October 31, 2024

Inside: Voter’s Guide 2024

DARTY’S OVER

Penn has banned party registrations during the day of Homecoming, prompting student outrage

Penn has banned daytime parties on Homecoming — a decision which the University attributes to new event policies.

The change will take effect on Nov. 16, the day of the Homecoming football game against Harvard. Homecoming weekend, which this year is scheduled for Nov. 15-17, is a widely anticipated celebration that welcomes alumni back to campus and features celebrations of University pride, including the football game. Students have historically marked the day of the football game with daytime parties thrown by greek organizations on and around campus.

Under the new policies, which Penn said were introduced last year and known as Major Event Weekend protocols, events cannot overlap with official Homecoming activities, Penn’s Division of University Life wrote in a statement To The Daily Pennsylvanian.

The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life did not respond to a request for comment.

“During these weekends, the Community Care team, in collaboration with DPS and other campus partners, implements additional event registration protocols to ensure adequate support and safety staff

are available to serve the Penn community,” a University Life spokesperson said.

Describing the Major Event Weekend protocols, the spokesperson said: “Undergraduate student group events must occur on Saturday evening during Homecoming Weekend to avoid overlapping with the University’s official Homecoming activities scheduled across campus throughout the weekend.”

Penn defines a Major Event Weekend as one when there has historically been “a significant increase in events and social activity.” The University implements additional parameters on these weekends — including a mandate that undergraduate social events be held during designated time blocks to “ensure sufficient support and safety staff is available.”

Penn’s event registration policies require that student organizations register all events with alcohol, regardless of where the event will be held. According to the University Life website, the last days to submit event registrations with alcohol for Homecoming Weekend are Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

Several fraternity members expressed frustration with the new policy and alleged a lack of

transparency from Penn in interviews with the DP. The students, who were granted anonymity after citing a fear of retaliation from the University, claimed that Penn prohibited daytime party registrations to encourage students to attend a University-sponsored tailgate in Penn Park marking 175 years of fraternity and sorority life at Penn.

The University-sponsored tailgate is free for students under 21 but costs up to $20 per ticket for general admission with an alcohol wristband.

Engineering junior Aditya Sirohi, who serves as Beta Theta Pi’s social chair, told the DP that OFSL has prevented them from registering any events before 7 p.m. on Homecoming — and added that, after 7 p.m., only around six fraternities are allowed to register due to capacity restrictions.

A fraternity president said the University issued no written communication about the change in policy and said they became aware of the change when the social chair of their fraternity was unable to register an event on the day of Homecoming.

The president said that during a Sept. 4 meeting with greek life presidents and OFSL administrators, they brought up the apparent technical difficulty to

The statement marks the University’s rst of cial comment since the search, which occurred on the morning of Oct. 18

Penn strongly pushed back on criticism of its execution of a search warrant at an off-campus residence belonging to pro-Palestinian student activists amid mounting community condemnation of the University’s actions.

The statement from a University spokesperson marks Penn’s first official comment since the search, which occurred on the morning of Oct. 18. The search, which was publicly disclosed on social media on the evening of Oct. 21, occurred after the Penn Police Department obtained a search warrant that was reviewed by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office and approved by a bail commissioner. The search relates to an ongoing criminal vandalism investigation, according to Penn’s Division of Public Safety.

In the nearly two weeks since the raid, several community groups and stakeholders — including two local politicians representing Penn and multiple faculty groups — have denounced an allegedly unnecessarily

heavy-handed police response during Penn’s search of the residence.

In the statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, a University spokesperson defended Penn Police’s actions by writing that “a small group of individuals, some of whom may be students, continue to take disruptive and at times illegal actions against the University community” and that part of Penn Police’s work “involves investigating alleged incidents to determine if laws have been violated, following the facts wherever they lead.”

“[The individuals] continue to flout policies and laws that they do not think apply to them, and then blame their own institution when they encounter consequences,” the spokesperson wrote. “Laws must be enforced uniformly and fairly and are not designed to be waived when they do not suit a particular viewpoint. Ignoring inconvenient rules or wildly mischaracterizing facts weakens our whole community.”

The spokesperson added that Penn remains committed to “ensuring a safe and welcoming community,” calling Penn Police “one of the most professional and highly regarded University police forces in the country.”

“We will not tolerate hate of any kind, violence, vandalism, or threats, whether it comes from outside or from within the Penn community,” they wrote. “And Penn Police will continue to prioritize the safety of all our community members, even and especially those who are investigated for potential crimes.”

Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine’s Instagram post announcing the raid alleged that 12 Penn Police officers and one Philadelphia Police officer “stormed the house in full tactical gear” after pointing a gun at a neighbor and threatening to break down the door, and “point[ed] rifles and handguns” at residents’ heads as they exited their rooms. PAO said one student was taken in for questioning and saw their personal device seized “on suspicion of vandalism.”

The post also alleged that officers did not show a warrant or provide their names or badge numbers.

The DP was unable to confirm these details about the search.

“This is a disgusting escalation from the University, and comes after a year of disciplining, arresting, and brutalizing their own students who organize for Palestinian liberation, and they made the deliberately traumatizing and threatening decision to invade our home,” the house residents said in a joint statement to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In a previous statement to the DP, Vice President for the Division of Public Safety Kathleen Shields Anderson wrote that “[t]hroughout the execution of the warrant, our officers took care to explain to all involved what was occurring and to treat them with all respect.”

Last week, the Executive Committee of Penn’s chapter

Coordinator of Fraternity & Sorority Life Jennifer Probert, who then informed attendees about the change in policy.

“It spiraled into, like, 20 minutes of mostly Panhellenic and [Intercultural Greek Council] presidents being like, ‘What the hell?’” the president said.

While Probert was the administrator who delivered the news, the fraternity president added that it was made “very clear” during the meeting “that this decision wasn’t on their end.”

“[T]his is something that was pushed by the school on them, and it seems that they have very little say over it,” the president said.

At the Sept. 4 meeting, there was a “civil” and “productive” conversation about potentially allowing groups to register parties beginning at 4 p.m., rather than 7 p.m., the president added. While they said that the topic was not discussed as much at the October presidents’ meeting, and no change was made, “it sounded like they were trying to work on bringing down the time until right after the football game ends.”

Timothy Rommen named Penn’s inaugural vice provost for the arts

Rommen specializes in Caribbean music, and his major research interests include popular music, sacred music, critical theory, ethics, tourism, diaspora, and the intellectual history of ethnomusicology

NEEMA BADDAM Senior Reporter

Music and Africana Studies professor Timothy Rommen was named the University’s inaugural vice provost for the arts.

Rommen, a Davidson Kennedy Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, specializes in Caribbean music, and his major research interests include popular music, sacred music, critical theory, ethics, tourism, diaspora, and the intellectual history of ethnomusicology. He has taught at the University since 2002, and will begin his new position on Jan. 1, 2025.

In the announcement of Rommen’s appointment, Provost John Jackson Jr. called him the “ideal colleague” for the new position.

“[Rommen] is widely respected as a collaborative and consultative leader who is strongly committed to scholarship and teaching, to our diverse arts communities on campus and in Philadelphia, and to the goals of In Principle and Practice, the University’s strategic framework, which he played a key role in developing as a member of the Red and Blue Advisory Committee,” Jackson said.

Rommen is currently a board member of the Center for Africana Studies, Greenfield Intercultural

NEEMA BADDAM Senior Reporter

ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR

Penn Police Station on Oct. 23.

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- 37% IN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS + 1.5M NEW JOBS + $3,562 INCREASE IN REAL DISPOSABLE INCOME PER CAPITA

THE OTHER GUY SAID CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HOAX INVENTED BY CHINA.

ELECTION DAY: NOVEMBER 5

Holmesburg prison experiment victims criticize Penn’s role, demand restorative justice

The panel examined the legacy of Penn dermatology professor Albert Kligman, who conducted medical experiments on incarcerated individuals without their informed consent

VIDYA PANDIARAJU Senior Reporter

The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and several student groups hosted a panel calling for restorative justice following the damaging medical experiments conducted by the late Penn dermatologist Albert Kligman.

The panel examined the legacy of Penn dermatology professor Albert Kligman, who conducted medical experiments on incarcerated individuals at the now-decommissioned Holmesburg Prison without their informed consent. Some victims and their relatives recounted how the experiments changed their lives, calling on Penn to issue an apology and reiterating demands for the University to provide financial compensation and other forms of restorative justice.

Between 1951 and 1974, Kligman tested viruses, fungi, and chemical agents, including asbestos, on hundreds of incarcerated individuals — most of whom were Black — at the prison, which was located in Northeast Philadelphia. Many of the inmates were left with lifelong side effects, including permanent scarring, recurrent rashes, and mental health issues, according to journalist Allen Hornblum’s 1998 book “Acres of Skin,” which exposed Kligman’s medical experiments on the inmates.

The event was a collaboration between groups including the Black Law Students Association and UMOJA — the umbrella organization for Black student groups on campus — and Penn Carey Law. Penn professor Dorothy Roberts moderated the panel and emphasized Penn’s unique positioning to lead “reparative justice efforts” when examining past University-sponsored and sanctioned violence against marginalized communities.

