The world ebbed and flowed with its fair share of monumental events in 2021. Riding alongside the waves, the Penn community lived no exception. The Daily Pennsylvanian’s photographers documented the stories of 2021, at Penn and beyond, as they marked history in their stride.
38th and Spruce Street Intersection
Year in Review: A look back at the stories that defined 2021
Penn community members coped with the ever-changing pandemic and associated losses, and they managed a complicated and often stressful return to in-person classes and exams.
Jaden Cloobeck | Let’s archive our COVID-19 experiences
Columnist Jaden Cloobeck discusses how and why we should archive our COVID-19 stories in the Penn Archives.
Penn study finds that focusing on short-term smoking effects reduces youth smoking
The results showed that young people will take greater measures to stop smoking due to the short-term consequences, such as being judged by friends, developing headaches, and inhaling chemicals, than long-term outcomes.
Year in Review: A look back at the stories that defined 2021
Penn community members coped with the ever-changing pandemic and associated losses, and they managed a complicated and often stressful return to in-person classes and exams.
Jaden Cloobeck | Let’s archive our COVID-19 experiences
Columnist Jaden Cloobeck discusses how and why we should archive our COVID-19 stories in the Penn Archives.
Here's everything you need to know about Penn's indoor social gatherings ban
Dubé said the decision to prohibit indoor social events was preventative in nature and was made in an effort to avoid the need for further restrictions on campus movement, which could jeopardize the University's academic mission.
Major changes to University admin. cause uncertainty
Several high-ranking members of Penn’s administration announced their plans to leave Penn, either temporarily or permanently.
How the ups and downs of COVID-19 defined 2021
Whether in-person or online, masked or unmasked, socializing or isolating, COVID-19 continued to determine what life at Penn looked like in 2021.
Penn community demands justice for 1985 MOVE bombing victims
The University was the subject of national controversy when it was discovered that the Penn Musuem was in possession of the remains of a victim from the 1985 MOVE bombing.
Penn community critiques University climate action for stopping short of divestment
Penn's climate-related initiatives ranged from its commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to its second annual Climate Week, and most recently, its decision to halt new investments in fossil fuels.
Penn students protest injustice and inequity
The return to in-person campus life allowed students and community members to resume gathering to demonstrate their grievances and frustrations with the University.
Penn students return to Phila., angering residents while increasing local business revenue
The return of students to campus boded well for many local businesses after a year of financial hardship brought on by the pandemic.
Students return to in-person, on-campus life
Classes remained largely virtual until fall 2021, when in-person instruction — as well as the on-campus party scene — resumed.
Penn community responds to impacts of Donald Trump's presidency, first Biden admin. actions
As campus reopened and students returned to Locust Walk, in-person life allowed Penn's political clubs to restart in-person programming and voter mobilization efforts for both local and national elections.
Alex Eapen | Consistency and compassion: why Gutmann is no common university president
Columnist Alex Eapen discusses his positive interactions with departing UPenn President Amy Gutmann.
Caroline Magdolen | Here we go again?
Columnist Caroline Magdolen discusses how the Omicron variant will affect our future.
Joseph M. Squillaro | Life is fickle, but our gratitude doesn’t have to be
Columnist Joseph Squillaro discusses the importance of gratitude in uncertain times.
Former Provost Wendell Pritchett will return to Penn as senior advisor to Amy Gutmann
Pritchett will be reinstated as a faculty member at the Penn Law School after the spring 2022 semester.
Davis | Ivy League basketball women's power rankings
Because this weekend is full of activity in women’s basketball, we’ll check in with the Ivy League women’s basketball teams to see where they stand as we close out the calendar year with a few more games.



















