn increased the number of Penn Police patrols and unarmed Allied Universal Security Services officers, in addition to expanding “virtual patrols” through PennComm’s street cameras around campus.

Riseling added that the constraints outlined in the Clery Act — namely, those surrounding timely warnings and Clery geography — can foster the perception that universities are not being transparent.

“Sometimes, I think folks believe that, if [campus safety officers] aren’t telling us everything, they have something to hide. And I don’t believe that’s the case. I think that they’re trying hard to figure out how to follow a very complicated and far less black-and-white law,” Riseling said.

College junior Dotun Bello said there’s a whole host of ways that DPS could better publicize the Clery Crime Log, including posting the log on an app or holding more community information sessions on the alerts system.

Still, questions linger among some students about the UPennAlerts process and whether the current notification system could be more effective.

“It’s not a matter of what [DPS] knows and what they don’t know, but rather a matter of what they decide to disclose to us,” Ayers said. “It’s imperative in these safety situations that we hear as much live, accurate information so we can all take the steps necessary to keep ourselves and the rest of the community safe.”

good quality operators that’ll go ahead and be attractive to the student population and the population at large” Datz said.

Amma’s South Indian Cuisine will open its second Philadelphia location by the end of November. Amma’s, a full-service restaurant that will seat 65-70 people, will replace Steve’s Prince of Steaks at 3836 Chestnut St. Sathish Varadhan, the owner of Amma’s, opened a location at 1518 Chestnut St. in January 2019. After noticing that many of his customers were Penn students, he looked into opening a second location in University City, although the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily stalled his plans. “[Students] personally texted me and they personally

called us to say, ‘Please try to open in University City,’” Varadhan said.

Varadhan added that Amma’s will be the area’s only South Indian restaurant, which he says differs from traditional Indian fare in its more frequent use of coconut bases, lentils, and spices. Authentic South Indian food is “very rare to get in the U.S.,” he said.

Raising Cane’s, a Louisiana-based fast-food chain specializing in chicken fingers, will open its first Philadelphia location at 3925 Walnut St. The space was formerly home to Bobby’s Burgers Palace.

Raising Cane’s plans to open its Philadelphia locations in April and May of 2022, although those dates are subject to change depending on “construction schedules and

other factors,” the company wrote in an email to the DP. The upcoming burst in restaurant openings may be attributed to the economic recovery in the area as Philadelphia’s COVID-19 restrictions have loosened and campus life is back in full swing, Post Brothers Retail Development Associate Grant Grundlock said. Post Brothers manages the businesses which operate under Hamilton Court Apartments.

“I think that [COVID-19] definitely stifled a lot of the traffic, but now that everything’s coming back to a little bit of normalcy, a lot of extra attention has been paid to University City,” Grundlock said. “Now that everything’s back in full swing and students are on campus, there’s life back.”

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Fewer than 900 undergraduates receive red PennOpen Passes due to COVID-19 testing noncompliance Penn students have until Nov. 13 to test ahead of the next noncompliance red PennOpen Pass issuance date JONAH CHARLTON Senior Reporter

The University issued fewer than 1,000 red PennOpen Passes to undergraduate students Tuesday morning due to noncompliance with the biweekly COVID-19 screening test policy, a decrease from the more than 9,000 issued to undergraduate and graduate students two weeks ago.

A total of 873 undergraduate students received red PennOpen Passes for noncompliance, barring them from classes and many campus buildings. The University requires that all vaccinated students receive at least one COVID-19 test every two weeks, and if they fail to do so, they receive a red PennOpen Pass until they test negative.

Last week, over 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students were at risk of receiving red PennOpen Passes, but many received tests ahead of this testing period’s deadline, Oct. 30, in order to avoid further ramifications.

NEWS 3

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021 Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé said it was “reassuring” that the number of undergraduates who remained noncompliant was so low following the swell in red PennOpen Passes two weeks ago, but he added that students need to remember to prepare to test for the upcoming testing cycle as well.

Penn students have until Nov. 13 to test for COVID-19 ahead of the next noncompliance red PennOpen Pass issuance date, which will occur in two weeks on Nov. 16.

“The 9,000 students who received red passes two weeks ago really was a wakeup call for all Penn community members, so it is truly comforting to see this action taken,” Dubé said. “Now we just really need to make sure we are looking ahead to the next testing cycle.”

Dubé emphasized that while students are allowed to walk in to the testing center without an appointment, the University strongly recommends that students make appointments ahead of time. When fewer students schedule tests, it is more likely that results will be delayed, he added.

As the number of noncompliance red PennOpen Passes declined, the University’s COVID-19 positivity rate remained low, as it has throughout the fall semester.

Since Aug. 29, the Penn community has posted a 0.46% positivity rate.

Between Oct. 24 and Oct. 30, 43 Penn community members tested positive for COVID-19 out of a total of 14,046 community members who received tests.

Director of Campus Health Ashlee Halbritter said the University continued to see no cases due to classroom, laboratory, or workplace transmission this week.

Five of the 43 cases this week were linked to the sharing of food and drink at an off-campus, indoor lunch, Halbritter said. The cluster of cases is contained, and the students are all being monitored, she added.

“This small cluster of cases serves as a great time to remind students that eating continues to be an area of concern when it comes to transmission,” Halbritter said.

Halbritter and Dubé also said that students should remain mindful of best health practices — such as washing hands, mask wearing, and getting sufficient sleep — as the weather in Philadelphia gets colder.

KYLIE COOPER

Penn community members getting tested for COVID-19 at the DuBois/Rodin Field testing site on Jan. 19.

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Disability Services to hold ‘drop-in hours’ for exam scheduling this month The announcement came days after students alleged inadequate support resources during midterms KEVIN BRYAN Staff Reporter

EVELYN EISENSTEIN

A room inside the Weingarten Center.

Disability Services will be providing more exam assistance services for students before the next round of midterms and finals.

In an email sent on Nov. 1, Disability Services notified students registered in Weingarten that they would be providing drop-in hours from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. every weekday for the rest of November, with the goal of “assisting [students] in having all exams, especially final exams scheduled before Thanksgiving break.”

Disability Services offers Penn students with self-identified disabilities exam accommodations and a range of professional support programs.

Weingarten works closely with Disability Services, providing Penn students with academic guidance through tutoring services and counseling.

The service will be held in Weingarten Learning Resources Center’s Study Lounge, with an Accommodations Specialist in the room to provide assistance with navigating the MyWeingartenCenter online test-booking website. The email recommended that students bring their laptop and class syllabus as guidelines to schedule all remaining exams for the semester.

The deadline for Disability Services students to submit their exam accommodation requests will be Nov. 24, according to the email.

This new test-booking assistance service comes days after The Daily Pennsylvanian published an article on student backlash about Weingarten and

Disability Services’s allegedly inadequate support to students who were setting up accommodations for midterms earlier last month.

In an email sent to the DP on Oct. 20, Executive Director of Weingarten Jane Holahan, acknowledged a spike in students reaching out to Weingarten for support this in-person semester.

Holahan stated that Disability Services was taking steps to respond to all student inquiries in a timely manner, and that their recently revamped Weingarten website would provide better support for students looking to find quick answers to their questions.

Holahan did not respond to a recent request for comment on Disability Services’ new drop-in hours.

A College sophomore, who previously told the DP that Weingarten’s poor communication when setting up exam accommodations for last month’s midterms caused him much emotional stress, said he is grateful for Disability Services’ new dropin hours. He hopes Weingarten will continue the service in future semesters, and looks forward to other steps Weingarten will take to better provide support to their students.

“It’s really nice that they are having a time where you can talk to a person face-to-face,” he said. “Now that I have the ability to talk to a person for an extended period of time, it fixes all my issues of not being able to get in touch [with Weingarten].”

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OPINION THURSDAY NOVEMBER 4, 2021 VOL. CXXXVII, NO. 25 137th Year of Publication DANE GREISIGER President ASHLEY AHN Executive Editor HADRIANA LOWENKRON DP Editor-in-Chief ISABEL LIANG Design Editor CONOR MURRAY News Editor PIA SINGH News Editor HANNAH GROSS Assignments Editor BRITTANY DARROW Copy Editor KYLIE COOPER Photo Editor ALFREDO PRATICÒ Opinion Editor SUNNY JANG Audience Engagement Editor BRANDON PRIDE Sports Editor LOCHLAHN MARCH Sports Editor SOPHIE HUANG Video Editor

EDITORIAL

L

ast week, sprinklers in Lauder College House went off, leading to a full building evacuation and the displacement of 12 students. Only 11 days prior, a similar sprinkler-induced evacuation displaced 23 students from Harnwell College House, forcing them to wait outside for hours in the middle of the night and damaging personal belongings.

These leaks and evacuations come during Penn’s first year of requiring all sophomores to live in on-campus housing — a policy that continues to face criticism for the cost it imposes on students.

Given this requirement, Penn has a duty to provide safe and stable housing, not broken buildings. Incidents like the recent leaks and prior years’ collapsed ceilings, burst pipes, and mold, lead to severe disruptions in student learning and do not justify the steep price tag that comes with Penn’s on-campus housing.

