Guest Columns

Guest Column | An open letter to the Penn community concerning Amy Wax

Penn must decide where its value lies: in the safety and well-being of the minorities that it proudly touts, or the pockets of those supporting Wax’s problematic discourse. 

Guest Column by Mark Hughes | Philadelphia Oil Refinery explosion is a learning moment

Penn students, staff, and faculty can better inform the City’s approach to the future of the PES site. I would like to represent Penn’s multitudes by facilitating the Penn community’s potential contributions to the advisory group’s mission. 

Guest Column by Alex Yang | Penn needs more socioeconomic diversity

While Penn’s recent efforts to expand financial aid and support to first-generation low-income students are commendable, they are insufficient. Improving access to education needs to be a foremost priority for institutions that have the resources to do so. 

Guest Column by Daniel Khashabi | Thanks to politics, I am mourning at graduation

In just a few days, the class of 2019 is going to graduate. But many individuals, like me, will walk across the stage without any parents present at the ceremony, thanks to President Trump. 

Guest Column by Daniel Song | Show exchange students some love

Before landing in America, I thought I would be able to quickly form friendships at Penn, just like I did back in my university, and have a memorable, if not a little hectic, few months before flying back to normalcy. I just didn’t count on Penn being too busy for me.

Guest Column by Andrea Goulet | Why the Penn Book Center is our Notre-Dame

An independent bookstore like the Penn Book Center is central to the preservation and continuation of culture. Its book-stocking decisions are local and responsive, not centralized or top-down like those of a corporate chain. 

Guest Column by Daniel Traister | Penn’s community needs an independent bookstore

The independent Penn Book Center has always been and still remains stocked with both books and booksellers possessing the potential to surprise a reader.

Guest Column by Avneet Randhawa | Undergraduates need the Penn Book Center

If they allow the PBC to close down in the next month, this would send a pointed message to undergraduates across countless departments that our academic passions must take a backseat to profit.

Guest Column by College Republicans | Why we invited Candace Owens to campus

We invited Candace Owens because of the hope and strength she represents for individuals who suffer social ostracisation because of different political beliefs. She is willing to “fall on a sword a thousand times” for her communities, her causes, and the truth.

Guest Column by Tamara Wurman | Candace Owens shouldn’t have been invited to Penn

 If we truly want to make any strides toward resolving the policy issues we care about — and I think we do — we cannot continue to enable these provocative distractions from genuine discourse. 

Guest Column by SPEC | Penn’s student body called on us to improve our processes. We agree.

At the time of booking, we made a choice that we thought satisfied a lot of our criteria and the interest of Penn students. With the discovery of the allegations against Miguel, we were disappointed to think that we let our peers down, but also found it important to still support all of those involved in the planning of this event.

Guest Column by Katrina Janco | We need autism acceptance at Penn

So, what can a Penn student do to be a better ally and promote autism acceptance? In good news, there’s a lot. 

Guest Column by Jonathan Scotto | Why I decided not to re-run for class president

I was fully ready to commit 150% of my time to this title; unfortunately, I found that, although this was a significant part of my Penn experience, it mattered less to others.

Guest Column by Natasha Menon and Brian Goldstein | Natasha and Brian for UA

We are humbled and excited to have the opportunity to lead the Undergraduate Assembly next year.

Guest column by Daniel Markind | What I learned about admissions as the 1979 Final Four announcer

Our University though, is only as good as its people. It remains the obligation of all of us to stay engaged. We all have a stake in this endeavor known as the University of Pennsylvania.  

Guest Column by Michael Krone | Don't boo. Run.

The idea of running an election can seem daunting — having to gather names on a petition, setting up a social media campaign, not to mention going out and getting votes — but I would encourage you to take the leap if you are even remotely thinking about doing so. 

Guest Column by Laurie Kopp Weingarten | A counselor's take on the admissions scandal

We all know life isn’t fair, and nobody has ever claimed the college admission process is just. 

Guest Column by Nia Caldwell | Student athletes aren’t to blame for a flawed admissions process

Here, we get a free Penn Athletics t-shirt, a blue water bottle, and the utmost pride that comes with competing with Penn across our chests. 

Guest Column by Julianna Emanuel | Response to Urooba Abid's column on public schools

A Penn alumnus can enact social change in education reform without sending their children to public school.

Guest Column by Hadriana Lowenkron | Heather Mac Donald claimed racism on campuses doesn’t exist. I disagree.

Mac Donald may not see or understand how racism exists today, but we sure do.