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I have written 25 pieces for my DP column since January 2020. I’m very proud of some of them, indifferent about most of them, and slightly embarrassed by a few of them.
In 2016, a group of scientists out of Johns Hopkins University ran what was, at the time, a rather strange clinical trial. They gave doses of psilocybin, the psychoactive component in “magic mushrooms,” to 51 terminally ill cancer patients who underwent two “sessions” (i.e. administrations of the drug guided by a professional) over five weeks with a six-month follow-up. Most of the participants were “psychedelic naive,” or hadn’t used any psychedelic drugs in decades. The investigators were curious as to what psilocybin would do to a group of patients for whom death was on the horizon.
Mackenzie Fierceton, a 2020 College graduate who had been pursuing her clinical master’s in social work at Penn, received widespread acclamation in 2020 after being awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.
When was the last time you did nothing?
A little over three months ago, I triumphantly wrote a column asking Penn students to tear off their masks and embrace their friends after getting their vaccine. Given the information I had at the time about the vaccines, I assumed the pandemic was winding down, and that “normalcy” was on the horizon.
Over the past year, we’ve developed an interesting culture surrounding physical contact. We’ve replaced the majority of in-person gatherings with virtual ones, and on the rare occasions that we elect to see each other face-to-face, we’re permeated with the fear of contagion. We’ve replaced handshakes with waves from a distance, and we’ve replaced hugs with elbow taps.
Content warning: The following text contains mentions of suicide and can be disturbing and/or triggering for some readers. Please find resources listed at the bottom of the article.
Over the past year, we have been inundated with statistics. Cases, deaths, hospitalizations, vaccinations, positivity rates, seven-day averages, false negativity rates. We have been forced to understand and interpret all kinds of numbers and graphs to get an understanding of how COVID-19 spreads in our communities and how dramatic its impact is. Without these statistics, we would have no way of contextualizing COVID-19 in our lives.
On Friday, Penn students received a message from university administrators warning of “worrisome trends” in campus-wide COVID-19 cases and suggesting that an unceasing rise in infections could trigger an “Alert Level 3,” which would require all students to quarantine in their residences. The message was certainly important, but for many Penn students, it was surprising; yes, many were aware of infractions against Penn’s COVID-19 policies, but throughout the quiet period the published data and messaging from the university indicated no need for widespread concern.
Congratulations: you made it to the end of 2020! It was difficult; maybe it was even the most difficult year of your life, but you did it, and that’s certainly commendable. Reading this might be the first time you have even considered being proud of the accomplishment of just surviving this year, and if that’s the case, you are not alone.
Just over a week ago, Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election, concluding an unprecedented election week in perhaps one of the most important moments in modern American history. Along with his victory came Kamala Harris’ historic vice presidential victory. On January 20, 2021, she will be sworn in as the first woman, first Black woman, and first Indian-American Vice President.
One of the most inspiring moments of my life was being in Washington D.C. on March 24, 2018, the day of the March for Our Lives. On Valentine’s Day of the same year, seventeen students and faculty were killed by a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and the resulting grief created, what was at the time, one of the largest demonstrations in recent history against gun violence.
To say this semester has been unkind to us is an understatement. Many STEM students (and professors, for that matter) report that the workload they’re currently experiencing is unlike anything they’ve faced prior to this semester, and students in all disciplines describe both physical and psychological symptoms brought on by “Zoom Fatigue.” More broadly speaking, the pandemic itself has wrought significant effects on the emotional state of American society. Last month, a study in JAMA Network Open found that symptoms of depression were three times more prevalent during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic than before. Moreover, a renewed discussion of racial injustice in the past several months has raised concerns about mental health in Black communities.
In the days before the COVID-19 pandemic, many Penn students were already exhibiting behavior resembling a quarantine. Instead of doing so in their homes and apartments, they were stuck in the narrow section of Philadelphia between 30th Street and 42nd Street, Market Street and Baltimore Ave. They were in the “Penn Bubble.”
Earlier this week, Jonathan Swan interviewed 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump in a tense conversation focused on the coronavirus pandemic and our president’s apparent lack of concern. The interview was bizarre, and embodied the seemingly frenetic pace that the last several months have taken. Perhaps the most unsettling moment of the interview was when, in response to a comment about the unprecedented death toll, Trump said, “It is what it is.” Many opinion columnists are using the interview as an opportunity to viciously criticize Trump on his corruption or mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but is that really productive?
In April 2020, New York City resembled a ghost town with empty streets and shuttered businesses. In the days following Governor Andrew Cuomo’s stay-at-home order, the most populous city in the United States fell silent, except for the eerie echoes of loudspeakers urging individuals to maintain physical distance. Inside the city’s emergency rooms and hospitals, however, healthcare workers were facing the worst experience of their careers. Forced to work with insufficient equipment, personnel, and space, New York City’s physicians were at the mercy of an illness they barely understood.
Today is the 244th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, arguably the most foundational event in American history. Just mere blocks away from our campus, the Founding Fathers of the United States codified the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” into the establishing framework of our nation.
Earlier today, Penn's administration released its plan for the Fall 2020 semester, announcing that we would be able to return to campus in a hybrid in-person and online model. With large lectures being online and small, in-person classes delivered in a physically distant manner, the University is committed to creating an experience that is, in part, face-to-face.
Last weekend, thousands of rugby fans stood side by side in New Zealand, celebrating the nation’s successful elimination of COVID-19. Over the past week, Kiwis have been reuniting with loved ones, sharing meals and beers, and returning a sense of normalcy to the nation. Having been in lockdown since March 25, New Zealand ended its four-stage reopening early, after reportedly having no new cases of the virus. After learning that there were no new cases, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reportedly “did a little dance.”
The past week has been difficult for many Americans. On top of a troubled response to the coronavirus pandemic, protests across the nation have reminded us of the pervasive racial discrimination that is deeply entrenched in American society. With the speed of current events these days, notable news in the world of college admissions was quickly—and rightfully—eclipsed by more pressing matters. Five days prior to the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police, the University of California announced its decision to phase out the consideration of SAT and ACT scores in their admissions process. In the coming years, its consideration will be discontinued for in-state students, and by 2025, will be completely eliminated altogether.