Jameson seeks to define presidency in DP interview — and revisits controversies that sunk Magill
The interim president answered the question that prompted his predecessor to resign, while declining to discuss the Penn encampment in detail
ELEA CASTIGLIONE AND VIVI SANKAR Senior Reporter and Staff Reporter
For the first time since controversy erupted last fall, a Penn president sat down for an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian to address the tumult of the past year and articulate a forward-looking view for the University.
Interim Penn President Larry Jameson declined to go into detail on several past controversies at Penn, including the Palestine Writes Literature Festival and the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. In conversation with the DP, Jameson distinguished himself from former Penn President Liz Magill, sharing a vision of his interim role that takes an active part in addressing issues including academic freedom and donor support.
While the temporary nature of the role may have made others shy away from making transformative change, Jameson told the DP that he “totally” feels empowered to take on decision making and that he wants to “make things happen.”
“I’ve always had a philosophy that you lead for the moment and don’t tread water,” he said. “It’s really important, given the scale and complexity of the University of Pennsylvania, to keep things moving right along.” Academic freedom, particularly as it relates to discourse surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, has been a major challenge Jameson has faced.
Penn takes major step toward institutional neutrality
University leaders will no longer issue statements on local or global events that do not have a direct impact on Penn KATIE BARTLETT, ELEA CASTIGLIONE AND GABRIEL HUANG News Editor, Senior Reporter and Staff Reporter
Penn will limit statements on local and world events in a major move toward institutional neutrality, Interim Penn President Larry Jameson announced in an email to the University community on Tuesday afternoon.
Jameson wrote in the announcement that University leaders will no longer issue public statements on local or global events that do not have a direct impact on Penn, claiming that the new policies aim to protect the “diversity of thought” central to Penn’s mission. The shift to the new policy, which Jameson told The Daily Pennsylvanian was initiated several years ago, will limit the University’s role in commenting on controversial issues which do not directly relate to it.
“It is not the role of the institution to render opinions — doing so risks suppressing the creativity and academic freedom of our faculty and students,” Jameson wrote.
Issues the University will no longer comment on include political, judicial, or military actions and evidence
of discrimination or violations of human rights. Jameson explained that while these challenges are “substantive and deeply meaningful,” such issues across the world are also “almost limitless.”
“Responding to one issue inevitably highlights issues and groups that receive no message — omissions that carry their own meanings, however inadvertent,” Jameson wrote.
The announcement explains that the policy only applies to University leaders, including the president, provost, vice presidents, and deans. Jameson emphasized his hope that faculty voices will be amplified, explaining that their scholarship and research play an “essential role” in public education.
Jameson told the DP in a recent interview that the process of formally reviewing Penn’s policies for institutional statements was initiated by Interim Vice President for University Communications Stephen MacCarthy several
years ago.
“The frequency of institutional statements has been increasing over several years; the request for institutional statements has been escalating, particularly during the [COVID-19] pandemic,” Jameson told the DP. “I think that was the time that we realized that we needed some guidance about how often we make comments and what the scope should be and who should be making them.”
The announcement comes after a year of controversy surrounding alleged antisemitism on Penn’s campus and the University’s response to the Israel-Hamas war.
Between September and December 2023, former Penn President Liz Magill sent eight emails to undergraduate students about these issues, which contributed to her eventual resignation in December.
Pro-Israeli community members decried her response
DEREK WONG | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
In an interview with the DP at his office in College Hall, Interim President Larry Jameson addressed the year of controversy on campus.
CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
See JAMESON, page 2
NATHANIEL BABITT S| SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Penn
sees decline in first years from underrepresented
minorities, according
to admissions data
The University declined to provide a breakdown of the data based on race.
VIVI SANKAR Staff Reporter
Penn’s recently released Class of 2028 demographic data reveals a dip in the percentage of students from historically underrepresented groups.
In the released data, Penn reports a slight drop in admits from races and ethnicities historically underrepresented in higher education, making up 23% of the Class of 2028 compared to 25% of the Class of 2027. The University declined to provide a breakdown of the data based on race.
“Our class continues to represent similar proportions of students who are first generation to college, Pell-eligible, and students of color, though the proportion of students from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds has decreased 2% points,” Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Soule told the DP that the University’s approach in not posting racial subcategory details is in line with the approach of previous years.
“We hope that the information we do provide
demonstrates our commitment to the breadth of diversity, including first generation to college,” Soule added.
While Penn has not released a criteria for this year’s definition of historically underrepresented groups, they used the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System to define the term for the Class of 2027.
IPEDS is a system of annually conducted surveys with the United States Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. IPEDS defines Domestic Underrepresented Minority as any ethnicity category that includes Black, Hispanic, Native American Indian, Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Two or More Races.
Other demographic data on the first-year class — including geographic, first-generation status, and test scores — remained similar to previous years.
Penn’s changes in data are in line with national trends. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology saw a nine percentage point drop in students from Black, Latino, Native American, and Pacific Islander backgrounds, despite seeing a 2.2% increase in students from underrepresented minority groups from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026.
At Princeton University, the percentage of Hispanic or Latino students dropped by 1%, while the percentage of Black students saw a slight decline of 0.1%. At Brown University, a Brown Daily Herald poll reported that the share of incoming Black students nearly halved from the previous year.
In the Philadelphia region, Haverford College reported a 1.6% decrease in students of color. At Swarthmore College, spokesperson Alisa Giardinelli told The Philadelphia Inquirer that preliminary data showed a 4% drop in the number of domestic students of color from the previous year.
In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admissions practices were unconstitutional. In a statement released after the ruling, Penn reaffirmed its commitment to diversity and inclusion, stating that it would continue to pursue policies and practices that encourage a wide array of students to apply.
Jameson touched on issues he would have
ended swiftly after her performance in a
JAMESON, from FRONT PAGE
Pro-Palestinian faculty and students have said they feel silenced, while their pro-Israeli counterparts have expressed concern about campus antisemitism.
When asked about the state of academic freedom at Penn, Jameson said he believes there is a difference between “academic freedom as it relates to one’s area of expertise and research” and “personal opinions that everyone holds,” which are protected by the First Amendment.
“It’s important to be clear when you’re speaking as an individual and you’re speaking on behalf of the institution or as an expert in a particular field or discipline,” he said, further affirming his belief that the University should “aggressively support academic freedom.”
Concerns about academic freedom have been fueled by the Penn administration’s measures against pro-Palestinian community members over the past year, including the disciplinary measures taken against participants in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
While the pro-Palestinian encampment on College Green last spring was the defining controversy of Jameson’s first semester, he declined to comment extensively on it — although he cited vandalism of the Ben Franklin statue on College Green and “many peaceful activities” as observations he made from his office window.
“[The encampment is] being scrutinized by inquiries, and it’s probably not wise for us to take on that particular topic,” he said.
Jameson also expressed his commitment to regaining donor support. The University has faced retaliation over the past year from influential donors, including Apollo Global Management CEO and 1984 Wharton graduate Marc Rowan,
who alleged the administration has failed to adequately respond to antisemitism.
Jameson told the DP he has held dozens of individual meetings — as well as small and large events — with the goal of hearing donors’ varying points of view.
“[Donors] want to come back to the University of Pennsylvanian by and large, they love this institution, or they probably wouldn’t be speaking out and expressing their views,” Jameson said. “I want to do everything I can to restore confidence in this institution because I think our mission is really important.”
Jameson also touched on issues he would have handled differently than his predecessor Magill, whose term ended swiftly after her performance in a congressional hearing drew national backlash.
At the Dec. 6, 2023 hearing on campus antisemitism initiated by the House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) repeatedly asked Magill if calls for the genocide of Jewish people violated Penn’s policies or code of conduct.
“If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment,” Magill told Stefanik, later calling it a “context-dependent decision.” Magill’s legalistic response to this question added fuel to the growing fire of donors, students, and alumni calling for her resignation.
When asked how he would have responded to that question, Jameson said that “any call for genocide directed at anyone in our community, no matter what their ethnicity or religious affiliation, would violate our policies.”
Jameson pointed to his training as a physician, which he said drives him to respond with empathy and less “based on strict policy.”
“I find any conflict, war, cause of death, horrifying and unacceptable, whether it’s a shooting in Philadelphia or conflict overseas,” Jameson said. “I’ve been a pacifist most of my life, and will hopefully remain that way.”
CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
The admissions visitor center is located inside Claudia Cohen Hall.
DEREK WONG | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
handled differently from his predecessor, whose term
congressional hearing.
Allegro
Pizza and Grill, beloved Penn campus pizzeria, eliminates latenight hours
A source close to Allegro called the elimination of Allegro’s 12-3 a.m. hours on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays “a disastrous f**king decision”
EMILY SCOLNICK Senior Reporter
Allegro Pizza and Grill, a staple of the Penn food scene and one of the most popular late-night restaurants near Penn’s campus, has eliminated its late-night hours, according to a source close to the pizzeria.
The restaurant, which has previously been open until 3 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, will now close at midnight seven days a week. The source close to the pizzeria told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the hours reduction was a last-minute decision due to staffing issues and took effect late last week.
Allegro, one of the only and most popular latenight food options for Penn students, did not respond to a request for comment for this article.
The source close to Allegro, who was granted anonymity due to concerns about retaliation, called the hours change “a disastrous f**king decision, not just for the store, but for the Penn community broadly.” They added that, as of now, the restaurant has no plans to reinstate the late-night hours.
The source added that the decision to reduce hours was made “on a whim” on Sept. 5, and that — if employees were not present at the store — they were not informed of the change.
College sophomore Kylee Countryman told the DP that she was sad to hear about the apparent hours reduction.
“I feel like Allegro’s late [at] night is a quintessential experience that you like, have to be there for, especially freshman year,” she said. “I know my friends [and I] are bummed out by it.”
Countryman added that she feels sorry for first years who won’t “experience such a staple of the Penn college experience.”
College junior Noah Milad agreed, saying that — although he understands some of the reasoning behind the decision — “it makes [him] sad that people won’t get to experience that community vibe and the bonding” that happens during 1 a.m. Allegro visits.
He told the DP that he expects other restaurants with late-night hours around campus — including Wawa, Asad’s Hot Chicken, and Raising Cane’s — will get busier now that Allegro’s hours have been reduced.
Allegro has been an important part of the University City restaurant scene since it opened its doors in 1982, and was previously open 24/7. In 2017, the restaurant reduced its hours for the first time and began to close at midnight from Sunday through Wednesday and at 3 a.m. from Thursday through Saturday.
At the time, management told the DP that the reduction was due to quality concerns, staffing issues, and profit loss due to customers falling asleep before receiving their delivery orders.
Steven Fluharty to step down as School of Arts and Sciences dean after 12 years
Fluharty’s 12 years leading the school make him the longest serving dean in SAS history.
ETHAN YOUNG Staff
Reporter
Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Steven Fluharty will step down from his role and return to Penn’s faculty on Dec. 31.
Interim Penn President Larry Jameson made the announcement in an email to the School of Arts and Sciences community on Tuesday morning. Fluharty was appointed to the position in 2013, and his 12 years leading the school make him the longest-serving dean in SAS history.
“Steve has overseen a transformation of the School of Arts and Sciences,” Jameson wrote. “Under his leadership, the School developed a
new strategic plan … with priorities that remain at the top of Penn’s agenda today, including sustainability, data-driven discovery, and public policy and social impact.”
Fluharty told The Daily Pennsylvanian that he was honored to work with “dedicated faculty and staff and to witness the accomplishments of our talented students.”
“The decision to step down has been a difficult but necessary one, so that I may focus on the needs of my family,” Fluharty wrote in a statement to the DP. “I’m grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve the School and to be able to end my term knowing that it is positioned to continue its long history of excellence.”
His second term as dean was scheduled to end in June 2025, then-Penn President Amy Gutmann and then-Provost Wendell Pritchett wrote in a 2019 announcement.
At Penn, Fluharty is also the Thomas S. Gates Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience with appointments in SAS and the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Animal Biology. He holds secondary appointments at the Perelman School of Medicine. Fluharty first joined Penn’s faculty in 1986, and he served as senior vice provost for research prior to his appointment as dean. He received three degrees from the University: a bachelor’s in 1979, a master’s in 1979, and a Ph.D. in 1981.
The timeline for appointing his successor has not yet been announced.
“Please join us in thanking Steve for his unparalleled service to SAS and Penn,” Jameson wrote.
•
•
•
To
ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR
Allegro Pizza and Grill is reducing its post-midnight hours.
PHOTO FROM PENN TODAY
Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Steven Fluharty.
The numbers Penn won’t show us
The Daily Pennsylvanian Editorial Board urges the University to release more comprehensive admissions demographic data
In recent weeks, Penn released sparse demographic data for the Class of 2028, revealing a two percentage point decline in the percentage of students that are from races and ethnicities historically underrepresented in higher education. According to this report, 23% of the incoming class belongs to Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander groups, a decrease from the 25% we saw in the Class of 2027. But as we dig deeper, there is a glaring omission: Penn has refused to provide a detailed racial breakdown of these numbers.
The United States Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to strike down affirmative action sent shockwaves across higher education, sparking fears that it would reverse hard fought gains in access for Black, Hispanic, Native American and other marginalized communities. So why, at a time when diversity is under siege nationally, does Penn choose to obscure rather than illuminate this data?
Across the nation, universities like Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and
Brown have seen alarming declines in Black student enrollment, with acceptances of Black students dropping by 4%, 15% and an astonishing 40% respectively. Yet, not all universities are following this path of decline. Duke University and the University of Virginia have reported an increase in the enrollment of Black, Hispanic, and Native American students, a result that few expected after the court ruling. Both universities achieved this with proactive measures, including initiatives to recruit students from low-income and underserved high schools in their local regions.
But what steps is Penn taking in response to these national trends? While the administration has demonstrated a step in the right direction to fostering diversity — such as through the College Horizons Program, which empowers Native American, Alaska Native, and Hawaiian Native students with culturally relevant college advising — its response to broader issues, like admissions transparency, remains lacking. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling, Penn’s leadership at the time
stressed that, while admissions practices might change, the University’s values would not. Upholding these values means being transparent with the community, yet the administration’s reluctance to release demographic data sends a different message.
This could be a moment for Penn to demonstrate bold leadership, but instead, it feels like we are retreating into silence.
This is not just about numbers — it is about Penn’s legacy. Penn has long maintained a pattern of reservation when it comes to transparency in its admissions practices. From declining to share acceptance rates, to now omitting crucial demographic data, the community is left in the dark. Dean of Admissions
Whitney Soule explained that Penn’s omission of specific racial breakdowns for the Class of 2028 follows the same approach as previous years, aiming to emphasize broader diversity metrics such as the proportion of first-generation and Pell-eligible students.
And while Penn did release the percentage of students of color, the lack of specific
What color is the floor where you took your last class? Could you describe one painting in that building? Chances are you have no idea. Why would you? Life is busy, work needs to get done; you know the drill. So you go through your life with an inattentive eye. Each day you are less mentally present, chaotically rushing everywhere. Little by little, you see less and less until … well, you become blind. You turn blind to your surroundings, but even worse, you become blind to others around you. It is time to open your eyes. Of course, we are distracted and isolated, and we already learned that those two facts are related from journalists like Maggie Jackson and physicians like United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who make pertinent laundry lists of urgent problems. Yet in our little Penn microcosm, I suspect part of our poor mental health reputation stems from an inability to truly see one another and the world around us. Everybody is looking, but who is seeing? Let me explain.
This summer, I stood in front of the “Mona Lisa” (which France stole from my country, Italy), and as masses were shoving each other to get to the front, I wondered:
Are we all seeing the “Mona Lisa”? How do we know we are truly seeing and not just looking, taking a picture, and leaving?
What does it mean to fully see something, and what do we miss by looking without contemplating?
When I returned to campus after the summer, I started thinking about truly experiencing and seeing a space. For example, I discovered a new Penn sign prohibiting protests right between Locust Walk and College Green, despite walking there for days without noticing it. And then I realized the problem was worse than blindness to spaces. I noticed a building had the same security guard as last year, and her answer to how she had been since summer gave me shivers: “Thank you for acknowledging my existence.” How neglected must you feel as a human to thank me for acknowledging that you exist? Our attitude to Penn staff is the perfect example of our collective blindness.
Acknowledging the work of the person cleaning bathrooms in Huntsman Hall or serving you a cheeseburger at Class of 1920 Commons goes beyond privileged pity (after all, you are paying to study here).