“Penn’s tangible restitution for the Holmesburg Prison experiments, that we hope will ultimately come out of this event, should be a model,” Roberts told attendees. “That’s what Penn should be aspiring to. We’re supposed to be the model university, with the highest values.”

Herbert Rice, an 80-year-old survivor of the experiments, said that he started participating in experiments at age 24 as a means of earning money while incarcerated. Rice said he first participated in the “milkshake test,” where he was required to eat a milkshake and waffle for three

HOMECOMING, from FRONT PAGE

Still, some individuals involved in greek life feel that the decision is a “money grab,” the president said, given that alumni have to pay to attend the University-sponsored tailgate. Their main complaint, however, was what they described as an inequal regulation of off-campus organizations.

Penn is home to several off-campus groups which operate similarly to on-campus fraternities and sororities. Because Penn cannot prevent off-campus groups from hosting parties before 7 p.m. on Homecoming, there is a disadvantage for registered fraternities, the president said — a disparity that was brought up at the September meeting.

“[The University] said they have no control over it, which is what I think pissed us off a lot,” the president said. “… Organizations that aren’t regulated at all — and that people worry about sometimes because they’re not regulated in any way, shape, or form — have the privilege of doing this on Homecoming, and the rest of the fraternities and sororities don’t.”

meals a day and decided to increase his involvement in the studies three weeks later.

Rice described increasingly disturbing experiments, including a metabolic study in which he was required to ingest pills containing “foreign organisms.” Rice said that he experienced severe psychological changes as a result of taking these pills, causing him to unintentionally lash out at a guard — which landed him in solitary confinement for three days.

“He put me in there for three days, and I thought I was in there for three years,” Rice said. “… You got one meal a day. That one meal consisted of breakfast, lunch, and dinner on that plate, and they would give it to you, and it would collapse, so you had to eat off the floor,” Rice said.

He also detailed vivid nightmares he would have about the experiments, which he said fundamentally changed the way he led his life — even when he was no longer incarcerated. He reflected on how his baggage affected his home life and led him on a path toward substance abuse.

“I brought all this stuff back to my home, to my wife, to my children, to my community, and I was just a damn fool,” Rice said.

Rice also recalled that two of the friends he had made in Holmesburg Prison later died by suicide, pointing to Kligman’s experiments as a contributing factor.

“Kligman, I call him a murderer without a gun. Not [for] what he did to me, but what he did to my friends,” he said.

Rice’s grandson, Ja’Ir Rice, pointed toward the generational impacts of the study on his family, noting that his grandfather and father were no longer in contact. He also expressed disdain for what he described as commerce-driven institutions like Penn that divided his family.

“There’s certain parts of my family now that are dysfunctional because of [the experiments], because of something that was out of his control, and it’s gut wrenching,” Ja’Ir said, “I’m hoping that [things] can be amended while my grandfather’s still here.”

Adrianne Jones-Alston, the daughter of survivor Leodus Jones, echoed those sentiments, reflecting on her father’s participation in the experiments and the “abuse” he brought back to her family. She said

A second fraternity president told the DP that individuals who voiced concerns at the September OFSL meeting “kind of got in trouble” for the perceived tone of their complaints, claiming they have not participated in a meeting where administrators were open to hearing fraternity leaders’ suggestions.

“[Administrators] kind of have all the power in the situation,” they said. “Everyone’s walking on thin ice there.”

The second president added: “It’s like they have this attitude of ‘We’re gonna try it this year no matter what, and if it’s bad, we won’t do it next year.’”

Many groups now plan to host events off-campus on Homecoming day to “try to fill the void,” this president claimed. But they remain disappointed by the decision to prohibit events during the day, since many fraternity alumni are now unable to visit campus.

“Everyone that I talked to was just really depressed, because there’s not a lot of school spirit at Penn, and it seems like Homecoming is one of the only days that everyone dresses up and goes out together,” they said.

“I kind of felt that they were kind of taking away that sense of community.”

They also criticized the University-sponsored tailgate, saying that it is not “targeted at everyone” and does not “reflect that kind of community.”

WARRANT, from FRONT PAGE

of the American Association of University Professors condemned the administration’s “escalating use of police action against Penn students,” and Penn’s chapter of Faculty for Justice in Palestine started a petition demanding an investigation into the search, a repeal of new protest guidelines, and a vote no confidence in Penn administrators. In its statement, AAUP-Penn called the search a “dangerous and traumatizing treatment” of students and questioned the intensity of the police response to the alleged vandalism charge. It further described the administration and Penn Police as “preeminent threats to safety in our community.”

“We are alarmed by the University’s pattern — established last year and extended this year — of treating all protest by faculty, staff, and students against Israeli government policies and warmaking chiefly as a security concern, rather than an expression of students’ rights to assemble and engage in political activity, and faculty’s right to freedom in extramural speech,” AAUP-Penn wrote in its statement.

The PFJP petition outlined three demands: a “formal, public investigation” of Anderson and other officers “who authorized and led the raid,” an “immediate repeal” of the temporary open expression guidelines that were enacted in June, and a vote of no confidence “in the university administrators responsible for militarizing the campus environment” — including Interim Penn President Larry Jameson, Provost John Jackson Jr., and Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma.

The petition claimed that Penn’s “illegitimate” temporary open expression guidelines have facilitated a “pattern of violence and intimidation” on Penn’s campus that endangers decades of free speech protections on campus. On Tuesday, Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier — who represents Penn — became the latest to condemn Penn’s actions, following previous criticism from Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia). In a statement, she condemned Penn Police for its “violent and aggressive” tactics in executing the warrant on Oct. 18 and called on the University to investigate the circumstances surrounding the search.

Gauthier wrote in her statement that she is “appalled” at Penn’s actions and “unequivocally condemn[s]” the University’s choice to “use violent and aggressive tactics” in the execution of the warrant. She also wrote that the investigation centers on a Sept. 12 incident when pro-Palestinian activists claimed responsibility for vandalizing the Benjamin Franklin statue in front of College Hall with red paint.

Gauthier wrote in the statement that Penn Police executed the warrant outside of its patrol zone, which extends from 30th Street to 43rd Street and Market Street to Baltimore Avenue. The DP was unable to confirm if the warrant was executed outside of Penn Police’s patrol zone.

She called on Penn to investigate “how this disproportionate response occurred and publish their findings.”

Separately, in an open letter obtained by the DP, “concerned students, faculty, and community members” condemned Penn Police’s actions and outlined seven demands for the University.

that her parents’ ensuing separation led her to run away from home, experience homelessness, violence, and eventually, substance abuse.

“I can’t blame everything on the experiments, but I bet you what, it gave me a jumpstart for that downward spiral in my life,” she said.

Jones-Alston outlined seven demands for the University in an effort to deliver restorative justice to the survivors and their families for the generational effects of the experiments. Among those demands was financial compensation in the form of general support, healthcare funding, and the funding of community and youth programs for inner-city Philadelphia programs.

“They made some [money] — we’re talking billions of dollars — and my daddy’s skin is in those jars,” she said. “Share the wealth — you know, after all, they paid the price.”

The demands Jones-Alston outlined also included a sincere and “personable” apology, transparency on how much money Penn made during the experiments and their byproducts, and comprehensive ethics training across all schools, including a section addressing Penn’s legacy in Kligman’s experiments.

“Penn needs to step up and take care of this, because it’s not going away. My father’s gone, but I’m here,” she said.

Hornblum, the book author, noted Penn’s position as a “powerhouse” in the widespread phenomenon of prison experimentation that gripped the United States in the 20th century.

“[Penn] had become the Macy’s of human experimentation, [in that] anything anybody wanted done could get done here,” he said. “Why? Because I would argue the goal of Dr. Kligman’s operation — commerce, commerce, commerce.”

Hornblum denounced the lack of intervention from city officials at the time. Multiple panelists criticized what was characterized as an insincere and late apology from the city and the University now.

“It’s the city of brotherly abuse or the city of brotherly indifference, because [the experiments] went on in the post-war period for basically a quarter century, and nobody of significance is raising their hand, pointing out, maybe this shouldn’t happen,” Hornblum said.

“Students want to drink, and that’s the event you can only drink at if you’re over 21,” they said.

A former president of a different fraternity wrote to the DP that they feel more neutral about the change.

“I definitely understand people’s frustrations, but I also do understand OFSL’s decision,” they said. “For one, Friday is a normal registration day, so if people really want to throw [parties], they can do it then.

Students are always saying they wish we had more of a football culture and more school spirit but don’t actually want to show up to the big games or do anything to promote that spirit.”

While they said that OFSL’s solution is not “perfect,” they also recognized the purpose of prohibiting fraternities from registering events that conflict with the game.

“[I]f people actually decided to buy in and go to the tailgate with all their friends and alumni, I think it definitely could be a fun event — even if it might not be as fun as some of the homecoming events people have gone to in past years,” they added. “It would still be a step in the right direction to actually getting more of that football culture.”

Senior reporters Emily Scolnick and Vidya Pandiaraju and staff reporters Kelly Yang, Nicholas Maharaj, Theo Greenfield, and Naija Agarwal contributed reporting to this piece.

