Guest Columns

Guest Column by Sabrina Qiao | With graduation looming, my dream of being a starving writer seems unrealistic

Write full-time after graduation or never write at all is a melodramatic binary.

Guest Column by Nathan A. Cockrum | International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day

You do not need the "right words." You just need to listen with open arms, and an open heart. Love will do the rest.

Guest Column by Maeve Masterson | Penn’s investment in fossil fuels contradicts commitment to love

Penn’s billion-dollar endowment continues to reap returns from investments in the fossil fuel industry, and is thus funding a primary driver of climate change — no questions asked. 

Guest Column by Andrew Langalis | Response to 'Increasing Hillel’s security doesn’t decrease my fear of gun violence'

If we abolish the Second, that puts every other Amendment on the chopping block.

Guest Column by James Aykit | Response to Moksh Jawa's column on competition at Penn

If Penn’s competitive atmosphere and mental health issues were perpetuated solely by academics, your advice — to stop comparing ourselves to others — would be sound, if simple.

Guest Column | GET-UP committee speaks out on proposed sexual harassment policy

When deans, department chairs, and peers of the accused are given the power to investigate sexual misconduct, allegations are often swept under the rug.

Guest Column by Benjamin Oh | Asian American voter turnout has been low. That needs to change.

Why do Asian communities with diverse political opinions and genuine concerns vote at such low rates?

Guest Column by University Honor Council President Kevin Myers | Coming together to end hazing

The unforgiving definition of hazing (wherein almost any pledging activity could fall under the umbrella policy) has left students uninterested in amending their group practices in order to meet a seemingly impossible university standard.

Guest Column by ASAP Chair Kara Hardie | The effect of Kavanaugh’s confirmation on survivors

The survivor’s fears of not being believed or, worse, being blamed for the trauma they endured are overwhelmingly common and overwhelmingly devastating feelings experienced after sexual assault. 

IFC VP Brian Schmitt | Barring sophomores from chapter houses threatens campus safety and Greek life's future

By taking away the things that are good about Greek life, the school will create a truly broken and toxic system.

Guest Column from Penn Leads the Vote | Democracy is only great when its citizens participate

Not only is it our right, but it is our duty to be civically engaged.

Guest Column by Zach Rissman | It's time to divest

The time is long overdue for Penn to divest from coal and tar sands companies.

Guest Column by student leaders Michael Krone and Kevin Myers | A letter to student groups on club recruitment

There are many organizations on campus that could have completely open membership if they changed their mindsets.

Guest Column by student leaders Michael Krone and Kevin Myers | A letter to new students on club recruitment

With numerous exclusive clubs on campus, the majority of applicants are rejected from their desired organization.

Guest Column by Celeste Marcus | Penn says, 'Make money, not history'

If some of us graduate with a commitment to humanistic values and a respect for other cultures, it is despite Penn’s ethos, not because of it.

Guest Column by President Amy Gutmann | Better bonds, stronger community

It’s good to have you back and to welcome you to another exciting year at Penn!

Guest Column by Samantha Stein | Won't you be my (good) neighbor?

It is our responsibility to help mitigate the cycle of poverty in West Philadelphia by being invested community members.

Guest Column by CAPS Deputy Executive Director Meeta Kumar

Please remember that reaching out to CAPS — for yourself or a friend — is a sign of strength!

Guest Column by Leila Ashtaryeh | Elon Musk: uniquely driven entrepreneur or just another Wharton grad?

Like many Penn students, Musk is hyper-competitive and accustomed to winning. When faced with a loss, we tend to impulsively take matters into our own hands in an attempt to recover, just as Musk did with his most recent Twitter escapade. 

Guest Column by Araya Baker | Reflecting on Penn and the AIDS epidemic

They remember the way in which the epidemic coincided with the emergence of gayborhoods in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, leading the media to perpetuate the misconception that HIV/AIDS was a “gay disease.” They remember friends who spent months and years hospitalized, without a single visit from relatives who abandoned them. They remember checking the obituary section of local and national newspapers quite regularly.