Floods, leaks, and displacement severely disrupt students’ ability to learn and live safely. With laptops, notebooks, and other personal belongings damaged in leaks, studying for midterms or finals is affected. Prolonged disruptions at 3 a.m., like students at Harnwell experienced, interfere with sleep and affect

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THIS ISSUE ALANA KELLY DP Design Editor JONAH CHARLTON Deputy News Editor ANA GLASSMAN Opinion Photo Editor SAMANTHA TURNER Sports Photo Editor JESSE ZHANG Interim News Photo Editor NICKY BELGRAD Associate Sports Editor AGATHA ADVINCULA Deputy Opinion Editor VARUN SARASWATHULA Deputy Opinion Editor

T

wo flooding evacuations occurred within two weeks, wreaking havoc on residential buildings, destroying personal belongings, and causing student displacement. On Oct. 20, a fire sprinkler erupted in Harnwell College House, resulting in water damage and flooding on floors one through five. The entire building was evacuated at approximately 3:15 a.m., and while most students only lost an hour or two of sleep, 27 students were more significantly affected. Not only did the torrent of “sludgy water” create dorm damages and force 23 students to temporarily relocate, but some also lost valuable personal belongings and essential school materials.

On Oct. 29, thirteen suites flooded in Lauder College House after another fire sprinkler erupted at approximately 3:15 p.m.. Water damage occurred on the seventh floor and below, causing twelve students to be forced to leave their dorms and temporarily relocate to the Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel.

Only three days later at approximately 12:30 a.m., students noticed water gushing from the ceiling of Harnwell’s 24thfloor lounge that began overflowing onto couches and tables. While maintenance arrived and quickly contained the issue,

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LETTERS 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.

tag is worth it for the quality provided.

Sophomore housing costs between $11,356 and $15,418. Even with reduced financial aid for students off campus, due to a lower estimated cost of attendance, many upperclassmen and previous years’ sophomores have been able to find cheaper alternatives elsewhere. Further, students in Greek life contend with out-of-house fees and the “Second-Year Experience” requires students to purchase a dining plan, which students and Penn alike agree is more costly than off-campus meals. Given the

fact that sophomores are paying more for their housing and associated costs than they otherwise would, Penn has an even greater responsibility to ensure that this housing meets minimum standards of quality.

If Penn is committed to its mandatory housing policy, and the aims of support and community it espouses, it needs to step up and actually provide housing that meets the needs of students. These problems are not going away anytime soon, and without change, sophomore housing will continue to flop.

many students began packing their belongings in anticipation of another evacuation. Suites then endured disruptive clanging and water noises coming from their walls for the duration of the night.

However, this is not the first time Penn’s residential dorms experienced flooding.

Back in 2016, during peak finals season, a similar sprinkler malfunction occurred, causing “black, dirty water” to gush throughout the seventh floor and below.

Students also experienced destruction of their dorms and belongings, in addition to residential displacement.

In the aftermath of those floods, students were forced to endure loud fans and disruptive cleaning crews coming in and out of their rooms. Not only did this disturb their sleep and study schedules, it also put a damper on their mental and physical well-being. Students were unable to experience productivity or peace in their dorms due to these ongoing distractions.

Students’ sleep, class, and exam schedules should not be disrupted because of recurring building malfunctions that they are not responsible for. While all the situations were handled promptly and surely could have been much more severe, every student involved was still negatively

affected. To prevent any other potential damages, Penn should make an effort to evaluate all residential buildings and ensure that all operations are running safely and effectively.

Around 5,500 undergraduate and hundreds of graduate students live in Penn’s residential buildings. While many make the decision to live in the dorms, some have no choice due to the two-year undergraduate housing requirement, in addition to financial and accessibility hardships that often prevent off-campus housing.

Many students also stay on campus during break periods due to convenience, travel restrictions, summer classes, local jobs, and other personal reasons, therefore causing campus housing to constantly be in use.

Because thousands of students rely on Penn to provide adequate living experiences all year-round, it is crucial that the school conducts comprehensive evaluations of each residential building. Not only do students put their trust in the school to keep them safe and healthy, but they also pour thousands of dollars into housing costs. Furthermore, Penn should understand how vital it is to have comfortable and functioning living spaces for the sake of students’ mental and physical

health. Especially at a prestigious university that places such high emphasis on education, Penn must make every effort to prioritize student well-being in order to ensure academic success.

Given the rapid recovery following the two recent floods, it is evident that Penn has the necessary resources to maintain their residential halls and fix any malfunctions. Many damages result from cold weather, and especially with winter right around the corner, it is more important than ever to check on each building.

Especially because two major incidents occurred within less than two weeks of another, it is evident that building mechanics are not functioning properly.

This is not to say that full renovations need to occur in the middle of the academic year as that would certainly be unrealistic and unfeasible. However, simple check-ups on all building operations would suffice to ensure that students are not subjected to yet another flood or emergency evacuation.

EMILY CHANG is a College sophomore studying sociology from Holmdel, N.J. Her email address is changem@sas.upenn.edu.

Why the Hindu American Foundation is asking the Department of Education to investigate Penn

CALEB CRAIN Design Associate

TYLER KLIEM Design Associate

JARED MITOVICH

Emily’s Eye | In the aftermath of the Harnwell and Lauder floods, it is more important than ever to ensure safe living spaces for students

VALERIE WANG Deputy Opinion Editor

ALICE CHOI Design Associate

students’ classwork the next day. These disruptions undermine Penn’s stated goals of providing community and academic support through its mandated on-campus housing. How exactly do failing buildings help students feel supported and thrive at Penn? How do they actually bring students together? While students might connect and bond during 3 a.m. evacuations, and make the most of tough situations, this community is in spite of not because of the campus housing environment.

Climate change — funded in part by Penn’s own endowment — ensures that we can expect more and more severe weather events in the years to come.

With Penn’s dated residential heating and water systems and aging buildings, facilities snafus are only going to become more prevalent. In 2018, unprecedented rainfall led to the spread of harmful mold in the Quad, displacing students and making them sick. We’ve already seen unprecedented Philadelphia weather this year, and while Penn facilities emerged relatively unscathed, this is just the start.

These incidents underscore the concern of whether Penn’s housing price

Penn needs to be more proactive in keeping dorms in shape

QIANA ARTIS Podcast Editor ALESSANDRA PINTADO-URBANC Business Manager

Penn can’t require sophomores to live in broken housing

Guest column | Penn should take a toxic episode of Hinduphobia as an opportunity to extend its support to Hindu students and faculty

A

s a resident of Philadelphia, I see the University of Pennsylvania as a beacon of educational excellence and a cultural touchstone for our region. My family and friends were educated there, work there, or are supported by scholarships endowed by Penn.

That’s why it’s heartbreaking for me to file a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, on behalf of the Hindu American Foundation, saying that Penn has not done enough to combat a hostile environment for Indian and Hindu students, faculty, and staff on its campus. In its failure to act, we believe Penn may have violated its responsibilities under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The catalyst for HAF was the co-sponsorship by the South Asian Studies Department of an online conference called “Dismantling Global Hindutva,” a conference we were told was conceived of by Penn faculty.

Hindutva is a term with many definitions.

Many practicing Hindus and Hindu spiritual leaders define the term literally, according to its Sanskrit root, as the essence of being Hindu. Others define Hindutva as a political ideology, ascribed to the current ruling party in India, and use words like “fascist,” “supremacist,” and “violent” to describe it. The faculty at Penn co-sponsoring the DGH event ascribe to the latter version of Hindutva.

As soon as the conference was announced, tens of thousands of letters were sent to all cosponsoring universities, including Penn, by Hindu Americans who feared that disclaimers made by the organizers that their critique would focus on Hindutva would prove empty and Hinduphobia would be platformed by the conference.

Penn ignored all of those letters in which Hindus said they were convinced that the invited faculty, with long histories of activism, would conflate and condemn Hinduism and Hindutva, without distinguishing between them.

During the actual conference, in back-toback panels, that is exactly what happened.

Speaker after speaker discarded any pretense of separating Hinduism from Hindutva and pointed to Hindus as violent and inherently bigoted and a danger to democratic values.

“I take Hindutva as political Hinduism, not a distortion of some inherently benign religion, but a historical expression of it,” said one speaker.

“Harboring the idea that Hinduism is harmless and Hindutva is the culprit will not do anything to further democratic ideals,” said another.

“I emphasize, without hesitation, that Hindutva is inseparable [from] Hinduism. And arguments that Hindutva is not Hinduism are deeply dangerous and will not lead us to the future we want,” said a prominent academic and another featured speaker at the event.

Unbelievably, one moderator, a former faculty member at Penn, even asked panelists if, instead of focusing on dismantling Hindutva, the focus should really be on dismantling Hinduism.

Speakers at the conference even said that Hinduism was behind India’s social inequities. Slurs such as “Brahmanism” were frequently used. This non-Indigenous, invented word encapsulates racist, Eurocentric constructions about Hinduism as a false religion made up by its priests and was also informed by deep antisemitism. Brahmanism is an analogue to now-discarded pejorative and offensive terms such as papism and Mohammedanism.

One presenter recited five common Hindu surnames and claimed people with these Hindu names were responsible for violence, perpetuating, in his words, “malignant Brahmanism.” Penn has at least 90 students, faculty, and staff with those very names.

This disturbing conference, reportedly viewed by over 30,000 people, came on the heels of the release of a “Hindutva Harassment Field Manual,” authored by the South Asia Scholar Activist Collective, which includes faculty at Penn.

