Guest Columns

Guest column by Sam Murray and Afrah Mohammad | Preparing for the pope

There is no denying Pope Francis has proven to be a significant global voice, and not just for Catholics.

Guest column by Rita Wegner and Zach Rissman | The pope's ecology message

The pope is coming to Philadelphia this weekend. Some may opt to hide from the crowds inside the corner of their dorm room.

Guest column by Katiera Sordjan | Not another mental health story

I suppose I should be grateful that the conversation on campus has changed. I suppose I should be grateful that, unlike 19 year-old me sitting in a hospital full of shame, Penn students have a better chance to be heard and get the care they need when it comes to mental health.

Guest column by Kemuel Benyehudah | A nontraditional students’ guide to greater success in college

In the book "Distinction," Pierre Bourdieu defines social and cultural capital as social resources which confer power and status in society.

Guest column by Allison Schwartz | Progressing past the major bias

As a sophomore studying computer science, I am not the first person to acknowledge that the coursework of the School of Engineering and Applied Science is difficult.

PRISM: Dare to understand

Throughout the last month of the spring semester, anti-Muslim advertisements were carried throughout Philadelphia’s neighborhoods on dozens of SEPTA buses. The message they offered, “Islamic Jew Hatred: It’s in the Quran” is a false one, tailored to incite prejudice and division among viewers and the community.

A response to 34th Street’s ‘The dividing line’

A few weeks ago, 34th Street published an article detailing some aspects of cocaine use at our University. The story failed to make the connection between consumption in our own sheltered environment, and the violent drug cartels in developing countries that supply the drug.

A letter from the Vietnamese Student Association

The seniors of the Vietnamese Student Association have taken great time to collect all accounts of what happened during the VSA Barbecue on April 17 in order to create a clear timeline of events.

Guest column by Katie Sgarro | Penn senior loses grant, gains life-changing project

When my friend, Sayid Abdullaev, approached me to apply for the University of Pennsylvania’s inaugural President’s Engagement Prizes — a $100,000 grant awarded annually to Penn seniors to design and implement local, national, or global engagement projects during the first year after graduation — I hesitated.

Guest Column by Dillon Weber and Aidan McConnell | Seeking engagement not divisiveness

We hoped that SOUL’s aim would be to contribute to an expansion of intellectual diversity and meaningful exchange regarding issues of race and power structures on campus and in the world around us. With the benefit of hindsight, however, we can unfortunately observe that this hope has been dashed.

Guest column by Emmanuel Cordova | Undocumented medical students: Opening the doors and addressing health disparities

Granting medical school admission to undocumented students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) like myself has the potential to alleviate the declining Latino physician workforce.

Guest column by Sara Jones and Victoria Pereira | The Fling party that never got busted

A few hours after the weekend ended and our tired bodies were flinged/flang/flung out, curious friends pelted us with the same question: "What’s Fling like for MERT?" Our answer to this question is always the same: "organized chaos." But also, as far as our positions are concerned, "you have no idea." It’s no rumor that Fling weekend is MERT’s busiest.

Guest column by Jeremiah Keenan | Flowers, cake and the RFRA

In last Tuesday’s Toe the Line, Carter Skeel argued that Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act is a reasonable law.

Guest column by Zakya Hall | Restoring the Voting Rights Act

The right to vote is sacrosanct in the United States, and the attack on voting rights is a fundamental threat to American democracy.

Guest column by Aderinola Adejare and Angela Ddamba | Disengaging with an Africa rising

Africa is a diverse continent, with a great number of political, economic and cultural strides being taken, in line with the “Africa rising” narrative.

Guest column by Robert Klein | Our voice in 2016

Here at Penn, it’s all too easy to get caught up in our immediate to-do list. In 2016, our campus will be caught up in our foremost national duty: electing the 45th President of the United States.

Guest column by Joyce Kim and Joshua L. Chilcote | A year in-review: having already built a better government

A Year In-Review: Having Already Built A Better Government This past year, we were excited to lead a campus that was named the the best college nationwide by USA Today and of course No.

Guest column by Lindsay Balow and Liza Johnson | Speaking out

Penn is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and we’re proud of that — especially considering that women literally run Penn. The University president, the Undergraduate Assembly president and our senior class president are all women.

Guest column by Jade Huynh and Lauren Ballester | Penn divest from displacement

Historically, students have been at the forefront of change by demanding accountability from their own institutions.

Guest column by Jane Meyer and Ray Clark | More than school, it's our home

The Penn community has a diverse collection of backgrounds, experiences and interests. As a student body, we are at our best when we collaborate, so that’s why we are planning to improve relationships between Greek life and cultural groups, increase male involvement in sexual assault prevention, and also bring the UA closer to the students to raise the level of transparency in student government.