Opinion Columns
Rebecca Alifimoff | I’m in a sorority. Here’s what I wish someone told me before rush.
Don’t let the machinery of the process make you feel like you should be selling yourself to the sorority. In reality, the sorority should be selling itself to you.
Joel Lee | Not everyone shares the same ‘subtle asian traits’
It hurts to think that some Asians feel that they only have a meme page to voice their concerns. I don’t want anyone to feel like they have to satirize their concerns as a way to cope with them.
Sireesh Ramesh | Using CRISPR to create genetically engineered ‘superbabies’ is an ethical nightmare
This direct editing of the genome of future generations could eventually lead to parents paying for genetically engineered babies who could grow to have the athleticism of Lebron James athleticism or the IQ of Albert Einstein.
Christy Qiu | Penn, don’t normalize Juuling
Juuling is not cool. It’s not something to brag about on social media. It’s certainly not something to encourage other fellow students, friends, or family members to try.
Michael A. Keshmiri | Don’t overlook anti-Semitism cloaked in progressive values
I have been in conversations where acquaintances proudly talk about the anti-racist demonstrations and initiatives they have been active in only to turn the conversation to how Jews control the world through a wide-reaching conspiracy.
Isabella Simonetti | I was lonely at the ‘Social Ivy.’ My readers gave me purpose.
My column, my editor, and the friendships I made along the way, were my lifelines. They kept me here.
Spencer Swanson | What modern politicians can learn from the late President Bush
It sometimes seems as though the more reserved Bush is overshadowed by the larger-than-life personalities of the men who preceded and followed him: Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.
Julia Mitchell | Penn students are fascinating creatures — listen to their stories
You would think that it would be easy to just listen to each other. Yet, we’ve built up so many impulses to pivot away and check out when the subject gets intense or hits a nerve. Especially when it’s as easy as glancing down at our phones.
Lilian Zhang | STEM is sweeping through Penn, but the humanities deserve a chance too
Don't let the soaring number of STEM majors dissuade you from pursuing art history or philosophy.
Rebecca Alifimoff | Trying to focus on finals while Paris riots outside my window
This weekend I slunk around the city avoiding protests that I could only half understand
Sophia DuRose | Should I censor my social media to appease admissions officers and employers?
We’ve all heard the stories — someone gets accepted to the college of their dreams or to the perfect job, and then their position is revoked on the basis of a Facebook photo of them holding a Red Solo cup.
Christy Qiu | to all my 'convenience friends': thank u, next
Boiled down, the elementary characteristic of a friend is a person who cares about you. I had ignored this basic trait with my convenience friend.
Kaliyah Dorsey | At Penn, it’s not cool to love — but it should be
I’ve experienced the stress, even in my first semester, of thinking about majors in terms of potential income first and passion second.
Lilian Zhang | I’m tired of justifying why I don’t live in the Quad
I was immediately disappointed when placed into Gregory, a college dorm no one knew the location of — a place that received no frat party fliers under the doors.
Sophia DuRose | I couldn't afford to go home for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is about gratitude, and I think all Penn students, regardless of financial background, would be grateful for a few more days of break.
Joel Lee | Don’t let your scary childhood piano teacher hold you back from pursuing music in college
I used to dread my piano lessons. Now, music helps alleviate my anxiety when school gets stressful and exercise my creativity.
Lucy Hu | U.S. democracy is stronger than you think
We live in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the world’s oldest democracy.
Michael A. Keshmiri | Nancy Pelosi is the right person to be Speaker of the House
After some internet research, I discovered Pelosi’s unforgivable crime: She has served her country honorably through government service for too many years.
Sophia DuRose | The Kelly Writers House isn’t a cult
Whether an Econ major, a friend of a Penn student, a traveling poet, or a visiting family member, please feel free to stop by and pour yourself a cup of coffee, of which we always have brewed.