Jim Saksa | A man in a woman’s world

Yes, girls can do math. Yes, women have a role outside the kitchen. No, they’re not smarter than men.

Jim Saksa | Summer penny-pinching

Planning and budgeting before spending can help put an end to debt and boring weekends alike.

Jim Saksa | One last chance to take my advice

So this is my last column for The Daily Pennsylvanian - unless my editor talks me into writing one for finals week, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. Since this will be my last glorious chance to bestow my sagacity and insight upon you, my public, I have scribbled down some advice that some of you will hopefully take to heart during your time here at dear old Pennsylvania.

Jim Saksa | There's no finance like microfinance

In the past few weeks, my friends who were prescient enough to realize that suffering through painfully dull finance classes would one day be worth it, started to receive their signing bonuses. Payoff at last! Suddenly burdened with a few thousand dollars, many of them sought out the sagacious and venerable advice of their hairiest friend: yours truly.

Jim Saksa | Facebook - the fall of privacy

I was sitting in Van Pelt the other day when I noticed the girl in front of me procrastinating on Facebook, looking at photo albums. Pretty normal and I usually wouldn't give it a second thought, except she was looking at pictures of me in a friend's photo album.

Jim Saksa | The Frankenstein on 40th Street

Yesterday was Easter Sunday, and across the world most Christians (and Jews for Jesus!) celebrated the resurrection of Christ. It's a celebration of renewal and rebirth, purposely scheduled to coincide with the advent of spring. Around this time in the liturgical calendar, Christians examine their lives and their faith in an effort to renew their connection with God.

Jim Saksa | Getting off the high horse

When I first thought of transferring to Penn from Villanova, one of the reasons was Villanova's insane inferiority complex. Villanovans were obsessed with Georgetown and Boston College: the suburban Catholic schools they didn't get into. We acted out our jealousy by intensely mocking the kids from St.

Jim Saksa | Drunken logic for Pennsylvania's beer laws

When my buddy Eric and I were driving cross country, we stayed a few days with his uncle in Erie, Pa. He was a great host, buying us dinner and taking us to the shooting range where we fired many weapons that I had previously thought illegal in America. In exchange, he asked us one favor: buy fireworks for him.

Jim Saksa | Classes that matter - no, really

Kids in college are incessantly subjected to the "you're the leaders of tomorrow" mantra. We need to soak up all the knowledge we can and learn from our parents' mistakes now, so we can finally be that generation that doesn't screw everything up. Yet some classes at Penn aim to do a little more than just teach students.

Jim Saksa | Missing the bigger picture

Earlier in the semester, the DP ran a guest column by Colleen Honigsberg entitled, "Closing the LSAT Gender Gap." In it, Ms. Honigsberg managed to masterfully illustrate the terrible flaws of modern feminism. Citing a year-long period, she noted that while women were 49.

Jim Saksa | Avoiding mindless conversation

Whenever I go home, I find myself trapped in the same infuriating conversation. Lacking any topics we really want to talk about, old friends and distant relations fall into the same rut when we catch up on news. Where do I go to school? Penn. Mindless banter question? Mindless banter answer.

Jim Saksa | All I want for Christmas is a $200 laptop

The holidays are upon us once again. I'm a big fan of Christmas - I love the hushed beauty of a bright, snowy night, Claymation TV specials and Harpoon's delicious Winter Warmer ale. Here at Penn, we celebrate the winter solstice with the stars on Locust Walk, finals and gift drives.

Jim Saksa | Penn: no place for strip clubs

Sunday night there was another fatal shooting just off Penn's campus. This shooting was at that fine Penn institution, Club Wizzards, conveniently located next to Koko Bongo and only a block from Penn's Jerry Lee Center of Criminology. Koko Bongo and Wizzards (the extra Z is for Zest!): Your one-stop shop for all your murder and mayhem research needs.

Jim Saksa | When measuring student service, no A's for effort

Universities are cathedrals of higher learning. While the congregants at St. Agatha's may be united through their faith in God, students here are united by their faith in Almighty Education. We place sacrifices on the altar (about 40,000 of them a year), beseech our prophetic professors for their wisdom and lay prostrate every Saturday night before the holy Trinity of Smokes, Blarney and Copa - Gloria in excelsis vino! Like congregations of faith, students devote a considerable amount of time and energy to serving others.

Jim Saksa | True or False: Penn girls are, on average, ugly

The guys here at Penn are excellent cry babies, ready to pout at any given moment. "The dining hall food stinks; I didn't get an A," they cry. "The elevators are slow; I miss my maid; the great unwashed frighten me; boo-hoo." But there's one particular complaint I hear over and over again: The girls here are revolting.

Jim Saksa | Rebel without an effect (nationally, at least)

Kids these days just don't care. Last time America was entrenched in a seemingly endless war against a nebulous and poorly defined enemy, college campuses were a boiling pot of protests, sit-ins and petitions. Student activism was the norm, even at that complacent haven of privilege known as the Ivy League.

Jim Saksa | Awareness of Awareness Week starts now

This week is Asian Pacific American Heritage Week, Greek Week, Islam Awareness Week and Terrorism Awareness Week. Oh, I almost forgot, it's National Respiratory Health Care Week, too. Thank God I'm not an Islamic sleeper-cell terrorist of Asian Pacific heritage who lives in a frat house and suffers from asthma.

Jim Saksa | A real University City

As goes University City, so goes the University. This mindset permeates the administration's rhetoric so often that it's almost hackneyed. Even the new postal-land developments are being marketed as "forging connections between University City and Center City.

Jim Saksa | All the difference

Recently, the Senate Finance Committee heard a proposal that would force universities to spend five percent of their endowments on financial-aid and other student-related programs. Penn already spends four percent, so what's one percent going to do to my $110,000? $110,000 is about how much I expect to be in debt when I (hopefully) graduate this May (full disclosure: two years of the debt is from Villanova).

Jim Saksa | Dr. Gutmann, tear down this housing system!

This is a sad fact to many, but, unfortunately, Penn is not Hogwarts. Not even close. Sorry. We don't even have a talking hat to sort first years into Houses. No, we have "Assignments Operations" for that. Nothing magical here. Instead of housing students by their year in a dorm system, like most colleges, Penn tosses the freshmen into various College Houses.