11/23/14 11:43pm
I’ve been told by too many people to remember that it must have been easy for me to get into Penn. That I have it so easy because I am on full financial aid and don’t have to take out loans. That I was the perfect diversity candidate. And I am sick of it.
11/11/14 9:49pm
I hope that I will love my child the instant I know they are mine — as my parents felt with me. I will love an adopted child with the same deep, irrational and unconditional love my parents have given me. Just like my parents, I will then begin the lifelong process of getting to know who they really are, and loving them not just as my child, but as their own person.
10/28/14 11:12pm
Non-monosexual people often face a similar issue of erasure. “Pansexuality doesn’t exist.” “It’s just a way to get attention.” “It is a stepping stone to ‘truly’ coming out.” These remarks, all of which I’ve heard, are ways of discrediting someone else’s sexual orientation, and their romantic and sexual attractions and experiences. Non-monosexual women are told we are catering to the male gaze, and non-monosexual men are told that they are “actually” gay and just haven’t fully come out yet. Both stereotypes are false and harmful.
10/12/14 11:32pm
Undocumented immigrants are a part of U.S. history not simply because immigrants as a whole are a part of U.S. history. Undocumented immigrants are a part of U.S. history because U.S. policy has directly affected conditions necessitating the migration of millions of people to a country with a large role in their own dislocation.
09/14/14 11:34pm
Undocumented immigrants deserve the same access to practical necessities as documented immigrants and native-born residents. They should not have to fear incarceration and deportation for deciding to run to the store for cereal, for dropping their kids off at school or carpooling to work.
07/17/13 10:08pm
Finding justice represented the difference between feeling safe in this country, and having it painfully highlighted how marginalized, even sacrificed, some people are in the legal system that superficially is meant to provide equal protection.
07/10/13 9:10pm
A part-time internship at the PSPCA (Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and conducting research for my Latin American and Latino Studies thesis aren’t exactly wastes of time. But I want my summers to be more than just another line of ink on high-gloss resume paper.
06/12/13 5:37pm
As I looked down at my pins, I started thinking about my need to physically display my personality. Why was it so important to me that people could recognize the pride colors on my wrist, the Guatemalan flag on my books, the soy product brand on my bookbag? Thinking back to PrideDay, I realize that this need might not be unique to me.
05/22/13 11:10pm
Just know that fulfilling a requirement is not the same as understanding a language or its accompanying culture. Learning the language means little without learning about its people.
12/03/12 12:46am
A focus on socioeconomic status without looking at race wouldn’t address the problems affirmative action seeks to remedy.
11/26/12 1:29am
It’s time the United States reviews its position on the war against drugs in Latin America.
11/19/12 1:33am
Rhythmic Damage, the annual breaking — or break dancing — event has gained a following beyond Penn.
11/13/12 1:32am
We choose our purchases to reveal who we are, so much so that even our personalities are commoditized.
11/05/12 1:42am
The key tenet of veganism is not to cast judgment on others, but to ensure that we are knowledgeable about the food served on our plates.
10/16/12 1:38am
When I turned 16, I wasn’t worried about getting a car. I was worried about becoming a Guatemalan citizen.
09/30/12 10:22pm
In truth, the musical world is a big old love fest, with artists referencing, sampling and covering each other all the time.
09/23/12 10:43pm
Religious conversations with family will always be tricky. I struggle to decide whether to explain my lack of faith or brush their questions away to save us from an upsetting conversation. Either way, a part of me will remain hidden from them.
09/16/12 11:38pm
During the beginning of each school year, we are all involved in making sure freshmen know what’s what on campus. We want them to know about our club, our major, our leadership opportunities. Yet most of us don’t know half of what occurs at Penn.