SHERRY LI

The manual warns Muslim, women, LGBTQ, and other students that they are at risk of Hindu students who may espouse “elite Hindu-centric ideas” — despite Hinduism’s well-known teachings of oneness and pluralism, as well as the existence of significant philosophical strands that are accepting of LGBTQ people.

This manual also dismisses the existence of Hinduphobia, alleging that Hindus are merely appropriating social justice and antiracist language and that “Hinduphobia rests on “the false notion that Hindus have faced systematic oppression throughout history and in present times.”

This cruel argument erases well-documented religio-ethnic cleansing and genocides of Hindus throughout South Asia and the institutionalized discrimination and human rights violations they face in other parts of the world — not to speak of the bias, discrimination, and hate crimes faced by Hindus right here at home.

As a parent of a recent college graduate and another in his second year, I’m horrified by scholar-activists at Penn who seem so intoxicated by the power of “The Academy” and a tyranny of certainty in their ideologi-

cal stances, that they believe targeting Hindus for their beliefs and practices with negative stereotypes, slurs, and distorted facts is an acceptable exercise of “academic freedom.”

I’m worried that the University, through its silence, is allowinvg scholar-activists to trump the rights of students and other faculty to freely engage in open inquiry or to express different ideas or perspectives from the loudest among them without fear of censure or retaliation.

Regardless of whether the Department of Education proceeds with a Title VI investigation into the role of Penn faculty in promoting Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu hatred, the University should. It should also take this toxic episode as an opportunity to extend its support to Hindu students and faculty and reiterate that Penn is committed to open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and civility — especially where people disagree.

SUHAG SHUKLA is the executive director of the Hindu American Foundation. Her email is suhag@hinduamerican.org.

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

OPINION 5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Get rid of PennOpen Pass

All large lectures should be asynchronous

Quirky Quaker | Penn should standardize PennOpen Pass or not use it at all

Toner’s Groaner | Asynchronous lectures are more beneficial to Penn students than traditional classroom lectures

P

enn reached an impressive milestone recently.

99% of undergraduate students are fully vaccinated. With a 0.31% positivity rate, one would consider Penn to be a relatively COVID-19-safe campus.

For the most part, campus has returned to normal.

Crowds of maskless students walk down Locust every day, a sight that was only common during prepandemic life. Parties and other social events are being held with minimal to no restrictions. But, one part of campus life remains as a reminder that we are not yet in a post-pandemic world: PennOpen Pass.

Sometime during this semester, you have probably entered a building without hesitation and been told by security, “Open Pass.” After hearing these two words, you quickly begin to fill out the questionnaire. You check the usual boxes in the familiar sequence: “no,” “no,” “no symptoms,” “no.” Your screen lights up with big green letters, and you’re allowed to continue about your day.

According to the How-to Guide for PennOpen Pass, “It is recommended that members of the Penn community complete their symptom and exposure check an hour or two hours before the start of the work or school day.” In reality, that is not the case.

Walk into Van Pelt Library or one of the campus buildings that require PennOpen Pass and it is common to see students standing in the lobby filling out their daily symptom check. At that point, students have already made the decision to enter that building. In fact, they have already entered that building.

ALICE CHOI

There is no incentive to be truthful in their responses.

The How-to Guide further says, “As of Aug. 25, all University faculty, staff, postdocs, and students are required to use PennOpen Pass every day, including weekends and regardless of vaccination status.”

There is no effective enforcement or maintenance of this so-called requirement. A system like PennOpen Pass can only be successful if it relies on consistent use, meaning every building requires it for entry.

Even though more buildings, such as Houston Hall, are beginning to require PennOpen Pass, that is not enough. The choice of buildings that will re-

quire PennOpen Pass seems arbitrary. Dining halls, arguably the most high-risk COVID-19 transmission areas, do not make the cut, yet Perry World House does.

If the non-compliance testing situation was any indication, the PennOpen Pass system is deeply flawed, not in its issuance of 9,130 red passes, but in the fact that students were allowed to attend inperson classes and enter campus facilities with those red passes. And then, this week, a number of people I know got non-compliance red passes again but continued entering buildings because the passes were not being checked.

The How-To Guide continues, “Across campus, individual Schools and Centers may require a Green Pass for building entry.” Penn prides itself on being an interdisciplinary school. Students travel across disciplines, both figuratively and literally, as they move across campus. However, schools are told to act independently as to how COVID-19 protocols should be enforced, or lack thereof. How has that made Penn as a whole any safer?

For example, you must have a green pass to be in any Wharton building. Yet, you can walk into Huntsman Hall, Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, or the Wharton Academic Research Building without showing PennOpen Pass. Even the messaging within individual schools is unclear.

At Columbia, students are required to show green passes for entry into all campus buildings. At Harvard, students are not required to fill out a daily symptom check but rather only if they experience symptoms, potential exposure or test positive. It is not impossible to imagine PennOpen Pass working in either of those ways: as a preventative measure with complete standardization or as a responsive measure once a COVID-19-related issue arises.

Other Ivy League universities have done it. Yet, Penn wants to have it both ways with partial standardization. By getting rid of a PennOpen Pass as a preventative measure, our lives will be made simpler at no evident cost.

Successful implementation of PennOpen Pass is about strategy. If Penn wants students to complete daily symptom checks, they should require proof of a green pass for entry into every building.

Students will be incentivized to complete PennOpen Pass daily because, in return, they are guaranteed access to every campus building. When there is little risk of denial from buildings, there is little incentivization to complete PennOpen Pass. But, it does not seem Penn is willing to do that.

There is no clear benefit to partial implementation of PennOpen Pass. It is all or nothing. I choose nothing.

YOMI ABDI is a Wharton first year studying finance from Chicago. Her email is yomiabdi@wharton.upenn.edu.

O

ne of the legacies of remote learning is the addition of video recording devices in many classrooms, a legacy that still plays an important role for students who can’t attend class due to COVID-19 related complications. This technological advancement also benefits the entire student body as more and more students choose to watch lecture recordings virtually in lieu of going to a physical classroom. While there have been voices pushing for a more flexible mode of teaching through online learning, Penn should take a step further and make all large lectures asynchronous through recordings.

The immediate effect of making large lectures asynchronous is that it will allow busy Penn students to manage their time more efficiently throughout the week. Instead of having to attend lectures at a given time on a specific day, students can watch the recording on their own time, offering them the flexibility to prioritize other commitments like projects or upcoming exams depending on their varying weekly schedule.

Further, online learning caters to the needs of different students. While some students with previous knowledge can watch a recording at a faster playback speed, others who find the course challenging are able to pause the recording to think about a difficult concept or go back to rewatch parts of the lecture that they don’t understand.

Contrary to some opinions, asynchronous lectures don’t reduce the level of engagement for students. The difference between large lectures and seminars is that the former doesn’t involve much direct interaction between the instructor and the students. Even if a student needed to ask a question or talk to the professor, they could always attend live office hours or use forums, such as Piazza, which allow instructors to answer questions remotely.

Instructor-student engagement for lecturebased classes typically occurs during recitations or group projects. Some might worry that asynchronous lectures prevent students from meeting peers. However, as there are no discussions in lectures, students don’t communicate with each other during those times, and students who are hoping to find study groups can always do so in their recitations.

Although many professors don’t encourage watching class recordings instead of going to actual classes, many Penn students are already doing so. I have not attended my statistics lectures in person for over a month because I found out that I could watch the recording afterward, which spares me the 20-minute walk to class and the additional half hour I shave off by watching the recording at 1.5x speed. Today, looking at a classroom with fewer than half the seats filled

makes me wonder if Penn is using its resources efficiently. If lectures are made completely asynchronous, my professor would only need to make one recording for all lecture sections instead of repeating the same lecture three times for different blocks. Such a policy is not only more convenient for the professors, but also allows Penn to free up more classrooms in order to offer more classes. While some professors might feel isolated teaching lectures remotely, they would have time to hold more in-person office hour sessions

MICHELLE GONG

with smaller groups, thus generating more productive conversations.

During remote learning, many classes such as computer sciences were able to enroll a greater number of students because limited seating was no longer an issue. Having asynchronous classes after the pandemic would also allow more students to take popular classes that would otherwise be fully enrolled. This would be especially beneficial because many large lectures are core requirements for students’ majors. For example, I couldn’t sign up for the class, “Introduction to Cognitive Science” this semester because it was fully enrolled. Although there were recitations open that fit with my schedule, I now have to wait until next year before having the opportunity to take the class. Such a problem is common for many other students and could be easily resolved if these classes were asynchronous and if there were enough teaching assistants to accommodate the increase of students.

The pandemic has created many challenges for everyone, but it has also resulted in technological innovations like remote learning that positively shapes our lives. Making large lectures asynchronous shouldn’t only be a temporary strategy, but a permanent change to benefit the entire school community.

TONY ZHOU is a College first year from Zhejiang, China. His email is hyy0501@sas. upenn.edu.

A history of fraternities, violence, and impunity at Penn Brick in the Wall | A long tradition of misconduct and few repercussions is a worrying sign for campus community Content warning: The following text contains mentions of sexual assault and violence and can be disturbing and/or triggering for some readers.

A

towering house, fit for a king. A cardboard sign reading “Racists live here,” and a crowd of students chanting “Silence is violence.” Chalk graffiti on the red bricks of Locust asking, “No one did anything. Would you?”