Rather, it is about finding and seeing humanity in your day-to-day life. Because the truth is: We do see, but with an agenda. We see what we choose to see, and by choosing to be neutral, we choose what we do not see. I do not want to be fatalistic and
racial group data — that it once used to provide — prevents us from understanding which communities saw increases or decreases in representation, leaving critical questions about the new class unanswered.
At an institution that prides itself on being open-minded and self-improving, this reluctance to release crucial data feels at odds with Penn’s core commitment to advancing social good.
The deeper issue here is how Penn defines and balances its admissions priorities. Contrary to popular belief, admissions is not solely about identifying the “most qualified” applicants. In reality, the process is about meeting a range of institutional goals — academic excellence being just one of them. Diversity, geographic representation, and financial viability are equally as important. Duke and Virginia have shown that these goals can coexist — and Penn is perfectly positioned to implement similar regionally focused outreach programs.
And yet, when it comes to transparency about how these priorities are reflected in the incoming class, Penn continues to fall short. Trust is not built on assumptions — it is built on evidence. If the University is truly committed to diversity, it should be eager to show us how that commitment manifests itself in its admissions decisions. Why hold back if there is nothing to hide?
In a post-affirmative action world, universities are navigating uncharted territory. This is Penn’s chance to define what leadership looks like in this new landscape. Transparency acts as a tool for change. Releasing the admissions data will allow the community to engage, challenge, and work towards solutions. Penn could invite students, faculty, and administrators to collaborate on developing a more inclusive admissions process. Penn has the chance to prove that diversity is not just a word in its brochures — it is a commitment that the University is willing to back with transparency and real policies.
Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. Editorial Board, which meets regularly to discuss issues relevant to Penn’s campus. Participants in these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on related topics. Reach us at edboard@dailypennsylvanian.com.
generalize. Most Penn students care deeply about each other. Yet we always choose to ignore something. How many people have you ignored out of your life today? Was it the sleepy person having a rough day next to you in class or the person begging for your money on Walnut Street?
Of course, sometimes our reasons are valid. We cannot change the world, but we cannot turn to the side either. Not only do we not pay attention, but we also never reassess and redirect our attention to consider what we may be missing.
I keep thinking about that guard who felt unseen, and I wonder: How much in this world is indeed unseen? How much are we missing? How much is there for us to discover? And is unveiling that beauty maybe not the beauty of life itself?
Yet these rather obvious questions do not tell us much about what we can do. Like, OK, open your eyes and what? My stories are anecdotal, but I hope they evoke questions in you. When you are in a club meeting, ask yourself if you can say you are truly there if you are so distracted thinking about the next thing you need to do. On the flip side, at the bar, ask yourself whether you are really experiencing time with friends if all you do is pick up your phone and take pictures (your brain turns off to stimuli
when you take them, making you experience less and remember less).
Dare I say it, stop pretending you do not know someone on Locust Walk by turning your head to avoid seeing them. Waving has never killed anyone. Of course, I am unimportant, so you can ignore me. The pebble in my shoe is that I am profoundly scared and terrified that tomorrow, you will become a “blind” doctor, a “blind” lawyer, a “blind” engineer, a “blind” nurse, and a “blind” policymaker. Penn will teach you critical thinking or any generic employable skill, but it will not teach you to care, to wonder, to see.
We all go through life believing we are unique. That is fair. We are the protagonists of our lives. Except lives intertwine, and the only way to meet one another is to let one another precisely into our lives. Was it not philosopher Emmanuel Levinas who said that paying attention to others is the real driver of change? By allowing another person to replace you and be transformed by them, you celebrate that they do not remind you of yourself. Well, if you cannot even see others, how can you be changed by them?
Whether you are a busy engineering student working on problem sets or our typical preprofessional Wharton-ite, some presences shine in your life that you simply cannot allow to go unnoticed. Especially if you feel lost, start from there: Start by seeing others. Pay attention to them. Start from others and return to yourself.
As José Saramago best put it in his famous novel “Blindness,” “I think we are blind, Blind but seeing, Blind people who can see, but do not see.” Truly seeing is liberating. It means to live a deliberate life, to view reality as it is with no agenda and detached from meaning. What happens is you slowly start noticing the unnoticeable and the existential despair of what you may be missing in life, and it slowly goes away, permanently. I dream of a world in which we all see each other and are not blind to our surroundings. It is idealistic, I know, but before you argue with me, first notice what color the floor is: You might have missed that.
CHENAYO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Columnist Francesco Salamone encourages us to put more effort into noticing the people around us.
FRANCESCO SALAMONE is a Wharton junior studying decision processes from Palermo, Italy. His email address is frasala@wharton.upenn.edu.
MOIRA CONNELL | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Penn’s reluctance to release crucial data feels at odds with its core commitments, the Editorial Board writes.
Penn left me stranded, metaphorically and literally
JESSAYS | Disabled students should not be forced to navigate Penn without the necessary support and structures
Imagine your commute to class every day, and everything you take for granted about it. Being able to open your own door. Knowing that, no matter what class you go to, there will be a seat for you (unless you attend one of those crowded lectures at David Rittenhouse Laboratory). What if none of those were guaranteed? How much of a hindrance would that be?
This is the reality that many disabled and marginalized students face at Penn. Even with an endowment totaling $21 billion as of June 2023, the support given to the most vulnerable populations is deeply and embarrassingly lacking. Upon returning from winter break last year, I — along with many other high rise residents — found that my room was flooded. The administrators at Penn Residential Services quickly worked out a plan and informed us that we were to stay at the Sheraton until further notice. In light of the inclement weather (this preceded a school closure due to heavy snow), PennRides vehicles were also arranged to help move students and their belongings into the temporary residences.
I required some further assistance as a wheelchair user. After an exchange of emails, I confirmed that my room assignment at the Sheraton would be wheelchair accessible, and that I would have a van with a wheelchair lift pick me up. When the van showed up, however, the driver informed me that the wheelchair lift on his vehicle was broken, and that he had received no notification of any passengers needing it. No further action was taken; he made an “oh well” face and left me and my belongings in the heavy snow. I ended up having to drag myself and the suitcase through the weather without assistance.
Similarly, upon move-in this year, I had arranged for some move-in crew to meet me and assist with pushing carts, as I am not able to do it myself and my family lives
Is
far away. We had had a plan set in place. Someone from the team would come to my residence at 11 a.m. on Friday with two carts, and I was given their contact information. Once again, however, the crew member did not show up nor reply to my texts. I had to request my friends to help me, who thankfully pulled through, but I was also denied the originally promised two carts from the tents. Frankly, being disabled at Penn is humiliating and dehumanizing. The wording may be strong, but so is my frustration and so are this institution’s deficits. I am sick of having to fight tooth and nail for rights that other students do not even know they have. At the beginning of every semester, I email countless building administrators to please leave the wheelchair seat open, lest I have nowhere to sit. Regardless, I am not given an option to sit anywhere else on days I cannot walk; I cannot choose to sit next to my friends, or closer to the professor. I can never go to a building without looking up whether it has space for me.
As there is no system to assign accessible classrooms to those who need them, I occasionally have to request for professors to change the location. As it is at their discretion, even going to class is not a guarantee, no matter how required that class is for my degree. Neither is housing: Moving in this year, I found that an automatic door opener had not been installed in my room, which means I have to struggle to go inside my dorm every single day. As of this week, I still haven’t received updates beyond the fact that they’re working on it.
I am by no means implying that Penn, any organization under it, or any one person, is ill-intentioned in their dealing with disabled students. I have found my disability specialist, the people at Residential Services, and the drivers from PennRides (or the sister service Penn Accessible Transit) to be exceedingly kind people who were willing to go far to accommodate me.
your Penn legacy?