A University spokesperson declined to comment on Gauthier’s statement and the open letter.

The open letter demanded Penn drop the vandalism investigation, investigate Anderson and other DPS officers involved in the search, divest from Israel, support Palestinian students, “demilitariz[e]” Penn Police, repeal its temporary open expression guidelines, and initiate a vote of no confidence in the University administration.

The group wrote that they will host an “organized teach-out” at Clark Park on Thursday afternoon to communicate “to the cowardly University administration that our bodies will not stand anywhere near their walkways until our demands are met.”

Center, Sachs Program for Arts Innovation, and Wolf Humanities Center. He also serves on several University committees, including the Provost’s Arts Advisory Council, Faculty Senate Subcommittee on Research, and University Council Committees on Diversity and Equity and Academic and Related Affairs.

Rommen previously served as the director of both undergraduate and graduate studies in the Department of Music, as well as interim chair of the Department of Africana Studies.

He said in the announcement that the University is fortunate to have dedicated leaders and practitioners in the arts whose projects are a reminder of the “fundamental value and power of the arts.”

“The arts afford us spaces to engage with the pressing issues of our time—be it climate change, social justice, or the growing impact of AI—and they do so through expressive practices and methods that often directly challenge us to rethink, reimagine, and reframe our understanding of the issues at hand,” Rommen said.

He also added that the arts also teach “a great deal about what it means to be human.”

Among various edited volumes and articles, Rommen’s published work includes “Funky Nassau: Roots, Routes, and Representation in Bahamian Popular Music” and “Mek Some Noise: Gospel Music and the Ethics of Style in Trinidad.” The latter won the Alan Merriam Prize for the best book of the year in ethnomusicology. His work has earned him several accolades over the years, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2016 and the Ira Abrams Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2023, the highest teaching award in the College.

Rommen previously attended the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Trinity International University, where he respectively earned a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology, a master of music in musicology, and a bachelor of arts in music performance/theory.

In May 2024, Penn announced the positions of Vice Provost for the Arts and the Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action to promote the University’s strategic framework. The University announced Michael Mann as the inaugural vice provost for climate science, policy, and action earlier this month.

The consultative committee tasked to lead the search for the Vice Provost for the Arts was led by Vice Provost for Faculty Laura Perna. Faculty from the School of Arts and Sciences, Annenberg School for Communication, and Weitzman School of Design joined Perna in reviewing candidates.

“I am excited to partner with our arts leaders and practitioners, and with the wider Philadelphia arts community, to maximize the impact of their innovative, cross-disciplinary, and experimental work and to imagine new possibilities for the arts here at Penn and beyond,” Rommen said.

ARTS, from FRONT PAGE

LAYLA NAZIF | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Holmesburg Prison Experiments and the Call for Restorative Justice panel was held at the Fitts Auditorium, located in Penn Carey Law.

United States President

Hazing:

Heinous in practice and principle IN PERSPECTIVE | How hazing of all kinds is harming college students

They say it’s a rite of passage. From military barracks and locker rooms to fraternity basements across America, young people have been tormented in initiation rituals. Hazing is a tradition that stretches across time and space, documented within almost every race, class, and culture. On college campuses, we all know how it goes. Condemned in public and practiced in private, hazing seems to be a tradition almost synonymous with the college experience.

Anyone would agree that hazing rising to a level of severe bodily harm is unacceptable. It is well known that initiation rituals can be lethal, resulting in cases of alcohol poisoning, drownings, and suicides across the country. From 1959 to 2021, at least one hazing death occurred each year.

But even in cases of “mild” or “nonviolent” hazing, there exists a dangerous precedent that one must humiliate and degrade oneself to be accepted as a part of a group.

Because hazing is so common, with 55% of college students involved in student organizations reportedly experiencing it, we accept it as just another part of college. It isn’t just the brutal stories we hear about on the news; student organizations of all kinds require new members to run errands, complete pointless menial labor, or publicly embarrass themselves in some way. These rituals can feel lighthearted and laughable, but they are also very likely to be degrading and exist for the sole purpose of making new members “earn their place.”

All hazing is bad hazing. The very definition of the word describes a systematic process of humiliation. Even if it doesn’t manifest itself physically, studies show that the brain reacts to humiliation similarly to how it reacts to physical pain. The entire principle of being subjected to embarrassing rituals to prove your loyalty to a group you barely even know is traumatic and in no way builds a foundation for a meaningful relationship. Anthropologists have explored the phenomenon of hazing for years. It is a psychological mystery closely resembling the pattern of a relationship in which one is abused and later shown affection by a partner. Psychologists have argued that hazing can force pledges to adopt a kind of cognitive dissonance, minimizing and even supporting the hazing to come to terms with the fact they are being hurt by the exact people from whom they desire approval and friendship.

Student groups that haze will often justify it by telling you it’s not “really” hazing. And by that, they usually mean pledges aren’t forced with a gun to their head to drink copious amounts of alcohol, participate in hard labor, or physically injure themselves in some way. But even if we were planning to condone “low-level” hazing, where do we draw that line?

The very nature of hazing makes escalation almost inevitable. One reason for this is the group mentality that encourages it. Psychologists refer to it as “groupthink,” in which individuals strive for a sense of acceptance from their peers and therefore take part in behaviors they wouldn’t agree with alone. Even those who feel shame and guilt about abusing others may still do it when they fear threatening unanimity and group conformity. All it takes is one headstrong and power-hungry member to create a hostile and deadly environment.

As of now, 44 states have anti-hazing laws, and they have done almost nothing to keep students alive. In 2021, we saw the

death of Phat Nguyen at Michigan State University. In 2020, it was Gracie LeAnn Dimit at Emory & Henry University. Every year someone dies, and that is because the only time anyone seems to care is when they die.

Timothy Piazza, the Penn State student for whom Pennsylvania’s anti-hazing law was named, died in 2017 after falling down the stairs during a pledge event at the Beta Theta Pi house. Heavily intoxicated and bleeding internally, Piazza died slowly on the floor while 20 brothers did nothing to help. It took 12 hours for them to finally devise a plan in their group chat, discussing how to cover up their involvement. Only then did they seek medical attention. Piazza died the next day in the hospital.

This phenomenon of groupthink was heavily present in the hours leading up to Piazza’s death, with at least one brother reporting that he pleaded for Piazza to be taken to the hospital. Older brothers told him not to and so, going against his own

Is Penn the “best urban campus?” ELO’S ENTRIES | A closer look at Penn’s urban campus and its potential

During New Student Orientation, I joined hundreds of Engineering firstyears in Zellerbach Theatre, eager to hear from University faculty. It was an exciting day, filled with anticipation as we looked forward to the journey ahead. As representatives spoke about the University’s achievements, one statement stood out to me: Penn was described as “the best urban campus in the world” because the University’s world-class buildings and facilities blend seamlessly with the shops, businesses, and culture of Philadelphia.

This claim immediately caught my attention, as well as the attention of those sitting around me. The University’s campus is undeniably impressive — rigorously maintained, with architectural gems like the Fisher Fine Arts Library and the Quad. It’s an exciting place to be, and there’s something special about attending university in a dynamic, historic city like Philadelphia. But as someone who was raised and educated in London, I couldn’t help but reflect on how the University’s relationship with the city compares to other urban universities. Walking out of the presentation, I

wondered what I would consider a good urban campus.

An urban campus thrives on the diversity of its student body. It fosters strong connections with industry, offering students ample networking opportunities and real-world experiences. Additionally, it needs easy access to necessities like medical facilities and reliable transportation options, combined with comfortable accommodations to enhance student life. Most importantly, an urban campus should cultivate a strong connection with the broader city community.

The University gets a lot of things right. Strolling down Locust Walk, it’s easy to see why so many students love this campus. The buildings blend modern and historic architecture, and the green spaces offer a much-needed escape in the middle of a bustling city. Everything you need—libraries, dining halls, gyms, and academic buildings—is within a short walk, and the proximity to Center City means students have easy access to some of Philadelphia’s best museums, restaurants, and cultural sites. However, whilst the University’s infrastructure is impressive, there’s room for deeper integration with the surrounding city.

London’s universities offer a different type of urban campus. Colleges like University College London, King’s College London, and the London School of Economics are not confined to one defined space. Instead, they are spread across the city, with academic buildings, libraries, and student halls interwoven with the fabric of the city. There’s no bubble to retreat to—students are indisputably part of London, navigating it daily, and their education naturally incorporates the diverse environments and people around them.

According to Mahika Mahesh, a first year at UCL, students are actively encouraged to use resources beyond the university, from museums and galleries to other universities’ libraries. This type of integration enriches the learning experience, connecting students with the real world beyond the university walls.

Philadelphia is not as large a city as London or New York, but it has its own rich history, culture, and diversity that the University can tap into. Integrating Philadelphia into the University’s educational framework, similar to UCL or Columbia University, will help to enhance the

morals and logic, he stopped arguing. In many ways, joining a fraternity means making the promise not to threaten the carefully balanced ecosystem of the brotherhood, and sometimes that means a 19 year old ends up dead.

