Opinion Columns
Andy Yoon | Penn should not extend its dining requirement
Columnist Andy Yoon makes the case that imposing a dining plan requirement on sophomores is not the way to build community.
Varun Saraswathula | Penn, hiding COVID-19 data only endangers us more
Public information about the status of COVID-19 at Penn is hard to come by, with only weekly updates on a dashboard largely devoid of relevant information. With real concerns about an outbreak on campus, Penn has to do better.
Valerie Wang | Penn administration has no one to blame but itself for COVID-19 spikes
After months of changed plans and doubts raised, Penn stands on the precipice of a major campus COVID-19 outbreak. But instead of blaming the students, the University must hold itself accountable for changing standards and implementing half-baked policies that were supposed to keep our campus safe.
Bruce Shen | This Black History Month, read “Native Son”
Written decades ago, "Native Son" by Richard Wright stands, unfortunately, as a largely-accurate picture of the systemic racism in America today. This Black History Month, consider it a must-read.
Andy Yoon | Robinhood is not your friend
The quick rise and fall of GameStop's stock was largely driven by small investors looking to turn a quick profit. But young investors must be wary of such schemes and treat online investments with care.
Lark Yan | The Lunar New Year as the 'Chinese' New Year: A display of cultural ignorance that harms
This Friday marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, an important annual celebration in many Asian cultures. However, it denies the diversity of these cultures if all of these celebrations are called the Chinese New Year.
Emily Chang | Canceling COVID-19 testing was a disaster
Penn canceled COVID-19 testing last Monday and Tuesday, followed just days later with news of spiking case counts. Had the tests not been canceled, it is likely an outbreak could have been avoided.
Emily Chang | It’s time to bring back indoor dining
Penn's COVID-19 mitigation policies are driving students away from campus to avoid breaking regulations. One step Penn should take to keep students in line is reopening limited indoor dining.
Alex Eapen | Take your slacktivism to the next level
Political activism doesn't require voting — being involved in the other parts of activism is just as important.
Isabella Glassman | Greek Life: Rushing towards an outbreak
Penn's campus guidelines for COVID-19 mitigation, while well-intentioned, are not the most practical and likely won't have the impact they're intended to have.
Andy Yoon | First-year parties: Did we expect anything less?
Penn's student body is largely made up of outgoing students, so no one should be surprised that Penn's mitigation efforts seem to have little effect on some members of the community.
Jessica Gooding | Penn must hold the Trumps accountable
The Trump family has deep ties to the University. It is time Penn acknowledge this and hold them accountable for their term in the White House.
Caroline Magdolen | Penn’s not our babysitter; let’s act our age.
With many first years now back on campus, it's up to us to be mature and follow covid guidelines, or else endanger our surrounding communities and classes.
Matthew Liu | Stop falling for the allure of bipartisanship
Biden's long history of bipartisanship was touted as a virtue on the campaign trail. Wether or not it will actually serve the United States well is not a cut-and-dry decision.
Lexi Boccuzzi | The siege on free-speech social media
Trump's ban from Twitter brought elation to many of Penn's left-leaning advocacy group. But with the precedent the ban sets, they may actually be celebrating on unstable ground.
Agatha Advincula | Undergrad deans: we’re still in a global pandemic. That is our extenuating circumstance.
Little has changed since the pandemic began, so why are Penn's deans trying to shift the culture of the pass/fail option which gives students the flexibility to avoid pandemic-induced educational disruptions?
Isabella Glassman | Greek life: will you help or hurt our Covid count?
Penn's greek life community has the responsibility to set the tone for COVID-19 mitigation on campus.
Bruce Shen | Is the pandemic already over?
As college students return to campus, it may appear that young America is "over" the COVID-19 pandemic. While this shouldn't come at a surprise, it does make it more likely that long-term goals of society will be prolonged for short-term gain.