I occasionally encounter students and faculty who are unwilling to make room for me, or express blatant apathy about my disability, but those types of interactions are relatively uncommon: rather, the problem I face in my day-to-day life stems from the support that falls through or is otherwise lacking. Such is the nature of structural issues: they act out violence and hostility that has been embodied in the historic and cultural narrative of any given institution. Even without a so-called “ableist agenda,” or an explicit plan to exclude disabled students, we still face tremendous issues with accessing education, opportunities, housing, and much more. We must work to dignify every student who has earned the right to be on this campus. We as a community must be committed to creating environments that are designed for all, which will often be at the expense of existing
Every day at Penn, I’m surrounded by brilliance. Nearly everyone I meet is launching a new start-up, publishing a paper in a well-regarded journal, or proudly announcing a prestigious return offer, relieved that the stress of post-grad decisions is finally behind them. It’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer talent and drive that defines our campus. We pour countless hours into internships at top firms, research projects, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. We sacrifice summers, holidays, and sleep — all in pursuit of excellence. There’s no denying that we are smart, talented, and ambitious, but as we work relentlessly toward success, I find myself questioning the moral crux of our pursuits.
What if success isn’t about what we achieve at all? Have we become so consumed by personal ambition that we’ve forgotten who it should serve? In a world obsessed with self-advancement, is real success defined by what we gain or by what we give back? At what point does our pursuit of greatness become a reflection of our own selfishness?
Perhaps it will come after your first million (or your first billion).
This is the question that should haunt us in those
quiet moments, when the buzz of ambition fades and we’re left alone with our thoughts. It should sit with us when we’re done scrolling through LinkedIn, no longer surrounded by accolades or networking events, and there’s no one left to impress but ourselves.
We’ve convinced ourselves that the choices we’re making are the right ones. After all, who wouldn’t want a six-figure job or an impressive title of CEO? But if we’re honest, there’s a lingering doubt that maybe we’re trading long-term fulfillment for short-term validation. This isn’t an easy question to face. It’s uncomfortable, and may even have you scoffing at this article. But it’s a question that deserves our attention.
At what point did we stop thinking about what we owe to the community that surrounds us? When was the last time you considered what you could do for the people of Philadelphia, the very city that fuels our success? Instead of tiptoeing past the homeless person outside Wawa into your Uber, when was the last time you stopped to buy them something to eat? Is it really okay to take and not give back? The question isn’t just about success — it’s about what we choose to do with it.
Penn is notorious for having one of the most depressed
First years, tread lightly
‘douchey’ cool kid in three months; trust me, if that’s your destiny, it’ll come soon enough.
2. Not everything is a networking opportunity: don’t be the person who constantly puts on their corporate voice when he or she talks to someone. Networking has its perks (particularly at Penn). However, it shouldn’t be a replacement for building a profound relationship with another person. Making friends you genuinely connect with is not an opportunity that comes around often, so cherish it when a conversation starts to flow for you instead of sharing your LinkedIn.
3. Be willing to sacrifice: Penn, if anything, is demanding. That means some days you won’t get to have that extra hour of sleep, cozy up in bed to watch some Netflix, or go out with friends. In fact, expect that to happen quite often. Be open to the idea that a lot of your week is going to be rather hectic as you stay up to date with your courses and extracurricular involvements.
student bodies among the Ivy League. But is this unhappiness of our own making? Perhaps the lack of fulfillment stems from the fact that we aren’t focusing on something larger than ourselves. We chase titles and salaries, yet many of us feel hollow and disconnected. Maybe the things we value and the people we want to impress don’t actually make our lives worth living.
Martin Seligman, a renowned professor at Penn that’s widely regarded as the father of positive psychology highlights this idea in his work: “The meaningful life is about finding a deeper sense of fulfillment by using your strengths in the service of something larger than yourself and nourishing others.”
It’s time that more of us embraced this mindset. The first place to start? Volunteering.
Of course, many of you are thinking, “I don’t have the time.” The truth is, you do. We make time for the things we value. We carve out hours for clubs, coursework, and our social lives. So why is it so hard to make space for something that could offer even deeper fulfillment — not just for ourselves, but for others?
The reality is that volunteering doesn’t require a huge time commitment. A few hours a month makes a
THE DISCONNECT | Your rst year here will be far from ideal, but you’re not alone Stepping on Penn’s campus for the first time can be a gruesome experience. You have a little excitement here, some anxiety there, and — if you’re anything like me — a whole truckload of fear. There’s something that goes wrong between the countless ‘connections’ you made during NSO and the moment you wave your parents goodbye, not expecting to see them for months. It is an uneasy feeling, undoubtedly, and no amount of small talk at the Hill or KCECH dining hall can compensate for the emotional comfort you have surrendered to be here. And though it is true that this discomfort erodes with time, it won’t necessarily fade entirely. Why am I saying this? Because while it may be tempting to go with the cliché “Be Yourself and Get Out There!” approach to life at Penn, it doesn’t meaningfully help anyone (especially first years) in accepting a grim reality: many of us feel lonely, stressed, and estranged. The community you are inheriting is divided and often superficial, with rapport building being replaced with coffee chats and Instagram follows.
It’s unfortunate, but merely complaining would be pointless. So, in rather frank terms, here is what I learned my first year at Penn.
1. Remember who you are and what brought you here: I don’t mean this in the rose-colored ‘Be Yourself!’ way. Your personality and thinking will naturally evolve in college and beyond, but that doesn’t mean you should force it. We often see our four years of university as an opportunity to ‘reinvent’ ourselves, and occasionally we take that to an extent where we begin to lose the values and principles that anchor us to the experiences and people that define us. You don’t need to push yourself from the ‘nerdy’ loner to the
4. Even though we can be shallow, we’re still your family: I know, given all this and what you may be experiencing, that it feels like you’re in this alone. The notion of you being in an all-out Hunger Games with your fellow Quakers can be daunting, demoralizing, and highly discouraging. Nonetheless, if there is one idea I want you to take away from this column, it’s that we are here for you—whether it’s faculty, staff, or fellow students. While we may reject your application to UPMUNC and pose as top-tier professionals (even though we’re no more than teenagers), we are your family, and that means being there when you need us most. I don’t mention all this for you to blindly follow it. After all, I am no god. Nevertheless, learning these four points
systems. Increasing funding for student resource centers like Weingarten Center and Disability Services, as well as removing some of the bureaucratic barriers to accessing certain accommodations (e.g. by expanding provisional accommodations while a student obtains medical documentation), are good ways to start. Another key factor is attention from the wider community: institutional issues require institutional-level changes, which means that we should embody care and support for marginalized students instead of treating them as an afterthought.
JESSEY SHIN is a College sophomore studying sociology and communications from Seongnam-si, South Korea. Their email is jessey0@ sas.upenn.edu.
difference. Research has long shown that the benefits of volunteering extend beyond the people you’re helping. It reduces stress, combats loneliness, and provides a sense of purpose that is often missing in many of our lives.
To leave Penn without having given back to the community that we have called our home for years is a shame. We can’t justify spending years here and not stepping outside the Penn bubble to engage with local communities. If we have time to build our resumes, we have time to help the city that has allowed us to grow and succeed. If you leave Penn without having contributed even a small part of your time to Philadelphia, what will you have really gained? A degree? A fancy job title? Sure. But what about a sense of responsibility? Compassion? Perspective? If you’ve never taken the time to engage with the community that’s made your growth possible, have you truly earned the privilege that comes with a Penn education? Somewhere along the way, we’ve traded purpose for prestige. Status has become our obsession. Prestige is the new currency. At Penn, the social reward for securing a high-paying job offer far outweighs any recognition for time spent volunteering or giving back to the community. To leave here with nothing more than a diploma in hand and no meaningful connection to the world beyond your own goals is not just a missed opportunity — it’s a failure of character.
I leave you with the words from “Tao Te Ching”, written by Chinese philosopher Laozi, “Heaven is everlasting and earth is enduring. The reason that they are everlasting is because they do not exist for themselves.” Just as the universe endures by serving a greater purpose, we too have a responsibility to help others and give back to our communities. We owe it to ourselves to wrestle with this before it’s too late. Because the real tragedy isn’t failing to land the perfect job or to achieve the perfect status — it’s realizing too late that we never chased what truly mattered.
organizations where you can volunteer today and a volunteer match tool:
LIALA SOFI is a College senior from Roanoke, Va. Her email address is lsofi@sas.upenn.edu.
about Penn came as a shock to me my freshman year, with each having its own impact on my mental health and ability to perform. For a while, I forgot who I was; I stopped talking to people out of fear of what they thought, and constantly questioned whether I belonged here. Eventually, I decided to talk to someone, and the response I received was overwhelmingly supportive. So, take it from a kid who spends his free time playing chess and
SYDNEY CURRAN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Columnist Jessey Shin considers the physical and social barriers facing disabled students at Penn.