Almost immediately after the story broke about the alleged assault of a Penn student by a Castle fraternity brother in the early morning of Sept. 4, the campus mobilized. Outraged by the incident and the administration’s reticence, a group of student organizers wrote a list of demands and held a weeklong protest on the Castle patio. Some circulated a petition to kick Castle out of their house, and others hung up posters across campus calling to “End Frat Culture.” The incident — and the subsequent response — became the talk of campus.

This story, however, is not an aberration from Penn’s 270-year history. It’s just another point on the timeline of fraternity violence, student outrage, and the administration’s silence.

Greek life commands university space and identity. Walk down Locust and you’re just as likely to see a fraternity house as an academic or cultural building — they’re prominent in the literal and figurative beating heart of campus. In fact, a whopping 25% of students belong to Greek life. The ubiquity of Greek life at Penn has been a point of contention for decades; in 1991, the “Report of the Committee to Diversify Locust Walk” stated the committee’s discontent with the atmosphere of exclusivity caused by fraternities on Locust, which often manifested as “verbal and physical harassment”, and urged the University to uphold its message of diversity and inclusion by repopulating Locust with cultural centers.

Despite the 30 years that have passed since the report’s publication, its findings still resonate. It’s true, Penn has converted a number of Greek Houses into academic or cultural spaces. The Kappa Alpha house is now the Perry World House and Theta Xi is now the Penn Women’s Center, among others.

But issues persist — the minority cultural centers on campus are located in tiny rooms in the basement of the ARCH Building, which is, coincidentally, directly across from Castle. In 2019, the Penn Violence Prevention building, aimed at providing students resources for handling sexual and relationship violence, was relegated to an off-campus space.

Not only are fraternities a physical force to be reckoned with on campus, they’re deeply embedded into University bureaucracy. Out of the 32 fraternity and sorority houses on Penn’s campus, the University owns 24. Not only does this exempt fraternities from paying property taxes, but the University also covers maintenance and repair costs. This relationship is ultimately lucrative. In the world of Greek life, business trumps brotherhood — a 2020 Daily Pennsylvanian report found numerous Penn frater-

nities to be worth over $10,000, and another report estimates that Greek life alumni are significant donors to universities. Penn, already an elite institution that prides itself on a strong and wealthy alumni list, wouldn’t want to alienate its donor base by, say, abolishing Greek life.

Greek life is designed to be exclusionary by nature. Originally created as social clubs for wealthy white men, fraternities only abandoned their whitesonly membership clause in the 1960s. Today, Greek life is still overwhelmingly white and rich. And when these fraternities literally occupy fortified castles in the center of Locust, it’s clear who lies at the top of the campus social hierarchy.

The alleged racially motivated assault at Castle joins a long history of racialized violence in Greek life, particularly at Penn. In 1988, members of Zeta Beta Tau hired black women to perform at their rush event. Members shouted racial slurs, and even physically molested the women. In 2016, a Mexican-American Penn sophomore accused white Sigma Nu brothers of assaulting him and taunting him with racial stereotypes. In that same year, a Pi Kappa Alpha member sent a racial slur to the fraternity’s listserv, and current members and even alumni then responded to that email chain with slurs and hatefilled speech of their own. In 2019, a Kappa Alpha Theta pledge allegedly shouted “I love Donald Trump” and “Build A Wall” at a Mexican-American student as a part of her hazing process.

Castle is also no stranger to violent crimes. In 1990, 10 Castle brothers abducted and assaulted a rival fraternity brother. They kidnapped him from his home, blindfolded him, bound his limbs with duct tape, and handcuffed him to a playground pole. They then proceeded to torture him for over four hours. Castle was banned from campus for eight years, eventually returning in 1988, and yet, not one student was expelled for the incident.

Additionally, fraternities are notorious for being cesspools of misogyny and harboring a culture that promotes sexual coercion. A 2019 Association of American Universities Campus Climate Survey reported that since entering Penn’s campus, 25.9% of women have experienced unwanted sexual contact.

The single-most frequent location of this sexual violence? Fraternity houses.

Incidents of sexual assault in Greek life at Penn date back years, perhaps the most salient example being a 1983 gang rape at Alpha Tau Omega. ATO, of course, denied any such event, calling it a “gross exaggeration” in an official statement. A fraternity brother, on the other hand, was quoted by the DP saying “[the victim] was loose and wild, imbibing many things …” An internal investigation from the University recommended that ATO’s recognition be revoked, but after a lengthy court battle, ATO was ultimately suspended for a mere six months with no charges.

Rape and rape culture is not an issue of a bygone era. In 2016, off-campus fraternity OZ sent an email imploring first-year women to “wear something tight” to their “first showing.” In re-

TYLER KLIEM

sponse, students posted flyers across campus with the words “THIS IS WHAT RAPE CULTURE LOOKS LIKE.” The incident gained national media coverage. A year later, only five out of Penn’s 27 fraternities attended mandatory education programs on sexual health and violence. Many were excused by the Interfraternity Council, and others were imposed with a mere $100 fine.

Fraternities across the nation are notorious for escaping consequences, and Penn is no exception. So how is it possible for fraternities to operate with such a level of impunity, shoving bigotry under the rug and constantly deflecting accountability?

Greek life has walls all but impenetrable to justice.

The University provides recognition to Greek life on campus in order to establish “a commonality of goals and standards,” as well as “mechanisms of accountability.” Supposedly upholding this accountability is an array of bureaucratic structures including Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life, the Interfraternity Council, the Intercultural Greek Council, and a Greek Alumni Council. Instead of accountability, these structures seemingly provide more layers of protection.

Over a month after the alleged Castle assault, the University has remained tight-lipped about the entire incident. The administration has only stated that an investigation is taking place. There have been no other news or updates. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life has declined requests to comment, appearing entirely absent from campus discussion around the incident. The student community, by and large, has been left in the dark.

Every level of so-called “accountability” has crumbled. It’s lamentable, but given Penn’s history, it

shouldn’t be surprising. It’s almost impossible to imagine what Penn would look like without Greek life. Even though campuses across the United States have abolished their Greek life with success, it likely won’t be Penn’s response to the Castle incident. And maybe it isn’t even the best answer — after all, structures of exclusion, especially at elite institutions, will find a way to operate no matter what. Just look at Princeton’s “eating clubs.”

Greek life is inextricably woven into the fabric of Penn — not just in how the University makes its decisions, but how the students interact with the campus, each other, and their identities as Penn students. After the Castle assault, we need to reevaluate Greek life’s interdependent relationship to Penn. It’s important to understand that these aren’t isolated incidents, and they aren’t endemic to a specific fraternity. They have been occurring since fraternities existed, and will continue to occur in the absence of any accountability. The University won’t hold Castle accountable with just another posturing mass email denouncing hate, and it might not hold Castle — or anyone else — accountable at all unless students continue to mobilize and make their demands heard.

As we navigate the events of the past month and try to find a new future for the University, I leave you with this question: who deserves University space and protection — the institution of Greek life, or Penn’s students?

TAJA MAZAJ is a College sophomore studying political science from King of Prussia, Pa. Her email is tajam@sas.upenn.edu.

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made,” Jacobs said.

College first year Ava Barish also voted at the Houston Hall polling location this afternoon, and said the process took no more than 10 minutes in total. Barish added that she was disappointed to hear that a lot of her peers were not going to vote in this election.

“This election was really important to me, not just because it was the first election I was eligible to vote in, but because these seats, and these questions, have impact in the local political atmosphere,” Barish said. “I think a lot of college students talk a big talk about wanting to see change in our government, without realizing that most of the change we want to see happens as a result of local politics, so we can’t ignore these local elections. It’s not difficult to vote, and it’s really important.”

In efforts to provide resources for students with questions about the voting process or the candidates on the ballot, several political groups like Penn Dems and College Republicans issued voting guides ahead of polls closing Tuesday night.

In addition to explanations of how and where to vote, Penn Dems Political Director and College sophomore Noah Lewine said the group released a voter guide that included Penn Dems’ endorsements with research from local progressive groups. Penn Dems endorsed Krasner after meeting with him on campus earlier this semester. Penn Dems was able to register 379 voters this semester — a record in recent history for the club, according to Lewine.

He said that the club ran its registration drives as

Senate confirms former Penn Board of Trustees Chair David Cohen as U.S. Ambassador to Canada

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021 nonpartisan as possible, and over 80% of the voters registered as Democrats.

College Republicans similarly posted a voter guide to its Instagram page before the polls closed, encouraging students to vote for candidates and judges aligned with their beliefs.

PLTV had also posted guides on its website prior to Election Day to assist Penn community members with finding their local and on-campus polling locations and understanding the candidates on their ballot.

“All the resources on our website make it super easy, and a lot of local groups have endorsement slates you can look at,” PLTV co-director Harrison Feinman, a senior in the College and School of Social Policy & Practice said. “It’s an important step to know who you are voting for and who is going to represent your values.”

Both PLTV and Penn Dems tabled on different parts of campus periodically throughout the semester to provide easy access to voter registration materials in anticipation of the Nov. 2 election.

Feinman and Lewine said the University generally keeps the student body informed about upcoming elections and provides accessible voting locations on campus, but said Penn and the federal government should make Election Day a holiday to alleviate external factors, like school and work, that could make it harder for community members to cast their ballot.

“There is no reason why we, as a country, should be forcing people to make decisions about whether or not they have to focus on their livelihood and education, and weigh that against their ability to participate in the political process. They should be able to do both,” Lewine said.