Piazza’s death was heavily publicized across the country, and rightly so. But if the only notable cases of hazing are the ones where students die, we have a serious problem. The entire system of rushing and pledging student groups creates dangerous and abusive power dynamics built off exclusivity and tearing down spirits. For the sake of everyone, we have to intervene when it isn’t “really” hazing. Because somehow, some way, it always seems to become deadly.

INGRID HOLMQUIST is a College sophomore studying urban studies from Silver Spring, Md. Her email address is ingridhh@sas.upenn.edu.

learning experience. Students at those institutions regularly visit museums and cultural institutions, often for free, as part of their learning experience, and also create an ongoing working relationship between their affinity groups and similar groups across the city. Integrating Penn more fully into Philadelphia, by spreading out its presence and embedding learning experiences within the city’s neighborhoods, would allow students to not just coexist with the city but actively participate in its cultural and social fabric.

For the University to truly earn the title of the “best urban campus,” it should look to deepen its engagement with the broader Philadelphia community in a way that creates an impact. Programs like the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and the Penn Civic Scholars Program are great examples ofv how the University connects students with local communities — particularly schools — and real-world challenges, but there’s room to play an even greater, long-term role.

Other top institutions, such as Imperial College London and King’s College London, have made notable investments in local education, like founding specialized mathematics schools for high school students, with impressive results — over 30% of their graduates go on to attend Oxford or Cambridge. While the University has made some investments in Philadelphia’s communities, such as its involvement in the Penn Alexander School and other elementary schools, these efforts need to be expanded and taken more seriously. The University should increase its investment in initiatives that support more of Philadelphia’s students and contribute to the city’s future, to match and surpass its international peers.

The University needs to further embrace Philadelphia’s resources, culture, and communities. That way, we wouldn’t just claim to be the best urban campus — we would demonstrate it through lasting contributions to our urban home.

ELO ESALOMI is an Engineering first year from London. Her email is eloe@seas.upenn.edu.

SUKHMANI KAUR | DP FILE PHOTO

Columnist Ingrid Holmquist highlights the dangers presented by hazing on college campuses.

ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR

Columnist Elo Esalomi ponders what makes an urban campus successful.

College of Arts and Sciences:

Penn’s biggest branding

DIYA-LOGUES | For a bunch of Ivy League minds, you’d think we could do better

“Yes, you go to the College, but which one — Wharton?”

As a first-year student trying to explain my proudest achievement to my family back in India, I’ve had this exact conversation enough times that I just start nodding along to “Wharton.”

Don’t get me wrong — I love being in the College of Arts and Sciences. I firmly believe that a liberal arts education is essential for building a flexible skillset and quenching a thirst for knowledge that preprofessional paths just can’t. Our founding father said it best: “Professional education relies on the sustenance of the arts and sciences and could not exist

without them.”

But here’s my gripe: the name. With apologies to Shakespeare, I believe that in this case, a rose by another name would smell far sweeter. While our peers — Harvard and Yale — get away with calling their only undergraduate division simply the “College,” that simplicity doesn’t quite work at Penn. Here, where Wharton is a global brand and the School of Engineering and Applied Science is synonymous with engineering innovation, “College of Arts and Sciences” for our largest undergraduate school feels … bland. Forgettable, even.

Names like “Princeton College” or “Columbia

College” evoke prestige. Meanwhile, have you ever seen a College of Arts and Sciences sweatshirt? Exactly. Names matter. They do more than build pride; they create recognition, credibility, and a sense of community. Look at Princeton’s rebranding from the “College of New Jersey,” or Columbia’s shift from the colonial “Kings College.” These changes were more than cosmetic — they were strategic moves that shaped each school’s identity.

Here at Penn, Wharton students enjoy perks like free printing and private study rooms (yes, I’m still a bit salty). Would a sharper brand for the College boost alumni pride, engagement, and even funding? Probably.

UPennAlert scare tactics

GUEST COLUMN | Treating protests as potential crimes-in-progress

As members of the Penn community, we are accustomed to receiving occasional texts from the Division of Public Safety stating that scary things are happening around us. These UPennAlerts, as they are known, arrive automatically in the inboxes of faculty, staff and students.

In the past, I have always interpreted these messages to have our best interests at heart, encouraging us to steer clear of crime and violence. Alerts often report crimes in progress, such as “Armed robbery at 3400 Block Chestnut Street” or “Assault at 4000 Block Walnut Street. Police in pursuit of the suspect.”

For this reason, I was puzzled when I recently received the following text:

“UPennAlert: At approximately 2:00PM, a scheduled demonstration began in the area of 30th and Market Streets in Philadelphia. The demonstration is proceeding west through University City in the direction of Penn’s campus. At this time, police are not aware of any instances of property damage along the march route.”

My initial reaction was that this must be a dangerous event, or why else would DPS be texting all of us about it? Yet, they also stated that they were not aware of any instances of property damage or, I assumed, violence. Nonetheless, the message produced the usual surge of adrenaline that I associate with hearing about a crime.

Shortly thereafter, a second text arrived:

“UPennAlert: UPDATE: The demonstrators are now marching south on 34th Street in the direction of campus. Police and security personnel are on site for the safety of all community members. Avoid the area, expect traffic delays, seek alternate routes.”

The idea that “the safety of all community members” was at risk and that we were supposed to “avoid the area” struck me as ominous. I was not aware of this protest’s purpose. But if I were involved in a peaceful protest in favor of something I believed in, I would be offended to be seen as such a dangerous entity. The repeated texts seemed to presume that protests are, by definition, a threat to public safety — even ones that are “scheduled” with DPS.

Finally, we received yet another text that the apparent threat had retreated from the campus area:

“UPDATE: All clear in the campus area. The

demonstrators have passed the campus area and continue to move south; they are currently located at 34th and Grays Ferry Avenue. Police and security continue to patrol the area.”

To this day, I still do not know what this protest was about, but that made it easier for me to identify what bothered me so much about the texts. The point of all of these notifications seemed to be instilling fear in the Penn community. DPS implied that the protesters were potentially dangerous people, moving closer and closer to campus in a fashion that should send our blood pressure racing. This was despite the fact that this was “a scheduled demonstration.” People out to commit crimes seldom schedule them with DPS or the police.

A predictable consequence of this kind of overreaction will be that community members feel unsafe when, in fact, they are not. This seems especially counterproductive in combination with the Penn administration’s new emphasis on making sure people “feel safe.” This escalation in portraying protest activity as the potential for crime could then be used to justify preemptive action against lawful public assembly. The Penn community would do well to keep in mind that, to my knowledge, no students or faculty have been injured in protests on this campus to date.

In the United States, our Constitution guarantees us an enormous amount of freedom. Students and faculty should certainly exercise those freedoms responsibly. But taking them away in the name of “safety” treats college students as children in need of administrative protection from the views of those with whom they disagree. To become citizens in some future, less polarized country, Penn students need to learn how to live peaceably in a pluralistic democracy. Being part of a campus community that respects peaceful assembly and protest would be a terrific way to start. Learning to equate protest with danger is not.

It is worth remembering that the free speech movement in the United States began on a college campus. These spaces are extremely important incubators for ideas that have fundamentally changed our country, such as the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War protests. For those interested in a brief history of the importance of free speech on

fail

I spoke with 2004 College graduate Radha Goenka who noted, “Wharton students had a stronger identity because of their small class size and name. The College? It always felt more … vague.”

First year Ella Lucarelli echoed this sentiment: “The name ‘Arts and Sciences’ doesn’t capture the incredible range of what we have — from pre-med to law to humanities. We deserve something better.”

This sentiment is more than just personal: It’s reflected in Penn’s investment priorities. SEAS recently celebrated the opening of the $29 million Amy Gutmann Hall for data science, and Wharton’s Academic Research Building opened in 2020 and was described as “critical space” for growth. Meanwhile, the College rarely sees new, exclusive buildings. Writing seminars are often squeezed into Stuart Weitzman Hall simply because there isn’t enough space elsewhere. It’s clear that the problem goes deeper than just a name — it’s about visibility and investment. Despite being the largest undergraduate division at Penn, the College is treated like an afterthought — a reality that plays out in both campus facilities and the branding game. And that needs to change. It’s high time we start recognizing and celebrating the College for its incredible resources and invaluable contribution to Penn’s academic life.

The College’s branding challenge isn’t unique to our campus. The name of our university itself results in constant confusion with Penn State and debates like “Is it Penn or UPenn?” Some alumni even launched a petition to change it, arguing for “better recognition and a more distinct identity.”

Renaming the entire university might be a tad unrealistic, but the recent renaming of University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School gives me hope for our beloved College. Perhaps future generations will name drop “Franklin College” with pride — a sweatshirt-worthy name more in line with the genius of our founder.

Until then, I’ll continue dodging the “Arts and Crafts” comments and borrowing my Wharton friends’ free printing privileges.

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

college campuses, I strongly recommend an eightminute film titled “Bodies Upon the Gears.”

The free speech movement emerged from a coalition of liberal and conservative students who came together on one campus, even though they shared few political views other than the value of free speech and assembly. Despite the well-known issues that have divided our campus in the past year, I would hope that students and faculty could unite in their beliefs about the importance of restoring this freedom on our campus.

