Alex Jacobson is a College junior from Los Angeles. His e-mail address is jacobson@dailypennsylvanian.com.
As 2008 slowly winds to a close, few Americans are optimistic about their year-end bonuses. But if you're a teacher in a Washington, D.C. public school, there may be good news. In the policy recently proposed by school district Chancellor Michelle Rhee, teachers could earn raises of up to $40,000 - in exchange for giving up tenure for a year.
On Tuesday, President Amy Gutmann and her husband donated $100,000 to fund undergraduate research. Surely this is more than a gesture in these troubled times, when even Harvard president Drew Faust issues ominous warnings that her school may "absorb unprecedented endowment losses" (30 percent!).
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Thanksgiving on Penn's campus is one of the quietest times of year. There are no office hours or classes and few unlocked doors. Wandering down Locust Walk becomes a solitary experience. The peace and quiet here belie the communal gatherings happening indoors - in kitchens over glasses of cider and wine, around crowded dining room tables, and - yes - in front of the television.
Everyone knows that when there's a train wreck, it's impossible to turn away. And when local news anchors reporting on these disasters become the train wrecks themselves, it's even harder. The gods of guilty pleasure are surely smiling down on us, allowing this calamity to play out right before our very own television-strained eyes.
For a University that prides itself on research, Penn sure likes making it hard for students to do their due diligence. Last week, administrators said that the Online Syllabi Initiative won't happen until at least 2010. Unfortunately, we weren't entirely surprised.
For a University that prides itself on research, Penn sure likes making it hard for students to do their due diligence. Last week, administrators said that the Online Syllabi Initiative won't happen until at least 2010. Unfortunately, we weren't entirely surprised.
As 2008 slowly winds to a close, few Americans are optimistic about their year-end bonuses. But if you're a teacher in a Washington, D.C. public school, there may be good news. In the policy recently proposed by school district Chancellor Michelle Rhee, teachers could earn raises of up to $40,000 - in exchange for giving up tenure for a year.
On Tuesday, President Amy Gutmann and her husband donated $100,000 to fund undergraduate research. Surely this is more than a gesture in these troubled times, when even Harvard president Drew Faust issues ominous warnings that her school may "absorb unprecedented endowment losses" (30 percent!).
Jennifer Lesser is a College junior from Minneapolis, Minn. Her e-mail address is lesser@dailypennsylvanian.com.
We all know what NSO involves - a healthy dose of hellos, welcome backs and of course, partying. Freshmen spend their days at University events that introduce them to Penn and its workings. But once 11:00 chimes in, off-campus houses fling open their doors to those hoards of students exploring the campus party scene for the first time.
City Hall is throwing the book at Philadelphia's libraries. In order to bridge the city's gaping budget shortfall, Mayor Michael Nutter recently announced plans to close 11 public libraries across Philadelphia - including the historic Kingsessing Library on 51st Street.
This time next week, I'll unfortunately still be here at school. Don't get me wrong - I love being here. It's just that the next day is Thanksgiving, one of the few times during the year my family gets together anymore. But I have classes the day before Thanksgiving, thanks to the structure of our current fall semester calendar.
Janice Dow is a College sophomore from Los Angeles, Calif. Her e-mail address is dow@dailypennsylvanian.com.
Two weeks ago, Massachusetts residents voted strongly in favor of Question 2, also known as the Sensible Marijuana Policy Initiative, a measure that eliminates criminal penalties for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. Similarly, Michigan voters passed Proposal 1, an initiative eliminating state penalties for registered use of medicinal marijuana.
If you have time, head to Chinatown with your friends for dinner some time soon. Take a good look around over the next 12 months, because by December 2009, you'll see something very different: a casino in the Gallery. And once the casino shows up, it won't be long before crime and decay set in.
There's no tying in politics. Last week, the Undergraduate Assembly and Dartmouth's Student Assembly announced that the voter turnout competition between the two schools ended in a tie. Soon after the election, both groups realized they had no way to accurately determine which school had the highest number of students turning out to vote.
Amira Fawcett is an Engineering senior from Houston, Texas. Her e-mail address is fawcett@dailypennsylvanian.com.
Almost two weeks ago, many in this country stood up and chanted, "Yes we can!" The more accurate claim might have been, "Yes, some of us can." Some of us can marry, that is. On Nov. 4, three states passed measures to ban same-sex marriage, and none has proved more controversial than California's Proposition 8.
There are many things I don't understand about the past: powdered wigs, the Puritans, Richard Nixon, disco. The full list is more extensive (though a lot is related to disco and Nixon), but perhaps most baffling to my 21st-century mind is the concept of scholarship before the Internet.
Another administrator is heading south. Next March, Provost Ron Daniels will leave to become the president of Johns Hopkins. In his short three years here, Daniels improved financial-aid efforts and research programs and played a central role in implementing parts of President Gutmann's Penn Compact.
Alicia Puglionesi is a College senior from Havertown, Pa. Her e-mail address is puglionesi@dailypennsylvanian.com.
Alex Jacobson is a College junior from Los Angeles. His e-mail address is jacobson@dailypennsylvanian.com.