OSCAR VASQUEZ | DP FILE PHOTO
Columnist Liala Sofi encourages Penn students to get involved with the Philadelphia community.
JULIA NGUYEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Columnist Zaid Alsubaiei shares the lessons he learned from his first year at Penn.
ZAID ALSUBAIEI is a College sophomore studying economics from Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. His email address is zaidsub@sas. upenn.edu.
Football Preview
Amy Wax invites white nationalist back to class while joining conference with ex-KKK lawyer
According to a course syllabus obtained by the DP, Wax will bring American Renaissance editor Jared Taylor to her class
JARED MITOVICH Editor-in-Chief
For months, Penn has pushed to cut Amy Wax’s salary and strip her of University honors. But it can’t seem to stop the controversial University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School professor from bringing a white nationalist to campus. According to a course syllabus obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Wax has again invited American Renaissance magazine editor Jared Taylor to deliver a guest lecture, this time at the Dec. 3 meeting of LAW 9560: “Conservative and Political Legal Thought.” The invitation would mark at least the third appearance by Taylor at Wax’s class in four years. His visit last fall sparked a protest outside Wax’s classroom and prompted a rare schoolwide email from Penn Carey Law Dean Sophia Lee addressing the “bounds of academic freedom.”
Yet Wax, in her class activities and public appearances, does not appear to be deterred by student demonstrations — nor Penn’s yearslong disciplinary proceedings against her, which led a Faculty Senate panel to conclude over a year ago that she had promoted a “hostile campus environment and a hostile learning atmosphere” meriting major sanctions.
As she plans to bring Taylor to campus again, Wax is also pressing her case against Penn in public, accusing the University of hypocrisy while expanding on the same viewpoints that prompted the faculty panel to recommend the rare step of suspending a tenured professor. Weeks before Taylor comes to campus, Wax is scheduled to speak at a conference in Tennessee alongside multiple people who have reportedly espoused white supremacist, neoNazi, and racist views. The conference, which will be held from Nov. 15-17, is organized by Taylor’s publication, American Renaissance, which the Southern Poverty Law Center calls a promoter of eugenics and pseudoscience. In addition to Taylor, who has alleged that there is a genetic inferiority between white people and people of color, conference speakers will include Sam Dickson, a self-proclaimed “lifelong white advocate” and former Ku Klux Klan lawyer; Martin Sellner, a far-right activist who was a part of Austria’s neo-Nazi movement until 2011; and Richard Marksbury,
a former Tulane University dean with reported ties to the pro-Confederate monument movement.
The DP was unable to reach any of the scheduled conference speakers by the time of publication.
Taylor’s scheduled return to Wax’s seminar comes as Penn is yet to reach a formal resolution in its proceedings against Wax. The case has spanned four Penn presidencies, two Penn Carey Law deans, and years of community discontent — and according to Wax’s latest public comments, it is no closer to being closed.
While the faculty panel that reviewed Wax’s case recommended that the University impose major sanctions — including a one-year suspension at half pay, a public reprimand, and a loss of her named chair — it did not suggest Wax should be fired or stripped of tenure. Still, Wax appealed the faculty panel’s recommendation to the Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility, the outcome of which is not clear.
In a panel appearance with the National Association of Scholars in New York on Aug. 23, Wax revealed some information about the status — and stagnancy — of the private proceedings. She implied that the sanctions against her were about to take effect in May — until, in what she described as a “Hail Mary pass,” she emailed Interim Penn President Larry Jameson directly, threatening to sue the University and cause further damage to Penn’s battered reputation. Jameson then agreed to meet with her, she said.
A University spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment about the details of the meeting and whether Jameson supports sanctioning Wax. Representatives for Penn Carey Law, Wax, and Taylor did not respond to requests for comment by publication. The last time Wax was reached by the DP, outside her office on April 17, 2023, she declined to comment on the University’s disciplinary proceedings.
“Such initiatives send a very clear message: Don’t question the received wisdom, don’t say what you really think, or bad things will happen,” Wax said at the NAS panel.
“Keep your head down, shut up, or you will be treated like Professor Wax.”
NEUTRALITY, from FRONT PAGE
as an insufficient condemnation of antisemitism, while pro-Palestinian activists criticized Magill for failing to sufficiently address civilian suffering in Gaza in her communications.
Penn community members expressed mixed reactions to Penn’s new commitment to neutrality.
Professor and former Middle East Center Director Harun Küçük called the move a “step in the right direction” and “wise” given the campus political climate.
“I think last year was difficult not only for the exercise of free speech at large, but also for closed door, expert conversations — much needed, but rarely possible - and academic events,” he wrote, adding that he is curious for how the policy will interface with the stricter temporary policies for campus events and demonstrations.
Former Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok also expressed approval of the policy in a statement to the DP.
“I am supportive of the new policy given how difficult it is to craft a statement that satisfies all constituencies on whatever event is being addressed,” Bok wrote. “At the same time, I suspect it will sometimes prove challenging to remain silent on a national or international event that impacts members of Penn’s large community.”
Penn Hillel leadership declined to comment.
Penn lecturer Dwayne Booth — whose political cartoons depicting the Israel-Hamas war were a source of controversy on campus last semester — expressed skepticism at the announcement.
Booth described the policy as “little more than PR documents concocted to pacify the avalanche of criticism leveled against the administration of Penn … [by organizations] concerned with the mistreatment of students and faculty members targeted for questioning the moral
and legal viability of the Israeli government’s attacks on Palestine.”
“The integrity of these pronouncements need[s] to be demonstrated as proofs before they can be judged as anything more substantive than empty platitudes,” he added.
Professor of history education at Penn’s Graduate School of Education Jonathan Zimmerman said that he thought the new policies were the “right call.”
He referenced a statement of institutional neutrality known as the Kalven Report, which the University of Chicago issued in 1967 in response to tensions related to the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. The statement, which argued that a university must “encourage the widest diversity of views within its own community,” has since served as a model for several other institutions’ adoption of neutrality policies.
“I think that the past year has borne out Kalven’s argument,” Zimmerman said. “Kalven said that everyone at the university should be free to take whatever positions they want personally, but the institution shouldn’t take a position because that would inhibit the fundamental function of the university, which is actually to debate contested public questions.”
The push for institutional neutrality has increased over the past year due to controversy surrounding school administrators’ varying responses to the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Northwestern University and Stanford University released statements moving toward institutional neutrality within days after the attack. In May, Harvard University announced it would no longer make statements on contentious political issues following a semester of nationwide campus tensions.
What Trump, Harris said about Penn — and other highlights from debate night in Philadelphia
Debate watch parties took place across Penn’s campus, from high-rise rooftop lounges to academic buildings to Smokey Joe’s
THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN STAFF
Tuesday night’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump didn’t have an in-person audience — but the candidates’ firstever meeting was watched eagerly on Penn’s campus, throughout Philadelphia, and across the country.
The 90-minute debate at the National Constitution Center was a chance for Harris to showcase her policy goals and public speaking chops on the national stage for the first time, while Trump — at his seventh general election debate — faced a new competitor who took the top of the ticket under two months ago. They sparred over topics such as foreign policy, immigration, the economy, and abortion.
The debate, downtown
Less than 10 minutes into the debate, both candidates mentioned the Wharton School of Business while discussing economic policy.
“What the Wharton School has said is Donald Trump’s plan would actually explode the deficit,” Harris said.
Harris was referring to a brief released on Aug. 26 by the Penn Wharton Budget Model, a nonpartisan initiative that provides economic analysis on public policy.
The brief, which assessed Trump’s 2024 campaign policy proposals, estimated that his tax and spending proposals would “increase primary deficits by $5.8 trillion over the next 10 years on a conventional basis.”
In his rebuttal, Trump mentioned his status as a Penn alumnus.
“I went to the Wharton School of Finance, and many of the professors, the top professors, think my plan is a brilliant plan,” Trump said.
PWBM also conducted a similar analysis on Harris’ campaign policy proposals, projecting that her plan would increase primary deficits by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years.
Throughout the debate, Harris invoked the theme of her unofficial campaign slogan, “We’re not going back,” oftentimes drawing parallels between the Trump administration’s policies and those of President and former Penn professor Joe Biden’s administration. Trump, on the other hand, frequently returned to the topic of immigration — an issue that Harris is perceived to be weaker on by some political pundits — as a method of attack. In one instance, he cited a debunked story about Haitian immigrants in an Ohio city eating their neighbors’ pets.