The University has acknowledged the imporHe has worked at Comcast since 2002, serving in roles including chief diversity officer, senior executive vice president, and at present, senior adviser to the CEO. Cohen held Biden’s first formal campaign event at his home in Philadelphia, and was one of the president’s top donors, the Inquirer reported.

Cohen is one of several Biden Administration officials with ties to the University. Since 2017, Biden has served as an honorary Penn professor, earning more than $900,000.

DELANEY PARKS Senior Reporter

The United States Senate confirmed 1981 Penn Law graduate and former Board of Trustees Chair David Cohen as the next U.S. Ambassador to Canada.

President Joe Biden nominated Cohen — a former Comcast executive who previously served as chief of staff to Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell — to the position in July. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday evening, signaling bipartisan support for his nomination, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Cohen was the chair of Penn’s Board of Trustees for almost 12 years and served on multiple University of Pennsylvania Health System boards. During his time at the University, he helped establish Penn Medicine as an umbrella organization of the Health System and the Perelman School of Medicine.

“Penn has become my No. 1 philanthropic and civic passion,” Cohen previously told Penn Today.

In Philadelphia, Cohen has also been involved in civic work for several decades. In addition to his work with Rendell, Cohen currently serves on both the executive committee and the board of directors of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the Chamber’s CEO Council for Growth.

Parents visit campus for virtual Family Weekend Students’ families who already made travel plans came to campus despite the switch to online JASPER TAYLOR Contributing Reporter

Penn’s Family Weekend was held online this year, but many students’ families came to campus anyway.

Students said their families came to Penn’s campus because they already made travel plans before family weekend was moved online in early October, and they were excited for the unique experience of spending time with loved ones in person. For families that did not travel to campus, Penn offered several virtual events from Oct. 29 through Oct. 31 to engage families while preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Students said that seeing their families in person meant a lot to them during their adjustment to college life, though it was difficult to find time to spend with family while completing classwork.

College first year Miranda Doro, who is from Jacksonville, Florida, said her family had been planning to visit for Family Weekend since the beginning of the semester. Since Doro’s birthday also fell on Saturday, Oct. 30, her family decided to make the trip anyway.

“If they didn’t come I wouldn’t see them until Thanksgiving, which is a really long time, and I needed to catch up,” Doro said.

Over the weekend, her family tried new restaurants, went shopping, and walked around Center City. Doro said she tried to get ahead on schoolwork during the week before to maximize the time she could spend with her family.

College first year Michelle Wen said that her family came to see her play in the Penn Symphony Orchestra performance on Friday night, then spent the rest of the weekend with her. Wen, who is from Fort Lee, New Jersey, said that her parents lived close enough that

JESSE ZHANG

The ARCH voting location on Nov. 2.

tance of voting and civic engagement in emails and other communications to the student body and surrounding community, but claimed they cannot make Election Day a University holiday due to state regulations. Last year, during the 2020 presidential election, Penn’s Faculty Senate announced a resolution

Gutmann Leadership Scholars reflect on first year of Nursing program This year’s cohort has 10 scholars who meet with Penn Nursing Dean Antonia Villarruel each month EMMANUEL GEBREMESKEL Contributing Reporter

Cohen is one of several Biden Administration officials with ties to the University

KATIE ZHAO

David Cohen formerly served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Penn.

Biden also nominated Penn President Amy Gutmann to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Germany. Other Penn-affiliated nominees include director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and small business administrator.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), wrote in a statement that he was “very pleased” with the confirmation.

“Canada is one of our most important allies, and we rely on them as a major trade, energy, and security partner,” Toomey wrote. “David’s strong business background, deep understanding of government at all levels, and passion for service prepare him well for this role.” they could come to campus relatively easily.

Wharton first year Ellen Hou also showed her parents around Philadelphia and Penn’s campus, including the Quad, where she lives.

Hou’s parents, who are from Peoria, Illinois, had already bought plane tickets before Family Weekend was moved online, so they decided to keep their original plans.

“It was really hard to find time to spend with them on top of all my work, plus Halloween weekend,” Hou said. “It was stress-relieving to spend time with them, but there was just so much going on.”

College first year Mikel Saralegui, whose family visited campus from New York City, went to the Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Saturday.

Saralegui said that it was nice to break up his weekly routine with a visit from his parents.

“Seeing them in person was really important to me, and just doing virtual events really isn’t the same,” he said. “It was definitely a stress reliever to see my family.”

For students whose families participated in the virtual Weekend, events included both live and asynchronous Zoom webinars and BlueJeans conferences with speakers from across the University. Each of the four undergraduate schools also held their own programming.

Events included seminars on residential life, global opportunities, and finding a career. This is the second year the University has held Family Weekend programming online, due to concerns of COVID-19 transmission.

OLIVIA WEST

People walking through the Quad on Oct. 31.

NEWS 7

The first cohort of Gutmann Leadership Scholars Program at Penn Nursing is taking advantage of the resources available to them as part of the program one year after Penn President Amy Gutmann and her husband Michael Doyle announced a $2 million donation to create it.

This year’s cohort has 10 scholars who meet with Penn Nursing Dean Antonia Villarruel each month to discuss leadership opportunities. The students, who are both undergraduate and graduate students, receive financial aid and faculty support to become leaders in their field.

A specially appointed admissions committee selects the scholars based on diversity, first-generation status, academic achievement, leadership potential, and a student’s commitment to make an impact in underserved communities.

Nursing senior and Masters of Science in Nursing second year Linda Chan, who is one of the first Amy Gutmann Leadership Scholars, said she has appreciated the collaborative and supportive nature of the program among members of the cohort and Penn Nursing staff.

Chan, who is minoring in Chinese, said she wants to use her language proficiency in Mandarin and Cantonese to create change in her nursing career.

“Coming from a low-income neighborhood community, I want to be able to give back to that specific community where I grew up,” Chan said.

“Many of [the scholars] have identified, and are looking for opportunities, to build on their strengths and to make an impact,” Villarruel wrote in a state-

Penn Med’s $1.6 billion Pavilion opens to patients The Pavilion opened on Oct. 30 after five years of construction SUKHMANI KAUR & KOMAL PATEL Contributing Reporter & Staff Reporter

The Pavilion, Penn Medicine’s new 1.5-million-squarefoot, 17-story facility opened to patients on Oct. 30.

After five years of construction, which totaled $1.6 billion, the Pavilion accepted its first patients over the weekend. The facility offers advanced technology features for both patients and clinicians to improve patient care and comfort. More than half of the clinical services previously offered by the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, including cardiac surgery and oncology, are moving to the Pavilion.

The Pavilion has the capacity to house 504 patients in single-occupancy rooms equipped with “smart room” features, such as interactive smart TV monitors to display important patient care information, a MyChart Bedside tablet that displays medication and appointment times, and outside door displays to show clinicians relevant information about the patient.

“The team, when they walk in, can use the monitor to teach, and we can put up information about the patient, their own laboratory values, and we have the ability to show them their X-rays from their bedside,” Penn Medicine professor Selina M. Luger said. Luger was part of the clinical team that drove the redesign of patient care.

The IRIS smart TVs will also offer patients access to television and entertainment. IRIS allows patients to adjust the room environment, including temperature, window shades, lights, and the opaqueness of the room’s privacy glass. Large glass windows, providing a view of Philadelphia and ample natural light, were implemented to help instill a natural and soothing environment for the teams and patients.

to accommodate students partaking in Election Dayrelated activities.

“It’s really important to register to vote and to get as many people as possible registered to vote. We did a really good job of contributing that to our campus this year,” Lewine said. ment to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “They are absolutely inspiring, and we have no doubt of their present and future leadership and impact.”

At one of the monthly meetings, Chan said that the dean and one of her faculty advisors found a program that aligned with her interests and allowed her to use her Chinese and Mandarin language skills.

Another scholar, 2019 Nursing graduate and Masters of Science in Nursing first year Jordan Lindekens is studying to become an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner as part of the program.

Lindekens said the program focuses on personal development — preparing students to become leaders and providing them with new opportunities. “[The program] has been a really exciting and unexpected part of my master’s program and my master’s experience,” Lindekens said. “I sort of just thought, okay, I’m applying to this scholarship, but there’s a lot of additional benefits like connecting with the network, and the cohort.”

Master of Science in Nursing third year Jolie Jemmott is a scholar studying to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She said she has enjoyed learning about different types of leadership and seeing the diversity within her group across race, ethnicity, background, and specialty.

“Our scholars are eager to take advantage of the many resources and opportunities to advance provided in this leadership journey,” Kehler Family Assistant Dean of Curricular Affairs and Innovation Maria Torchia LoGrippo said in a statement to the DP.

SUKHMANI KAUR

The Amy Gutmann Leadership Scholars Program was created through a $2 million donation by Penn President Amy Gutmann and her husband Michael Doyle.

The COVID-19 pandemic helped building designers realize they needed to add mitigation tools to rooms to help reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Patient rooms are equipped with adequate ventilation and closets stocked with personal protective equipment, Luger said.

The rooms were primarily designed for standard patient care according to state guidelines, but they can be turned into intensive care unit rooms if needed. The size of the rooms can also support X-ray machines and echocardiograms, a machine that monitors the heart’s valve and chamber blood flow, to mitigate disturbance to the patient, HUP CEO Regina Cunningham said.