In the meantime, I strongly urge DPS to avoid treating peaceful protests as potential crimes. Otherwise, in order to abide by the University’s

stated commitment to institutional neutrality, they will need to treat all protests as potentially dangerous, regardless of the cause advocated. Fears could be greatly lessened if DPS did not alert us about any protests except those involving violence or property damage. They should not be made to participate in inculcating unnecessary fear in the University community.

DIANA C. MUTZ is a Samuel A. Stouffer Professor of Political Science and Communication. Her email is mutz@upenn.edu.

SYDNEY CURRAN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Guest Columnist Diana C. Mutz criticizes the UPennAlerts sent during recent protests near campus.

ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR

Columnist Diya Choksey critiques the uninspired title of Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences, arguing that a catchier name would enhance its identity and standing within both Penn and the Ivy League.

Group claims credit for Yahya Sinwar vandalism while criticizing DP, denying

Penn a liation

The group wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that “the decision to place these tags was a spontaneous one,” and denied any af liation to the University

EMILY SCOLNICK Senior Reporter

A group called “Sinwar’s Stick” has claimed responsibility for three signs on campus that were graffitied last week with the text “SINWAR LIVES” and an upside-down triangle.

The vandalism — which was reported to Penn’s Division of Public Safety on Oct. 19 and 20 — appeared on signs at the ARCH Building, the Annenberg Public Policy Center, and near Penn Hillel. The group, which denied any affiliation to the University, wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that “the decision to place these tags was a spontaneous one.”

The group declined to comment on any involvement in three additional instances of vandalism reported on Oct. 21 and 23.

The Israeli military killed Yahya Sinwar, the former leader of Hamas, in Gaza on Oct. 16. Sinwar played a central role in the planning of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, during which Hamas killed approximately 1,200 individuals and took another 250 hostage.

“We raised the slogan ‘Sinwar Lives’ because we were moved by Sinwar’s martyrdom,” the group wrote. They added Sinwar to a list of “those who took up arms against the oppressors” that also includes Haitian Revolution leader Toussaint Louverture, abolitionist John Brown, and “the rest of the Hamas and Palestinian Resistance leadership.”

“We raise this slogan in the spirit and memory of all those who lived and died like Sinwar, fighting to the last against the monstrous brutality of their oppressors,” the group wrote. “Those, like Sinwar, who struggle for liberation, will not only be absolved by history but rightly lifted up as heroes.”

The group also expressed criticism of an article the DP published on Oct. 22 that initially reported the vandalism, writing that there were “omissions and [a] pro-Israel slant” in the story.

“This article emphasizes the death toll of the AlAqsa Flood military operation … and only quotes

pro-Israel officials, organizations, and students,” they wrote. “The article also implicitly, absurdly, and without any evidence associates the use of the inverted triangle with Nazi concentration camp badges - neither we nor Hamas are referencing the camps any more than a three year old drawing triangles in preschool is.”

The upside-down triangle, which is typically red in color, has previously been used as a symbol for a number of purposes — including by the

First years describe Quad construction’s negative impacts on social, residential life

First-year students shared their perspectives on the changes and challenges that have come with the ongoing renovations to Ware College House

JAMIE KIM Staff Reporter

Ware

House is undergoing renovations for the 2024-25 academic year.

Several first-year students told The Daily Pennsylvanian that renovations to the Quadrangle have significantly impacted their social and residential experiences at Penn.

Ware College House— the central section of the Quad, Penn’s traditional first-year housing — is undergoing renovations for the 2024-25 school year. The renovation, which involved the closure of 624 bed spaces, fully separated the upper and lower Quad and forced students to use alternative entrances to the area.

The students who spoke with the DP shared their challenges with dining options, laundry access, and excessive noise caused by the ongoing construction.

College first year Tejas Bhatia, who lives in Fisher-Hassenfeld College House, said that he came to Penn with high expectations about the Quad, saying that he was looking forward to the “quintessential college experience” when he ranked Riepe College House as his first choice.

“It would be really interesting to see all of the [Quad sections] connected,” Bhatia said. “I feel like I really missed out on that part of the Penn experience.”

College first year Brandon Seff, who also resides in Fisher-Hassenfeld, said that the construction has disrupted what he anticipated would be a lively, social community. Seff described his Quad experience as “less social” than expected.

Bhatia also discussed the inconvenience of the upper Quad’s gate closure, which requires students to exit and reenter the Quad to move between Riepe and Fisher-Hassenfeld. The entrance is set to reopen at the beginning of the spring semester in January 2025.

He described the closure as “really

inconvenient, especially when you’re trying to get to class in the mornings.”

Several students also complained about noise stemming from the construction, despite all rooms immediately adjacent to the construction area being unoccupied.

College first year Krisaana Gunsagar — who lives in the New York Alumni section of FisherHassenfeld, a section directly adjacent to the construction — said she has been woken up by noise “every morning.” Gunsagar said that the sounds of tools, voices, and music are frequent around 6:30 a.m.

Penn Director for Design and Construction Scott Nobel wrote to the DP that “[s]everal actions are occurring to minimize noise disruption to students living adjacent to the construction,” adding that “[l]oud construction noise during quiet periods is minimized.”

Gunsagar also told the DP that the construction has reduced the convenience of doing laundry in the Quad, citing Fisher-Hassenfeld residents often used Ware laundry rooms in previous years.

“For the first few weeks, it was impossible to do laundry,” Gunsagar said.

Since then, a laundry trailer has been set up in the upper Quad, temporarily providing access to more laundry facilities as construction continues.

Students praised Riepe’s new renovations, which included refurbished spaces for students to study, socialize, and relax with others. Riepe now offers four reservable lounges, along with study spaces and common spaces indoors and outdoors.

However, several said that the renovations have not entirely eliminated the issues they intended to solve.

“A pipe exploded and flooded my room around three days ago,” Wharton first year Laura Carbajo, a Riepe resident, told the DP. “It’s honestly been a mess.”

Carbajo also mentioned that she has seen cockroaches and rats in Riepe this semester.

Fisher-Hassenfeld will be the final section of the Quad to be renovated when it is closed for the 2025-26 school year.

Nobel added that “[t]he renovation of the Fisher-Hassenfeld section will benefit from the ability to apply existing solutions developed during the renovations of Ware and Riepe to similar unforeseen field conditions.”

Bhatia told the DP that he hopes — when Fisher-Hassenfeld is renovated in the 2025-26 school year — “future years and future classes get to have that quintessential college experience that we all wanted to have.”

Penn also closed the Cafe at McClelland, a central dining and common area in the Quad that offered seating, study areas, and package lockers until August 2025 as part of the ongoing renovations. In its place, the University opened the Penn Dining Sushi Spot outside of the Quad.

pro-Palestinian movement to represent solidarity with Palestinians and by the military wing of Hamas to identify targets.

The statement adds that the article omits “why the Palestinian people have reasonably, justifiably … and bravely turned to force of arms to defend themselves against those who wish to exterminate them.”

“What is left in, then, is simply a litany of uncontested slanders against the leaders of this

resistance and those who support them,” the group wrote.

DP President Molly Cohen did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication.

The group concluded the statement by calling on “all people to broaden and intensify the struggle against the American-Israeli genocide in Gaza.”

“We all have done far too little to stop the evil taking place, and we see Sinwar’s courage and determination as a model for us all,” they wrote.

Penn hosts annual Family Weekend featuring academic, recreational programming

The Of ce of Student Affairs planned seminars, tours, performances, and presentations tailored to different visitors

RIANA MAHTANI Contributing Reporter

Penn welcomed over 1,000 visitors to campus during the University’s annual Family Weekend from Oct. 25 to Oct. 27, offering a variety of programming for students and their guests.

The Office of Student Affairs planned seminars, tours, performances, and presentations tailored to different visitors, while Penn’s four undergraduate schools hosted their own events about each institution’s academic and extracurricular opportunities. Other activities for the weekend included recreational sporting events, museum tours, and performing arts showcases.

Around 1,300 people registered for Family Weekend — 80% of whom were first-time attendees, according to Student Affairs Associate Director of Programs Gabe Marenco-Garcia.

In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Marenco-Garcia wrote that events such as “Strategies for Managing Academic Stress,” Family Performing Arts Night, and the Family Weekend Tailgate drew in the largest crowds.

“[Family Weekend] is a cross-campus collaborative effort between all four schools plus several centers and departments to ensure that we provide ample opportunities for families, friends, and guests to experience both academic and social life at Penn,” Marenco-Garcia wrote. “While we had no control over this, the perfect weather made for an even more enjoyable time for families, friends, and guests.”

Several seminars were offered for family members to learn more about the University and the opportunities and resources available to students.

One of the keynote events — titled “The Inside View” — was moderated by Interim Penn President Larry Jameson and featured Penn professors Cait Lamberton and Tobias Baumgart. The presentation included discussion of award-winning faculty, significant research projects currently underway at

Penn, and new data about admission rates.

During the seminar in Irvine Auditorium, Jameson referenced his own experience as a Penn parent to reassure first-year parents. Additionally, he highlighted his observations of students adapting to the University environment since move-in week.