Both candidates gave general directions as to their policies if elected but were sparse on specific details. Harris, in particular, has faced growing questions about her policy positions — especially given she entered the race under unusual circumstances and has not frequently answered questions from the press. Many had hoped that Tuesday night’s debate would be a chance to clarify her policy stances.
On Penn’s campus
Penn students gathered across campus on Tuesday night to watch the high-stakes presidential debate between Harris and Trump — held only a few miles away downtown in Philadelphia.
Debate watch parties were organized everywhere from rooftop lounges in high rise dorms and academic buildings to Smokey Joe’s, all of which saw students eager to discuss and react to the debate’s biggest moments.
Penn Democrats and Penn College Republicans each hosted debate watch parties in Irvine Auditorium and Huntsman Hall, respectively. Penn Dems’ leaders,
including College juniors Ellie Goluboff-Schragger and Veronica Smith, said that Harris had met their expectations of a show of strength and an ability to point out Trump’s lies.
On the other side of campus, College Republicans watched from Huntsman Hall. The group called the debate a “significant moment in this election cycle” in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
“While we believe Donald Trump has had stronger performances in the past, he remained a formidable presence on the stage,” the statement read.
College Republicans praised both candidates’ “resilience and tenacity” during the debate but noted that both made mistakes, adding that they were “disappointed by the spread of inaccurate information.” They described the Harris’ agenda as “unclear and inconsistent.”
Several on-campus dorms also hosted watch parties, including Lauder College House and Rodin College House. Students in Lauder reacted enthusiastically to the debate, with Harris’ point that Trump has previously been found criminally liable being met with the night’s loudest applause.
Rachel Baker, a Lauder College House fellow, said that the turnout at the watch party had exceeded her expectations. Chairs had been brought in from throughout the building, and there was only standing room left in the debate watching area.
In Rodin — where a projector malfunction briefly interrupted the watch party — students began laughing after Trump prevented Harris from interrupting him, mocking her performance at the 2020 vice presidential debate where she told former Vice President Mike Pence “I’m speaking.”
Rodin residential advisors said that over 60 students attended the event, exceeding expectations for turnout. Students also gathered on the lower floor of the Annenberg School for Communication, where the school set up a watch party complete with refreshments and a chocolate fountain.
College juniors Skye Paulus and Olivia Silvestri said the debate had successfully illuminated the differences between the candidates and applauded the two moderators, ABC News’ David Muir and Linsey Davis.
Litty Paxton, Annenberg’s associate dean of undergraduate studies, said the watch party — which drew nearly 200 attendees — was a collaborative effort. She said its success would prompt Annenberg to consider similar events for another presidential debate, if one should occur, and for election night.
Another administrator in attendance, Annenberg Public Policy Center Director and Communication professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson, said that if the debate helped American voters “get information [they] couldn’t otherwise get … then the American people won the debate.”
Although she felt that the debate was moderated well, Jamieson questioned why Muir and Davis did not hold Trump more tightly to the muted microphone rule, which she noted differentiated the debate from previous ones, along with the absence of an audience.
Engineering senior Spencer Ware and Wharton senior Grant Mao watched the debate together at Smokes’, a campus institution. Both compared Tuesday night’s matchup to those between Trump and Biden, with Mao lamenting candidates’ inability to interrupt one another and Ware adding that he was very surprised “with how pro-Israel [Harris] came out.”
“It’s been fun to just make a drinking game out of it,” he said.
RANKINGS, from FRONT PAGE
maintained its No. 5 ranking. Penn saw the largest year-to-year drop in its placement out of the entire top 10.
Four universities tied for No. 6, the spot Penn held in the last year’s 2023-24 rankings. California Institute of Technology and Duke University moved up from a tied No. 7, while Johns Hopkins University and Northwestern University improved from a joint No. 9 ranking to a four-way tie for No. 6. Brown University, which was also tied for No. 9 in last year’s rankings, slipped out of the top 10.
According to a U.S. News article, this year’s ranking methodology removed first-generation student graduation rates as a factor for national universities and historically Black colleges and universities, replacing this figure in its formula with Pell Grant graduation rates. The rankings still account for
student outcomes like retention rates, graduate indebtedness, and post-graduate earnings. About two-thirds of surveyed schools, including nearly all of the top 100 National Universities, submitted their own data for the rankings.
Last year, the DP reported that Penn had likely listed inaccurate student-faculty ratio metrics used by the U.S. News rankings, according to multiple higher education experts. The experts spoke with the DP about the conflicting underlying metrics that Penn appears to have listed for its student-faculty ratio for over 15 years, and what it meant for the University’s U.S. News ranking.
It remains unclear what figures might have prompted a shift in the University’s standings between this year and last.
GRACE CHEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Students watch the debate from Harrison College House on Sept. 10.
ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR
Locust Walk on Aug. 20.
DESIGN BY INSIA HAQUE
The Red and Blue fell to Saint Francis in their opening match but bounced back with two wins to wrap up the weekend
NINA RAWAL Sports Reporter
Penn women’s volleyball began its 2024 season at the Red Flash Classic hosted by Saint Francis over the weekend.
While they suffered a tough 3-1 loss to Saint Francis on Friday, the Quakers showed resilience, bouncing back with two victories on Saturday.
On Friday, Penn (2-1) fell to Saint Francis (3-3) with set scores of 25-16, 29-27, 25-18, and 25-23. Despite the loss, sophomore outside hitter Zada Sanger led the team with 16 kills and a .262 hitting percentage. Freshman outside hitter Jenna Garner made a strong debut with 12 kills, while sophomore right-side hitter Bella Rittenberg contributed 11 kills and hit .280. Freshman setter Emery Moore, starting at setter for the first time, recorded 36 assists and eight digs. On defense, junior libero/defensive specialist Abigail Reid had 17 digs and freshman outside hitter Ellie Siskin added 15.
The Quakers struggled to find their rhythm early in the match, falling behind 8-1 in the first set before eventually losing 25-16. Penn fought back in the second set, with Sanger and Rittenberg leading the way, but narrowly lost 29-27 in a hard-fought battle. The team found its form in the third set, winning 25-18 with key plays from Garner and Sanger, but the Red and Blue ultimately lost the match as Saint Francis took the fourth set 25-23.
Saturday was a different story. Penn staged a remarkable comeback against Siena (1-5),
overcoming a two-set deficit to win 3-2.
The set scores were 21-25, 22-25, 25-16, 25-22, and 17-15. Freshman middle blocker Adell
Murray was a standout performer with 20 kills and five block assists, while Sanger added 14 kills and two block solos. Rittenberg also made significant contributions with 10 kills. Moore once again played a critical role with 38 assists and 14 digs, as the team came together to secure a thrilling victory.
Just an hour later, Penn continued its momentum, sweeping Mercyhurst (1-5) 3-0 with set scores of 25-10, 25-19, and 25-16. Rittenberg led the team with 13 kills and hit an impressive .688, while Sanger, Murray, and Siskin added to the offensive effort. The Quakers controlled the match from start to finish, using their strong blocking and service game to stifle Mercyhurst’s attack.
Throughout the tournament, Rittenberg and Murray were named to the All-Tournament Team for their outstanding performances. Rittenberg finished the weekend with 34 kills, hitting .348, while Murray totaled 33 kills and hit a team-best .453. Their contributions, along with strong defensive efforts and teamwork, were key to Penn’s success.
The Quakers’ 2-1 record is their best to begin a season since 2021. They will be back in action on Tuesday at Coppin State, looking to build on their momentum before hosting the Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square Penn Invitational next weekend at the Palestra.
FIELD
definitely escalated.”
Mindset
Passionate and determined, coach Fink’s eagerness is matched by her players. Empowered by her commitment to excellence, the senior leadership have put it upon themselves to ensure the team’s preparations are up to snuff. With important seniors like forward/ midfielder Allison Kuzyk leaving the program, newly appointed captains Meghan McGinley, Sophie Freedman, and Courtney Kenah plan on setting a new tone.
“This year’s [captain] class plays a really big role on the team,” McGinley said. “Going out and making sure the entire team is really locked in and on the same page.”