The Pavilion also houses 47 operating rooms with specialized imaging technology to promote collaboration between different medical subspecialties and increase precision in image-guided surgeries, professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and Critical Care John H. Keogh said.

The Pavilion received a gold certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Healthcare, and is the largest LEED Healthcare certified project in the world. The LEED Healthcare rating system honors green initiatives at inpatient, outpatient, and licensed long-term care facilities, medical offices, assisted living facilities, and medical education and research centers.

Penn Medicine partnered with various artists to decorate the Pavilion. The atrium features a sculpture designed by Maya Lin, a renowned artist known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Inspired by the shape of DNA, tree branches, and the Schuylkill River, the artwork — titled DNA Tree of Life — hangs from the ceiling. The piece displays a hidden steel tree structure concealed with hundreds of glass beads that reflect the sunlight.

Philadelphia artist Odili Donald Odita also has art on display in the Pavilion — he created a wall mural that spans across two floors. The mural, titled “Field and Sky,” is a kaleidoscope of brightly colored shapes, which Odita said reflect the complexity of the outside world. Odita and Lin’s artworks greet patients as they enter the building.

“Many of the elements of this building were built thinking about how we can support the advancement in care to help patients thrive in the space and instill the care of tomorrow,” Cunningham said.

8 SPORTS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Former player Kendall Grasela set to make assistant coaching debut for Penn women’s basketball SPORTS | Grasela balanced eight-hour nursing shifts with the demands of Division I Athletics JOEY PIATT Senior Sports Associate

Kendall Grasela was on a trip to Cape Cod when she sent a routine text to Penn women’s basketball coach Mike McLaughlin. There was nothing special about the text; it was just like the one she sent her former coach every few weeks.

She wanted to check in on the team as they prepared to tip-off the 2021-22 season, which was only two months away. The team had just completed its annual mile test, and McLaughlin shared his optimism about how the team looked early in its preseason preparation. He also informed Grasela of a recent change in the team’s coaching staff. Stephanie Carideo, the assistant coach who specialized in working with Penn’s guards, had left the program to accept the head coaching position at Haverford College.

At the time, Grasela, who has remained in contact with her coaches since her graduation in 2020, was unaware of Carideo’s departure. Although the news was a surprise, it made sense, considering several conversations Grasela had had with her former guards’ coach.

Carideo had asked Grasela if she had ever considered getting into coaching. The answer from Grasela — whose love for the game never wavered when her own ball stopped bouncing at the conclusion of her senior season — was a resounding yes.

The two continued to talk about what coaching could look like with Grasela’s work schedule. Grasela’s role as a registered nurse in the NICU at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offered her flexibility, as she typically worked only three days each week and did not follow a set schedule. Eventually the conversation hit what Grasela referred to as a “dead point,” and she went back to her routine.

That is, until McLaughlin brought up Carideo’s job change, and the now-open position on Penn women’s basketball’s coaching staff. At that point, Grasela connected the dots and mentioned her conversation with Carideo to McLaughlin.

GARY LIN From there, the rest is history. McLaughlin and Grasela Former player and current assistant coach Kendall Grasela lines up a jump-shot against Cornell on March 2, 2020. began talking about her rejoining the program in the spot vacated by Carideo, and several weeks later, on Oct. 5, the exact kind of on-court leader that successful point just instant respect and credibility.” time,” McLaughlin said. “For now, I think the easy thing Penn released a statement announcing Grasela as an as- guards must be.

Her on-court success isn’t the only thing that will for her is relationship-building. She played with many of sistant coach.

“That position requires leadership [and] requires self- give her credibility. Her off-the-court achievements have these players, and there [are] a lot of new players in the pro*** lessness,” McLaughlin said. “You have the ball in your earned her just as much respect. Grasela graduated from gram who were not here when she was here. The simple When Grasela arrived at Penn in the fall of 2016, Penn hand, you’re the decision-maker, you’re the play-caller, an undergraduate nursing program that ranks among the thing is getting out there on the floor with them early and already had a starting point guard. The team ran through [and] so there’s a lot of eyes on you. So, the expectation of best in the country, frequently juggling eight-hour clinical shooting with them and building that relationship and that Anna Ross, a four-year starter who holds Penn records for that position requires a great deal of leadership in my eyes. shifts with the demands of a Division I basketball season. trust.” all-time and single-season assists. Grasela spent her first Kendall had the experience of doing it here. She had that She handled the seemingly impossible balance required of Those that have coached Grasela have always known two seasons studying under Ross, learning what it took to quality and that trait.”

Ivy League student-athletes, serving as a perfect resource that she had the potential to be a great coach herself. Her play point guard for Penn women’s basketball.

The point guard position requires a lot of intangibles. for the players she’s about to mentor. leadership on the court, as well as her ability to mentor In her freshman season, she played in 12 games for It’s not enough to be skilled at getting the ball to your “I feel like it’s nice to have someone that’s done it on younger players and help them make the transition to a Quakers team that won both the Ivy League regular playmakers or to protect the ball and avoid turnovers. your coaching staff because they can relate to the players college basketball, were intangibles that not every player season and tournament championships. The next season, Successful point guards also know how to lead their team and what they’re going through,” Grasela said. “I went to possesses. For Grasela, they’re second nature. her playing time increased, and she averaged nearly seven on both ends of the floor, something that makes them es- Penn, I was a student-athlete there, and now I am coming “There are certain players that you coach that you kind minutes per game in 29 games. pecially prepared for the technical basketball knowledge back as a coach, and I have maybe a different perspective of feel that they could translate to really help teach and Those first two seasons offered Grasela a unique op- required of coaches. because I went through all of that.” mentor and grow our girls,” Carideo said. “When I had the portunity. Not only did she get a chance to learn the point “Since I was a point guard and I was able to command Grasela will be working with a talented group of play- ability to coach her, she was just one of those players, the guard position while studying under one of Penn’s most the offense and the defense, I think that is a great position ers in her first season on the job. The Quakers were picked way that she saw the game, the way that she approached decorated players, but Grasela also got to learn what it took to move to a coach,” Grasela said. “A lot of responsibility is to finish second in the Ivy League in the 2021 Ivy League the game, she could really get into coaching.” to be both an Ivy League and Big 5 champion. on the point guard to step up and know what your coaches Women’s Basketball Preseason Media Poll and received The Ivy League has a longstanding rule that allows “Kendall won a lot of games at Penn,” McLaughlin like. I think that will translate into my ability to help coach three first-place votes. schools only two full-time assistant coaches and one said. “She’s a champion, and so she has a lot of experience and be an asset because I was in that position where I was Leading the charge on the court this season will be volunteer. The rule has made it challenging at times for to give.” facilitating the offense [and] where I was keeping the team junior captain Kayla Padilla, who played alongside Gra- the Quakers, and other Ivy teams, to fill those volunteer When she took over the starting point guard position for camaraderie up.” sela in the 2019-20 season. Padilla, a talented shooter who positions with candidates that could make a measurable the 2018-19 season, Grasela was able to show off everyThere’s no doubt that Grasela’s mastery of the point averaged 17.4 points per game in her freshman campaign, difference in the program. thing she had learned from Ross. Grasela led the Quakers guard position will help her, as she makes the jump into directly benefited from her backcourt partner’s pass-first When Carideo joined the Penn program prior to the to an Ivy League regular season title behind an efficient coaching. It will especially be useful in replacing a posi- play style. She also looked toward Grasela as a role model 2019-20 season, she brought a wealth of basketball expestyle of play that prioritized spreading the ball around and tion previously held by a coach that specialized in working and resource. rience. Her career to that point had included stints as an minimizing turnovers. Her 2.2 assist/turnover ratio placed with guards. She will be able to pass along the same strate“She was one of the main people, when I came here as assistant coach for the men’s team at Jefferson University her third in the Ivy League and her 105 assists were the gies that she learned studying under Anna Ross and that a freshman, who really taught me the ropes in terms of and as the head women’s coach for Penn State Abington, second most on the team. she utilized in her two years as Penn’s starter. learning the system and really being a good example of where she was NEAC Coach of the Year.

Grasela continued to build on her success as a senior It’s not just that Grasela succeeded as a point guard. She how to be a Penn basketball player,” Padilla said. “Now Her September departure, which came late in the Penn and team captain. She used every single one of her 868 didn’t play college basketball just anywhere — she played she can continue to do that with a bigger impact as a offseason, left a hole that many thought would be difficult minutes to play a selfless kind of basketball that placed her it at Penn. Her success came while donning the same red coach.” to fill. Carideo, though, knew exactly who was right for the as one of the nation’s most efficient point guards. Her 2.8 and blue uniforms that will be worn by those she’s coachCoaching the same players that she competed with just job. A few phone calls later, and Penn women’s basketball assist/turnover ratio outpaced everyone elseYork in theTimes Ancient ing. Sales Corporation two years ago and one season ago is a special opportunity had what McLaughlin repeatedly called a “home run.”

The New New Syndication The York Times Syndication Sales Corporation Eight and ranked her seventh in the country.

“I think in Kendall’s situation, she lived what it’s like to that Grasela hasn’t taken for granted. At practice, she often “I’m not just giving you coach speak,” McLaughlin 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Information Call:be 1-800-972-3550 By the end of her senior season, Grasela had mas-Call: a Penn women’s basketball player and student,” Cari- catches herself after exciting plays, remembering that she’s said. “To fit someone as a volunteer, that’s why it’s a home For 1-800-972-3550 Release Friday, deo October 29,4,2021 ForFor Release Thursday, November 2021 tered the art of team-first basketball.