“[College] is a time when new relationships are built, and I watch those connections happening in real time,” Jameson said. “It is really heartwarming, because everyone comes here a little bit anxious with all these questions. Will I make new friends? What will my network look like?”

Jameson also emphasized the unique academic environment at Penn, citing the collaborative nature of the University experience.

“While we talk a lot about our faculty — and we should — I’m keenly aware that students learn a lot from one another, a lot in the classroom, a lot as they study together, and a lot through the extracurricular activities they do here at Penn,” Jameson said.

Beyond the events offered by the University, parents were able to spend time with their children and learn more about student life on campus.

College and Wharton first year Hadley Edwards said the weekend gave her the opportunity to tour her parents around campus and introduce them to new friends. She highlighted that her family was “super impressed by the talent” of a friend’s a capella concert.

Penn parent Nisha Mehta said she was “thrilled” to see College first year Anjali Shah “in her element” over the weekend.

“It was really nice to see so many parents spending time with their children all weekend, out and about,” Mehta said. ”Whether they were in the bookstore or at White Dog Cafe, we definitely saw a lot of Penn parents and students enjoying not only the campus, but the city of Philadelphia.”

BENJAMIN MCAVOY-BICKFORD | DP FILE PHOTO

Families attend the arts and craft fair on Locust Walk during Family Weekend 2022.

CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

The signs outside the ARCH and the Annenberg Public Policy Center were vandalized on Oct. 19.

JAN MEJIA-TORO | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

College

Football wide receiver Jared Richardson isn’t content with failure

The Quakers’ star junior receiver has no plans to stop in his quest for the NFL

SEAN MCKEOWN Deputy Sports Editor

On a cold January night, Penn football practices into the late hours. The players’ breath is visible in the air as they huddle in their position groups while the various coaches bark out orders. The temperature is turning skin to brittle ice as the wind comes in to shatter spectators and players alike.

The center of this coliseum is filled with over a hundred players, coaches, staffers, officials, and recruits while the spectator section, with a seating capacity of 52,958, is barren.

This is the first practice after a deflating season, with a 6-4 finish that saw the team fall out of contention for an Ivy title late in the campaign. Ending the season in failure, the team finds itself back at step one: looking forward to the start of the next season.

This excludes the man who has sat through 20 years of “step ones”: John Richardson, the father of junior wide receiver Jared Richardson.

“My dad was my coach from the time I was five until middle school … I owe my parents everything,” Jared Richardson said. “My dad coached me, but also all that type of stuff, taking me to practice, anything you can think of, he’s done it … from when I was five to 20, he hasn’t missed a single game.”

One man in the stands, and a star on the field: The practice epitomized everything there is to know about Penn’s number one wide receiver.

Football has always been a part of Richardson’s life.

His father John Richardson was a lineman at West Virginia University, and his brother also pursued football. For many, football is so much more than a game — it’s an opportunity, a way of life, and a foundational pillar for success. Richardson sees it no differently.

Playing quarterback in high school at Bethlehem Catholic, a school just 40 minutes north of Penn in the Poconos, Richardson knew he didn’t just want to follow in his family’s footsteps — he wanted to surpass them.

“[My father] was at West Virginia, and the coach at the time, Don Neal, said, ‘We can use you, but you’re not going to play,’” Richardson said. “And once he told my dad that, my dad was like, ‘You know what, why am I here?’”

Richardson used his father’s experience to motivate himself to work harder — to put his head down and push for his goals.

“He was willing to learn, he was willing to work,”

ZACH RODGER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Penn men’s soccer celebrates after a goal against Dartmouth on Oct. 26.

in the group to keep chasing another goal,” Korzeniowski said. Dartmouth gained some momentum with dangerous positioning in the box in the eighth minute but were unable to capitalize. Another opportunity for the Big Green arose following a pass between Penn defense that

See SOCCER , page 13

Shiloh Means: Football’s ‘quarterback on defense’

Means puts in the extra hours, on and off the eld, in Penn’s quest for an Ivy title

ALEX DASH Sports Reporter

Under the Friday night lights in late September, the hours upon hours of film watched and the pages upon pages of painstakingly detailed notes taken all paid off in one moment for fifth year safety Shiloh Means.

As Means watched running back Trey Flowers tumble into the end zone to seal an upset victory for the Quakers in 2022, he relished the moment as the Quakers claimed victory over Dartmouth in a grueling double-overtime battle. It was a magical moment — one that Means still calls the highlight of his Penn football career.

But Means was hungry for more. In 2023, that hunger wasn’t satisfied. This year, in his final season, Means wants the ultimate prize more than ever. And he’s shown that he’s more than willing to put in the work to get it.

“That was my most focused game,” Means explained of why the 2022 Dartmouth thriller still remains his favorite Penn football moment.

That game more than any other exemplifies Means’ inner drive as a player — the laser focus maintained over four quarters and two overtimes of football, the ability to grind through snap after exhausting snap, the hours of seemingly endless preparation required to take

down Dartmouth as double-digit underdogs. That insatiable drive has been present throughout the entirety of Means’ career as a football player, even when he started playing flag football as a five year old. He played not out of pressure to follow in the footsteps of his Division I defensive lineman father, as many might expect, but out of a deeply held love of the game.

“I loved football, so it wasn’t him pushing me, but if he did push me it was to be the best that I can be,” he said.

That love of football that fueled a young Shiloh Means only grew. As it did, so did his unparalleled work ethic, which comes with an extraordinary ability to put his head down and push through adversity.

When he broke his collarbone during his sophomore year of high school, Means had no complaints coming back to play as a wide receiver after spending the beginning of the season at his more comfortable position of safety. When his coach asked him to return to the starting safety position right before the playoffs, Means seamlessly switched back.

ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR

Penn Park is home to several Penn Athletics facilities, pictured on Sept. 28, 2022.

Penn

alerts

families of studentathletes to scam calls

The scam mimics administration and requests bail for arrested student-athletes

VALERI GUEVARRA Sports Associate

The Division of Public Safety alerted studentathletes and their families to an ongoing phone scam targeting families of student-athletes at Penn and other universities.

The scam involves a male caller identifying himself as a part of Penn administration and informing the family member that their student-athlete has been arrested by the Penn Police Department for being publicly intoxicated or inflicting property damage. The caller then requests the family pay bail or send monetary compensation for property

damage via Venmo, Cash App, or other similar platforms in exchange for the student-athlete’s release or their charges to be dropped. The caller ID displayed is often the real emergency number of the University’s Division of Public Safety. At the time of publication, it is currently unknown who is behind the phone calls, how family members’ phone numbers were collected, or why specifically the families of student-athletes have

See SCAMS, page 9

DESIGN

MEANS, from page 9

“I got thrown right into the playoffs,” he mused. “I stood up to the challenge, though.”

The next big challenge came at the end of Means’ time in high school, as he faced the greatest crossroads of his football career — one that would determine his future with the sport to which he had devoted so much of his life. As offers poured in, the question of where Means’ next chapter would unfold loomed over his head.

“At first, I didn’t even consider the Ivy League,” Means said, explaining that it wasn’t a prospect he thought of seriously until his father prompted him to take visits. But on those visits, he found a school he fell in love with.

“I visited Princeton, I visited Yale, I visited Penn, and Penn had the most new feel to me,” he said.

Looking for a change of scenery from his hometown of Indianapolis, Means was drawn by the big-city feel of Philadelphia. For some, moving from Indiana to the bustling City of Brotherly Love would be a tremendous shift, but Means had no problem adjusting. With the big city comes a big spotlight, and there’s no question that Means has a natural ability to fill that spotlight with big plays.

But the future didn’t always seem so bright.

Means was disappointed when his freshman season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he took the setback in stride, explaining that he is now grateful for the extra time it gave him to adjust.

“I look at the freshmen now and how difficult it is to come in during the fall,” Means said. “It was a great opportunity for me to learn the playbook, get my feet wet into college football, the speed of the game — everyone’s bigger, stronger, faster.”

Four years later, each difficult decision faced and each arduous adversity conquered have clearly paid off. Not just in his defensive skills — as Means was named to the All-Ivy first team last season — but in his leadership on and off the field as one of Penn football’s three captains as well.

“He’s the quarterback of this defense,” defensive coordinator Bob Benson said. “He watches hours of film, and he takes the best notes I’ve ever seen in my career. His notebook is remarkably detailed.”

Meticulous notes and lengthy film sessions haven’t made up half the work put in off the field by Means this season, who still seeks the elusive Ivy League title that has dodged him the past three years.

“I’m doing a lot of extra things outside practice, just to make sure that I can step up to the challenge of being a captain and that I’m not getting complacent,” he said.

“Just extra field work,” he said, jokingly adding, “I don’t want to reveal my secrets.”

As the quest for an Ivy League title intensifies, Means will continue to lead in the way he does best, reinforced by the unquenchable drive that has fueled him for so long.

“The only thing we can do now is come here every day and try to persevere, because we haven’t persevered yet. We’ve only gotten close,” he said. “We haven’t come out the other side victorious, and that’s the next step for this team.”

RICHARDSON

, from page 9

Richardson’s high school coach Joe Henrich said.

“You know, he was a hardworking kid that really put a lot of time and energy and effort into what he did.”