The three captains each have their own approach towards leading the team, combining together to make a fearsome trio. Leaving nothing uncovered, the team finds strength in their differences.
“It’s nice that we have such different personalities because we balance each other out super well,” Kenah said. “I think that’s really nice for our teammates because they can find any one of us to connect with on different things, and on the field we’re all very hardworking and lead by example.”
Training While the mental side of competition is key to success, it all means nothing without execution in practice and on the field. Each season, Penn opens up their competitive play against two of the best field hockey teams in the nation: North Carolina and Louisville. Fighting against the No. 2- and No. 7-ranked teams in the nation respectively to start the season isn’t an accident either. The Quakers understand that to be the best, you have to try and beat the best.
“It’s fun because, in preseason, we know that we are preparing to play the defending national champions [North Carolina],” Freedman said. “There’s no feeling in preseason that we can get to different principles later since we truly need to be at our team’s best immediately … leaving nothing up to chance and being as prepared as possible.”
Despite falling to both North Carolina and Louisville in tight contests, the team was able to sharpen iron with iron. Growing in confidence and capability, these losses help prepare the team for local and eventually Ivy League play.
As the season progresses, only time will tell if glory is in the cards for the Quakers; but no matter what happens, the team promises not to go down without a fight. Seeking a championship above all else, the Red and Blue plan to leave it all out on the field for one another in the 2024 campaign.
“We talk about why we play or ‘what’s our why,’” Kenah said. “Knowing each other’s underlying motivations has been really powerful for our team — it’s why we run that extra sprint, or extra long run that’s thankless: for each other.”
WEINING DING | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Now-senior forward Bridget Skelly covers a Dartmouth player during the game on Oct. 7, 2023.
ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Women’s volleyball played at the Red Flash Classic in Saint Francis, Pa. on Sept. 6-7.
next-level player, not just at the college level but beyond. [But] he’s been working quite hard [on other areas]. He cares a lot. I think he understands how he can really bring great impact to the group in other ways than just scoring goals.”
Now defending a lead, the Quakers continued to press. They had the game’s first seven shots and wouldn’t let up on Fordham’s defense. Around 30 minutes into the game, though, the momentum began to shift. The Rams had a pair of corner kicks, and on the second, would have had a goal if not for an offsides violation. It didn’t matter because six minutes later, Rams forward Luke Pompliano scored unassisted, and there was no doubt that this goal would count. This marked the first goal given up by the Quakers all season.
Afterwards, the two teams looked relatively evenly matched, trading chances. At halftime, the score was 1-1. This stalemate continued for much of the second half. Both teams had chances, but neither could capitalize on them for a go-ahead goal. The Rams sent multiple crosses
across the face of goal, but each time Penn’s defense cleared the ball away.
This changed in the 72nd minute when off a Penn corner, senior defender Leo Burney steered the ball into the back of the net to give Penn another lead.
“We’ve really been working hard on set pieces in training, so it just feels really good that we got to score one today,” Burney said. “So far this year, we’ve scored a lot through the run of play, so it’s really good for the team that we can score on set pieces as well.”
With under 20 minutes left to go, all Penn had to do was keep the Rams from scoring. But this would prove difficult. Junior goalkeeper Philip Falcon III made crucial saves, and the Quaker offense advanced down the field to search for a game-sealing goal. And with just over three minutes to go, Penn found exactly that. After getting the ball just past midfield, senior midfielder Charlie Gaffney dribbled past Fordham’s goalkeeper and scored.
With the win, Penn stays perfect on the year. It hopes to stay that way this weekend, which sees the Quakers leave Rhodes Field for the first time in 2024. The Quakers head to the Cavalier State to visit William & Mary on Friday at 7 p.m.
Wasted chances headline women’s soccer’s 1-1 tie to Towson
Two missed penalty kicks cost the Quakers their rst win of the season
VIVIAN YAO Sports Editor
A week after Penn men’s soccer returned to Rhodes Field in electrifying fashion, Penn women’s soccer ultimately couldn’t replicate the magic.
In the team’s first game at home this season, the Red and Blue were unable to net their first victory of the season, drawing Towson 1-1.
“The result is disappointing,” coach Krissy Turner said. “But I think the first half was really good. Second half not so much.”
In the previous five games, Penn (0-3-3) recorded a combined 14 shot attempts in the first half. Against the Tigers, the Quakers employed a more aggressive approach, racking up 13 shots in the opening frame of play. The first shot came in the second minute off an effort from senior Megan Lusher that forced Towson goalkeeper Riley Melendez to fully extend to deny Penn the early one-goal lead.
Lusher established the tone and Penn largely controlled the tempo of the game. Even so, the Tigers showed why they have already recorded two wins on the season. In the 12th minute, Towson’s Brooke Birrell fired off a ferocious corner kick, but an impressive reaction from junior goalkeeper Annabel Austen kept the game knotted at zero.
The speed of sophomore forward Mia Fuss was able to flip the script immediately, as a fast counter won Penn a corner of its own on the other end of the field. Melendez was forced to come out of her goal to deal with the swung-in ball, and the ball bounced dangerously around in the six-yard box with an open goal, but the Quakers were ultimately unable to convert.
Penn’s high pressure on attack eventually paid off, as a foul in the box against Towson forward Demi Pierre in the 22nd minute earned the Red and Blue a penalty-kick, taken by freshman forward Lily White. Despite a well placed ball, Melendez read it the entire way, and the ball lacked enough pace to get by. However, Penn did not let the miss affect its game plan, continuing to apply intense offensive pressure. In the 40th minute, senior forward Janae Stewart found herself with space at the top
of the box. The cross found sophomore forward Abbey Cook crashing at the back post. Cook wasted no time burying the ball in the back of the net to give Penn a well-deserved one-goal lead heading into the halftime break.
As the second half opened up, Penn continued its high-paced attack. However, now chasing a goal down, Towson came out with far greater intensity on its own movement forward. The change rewarded the Tigers with a shot from forward Kale’a Perry that missed just wide right of the goal in the fifth minute of play.
With time winding down, tempers flared on both sides of the ball. On a Towson corner kick in the 24th minute, the kick was delayed on three separate occasions as the referee issued warnings to three different pairs of players. When the corner kick was finally taken, it was a moment of panic for the Red and Blue as Austen was forced to come out of the goal to push it out of the path of a crashing Tiger.
The goal now empty, Towson was inches away from finding the equalizer as the shot bounced off of the top of the woodwork. Ultimately, the Quakers were able to regroup on defense and clear the ball with the lead still intact. With just seven minutes to play, the Red and Blue earned yet another penalty kick opportunity as Fuss was leveled by Towson defender Maja Hansson. This time, sophomore midfielder Leah Finkelman stepped up to the spot, but Melendez once again read the ball placement saved the kick.
The missed penalty kicks ultimately came to haunt Penn as Towson midfielder Chiara Menegatti finally scored the equalizer with just four minutes to play to level the game.
“It doesn’t necessarily change the momentum as much as it just gives the other team a sense of belief,” Turner said. “We let a team hang around that has belief and credit to them, they probably should have scored two goals.”
After the brief stay at home, Penn women’s soccer will take to the road again as it travels down to Annapolis, Md. to face off against Navy today at 7 p.m. There, the Quakers will continue to look for their first win of the season.
Women’s basketball releases 2024-25
schedule
A look ahead at the Red and Blue’s upcoming Philadelphia matchups
LUCY RUPERTUS Sports Reporter
Penn women’s basketball recently released their schedule for the 2024-25 season, so let’s unpack the season ahead for the Quakers.
Last year, Penn finished things off with an overall record of 15-13 and a record of 7-7 in the Ivy League. This season, they open the campaign with a home game against Merrimack on Nov. 8. Last year the Quakers beat Merrimack with a score of 71-62. This matchup is followed by an away game against Maine on Nov. 10, whom the Quakers also beat in a tight contest last year 72-69.
Later in November, the Quakers will start off their Big-5 slate with a home matchup against Saint Joseph’s on Nov. 15 and an away game against Villanova on Nov. 20. Then, on Dec. 6, the Red and Blue will play in the inaugural women’s Big 5 Classic, with their opponent determined by the results of the other pod action.
