Guest Columns

Guest Column by Vanessa Chan | A note on finals

I’m writing to wish you luck in your finals but to also put everything in context for you as well.  As a Penn undergraduate student, I remember how stressful the finals period was and I’m imagining that in this virtual environment, this stress is likely amplified. 

Guest Column by Ada Lim | President Trump ought to stop playing the blame game with China

Pinning responsibility on China is using them as a scapegoat, and the Trump administration cannot afford to live in the past when there are such pressing concerns in the present and the future.

Guest Column by eight GET-UP members | Calling on Penn to protect graduate and professional students

In this time, we graduate student-workers at Penn find ourselves wishing more than ever that we had a union to represent us in ongoing campus-wide conversations that affect all our futures.

Guest Column by Jasper MacLean and Lauren MacLean | The true cost of not going back to campus

For both students and faculty, being on campus means so much more than covering the content of facts and formulas.

Guest Column by Emma Wennberg | We need new leadership in West Philly. Rick Krajewski is our chance to get it.

By voting for Rick, you are supporting leadership vital in today’s pandemic and necessary for Philadelphia’s future. 

Guest Column by Lucy Corlett | Power Purchase Agreement points to the dangers of greenwashing

By using the PPA to proclaim itself a champion of sustainability, Penn is greenwashing the areas of its operations that are, and will continue to be, socially and environmentally harmful.

Guest Column by Johaer Jilani | If the Fall semester is online, Penn should implement a Double-A policy

The two most important aspects that need to be fulfilled in order to accommodate all Penn undergraduates are to allow the option to have letter grades and to mitigate the effects of circumstantial inequality. The best way to approach this problem is by having a Double-A grading policy, in which students are guaranteed an A-, or a double-A/fail policy, in which passing a course awards at least an A-. 

Guest Column by Katie Rader | What Do Penn’s Austerity Measures Mean?

While Penn’s focus on continuing to support staff under $70,000 is commendable, this is truly a moment for the Board of Trustees and the Penn administration to be more transparent about why fiscal austerity is falling on the backs of their employees and students.

Guest Column by Jaden Cloobeck | Why We Must Preserve the On-Campus College Experience

With the federal government’s current social distancing recommendations, it is best for us to remain in our homes until the experts say it’s safe to come out again. However, once we return to campus, we should not fear the precious in-person connections that make Penn wonderful. 

Guest Column by Emma Glasser | Joe Biden has been accused of sexual assault. What if we actually took it seriously?

What if, instead of bowing to political pressure, we demanded more news coverage and investigations? What if we gave Tara Reade the same credibility and respect that we gave Dr. Christine Blasey Ford in 2018?

Guest Column by Michelle Nigro | 2020 is the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. Here’s why that matters

As we navigate our lives during this pandemic, the designation of 2020 as the International Year of Nurse has become more profound.

Guest Column by Borna Saeednia | Penn for Bernie should endorse Joe Biden

I call for unity among Penn community ahead of the upcoming presidential election in support of Biden to restore the dignity of the office of presidency. I ask Penn for Bernie to endorse Biden for president despite all the disagreements.

Guest Column by Sam Kesler | Penn should partially refund students’ tuition for this semester

It is time for Penn to acknowledge that it owes more to students than a refund for housing and dining and that we pay our school for more than just a diploma, especially when students have never been more vulnerable.

Guest Column by Three Penn Dems Board Members | College Republicans: Your president has blood on his hands

Even though President Trump doesn’t “take responsibility at all,” we must hold him accountable for his mistakes — and hold Penn College Republicans accountable for theirs.

Guest Column by Jaywon Kim | Penn, We Must Count in the 2020 Census

As residents of Philadelphia, we have the obligation to make sure the city has enough resources to be able to support us. For every person not counted, Philly stands to lose $21,000 in federal funding over the next ten years. 

Guest Column by Jacob Hershman | Of COVID-19, climate-change, and exploding stars

Many are unconvinced of the virus’ threat not only to themselves, but also to society at large – so unconvinced, in fact, that they are engaging in the most socially destructive behavior imaginable, given the threat at hand. Sound familiar? 

Guest Column by a former UPenn Statesman Editor | No, Penn did not steal our senior year

Missing graduation this May is going to be terrible. Social distancing is not going to be easy. But if what we must endure for the coming months saves even one life, then it will be worth it.

Guest Column by Penn Dems | It’s time for Democratic leadership, and it’s time for Joe Biden

More than ever before, we also need a leader capable of guiding our country and restoring our democracy. That Democrat at the top of the ticket will be Joe Biden, and Penn Dems is proud and excited to endorse him. 

Guest Column by Penn Student Government members | Letter to the Administration on housing

As members of Penn Student Government, we hope to advocate for the needs of those most vulnerable in our community at this time.

Guest Column by Michelle Shen | Where to channel your coronavirus rage

I was feeling a lot of things — a strange cocktail of sadness, sentimentality, bitterness, and anger. Originally, a lot of that anger was directed at Penn and other universities.