Despite praise from his coaches and success on the field, Richardson was not heavily recruited as quarterback during his high school career. After eventually being offered a spot on Penn’s roster as a wide receiver — a jump that made sense with his six-foot-four frame and blazing speed — Richardson knew where he wanted to commit.

“Not every quarterback can convert to a wide receiver, but many have,” Henrich said. “You just get into these things where the college recruiting process is so difficult, and, you know, with the kids that are out there, just certain guys that aren’t willing to take a chance, and there are some that are.”

On top of the ability to earn playing time, Richardson also understood the benefits of having a Penn degree as his backup plan while striving for gridiron greatness.

“You know, I gotta put on for the family. I gotta do it for the name. That’s my bag, so I could be the one that can make it,” Richardson said. “I’m at a great institution, so this degree is like my backup plan. But, you know, I got plan 1A and 1B. 1A is going to the league, 1B is getting a great job.”

After not recording a catch during his freshman year, in the same situation where his father stood years prior, Richardson looked forward with a hungry attitude. Relegated to a background role, Richardson worked in darkness, attacking every practice, rep, and moment. By sophomore year, Richardson was ready.

In the first game of the 2023 season, Richardson put the Ivy League on notice. Seven catches for 62 yards paced his first outing, an average performance that was only the start of a historic tear. The following week, Richardson hauled in 12 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns. A man who had never played wide receiver before looked head and shoulders above the competition.

“Compounding days, you know, great days of preparation, my end goal is the NFL,” Richardson said. “That thought just stays there, I just keep that in the back of my mind, back of my head, you know, I wake up and it’s like another day to be great. It’s a great day to be great.”

As the season rattled along, the accolades piled up. Against Yale, Richardson broke the single-game receptions record for Penn with 17, and against Princeton, he scored three touchdowns in a brutal overtime loss. With Richardson being named first team AllIvy and finishing second in the conference in yards, catches, and touchdowns, expectations couldn’t be higher.

Through it all, Richardson’s ultimate goal remained top of mind.

“I’m one-on-one with a corner, I am trying to go to the league [NFL], and he is in my way — he is literally in my way of where I am trying to get to,” Richardson said. “So I take it personal, every play that you line up on me, I want to make you look bad. I

don’t care who it is, [it is] my job to score touchdowns, catch the ball, run, and you are trying to stop me.”

Now into his third season with the Quakers, Richardson continues to press forward. This year, the Quakers find themselves in a difficult position, starting the season 0-3 in Ivy League play. Despite the evident struggles, Richardson believes fully in those around him.

“We could play anybody, and I’m gonna take my 10 other guys on offense, and I’ll take 11 on defense. You can line up anybody you want to, and I’m gonna take my guys every single time,” Richardson said.

“The teams that are on our schedule for the rest of the way, I don’t think, wholeheartedly, they can hang with us — that’s just my confidence and I hope the other guys on our team have that same mindset.”

Confidence like Richardson’s is born in the freezing January practices, months away from when the first ball is snapped; the hard work, the uncertainty, and the drive to be great.

Richardson has found tremendous individual success, but only time will tell if team success will follow. Penn hasn’t found itself atop the Ivy League in almost a decade, but if Richardson has anything to say about it, that cold streak will be snapped before he hangs up his collegiate cleats.

“I promise we will get a ring by the time I leave the school,” Richardson said. “I’m doing it for Penn, I’m doing it for y’all, I’m doing it for my family — by the time I am out of here, we will get one. We will get one.”

SCAMS

, from page 9

been targeted. An email from Vice President for the Division of Public Safety Kathleen Shields Anderson, which was obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian, clarifies to student-athletes and their families that “no member of Penn Public Safety will ever contact you to request bail money or money for damages.

In recent memory, there have been several campus-wide scam communications where Penn officials were impersonated.

Last semester, many Penn students received a satirical email impersonating the University Board of Trustees that claimed former Penn President Liz Magill would be returning to the presidency.

A significant number of first-year students received emails impersonating professors and alumni asking them to partake in research and employment opportunities back in 2021. In her email to student-athletes and their families, Anderson encouraged students and families to “inform all relatives and family members of this scam.” If they receive any call about a student’s arrest, Anderson asked that they “do not engage with the caller” and call DPS at 215-573-3333.

missing wide. On the counter, Dartmouth forward

was intercepted, but the shot went wide. After more back and forth and few shots on goal, the silence was broken when a cross reached Penn sophomore midfielder Jack-Ryan Jeremiah in the box, but the following shot was parried by Dartmouth goalie Costi Christodoulou.

With 20 minutes remaining in the half, Penn offense picked up speed with a series of threatening possessions in the box. A chaotic few minutes of Quakers control ended with nothing to show for their efforts, when a foul called on Penn senior midfielder Brandon Curran cut the Big Green a break, allowing them to clear the ball from further dangerous opportunities for the Quakers.

In response, a dangerous cross found Dartmouth forward Trenton Blake, but Penn sophomore goalie Phillip Falcon III was able to secure the save.

The game slowed down momentarily, with both teams’ defensive efforts preventing any threatening opportunities despite the back-and-forth, physical nature of the game.

Penn’s patience paid off when a yellow card on Dartmouth defender Sebastián Mañón, drawn by Korzeniowski, resulted in a free kick for the Quakers. With just under five minutes left in the half, the kick found freshman forward Romeo Dahlen, who was able to dish it to senior defender Leo Burney inside the six for a shot that extended the lead for the Red and Blue.

The second half started slow, with possession by both teams but little activity near goal. There was no doubt, however, that Dartmouth was looking to increase intensity and make up their deficit. The first shot of the half came from Penn junior forward Jack Wagoner,

Douglas Arveskär got off a shot on goal that Falcon was fortunately able to get a hand on.

The Red and Blue were not as lucky with the next Dartmouth shot though, when Dartmouth forward Vasilis Moiras was able to find the back of the net from far out in the 54th minute. Just 10 minutes later, a quick shift to Dartmouth possession and slight breakdown in Penn defense meant Moiras was again able to take advantage yet again, tying the game for the Big Green with a second goal.

With 25 minutes left in the match, the Quakers’ offensive efforts again were rewarded when a perfectly placed corner found Curran, who was able to finish from the center of the six.

The Big Green attempted to retaliate with another shot from Moiras headed for the top center of the net, but Falcon was able to protect the Quakers’ lead with another save. Minutes later, Moiras tried again from far left, but the shot went straight to Falcon.

Penn dropped back with under 10 minutes left, and the Red and Blue defense was able to hold off the last ditch efforts of the Big Green. In the last three minutes, the Quakers regained control of the ball and were able to comfortably finish the game, defending their undefeated record at home and clinching coach Brian Gill’s 50th career win for the program.

“5-0 [in Ivy play] is as good as it can get five games in. And we want to host the Ivy League tournament here, so we also want to go and win the regular season,” Korzeniowski said. “Our approach is the same as it has been every game, taking one game at a time, slowly climbing the mountain, and hopefully we find ourselves in the position that we’ve been aspiring to.”

The Quakers have lofty goals and have two more Ivy battles to conquer, with a game at Yale on Saturday next up. SOCCER , from page 9

Louie’s gold highlights fencing’s performance at Temple Open

Senior Bryce Louie won gold in men’s foil, while a freshman took home

En-garde! Prêt? Allez!

Penn men’s and women’s fencing got off to a hot start this weekend at the Temple Open. Both teams had representatives across all three types of competition: foil, épée, and sabre. A few Quakers had standout performances at the Philadelphia-based event.

Senior Bryce Louie beat out 99 other fencers in the men’s foil competition to earn a first-place victory. In the same event, sophomore Nicholas Wu trailed closely behind Louie, capturing bronze. Sophomore Joseph Wu won a bronze in an épée event that saw a total of 105 fencers compete. In sabre, the Quakers managed to break into the top 10 thanks to a ninth-place finish from freshman Ben Kogan.

Louie has kept up his form since winning the 2023-24 NCAA Foil National Championship.

After finishing 10-1 at the Elite Invitational, 15-3 at the Philadelphia Invitational, and 8-4 at the Ivy League Championships, Louie had high expectations to live up to entering this

season. The senior will look to improve upon last season’s standout performances and continue leading the Red and Blue.

Freshman Polina Kharchyna set the tempo on the women’s side, capturing silver in the épée event. Kharchyna got the best of 87 other competitors in the first competitive outing of her Penn career. Senior Katina Proestakis Ortiz would also take home a top-three finish. Proestakis Ortiz finished third in a pool of 80 fencers in foil.

Kharchyna was not the only freshman making inroads. Four other freshmen debuted at the meet: Amanda Li, Malak Hamza, Alexandra Wong, and Sophie Neuman. Li led the Red and Blue in the sabre, finishing sixth out of 77 total competitors.

The season has only just begun, and the Penn Elite Invite is the next opportunity for the Quakers to showcase their skills. The event will take place the weekend of Nov. 16 at the Tse Center.

ZACH RODGER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Junior defender Oliver Pratt prepares to take the field in the game against Dartmouth on Oct. 26.

silver in épée

PHOTO COURTESY OF PENN ATHLETICS

Men’s fencing senior Bryce Louie won gold at the Temple Open over the weekend.