She had become said. “When you put both those variables together, it’s now their coach, not their teammate. run ... it’s a perfect match for both of us. I couldn’t be any “Sometimes I get super excited,” Grasela said. “I almost more excited that she’s back for us.” feel like I’m out there again with them.”

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SPORTS 9

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Experienced junior forward Michael Moshkovitz adds foreign flair to Penn men’s basketball SPORTS | Moshkovitz played professionally for both Turkey and Israel in international tournaments EZRA TROY Sports Associate

Penn men’s basketball forward Michael Moshkovitz is not like other players on the team.

Unlike other players, he never played AAU, and wasn’t recruited out of high school. Unlike other players, he has won an international championship, and was a teammate of two NBA lottery picks. Unlike other players, he has served in the military, and has played games everywhere from Spain to Kankakee, Ill. Despite his unusual path, Moshkovitz is planning on bringing his unique experiences and talents to help the Quakers reclaim the Ivy League crown in the upcoming season.

Moshkovitz was born in Jerusalem in 1998 and started playing basketball at the age of six under the direction of his father — a former semi-pro player. Moshkovitz played recreationally and in children’s leagues in Jerusalem up until the age of 16.

At 16, he transferred to a school at the Wingate Institution — Israel’s premier sports training center. At Wingate, he began training more seriously for a basketball career.

Following his first season there, he tried out for the Israeli national Under-18 team, where he nearly made the team, being the final player cut.

The next year, Moshkovitz had a tremendous growth spurt and grew to his current height of 6-foot-7. This late growth spurt, combined with his intense training, made him one of the best players in his age group in the country, and a shoo-in for the national team.

As a member of the team, he was able to accompany the team to Turkey for the FIBA U18 tournament. Despite the fact that he led the team in scoring one game, the Israelis went 0-3 and were eliminated in the group stage of the tournament.

At this time, Moshkovitz, like every other 18-year-old in Israel, was drafted into the Israeli army for a two-anda-half-year period beginning that summer. He was able to join a special program in the army for athletes, where he did a few months of basic training before he returned to the army base on Wingate’s campus to serve as a weight room instructor for cadets.

During this time, he was also able to play basketball, on both the U20 national team as well as on various teams in Israeli professional leagues. His first stop in the Israeli professional leagues was with Hapoel Jerusalem — one of Israel’s premier first division teams.

Among his teammates on Hapoel Jerusalem was former NBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudamire. Stoudamire, a noted lover of Israel and a convert to Judaism, had gone to play in Israel after his successful 14-year NBA career.

Stoudamire was using his time on the team as an opportunity to mentor some of the top young players in the country.

Moshkovitz recalled many instances of Stoudamire helping out younger players sharpen their skills not only through actions, such as rebounding shoot-around sessions, but also by setting a professional example for many of the younger players to follow, something that was especially helpful to Moshkovitz. “[Stoudamire] took the time and was all about helping everybody and sharing his experience and just seeing his habits, how he came before practice, what he was doing to prepare his body and keep it healthy, and seeing him play, was a really good experience and I learned a lot,” Moshkovitz said.

In that season’s FIBA U20 European championship, the Israeli team went undefeated in the group stage and made it to the finals before falling to host country Greece.

The next season, Moshkovitz and his teammates came back ready to finish what they had started the year before.

Despite losing the opening game to Germany, Moshkovitz and the Israeli team won the rest of their games, defeating Croatia in the finals to secure Israel’s first FIBA U20 championship. The team was led by a 17-year-old named Deni Avdija and tournament MVP, Yovel Zoosman.

Avdija is currently a member of the NBA’s Washington Wizards, and was the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Moshkovitz roomed with Avdija ​​ throughout the tournament and watched as his younger roommate made a name for himself on the international stage, elevating to NBA draft lottery status. Moshkovitz helped Avdija navigate the ups and downs of the tournament, an experience which ultimately led to a treasured friendship.

“It was a great experience, we became best friends,” Moshkovitz said. “I really appreciated how he played and how he handled being younger. I was really happy to see him play well and get drafted.”

Moshkovitz’s performance in the Israeli league wasn’t as striking as his exciting tournament run. So, he decided to move to a team in the second division to get more

PHOTO FROM MICHAEL MOSHKOVITZ

Junior basketball player Michael Moshkovitz played for Hapoel Jerusalem, one of Israel’s premier first division teams.

playing time with hopes of making a name for himself, so he could move back into the first division after his final year in the army.

This plan did not work out, as instead Moshkovitz was forced to switch to another team in the second division, midseason. This was the lowest point in his playing career, as this team was even worse than the one before. This whole experience had Moshkovitz questioning if he even wanted to play basketball anymore. After thinking about it for a while, he decided to take a new path and come to the United States to play college basketball and earn his degree.

Moshkovitz made this decision in April 2019, very late in the recruiting cycle. Unfortunately for Moshkovitz, at this point most colleges had already filled their rosters.

Luckily, in a small town in Illinois, there was a junior college team where three Israelis were playing, among them Moshkovitz’s friend Oren Amatz.

Upon hearing that Moshkovitz wanted to come to the U.S. to play, he told the head coach of Kankakee Community College, Alex Thorson, about Moshkovitz.

After watching some film, Thorson knew that he needed to recruit Moshkovitz, but he also knew that convincing him to come to a small school in Illinois on the junior college circuit would be an uphill battle. Thorson spoke to Moshkovitz and his parents about the Israelis who had previously been on the team and explained that playing at Kankakee would be a quick, one-year stop before transferring to a bigger Division I school. With this pitch, Thorson was able to get Moshkovitz to commit to coming to play at Kankakee for the 2019-2020 season.

The transition was not an easy one for Moshkovitz, who had never been to the U.S., let alone lived there. Moving to a small town an hour south of Chicago, as well as a language barrier and a new playing style to learn, all contributed to what Moshkovitz called “the hardest year of my life.”

Despite all these challenges, Moshkovitz stuck it out and ended up playing well enough at Kankakee to get some serious D-I consideration and gain the admiration of his coaches and teammates.

“We were blessed to have Moshkovitz at Kankakee,” Thorson said. “He was a great example of what it means to be a Cavalier. He was a great example from a student standpoint, an academic standpoint and also from an athletic standpoint.”

After the junior college season wrapped up in early March 2020, it was time for Moshkovitz to decide on his plans for the next season. He had been talking to coaches of D-I schools in the area about a transfer, but decided that he wanted to play in the Ivy League due to the high level of academics offered.

Columbia’s coach, Jim Engles, was friends with Coach Thorson and was told about Moshkovitz in the months leading up to March 2020. He had recruited Moshkovitz and had gone out to watch a few of his games at Kankakee and liked what he saw. It seemed like a done deal: Moshkovitz was ready to transfer to Columbia for the following

season.

Then, the world turned upside down due to the COVID19 pandemic, and the offer from Columbia disappeared.

With no other offers and uncertainty about the next year due to the pandemic, Moshkovitz planned to stay in Israel, where he would play basketball in the third division of the Israeli Basketball League while taking courses at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, at Penn, men’s basketball coaches Nat Graham and Steve Donahue were looking at junior college players to see if there was anybody they could recruit to play for the Red and Blue for the 2020-21 season. The Penn coaches had been recruiting from junior college since their days at Cornell and were hard at work in the early days of the pandemic looking to see if there were any strong junior college players they could recruit for transfer to Penn.

After hearing about Moshkovitz from some colleges in the junior college circuit, talking to Thorson, and watching Moshkovitz’s film, they decided to offer him a spot on the Quakers. The recruiting cycle was a very strange one, as it was early in the pandemic and thus all conversations were over zoom with Moshkovitz in Israel. The coaches only met Moshkovitz in person for the first time in January 2021, when he came to campus for the first time.

Despite the long winding road to Philly, when

Moshkovitz was finally able to come to Penn for the second semester last year. Even though the team wasn’t able to play games last season, they still were able to practice together, and Moshkovitz impressed everyone around him.

“It’s more like coaching another adult than a kid. Most of our guys get there by the end, but [Moshkovitz] is starting off that way, so that is a little different. The fact that he served in the military, and then the fact that he is willing to come across the ocean and believe he will make some good out of something he had never seen before, is impressive,” Graham said.

When speaking to people around the team, a consistent theme emerges: Moshkovitz will have a huge impact in the upcoming season. His experience playing on the biggest stages in a variety of leagues and tournaments has given him a basketball IQ not commonly seen in college players. Additionally, his passing and off-ball skills are widely praised, which will help the Quakers, who are looking to replace the production of legendary forward AJ Brodeur.

No matter where in the world he has been, from Israel to Turkey to Kankakee, Ill., Moshkovitz has been an exemplary player and teammate, gaining valuable experience in the process. This experience will be vital for both him and the entire Quakers roster, as he looks to help lead the Quakers to their first league title since 2018.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021 VOL. CXXXVII NO. 25

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

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Many COVID-19 mandates at Penn Athletics events are not followed or enforced

Several Penn students and fans in the audience did not wear or were incorrectly wearing their masks inside the Palestra during a volleyball game on Oct. 22.

SPORTS | While fans have had to show Green Open Passes, masking and distancing has not been enforced at outdoor events.

