Priscilla des Gachons is a College sophomore from Paris, France. Her e-mail address is pgachons@dailypennsylvanian.com.
Jennifer Lesser is a College sophomore from Minneapolis, MN. Her e-mail address is lesser@dailypennsylvanian.com.
Does the FDA's policy of banning males who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood violate Penn's non-discrimination policy? Absolutely, but so do comedy troupes that don't allow women and a capella groups that exclude men. The University also sanctions registered parties where only people past a certain age can drink (blatant ageism) - unless one of their friends is conniving enough to figure out how to remove a bracelet.
It's that time of year again - spring break, of course - when students flock off campus to more exotic locations around the globe. The one thing they all have in common? They'll all be feeding whatever economy they happen to find themselves in. Not that that's any different from a normal week at Penn.
In the ongoing debate over the FDA's ban on men who have sex with men (MSM) donating blood, it's time for Penn to take an actual stand on the issue. And as the Undergraduate Assembly debates whether or not Penn should examine the ban's conflicts with its nondiscrimination policy, there's a right way for universities to respond, and there's a wrong way.
A lot has changed at Penn since 1977. This May the LGBT Center will celebrate it's 25th anniversary at Penn. The University has made tremendous strides in recognizing and understanding its diverse array of students. But thanks to an outdated FDA policy, any man who has ever had sex with another man (MSM) is banned for life from donating blood on campus - or anywhere else.
A lot has changed at Penn since 1977. This May the LGBT Center will celebrate it's 25th anniversary at Penn. The University has made tremendous strides in recognizing and understanding its diverse array of students. But thanks to an outdated FDA policy, any man who has ever had sex with another man (MSM) is banned for life from donating blood on campus - or anywhere else.
Jennifer Lesser is a College sophomore from Minneapolis, MN. Her e-mail address is lesser@dailypennsylvanian.com.
Does the FDA's policy of banning males who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood violate Penn's non-discrimination policy? Absolutely, but so do comedy troupes that don't allow women and a capella groups that exclude men. The University also sanctions registered parties where only people past a certain age can drink (blatant ageism) - unless one of their friends is conniving enough to figure out how to remove a bracelet.
Alicia Puglionesi is a College junior from Havertown, Pa. Her e-mail address is puglionesi@dailypennsylvanian.com.
Universities around the country have long struggled with how to best meet the needs of minority groups. Case in point: the controversy over single-sex exercise facilities. While some religious groups have requested such spaces, Harvard's policy of shutting off an entire gym for female-only exercise is both unnecessary and unreasonable.
For far too long college students have avoided the political process, neglecting their right to vote. This theme is old and tired, but true. In 2004, only a bit more than 40 percent of 18-to-24-year olds voted in the presidential election. Nevertheless, as statistics start to roll in from yesterday's primaries in Texas and Ohio, the national media will remind us once more this election season that young Americans are finally voting.
Last week, I went to my commencement. Or at least I'm pretending I did. It was everything I wanted in a great graduation speech. A famous, influential speaker. Inspiring rhetoric. I left with a sense that no matter what I set my mind to, I would be able to change the world.
Walking into the Penn Bookstore yesterday, I smiled to see the Campus Bestseller display. A prominent stripe of Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!) ran across it, three books wide and ten books in length. Below them, I spotted several copies of Susan Jacoby's just-released The Age of American Unreason.
Penn isn't biased To the Editor: I must admit that I don't fully understand David Back's comment on free speech. If his concern is that Penn is politically biased in its choice of high-profile speakers, I would remind him that Karl Rove, Bill Clinton and Senator John McCain have all spoken this academic year.
'It Rhymes with Pumpkin!" "Getting down to business!" "The Asian Sensation!" With Student Government elections coming up, you are about to be bombarded with candidates' slogans. Chalked on the walk, hanging from trees, written on your friend's T-shirt, these catchy adages certainly vie for your eyes but also make it difficult to distinguish style from substance.
Amira Fawcett is an Engineering junior from Houston, TX. Her e-mail address is fawcett@dailypennsylvanian.com.
It's time for Campus Inn to check in to its new home at 40th and Pine streets. Plans by developers to build an 11-story hotel at the corner of the two streets - on land leased to them by the University - have faced strong opposition from some community members.
When Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, causing the failure of New Orleans' levees, I had no appreciation for the severity of the crisis. What do terms like mandatory evacuation, flood zone, storm surge and levee breach mean? What would they look like in your hometown? Coming from a place where streets are blanketed in snow instead of flooded with water, I couldn't picture any of these things.
Penn's Police can now send you text messages. On Friday, The Division of Public Safety conducted a comprehensive test of its new emergency alert system. Taking a page from PhillyCarShare's ComprehensiveFieldGuideAboutHowToNameThings, UPennAlert decided in its message that putting spaces between words just takes too long.
Daniel Schwartz is a College sophomore from Decatur, Ga. His e-mail address is schwartz@dailypennsylvanian.com.
Unpaid internships can have benefits To the Editor: In response to recent columns on unpaid internships (most recently "Pay Me Please" by Zachary Noyce), let me make two points. First, while you will undoubtedly contribute to the work of your internship sponsor, recognize that they are investing considerable time and resources in you.
In the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of hearing a wide array of feedback relating to the most recent issue of the Pennsylvania Punch Bowl Humor Magazine. As a member of Penn's large and diverse Asian American community and as an editor of Punch Bowl, however, I was concerned to hear that some people found the issue racist.
Solutions by The State News