ANTONIO MELONI Sports Associate

Previewing women’s swimming and diving season

Swimming and diving are now practicing at the West Philadelphia YMCA and Drexel pools due to ongoing yearlong construction on Sheerr Pool

VALERI GUEVARRA

Sports Associate

The weather may be getting colder, but the Penn community is heading back the pool to watch women’s swimming and diving in an another exciting season that opens this Saturday with a tri-meet against the University of Richmond and East Carolina University.

A unique aspect of this season — outside of the athletes — is that Penn men’s and women’s swimming and diving are now practicing at the West Philadelphia YMCA and Drexel pools due to ongoing yearlong construction on Sheerr Pool, which is located at Pottruck Health and Fitness Center. Both teams only have one home meet at the Drexel pool in November, which will be against Princeton and Cornell.

On the athlete side of things, one major storyline for the season is the impact of the loss of 2024 graduate Anna Kalandadze. The Daily Pennsylvanian’s Women’s Senior Athlete of the Year qualified for NCAA Championships in all three of her seasons with the Quakers. She ended her remarkable career with a fourth-place finish at NCAAs and an appearance at the 2024 Olympic Trials.

Despite her departure, this season’s top returners are women who were strong Nos. 2 behind Kalandadze in her events last season and are ready to take

the reins this year.

First up is junior freestyler Anna Moehn. The Alton, Ill. native claimed two silver medals behind Kalandadze in the 500-yard and 1650-yard freestyle at last year’s Ivy League Championships and ended her season with a debut at NCAA Championships in those events. Moehn will headline the famed Quaker distance group that has swept multiple podiums in previous years. Fellow junior freestyler Sydney Bergstrom will also be one to watch.

Another top returner is sophomore backstroke/ freestyle/individual medley specialist Katya Eruslanova. The Havertown, Pa. native made an immediate splash in her first season with the Red and Blue. At last year’s mid-season invitational, Eruslanova broke the program record in the 200-yard I.M. and lowered that record just three months later. Last season, she was the second fastest behind Kalandadze in the 400yard I.M. At Ivys, Eruslanova won the B final in all of her individual events — swimming times faster than some of the A finalists. It will be exciting to see her if she can improve her preliminary swims this season to break into the A finals or possibly onto the podium at Ivys in March.

All members of the University community are invited to bring topics for consideration to UNIVERSITY COUNCIL

OPEN FORUM

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 4:00 p.m.

Hall of Flags, Houston Hall

A PennCard is required to attend University Council meetings PennCard holders who want to be assured of speaking at Open Forum must submit a request to the O ce of the University Secretary (ucouncil@pobox.upenn.edu) by 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, brie y indicating the subject of the intended remarks. Speakers’ statements are limited to three minutes and should be framed to present topics of general University interest and be directed to University Council as a body through the moderator, and not to an individual.

ose who have not submitted a timely request to the O ce of the University Secretary will be permitted to speak at the discretion of the moderator of University Council if time remains a er the registered speakers.

For the meeting format and guidelines for remarks, please consult the University Council website at https://secretary.upenn.edu/univ-council/open-forum.

e O ce of the University Secretary can be contacted at ucouncil@pobox.upenn.edu or 215-898-7005

Another storyline to follow is senior breaststroker Izzy Pytel in her final season with the Red and Blue. The Naperville, Ill. native is the current program record holder in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke, and she has lowered that record in the past two seasons. This upcoming championship season will be her last chance to break onto the podium in her events after several close calls and many A finals in past championships.

Even without a pool this season, the Quakers attracted a lot of young talent that will make an immediate impact — hopefully supporting the team’s effort to improve upon its 4-6 overall and 1-6 conference records. This year’s freshman class is headlined by freshman butterfly and freestyle specialist Kayla Fu and freshman freestyle and breaststroke specialist Maggie Hu.

Originally from Sugar Land, Texas, Fu was a highprofile recruit who will likely now have an eventful first season with the Red and Blue. Fu’s current best time of 52.86 in the 100-yard fly is under the current program record. In addition, her best 50-yard free time of 22.56 and 100-yard free time of 49.03 would’ve been the fastest times of the season for the

Quakers last year. Fu likely had no trouble adjusting to the team as her brother is junior butterfly and breaststroke specialist Alexander Fu on the Penn men’s swimming and diving team. Hailing from more close by, Hu is a two-time Maryland state champion in the 50 free and 200 free and a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American. Eerily similar to Fu, her best 50 free time sits at 22.73, which will help keep Penn competitive in the freestyle relays. Another notable newcomer is butterfly and backstroke specialist Erica Maltsev, who is keeping the pipeline from club swim team Greater Somerset County YMCA to Penn swimming and diving strong. Sophomore backstroke and individual medley specialist Charlotte Holliday and senior breaststroker Matt Fallon came from the same club team. On the diving side, freshman Rachel Yang joins the small but mighty team. Yang has two state championships under her belt — experience that will be no doubt be valuable this upcoming season. Even without Sheerr Pool, the 2024-25 Penn women’s swimming and diving team looks to be a strong one who is ready to put in the work to come out on top this season.

SAMANTHA TURNER | DP FILE PHOTO

Sophomore Izzy Pytel placed first in the 100-yard backstroke event against Rider with a time of 59.02 at Sheerr Pool on Jan. 27, 2023.

senior quarterback Aidan Sayin’s freshman year. Heading into the 2021 team’s fourth conference matchup of that season against Brown, the team was sitting at 2-4 and 0-3 in the Ivy with then-senior starting quarterback John Quinnelly out of commission. Similarly, the 2024 Quakers are once again sitting at 0-3 in Ivy League play with that 2-4 overall record after Sayin left the loss against Yale with an elbow injury. The next opponent on the schedule? None other than Brown. While Sayin’s status for this game is still up in the air, junior quarterback Liam O’Brien is ready to step up to the plate if needed.

“Every week with injuries presents all sorts of challenges,” head coach Ray Priore said. “Obviously, with [Sayin] going down last weekend, this is a new challenge for us as a team given how you prepare the game plan this week.”

In O’Brien’s first outing of the season, he put up respectable numbers in the air, throwing for 91 yards along with one interception, but it was on the ground where he impressed. O’Brien led the team in rushing yards with 61, including the Quakers’ lone touchdown of the night. If Sayin is in fact out for the game against the Bears, offensive coordinator Greg Chimera will be looking to lean into O’Brien’s strengths.

“You want to play to your player’s strengths, so [we’re] gonna do what Liam does well,” Chimera said. “A lot of things do carry over, but obviously there’s some wrinkles that are in [the playbook] just for him.”

One thing that the offense will be looking to improve upon for the game against Brown will be in converting its red zone opportunities. Against well coached opponents such as the Bears, leaving any points on the field can be costly, as was proven in the Quakers’ game against Yale. As such, playing a mistake-free game on the offensive side of the ball is a must this weekend.

“We’re really trying to focus on us,” Chimera said. “I know it’s a cliche coach thing to say, but all the mistakes we’ve made in games are selfinflicted, not really because of the other team. So we’re more focusing on how good the Penn offense will be this week.”

“At the end of the day, we’re all one team,” senior linebacker Jack Fairman said. “So when the defense makes a good play, everyone’s excited. When the offense makes a good play, everyone celebrates and that just shows that we’re together no matter what.”

While the offense hopes to execute regardless of who the starting quarterback is come Saturday, how the team performs in Providence will largely come down to the defense.

In Brown’s come-from-behind 23-21 win against Cornell last weekend, the Bears put up 530 yards of total offense and scored 20 straight unanswered points in the second half. The Red and Blue defensive unit is coming off a loss to Yale where the Bulldogs generated 497 yards of total offense. A major focus entering this game will be on stopping the big plays, which gashed the Quakers badly on Friday.

“They play really fast,” Fairman said. “We’re gonna have to get some negative plays and get them off their script a little bit. We can’t just let them march down the field.”

Another test for the Quakers will be whether or not they can stop Brown from running the ball down their throats. Brown is coming off a 214yard performance on the ground against Cornell.

While the Penn defense has managed to hold opponents to averaging 133.3 yards per game rushing, it will need to show up on Saturday to keep the team’s hopes of a winning season alive.

Almost halfway through conference play, Penn still has an outside chance to turn its season around and claim a share of the Ivy title. That starts with a win against Brown, though — something that the Red and Blue haven’t experienced since the 2021 season. This campaign hasn’t at all gone to plan, but Priore believes that this year’s team can still put the pieces together to end on a positive note.

“Hopefully we can put a victory on the board,” Priore said. “Our kids are hungry for it. They’ve worked hard for it. And more than anything else, I want to see our seniors, for these last four games, have a lot of fun.”

Penn football will take to the gridiron on Nov. 2 at 12 p.m. in Providence, R.I.

The team has fully bought into the next man up mentality. Following a practice-ending two minute drill drive that culminated with O’Brien tossing a beautifully placed 30-yard pass to find the open receiver streaking into the back of the end zone, it wasn’t just the offense celebrating — the defense was right there with them.

VIVIAN YAO Sports Editor