CARTER LYNN Sports Reporter

It’s a brisk, early October evening in Philadelphia.

Ready to escape the intensive midterm season stress, Penn students flock down Locust Walk and onto 33rd Street with Franklin Field in sight. The blinding, yet warm, fluorescent lights illuminate the dark and carve out a path towards the historic stadium for an opening night football game.

For the second season in a row, Penn opens their season at home in a blowout loss against Dartmouth.

You’d see the same 8,000 fans filling the stands, the same bright yellow uniforms of the Contemporary Services Corporation event staff — the security hired to manage the games — and the same pieces of toast flying onto the field.

Yet, the world of 2021 couldn’t be any more different than that of 2019.

The last couple of years have given us a life immersed in a pandemic. It’s been a year now since the worst of COVID19, but we’re still living in a world of precaution.

Aside from the general campus-wide mask and vaccination policies — in which all members of the Penn community are required to be vaccinated and wear masks in all indoor shared spaces — Penn’s Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics have also implemented their own policies.

“All spectators in attendance (12 years old and above) must attest to having been vaccinated and register their contact information in the event of a COVID-19 exposure

where follow-up from contact tracing is needed,” stated the DRIA in an Aug. 27 announcement.

While it’s expected that guests be vaccinated in accordance with Penn’s general campus policy, the DRIA has taken COVID-19 safety a step further by ensuring that fans submit an attestation form online. Fans must show their completed form to a Penn representative when entering the sports venue.

But for some, when fans navigate to complete the form online, they are prevented from attesting to the guidelines.

Instead, the website reads, “RSVPs for this game will be accepted beginning at 12:00 a.m. on [game day] and end at the conclusion of the game,” despite the form being open for others.

Unable to find a solution to this issue, the Penn representatives checking for attestation forms at the gate accept Green PennOpen Passes as an alternative. But, family members of players and fans of opposing teams — who can’t register under PennOpen Pass — are simply turned away.

Penn event representatives declined to comment on difficulties with the attestation form.

In addition to the event attestation RSVP, Penn requires that fans wear face coverings at all indoor and outdoor competition venues. Social distancing is also enforced when possible.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently says that people generally do not need to wear a mask outside. Still, Penn has a mask mandate for outdoor sporting events, at least in name. For reference, the Philadelphia Eagles do not require masks outdoors at games, but all Ivy League schools do.

Some students find comfort in this system in place to protect the Penn community.

“I think the [COVID-19 attestation] makes sense,” College junior Albi Domi said. “People should wear masks at the games so we don’t spread [COVID-19] anymore.”

In reality, while the Penn spectators generally follow the attestation rules indoors, they hardly comply with any of the fall event “requirements” at outdoor venues.

“My parents were here last week for a football game, and they felt like they should be wearing masks,” said a Penn senior who requested to remain anonymous. However, given the lack of other fans following the mask mandate, the Penn senior and his parents opted to go maskless. This can be partly attributed to the event staff’s lack of enforcement.

Even the CSC event staff take a rather laissez-faire stance on Penn’s official policy.

“We’re a bit farther into the pandemic now,” a CSC event staff member said at a Penn football game. “A lot of people are vaccinated and a lot of people wear masks, so I wouldn’t get too much into enforcing social distancing unless I’m told by my supervisor to maintain six feet between fans.”

Penn students have also recognized the lack of COVID19 protocol enforcement.

“I think it’s particularly ridiculous that Penn makes announcements about wearing masks,” the Penn senior said.

“I’ve never seen a person around [the games] saying anything about masks.”

Many of the event staff members rely more on their personal judgment than the official Penn event guidelines.

“You guys have masks, you guys can be vaccinated or not, [the lack of] social distancing doesn’t bother me, personally,” another CSC staff member added.

Asked for comment on the issue, the Penn Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics issued the following statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian: “DRIA spectator guidance for all home intercollegiate contests aligns with the University’s visitor policy. All spectators entering a DRIA facility must attest to being fully vaccinated and complete a daily symptom check through PennOpen Pass or PennOpen Campus. Since this is performed efficiently at facility entrances by Public Health

VANESSA HUANG

Ambassador staff there is no longer the need to RSVP for athletic events. Public Health Ambassador staff also make sure spectators are arriving at the facility with a mask, and wearing it upon entry. If a spectator arrives at an entrance without a mask, one is issued. After entering an outdoor facility, spectators may remove masks for eating or drinking or based on their own comfort level. DRIA does not utilize staff or security to enforce mask compliance in outdoor seating sections based on risk level and spectator experience. Social distancing is recommended when possible (depending on seating capacity and attendance volume) but not mandatory. DRIA also reminds spectators not to attend an event if feeling sick.”

And for most in the stands, the close proximity doesn’t bother them.

“I don’t mind going to a game without masks or social distancing,” freshman Ben Chen said. “I would feel safer if more people were masked, but with the majority of the community being vaccinated, it’s not a dealbreaker for me.”

When the level of compliance ultimately falls under each fan’s own discretion, the reality translates to maskless sporting events.

As winter sports are just getting underway, Penn Athletics has released a new set of guidelines for the upcoming season, which will predominantly feature indoor play.

“All fans are required to wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth at all times upon entering, and throughout an indoor competition venue, except when removing intermittently for eating and drinking,” the DRIA announced on Oct. 29.

It will be interesting to see how the shift toward indoor competition affects rates of mask-wearing.

Perhaps people are just itching to get back to the normalcy of 2019, a time when a stroll down to a Franklin Field home opener was unbothered by the worry of a pandemic.

Belgrad | That’s what we’ve been Sayin SPORTS | Penn’s aggressive offense and impact plays on defense leads to 45-17 rout of Brown NICKY BELGRAD Deputy Sports Editor

Now that’s what we’ve been Sayin.

Penn football’s (3-4, 1-3 Ivy) 45-17 dominant victory over Brown (2-5, 1-3) was a joy to watch. The Quakers thrived in key moments of the game, and overall played a much cleaner game than the team has in earlier points in the season.

But, we should also be careful not to overreact to a blowout of a Bears team that has allowed 40+ points for five out of seven contests this season.

A 1-3 conference record in a top-heavy Ivy League conference puts Penn in an impossible spot (four games behind Princeton with three games left), and the team likely knows it isn’t capable of a conference title this year.

Perhaps knowing that the rest of this season will be dedicated to experimentation and preparation for next season takes the burden off the Red and Blue.

Nonetheless, the Quakers’ aggressive play-calling, explosive runs, and timely plays on defense exhibited the team’s recent growth from week-to-week, as well as promising signs for the future.

In his second career start for Penn, freshman quarterback Aidan Sayin was superb, playing the perfect role for the Quakers’ offense. On the Red and Blue’s opening drive, Sayin commanded the Quakers to an eight-play touchdown drive capped off by a wide-open catch by wide receiver Ryan Cragun.

The drive was dynamic, as the offense fluidly SEND STORY IDEAS TO DPSPORTS@THEDP.COM

alternated between chunk pass plays on first down — and much more play-action than we are accustomed to — and nifty, burst runs from running backs Isaiah Malcome and Trey Flowers.

Although Brown won the possession battle against Penn 35 minutes to 24 minutes and out-gained the Quakers 411 yards to 296 yards, the game was decided by a number of key plays made by both Penn’s offense and defense.

A combined three turnovers — including linebacker Garrett Morris’ 42-yard house-call on a pick-six of veteran quarterback EJ Perry — and a season-high eight sacks allowed Penn to capitalize on short fields.

Although Brown drove into Penn territory multiple times, the defense — led by experienced linebacker Brian O’Neill, who accounted for a team-high 12 tackles — stymied the Bears on its side of the field. By the time the first half closed, Penn climbed to a safe position with a 31-10, after only allowing a first-drive touchdown and a long field goal.

With freshman Sayin at the helm, the Quakers may have a real chance to compete in the Ivy League within one or two years, and the team should use the remainder of the season as a chance to build chemistry, experiment, and learn specifically what schemes Sayin excels in.

Joshua Casilli hasn’t had much opportunity to breakout, given the packed wide receiving corps of upperclassmen Cragun and Rory Starkey Jr., but catching his first career touchdown pass this past weekend may end up being the first of several connections between Sayin and him.

I prefaced this column by reminding readers that opponents do matter, and this Brown team is not the cream of the crop of the Ivy League, making a 45-17 blowout a little less meaningful than it seems on paper.

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

Freshman quarterback Aidan Sayin is tackled by a Brown defensive lineman at Franklin Field on Oct. 30.

Penn has a chance to start a winning streak in its homecoming showdown with Cornell this upcoming weekend, after which the Red and Blue will face stiff tests in Harvard and Princeton — sitting at No. 2 and No. 1 in the Ancient Eight, respectively.

These games will present opportunities for the Quakers, not necessarily to capture victories, but to establish habits, get comfortable with pressure moments, and play with grit and heart for 60 minutes straight.

I am especially keen on Sayin and on Penn’s defense,

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both of which will determine how the team fares against its tougher opponents to close out the season. If the offense is able to protect and control the ball, allowing its defense to do what it does best — make impact plays — and grant the offense short fields, then Penn will have a real shot to steal either of these games.

It won’t be easy to win either of these season closers or land near the top of the Ivy League next season, but Penn football might just have a recipe for next fall with a chance to improve the ingredients in the meantime.

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