Friday Morning: Student speaks at House antisemitism roundtable

Friday, March 1

Good morning, Penn.

I greet you with "Happy Friday" often, but I don't think I've ever meant it quite as much as I do today. This spring break, I hope everyone gets some well-deserved rest. DP Daybreak will return the morning of Monday, March 11.

The Penn Board of Trustees is holding two days of public meetings, during which administrators announced a tuition hike and record-high financial aid budget for the 2024-2025 academic year. In addition, the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education issued a public statement of commitment to institutionalizing open expression protections.

But first, a Wharton and Engineering junior spoke on the “lack of moral clarity” in the response to antisemitism on campus at a roundtable held by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce yesterday afternoon.

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TODAY'S TOP STORY

Photo by Abhiram Juvvadi

With Penn under investigation, student speaks at House antisemitism meeting

Wharton and Engineering junior Noah Rubin spoke alongside students from eight other universities at an antisemitism roundtable intended to inform the House Committee on Education and the Workforce's ongoing investigation into Penn and other colleges.

He criticized the University for allegedly failing to take the issue of antisemitism seriously and cited several examples of incidents that he said made Jewish Penn students feel unsafe, including a vandalism incident at Penn Hillel in September 2023 and a recent protest on Feb. 26.

After the roundtable, The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) about the status of the Committee's investigation into Penn over its handling of antisemitism.

READ THE FULL STORY

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETINGS

The DP is reporting from Penn's first regular Board of Trustees meetings since the resignations of former President Liz Magill and Trustees Chair Scott Bok. Interim President Larry Jameson is expected to speak at the full board meeting today — stay tuned at thedp.com for coverage.

The Budget & Finance Committee approved a 3.9% tuition hike and an increase in the undergraduate financial aid budget to a record $311 million.

Penn approved two resolutions for the repatriation of Native American cultural objects from the Penn Museum.

FOUR MORE BIG STORIES

The Student Committee on Undergraduate Education affirmed the principles of a Faculty Senate resolution that expresses support for academic freedom, faculty governance, and open expression.

In the spirit of the Du Bois College House’s founding, residents have celebrated the dorm’s strong sense of community despite ongoing challenges.

Penn Libraries curated several collections of featured books and DVDs across campus to celebrate Black History Month.

A three-day symposium will celebrate the 50th anniversary of gender scholarship and advocacy at Penn.

OPINION

Design by Insia Haque

COLUMNIST JACK LAKIS argues that a neglect for public sector career funneling is limiting Penn’s potential.

SPORTS

Penn women's track & field junior sprinter Jocelyn Niemiec's collegiate career has gotten off to a fast start and she hopes to keep that momentum going with NCAA Indoor Championships on the horizon.

After outstanding performances against ranked opponents last week, both the Penn men's and women's lacrosse goaltenders received Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors.

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TODAY IN DP HISTORY

Photo by Pranay Vemulamada

In 2018, the DP reported on Penn men's lacrosse's electric 10-9 win over No.1 Duke. This evening, the Quakers will match up against Duke again, coming off the high of two wins and senior Emmet Carroll earning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors.

THIS WEEK IN PRINT

Missed this week's print issue? Read the DP's weekly paper online here.

TAKE A BREATHER

Click here to play today's DP crossword, which was constructed by Garv Mehdiratta, Asha Chawla, and May Hathaway. This special edition puzzle was published in print yesterday.

And click here to play today’s DP mini crossword, which was constructed by Rosemary Yang.

Today's newsletter was copy edited by Eleanor Grauke.

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