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As the ink dries on personal apology letters and records change on athletic websites, our University enters a new era. We have gained the reinstatement of $175 million in federal funding. But what have we lost?
Penn was founded with a purpose distinct from its peers. While other colonial colleges trained clergy, Benjamin Franklin envisioned an institution rooted in public service, scientific advancement, and the practical improvement of society. Nearly three centuries later and 12 weeks into a new United States presidential administration, that foundation is beginning to crack. Sweeping federal actions have defunded research, dismantled diversity efforts, and targeted international students — policies that clash with the very ideals Franklin set forth. Now, as we stand before his creation, our home, it raises a difficult question: Do we rebuild it into something easier to accept, or fight to preserve what it was always meant to be?
We at The Daily Pennsylvanian recognize that opinion journalism is a necessary counterpart to news coverage. At a university that rarely shies away from the spotlight, what happens at home resonates far beyond campus. Now, our firsthand perspectives are more valuable than ever. The DP’s Opinion section provides a platform for students, faculty, and community members to drive meaningful discussion.
Leges sine moribus vanae: Laws without morals are useless.
For the majority of Penn undergraduate students, this upcoming presidential election is the first one in which they’ll be eligible to vote. We didn’t have a say in electing Donald Trump eight years ago, but we dealt — and grew up — with the consequences of his policies.
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.
Dear Class of 2028,
Four years ago, Penn launched its “Second Year Experience.” The current seniors will be the first graduating class required to live two years on campus with a dining plan. With the recent campus power outage, flooding that displaced more than 50 students, unexpected discoveries in dining hall food, and questions about Penn’s treatment of its dining hall workers, it is time that we call this plan into question.
Dear Interim President Jameson,
To call this semester unprecedented would be an understatement.
In 2020, the Daily Pennsylvanian published an editorial encouraging students to look forward to 2021. After all, at that time, students were being welcomed back onto campus, a COVID-19 vaccine was on the way, and there were bountiful new opportunities for student activism beyond the 2020 presidential election.
How do we define free speech? How do we define how a university campus promotes, or discourages, free speech?
Student newspapers capture student life through a distinct lens. No third party is better suited to uncover and report on the student perspective behind breaking events on campus than students themselves, particularly during times of controversy.
Three weeks ago, former Penn rowing coach Ted Nash was accused of sexual abuse by filmmaker Jennifer Fox. Although Fox was never a student at Penn, her allegations fall into a larger conversation about sexual assault and institutional complacency at Penn.
Dear Class of 2027,
A supermajority of undergraduate and graduate resident advisors filed to unionize on March 14. The move from the group of RAs, collectively called the United RAs at Penn, comes after months of organizing and a wave of unionization efforts that have been sweeping the nation, Philadelphia, and the Penn community in recent years.
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.
The University’s next president, M. Elizabeth Magill, has the resume necessary to become the next great leader of Penn. Set to assume current Penn president Amy Gutmann’s role this July, Magill will take the reins of a university that has seen a rapid expansion in endowment, groundbreaking research, an increase in socioeconomic diversity among its student body, and the construction of numerous prominent campus facilities. But Penn has also seen tensions between Greek life and students of color, recent changes in University leadership, and pushback from Philadelphia officials and community members — all while navigating a ruthless pandemic.
At Penn, 2022 will bring more than just the start of a new calendar year. It will mean the departure of longtime University President Amy Gutmann, who was nominated as the next United States ambassador to Germany. Gutmann's successor will have big shoes to fill. The search for her successor is already underway, with students, faculty, and trustees having various degrees of input and influence.
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration announced an expansion in eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans age 18 and older. Penn students may soon have easy access to such vaccines; earlier this week, Penn's Chief Wellness Officer, Benoit Dubé, told The Daily Pennsylvanian that Penn plans on offering COVID-19 booster shots in the coming weeks.