Opinion Columns
Kaliyah Dorsey | At Penn, fake smiles hurt more than they help
I realized that spending a lot of time alone, coupled with the stress of academics, can foster loneliness even in those who like alone time. This means you might not feel as happy as you might have in high school or on vacation.
Jessica Li | Penn professors, get my name right
Learn our names correctly. It’s not that hard.
Sophia DuRose | Incoming freshmen, take advantage of your peer advisors
My peer-advisor story is not a unique one, and many people don’t feel as if their peer advisors have done all they can to help them. But I must ask myself if I did all I could to ask for help.
Sophia DuRose | Penn, let's talk about female masturbation
So my question is, why are sexual encounters where men benefit more normalized? And how can we combat this idea? By talking.
Julia Mitchell | International students deserve transparency from Student Financial Services
There are steps that the University could take to both mitigate tax inconsistencies and to better disseminate these facts to students, many of whom do not realize the facts until they are issued an unexpected billing statement that they will have to pay a tax on a significant portion of their grant.
Joel Lee | Don’t let housing ruin your relationships
The truth is that housing presents a problem with no good solution.
James Morrison | Keep Van Pelt and Hunstman open 24-hours
If students are going to stay up late working regardless of the operating hours, why not open up more spaces for them to use so they can at least be comfortable and at ease?
Isami McCowan | Don't shorten your name to appease others
The first thing you tell someone when you meet them — before inevitably bringing up your major or your hometown — is your name. It holds weight.
Christy Qiu | Baby Quakers, don’t let pessimism of Penn students be the deciding factor
I’ll be the first to admit it: even with all its nuances, I love Penn, and I am so glad I chose to come here.
Hadriana Lowenkron | Penn needs a 24-hour dining hall
The pricing and inadequate availability of Penn’s dining options forces students to either spend their own or more of their families’ money on food, or, for those who can’t afford to do so, to be hungry.
Ton Nguyen | A first-generation, low-income perspective on who deserves to be in the Ivy League
We’re the ones you learn about in class about inner-city kids struggling with educational inequality. We’re also the ones you claim to be stealing your financial aid. So as great as it is that you’re learning more about us at Penn, it’s even more important that you understand that there are many people who could have been us.
Ana West | Undergraduate Assembly needs to deliver beyond election season
Penn students don’t just feel disconnected from the UA because they don’t care — they feel disconnected because it’s frustrating to have the issues and concerns facing them discussed for the sake of gaining votes, and then ignored again.
Sophia DuRose | Men can't take all the space in the classroom
Equal opportunities to participate are created when professors leading conversations actively engage women, women actively participate, and men in the classroom recognize that they need to leave room for these women.
Guest Column by Maria Curry and Chase Serota | Maria and Chase for UA
Throughout the last years, we have seen how not only ambition, but also determination and strategy, can lead to concrete, tangible change for the student body.
Urooba Abid | I’m embarrassed to wear the Penn logo off campus
For many Philadelphia residents who struggle to get by, Penn is a full view reminder of a system that isn’t designed for them.
Tyler Larkworthy | Your four years at Penn don't have to be the best of your life
So, instead of trying to make the most out of Penn, just try to make it through. That is an accomplishment in itself.
James Morrison | Pay the Penn band
Because of the band’s integral role in publicity initiatives undertaken by the University and its highly visible presence on campus, the University should divert more funds to support the band’s efforts, and perhaps even pay its members for their services.
Zuri Robinson | Low-income minorities deserve their spots at Penn
On Decision Day, my teacher made a point of looking directly at me, decked proudly in my Penn hoodie, as he told us why he considered affirmative action to be reverse discrimination. The message was clear: my spot in Penn’s Class of 2022 had been given, not earned.
Sophia DuRose | Frontera should be replaced with a 24-hour diner
One thing college campuses tend to lack is comfort; they are chasms full to the brim with diverse people, backgrounds, and stories, but they don’t always radiate the feelings of warmth and support that people need.