Opinion Columns
Letter from the President | Embarking on a historic semester
While we will not be printing this semester, we remain more committed than ever to our digital product. Expect to see engaging new digital projects, enterprise stories, photos, and videos that will capture what it means to be a Penn student during a global pandemic.
Jessica Gooding | Penn made the right decision. We shouldn’t be on campus
With over 1,000 families losing loved ones a day and with no end to the rampage in sight, Penn’s fall revision plans are well-warranted.
Jessica Gooding | We need a sustainability requirement in our curriculum. Now.
There is no doubt that campus initiatives create a space for sustainability education, but they are optional. We need everyone to be knowledgeable about the challenges we face with climate change.
Bridget Yu | When home is no longer a safe haven
Contrary to popular belief, violence isn’t always physical. It encompasses the emotional, mental, sexual, and physical realms.
Isami McCowan | Over-tourism threatens the future of travel
Since Penn is a school that focuses heavily on a variety of global experiences, it wouldn’t be surprising if the idle monotony of homebound quarantine reignited some students’ desire to resume traveling.
Angelina Eimannsberger | Penn women, consider freezing your eggs
Harvested and stored eggs help women outsmart the impending loss of fertility that begins when we reach our mid-thirties.
Varun Saraswathula | The election is in three months, but you need to think about it now.
Even in states that are “solidly” red or blue, increased turnout can send a message of what public opinion really is, while abstentions embolden those in power to continue to ignore other voices.
Alfredo Praticò | David Cohen is Wrong
Cohen stands firmly by the position that Penn’s economic impact in Philadelphia and direct investments to certain public schools outweigh paying PILOTs.
Bridget Yu | OCD is not a personality quirk
Having OCD does not equate to perfectionism, cleanliness, tidiness, or prudence — despite widespread media portrayal and cultural notions.
Sophia DuRose | Community engagement is important at every level
It shouldn’t be uncommon to know your neighbors, and it shouldn’t be uncommon to extend kindness to everyone in your community.
Morgan Gilfond | Philadelphia schools still haven’t removed asbestos. They can’t tackle COVID-19.
Asbestos is a silicone mineral widely used as an insulator until it was banned in 1970 for emitting toxic fibers. Half a century later, predominantly Black and Brown public schools are still plagued by the harmful carcinogen.
Christine Kim | Token Sorority Women
Currently, the majority of our seven on-campus sororities have few to no Black members.
Stephanie Yoon | Penn's leaders are as confused as the rest of us with COVID-19
The dynamic and unpredictable nature of the virus creates an ever changing set of problems for the University to try and solve.
Pedro Saltos Montenegro | Living with my dad, a COVID-19 patient
Seeing my father suffer, cry, and fight the COVID-19 through a window is undoubtedly one of the most shocking memories I will have to carry with me forever.
Bridget Yu | Don’t take a gap year during the pandemic
Don’t take a gap year out of fear or discomfort with the chaotic state of the world. It’s our new normal and will continue to be in the foreseeable future.
Lark Yan | Incoming first years, a gap year is in your best interest
Since incoming college first years are at a key transition stage of their lives, they should highly consider taking a gap semester given their inability to receive a complete college experience under present circumstances.
Jessica Gooding | Professors, stop using microaggressions with students
Microaggressions are uncomfortable, harmful, and demeaning for students because they ultimately influence a student’s perception of their ability to excel, feel comfortable and be accepted within the Penn community.
Varun Saraswathula | Doctors are facing a silent mental health crisis — and they need help
Dr. Lorna Breen’s passing reignited a conversation surrounding well-being among physicians, but struggles with mental health often begin more than a decade before medicine itself.
Jessica Gooding | Paying PILOTs will save lives
Poverty is a problem in Philadelphia. Here, one in four residents live below the poverty line, but this reality is not apparent every day on Locust Walk.