Opinion Columns
Varun Saraswathula | The one thing I would change about my Penn experience
Columnist Varun Saraswathula writes about his Penn experience and his wish to have been kinder to himself and others.
Jaden Cloobeck | We are storytellers
Columnist Jaden Cloobeck reflects upon his experience as a storyteller at Penn and encourages students to find an avenue to share their stories.
Ashley Ahn | Explore at your own risk
Ashley Ahn, former DP Executive Editor, reflects back on her four years at Penn and the DP.
Hadriana Lowenkron | My most challenging, yet rewarding, four years
Hadriana Lowenkron, former DP editor-in-chief, reflects on the progress that the DP made during her leadership, and her hopes for the future.
Alfredo Praticò | Sidechat flooded campus with money. Does it matter?
Columnist Alfredo Praticò questions the methods that Sidechat has used to rise to prominence at Penn's campus.
Lexi Boccuzzi | Abandoning American history in the city where freedom rang
Columnist Lexi Boccuzzi argues that Penn should put a greater emphasis on American history scholarship and courses.
Daniel Gurevitch | System.out.println(“Hello World”)
Columnist Daniel Gurevitch urges students to seek discomfort by taking courses outside of their academic comfort zone.
Tony Zhou | Creating difficult exams but then curving them harms student learning
Columnist Tony Zhou argues that all classes at Penn should have exams that are appropriately challenging without the need for a curve.
Varun Saraswathula | Psychedelics are redefining well-being; Penn needs to get involved
Columnist Varun Saraswathula writes about psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin and LSD, and how they are powerful therapeutics for a variety of mental illnesses; he argues that Penn should open a center for psychedelic research like many of its peer institutions to be at the forefront of psychiatry.
Vinay Khosla | NFT: new, frightening, and tawdry
Columnist Vinay Khosla discusses how the emergence of NFTs poses a threat to art’s historical emphasis on cultural value.
Sam Zou | You need to, like, stop saying 'like'
Columnist Sam Zou argues that the usage of filler words is unprofessional and projects a lack of confidence during a speech or presentation.
Caroline Magdolen | The second-year experience: Smoke and mirrors?
Columnist Caroline Magdolen reflects on her experience with on-campus housing over the past two years, and how her perception of College House community has changed.
Sam Zou | Improving and expanding ‘Exchange at Penn’
Columnist Sam Zou argues that Penn should expand the Exchange at Penn program and create more helpful resources and contacts before exchange students arrive on campus.
Artur Vllahiu | Penn, where true eros comes to die
Columnist Artur Vllahiu argues that we have a lot to learn about the intersection of love and power relations from philosophy.
Vinay Khosla | Penn’s privilege dilemma
Columnist Vinay Khosla argues that even high-achieving students should be encouraged to work customer service jobs to learn vital skills for becoming empathetic, productive members of society.
Yomi Abdi | White Boys' Town
Columnist Yomi Abdi discusses The Daily Pennsylvanian's exclusionary history and ongoing diversity efforts, through her own experiences and those of former Black opinion columnists.
Jaden Cloobeck | How journaling helps me cope with uncertainty
Columnist Jaden Cloobeck describes the personal benefits of journaling, especially during uncertain periods in his life
Valerie Wang & Varun Saraswathula | Mackenzie Fierceton and the so-called “Penn community”
Columnists Valerie Wang & Varun Saraswathula argue that Penn's treatment of Mackenzie Fierceton should remind students that our relationship with the university is more transactional than we might think.
Liala Sofi & Allison Santa-Cruz | We believe you, Mackenzie, and Penn’s administration should, too
Columnists Allison Santa-Cruz and Liala Sofi press for Penn administrators to properly address their involvement in the case of former Penn student Mackenzie Fierceton.