This year, the Red and Blue will also be appearing in the Homewood Suites Tournament,
hosted by Florida Golf Coast University. At the tournament, Penn will get to face off against Chattanooga on Nov. 29 and Cal Baptist on Nov. 30. Chattanooga, a member of the Southern Conference, ended off their 2023-24 season with a record of 28-5. Similarly, Cal Baptist, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, ended theirs with a record of 28-4.
The Quakers will start off their Ivy-League slate with a home tilt against Columbia on Jan. 6, 2025. On Feb. 10, 2025 the Red and Blue will have a much-awaited rematch against Princeton, Penn’s bitter rival who ended the Quakers’ season last year in controversial fashion.
“[The] schedule presents a fantastic opportunity for our team to challenge ourselves against strong opposition,” coach Mike McLaughlin said of the release. “Every game is a chance to show our hard work and dedication, and I’m eager to see how we rise to the occasion.”
TUNA SAGDAN | DP FILE PHOTO
Now-senior Maya Leschly defending against Cornell on Sept. 28, 2023.
SONALI CHANDY | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Now-sophomore guard Mataya Gayle attempts a layup against Princeton during the Ivy Madness tournament on March 15.
Not content with fourth: Field hockey has its eyes on an Ivy championship
After losing in the semi nals of last year’s inaugural playoffs, the team plans on demanding more from themselves in hopes of a title
SEAN
MCKEOWN Deputy Sports Editor
In sports, at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is winning. With that in mind, the behind-the-scenes preparation it takes to find victory is paramount. From coaching, to mindset, to training, Penn field hockey believes they have everything in place for an Ivy League title run.
“I think we’ve been painstakingly close to achieving our goal of creating a championship culture and winning championships at Penn,” coach Colleen Fink said. “And unfortunately, we have just fallen short.”
Coaching
Last season, the Red and Blue’s campaign ended
with an agonizing 1-0 defeat against Harvard in the first round of the Ivy League tournament. After a 7-9 regular season finish, the Quakers nabbed the fourth seed in the postseason, earning them a matchup with the top-seeded Crimson. In the end, a lackluster offensive showing erased the Red and Blue’s chance at an upset, causing Fink to reevaluate the state of the program.
“I’m realizing that maybe it’s more of a time for some radical change,” Fink said. “When I came in many, many years ago, we had to make some radical changes to build our program to where it is now, and now maybe now is also the time for some of those additional radical type
Pair of late goals push No. 25 Penn men’s soccer past Fordham
Seniors Charlie Gaffney and Leo Burney scored in the nal 20 minutes of the game
CALEB
changes.”
As a coach and leader of the program, the pressure to succeed weighs heavily. Following the deflating loss to the Crimson last season, and with the added pressure of giving her current class of seniors a better chance at Ivy glory, Fink is looking towards a change of pace to finally get over the hump.
“We notched it up a level in terms of standards and vision for the program, both tactically, technically, and culturally,” she added. “The expectations for the team, peer to peer, have
See FIELD HOCKEY, page 8
Famous sports broadcaster Vin Scully used to declare “deuces wild” when the count in baseball was two balls and two strikes, and there was a runner on second base. For Penn men’s soccer on Monday night, it was not deuces wild, but instead “treys” wild, as the Quakers scored three goals to gain all three points and win their third consecutive game to start 2024 against Fordham.
Even though the two teams were relatively evenly matched throughout much of the contest, Penn used a pair of late goals to pull ahead of the Rams and win 3-1.
“They’re an experienced team,” coach Brian Gill said. “They have a lot of older players, and they have guys that have been pretty well traveled over the course of their careers, now at Fordham. And you just know that those kinds of teams will pose threats.”
Both teams started off the season strong, with the Quakers (3-0) undefeated heading into Monday evening. Fordham (3-1-1) had also played strongly, coming off a 4-0 win against Santa Clara. The Rams’ only previous falter had been a goalless tie to open the season against No. 17 Hofstra.
But at the opening kick, the Quakers controlled the game, maintaining possession and testing Fordham’s defense. While the Rams had to build from their goalkeeper, Penn often regained the ball around midfield and began its attack anew.
In the 14th minute, Penn’s pressure paid off. After a frenetic sequence in the Fordham box, several Quakers raised their hand to appeal for a handball, and a few seconds later, the referee rewarded it by pointing to the penalty spot. Senior forward Stas Korzeniowski calmly converted, rolling the ball into the bottom left corner of the net to give Penn a 1-0 lead.
“He’s one of the more dynamic forwards in the country,” Gill said of Korzeniowski. “His goal scoring is what can really make him a
See SOCCER , page 9
School day games and greater support for studentathletes
Carnathan | Penn and the rest of the Ivy League could stand to offer their players more assistance off the eld
WALKER CARNATHAN Sports Editor
On Tuesday, Penn volleyball traveled to Baltimore for a matchup against Coppin State, a game that saw the Quakers fall 3-2. But in addition to the defeat on the court, the team suffered another loss: a day’s worth of classes at the university they represent. That is because Penn’s game took place at 11 a.m. on a weekday morning, a rare scheduling quirk that resulted in a day of excused academic absence for the team — a day of missed material, of missed quizzes, a day the rest of the student body got to keep. And while this occurrence was rare — and in many ways, nominal — it is indicative of a greater inconsistency with which how Penn supports the academic pursuits of its student-ath-
the
The
proclaims itself as the “pinnacle of higher education and Division I athletics,” and defines its primary objective as the keeping of sports “in harmony with the essential educational purposes of the institution.”
In many ways, the conference upholds this standard. Few other leagues hold themselves to the same stringent admission standards as the Ancient Eight, and the conference does not engage in the same dubious tutoring practices as a number of other Division I programs. But within those lofty academic standards lies a difficult pitfall: the task of balancing a full load of coursework with an unrelenting athletic schedule.
This struggle is nothing new, and exists for many student-athletes outside the Ivy League. But instances like the Red and Blue’s Tuesday morning game illustrate the incongruence with which these institutions aid their double-sided superstars. Athletes at Penn are not given priority when it comes to selecting their courses, often creating impossible dilemmas when it comes to aligning them with their practice schedule. Many Division I schools have expansive athlete-only spaces, including study rooms, but Penn’s Education Commons at Franklin Field is open to all students. While many of Penn’s athletic facilities are located on campus, others, like the rowing boathouse, require a bus ride to reach, further increasing the time commitment posed by daily practice.
Penn men’s tennis junior Matt Rutter says that Penn has made “significant strides” in improving student-athlete support in recent years, citing improved communication between the athletic department and professors, as well as systems that ensure a “more seamless learning process” for the University’s athletes.
At the same time, Rutter posited that the structure could also be improved, primarily via preferred course selection for student-athletes.
“An aspect of support which we feel would have a tremendously positive impact on our academics and sports performance is priority registration for classes,” Rutter wrote in a statement to the DP. “Being a student-athlete requires meticulous planning and disciplined time management, as we balance a full academic load with 20 hours of athletic commitment each week. Having more certainty regarding class schedules would enable us to optimize both our academic and athletic performance … [it] would similarly help us achieve the best possible outcomes both inside and outside the classroom.”
The issues by Rutter and others are exacerbated by another founding Ancient Eight principle: the refusal to administer athletic scholarships. Juggling academics and athletics is a fact of life for players across the nation, but in most cases, they receive reduced tuition for their trouble. Not so at Penn, where the primary material benefit for donning the Red and Blue is the popular Penn Athletics parka — which student-athletes need to purchase themselves.
The Ancient Eight’s founding ideals also place limits on certain sports’ on-field potential — again, with inconsistent application. Ivy League football teams are prohibited from participating in the postseason, a ban which many link to the coinciding timing of the postseason with the schools’ fall final exam schedule. But other Penn programs are allowed to participate in their respective playoffs, including men’s and women’s lacrosse, which, last spring, played a combined six games in the Ivy League and NCAA tournaments during Penn’s final exam window.
In this way, the conference’s academic and athletic demands mutually hinder one another. And while that is impossible to avoid, the league’s schools can nonetheless take more action toward improving the support systems for the students who bear their logos. In order to be the true pinnacle of academics and sport, the Ancient Eight must be certain that every student has the tools they need to succeed in both avenues.
WALKER CARNATHAN is a junior and current DP sports editor studying English and Cinema and Media Studies from Harrisburg, Pa. All comments should be directed to dpsports@ thedp.com.
DESIGN BY EMMI WU