Also, Penn suspended University operations on Friday for the Eagles victory parade.
Thursday, February 13
Good morning, Penn.
Happy Thursday, Penn!
Penn has suspended University operations for the Eagles championship parade this Friday, and Penn alleged that the National Institutes of Health’s funding cuts would have significant consequences on funding and jobs in a lawsuit filed on Monday.
But first, a representative of the Mason on Chestnut says that plans are in place to convert the building into a homeless shelter as it faces another round of city code violations.
As the Mason on Chestnut, an off-campus residence near Penn’s campus, faces another round of city code violations, its owners allege the building will be converted into a homeless shelter — a plan city officials say they were unaware of.
According to a Jan. 15 notice from the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections, the Mason received 19 code violations after a Jan. 13 inspection of the property, bringing the total number of violations in the building’s history to 131. The citations are the latest in a long series of problems the property has faced in recent months, including a flood on June 10, 2024 and a subsequent Cease Operations Order a day later.
The most recent citations include unmaintained fire alarm systems, combustible materials stored underneath bleachers in the gym, and fire extinguishers that were improperly mounted throughout the property. The Department of Licenses and Inspections wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that the building has until Feb. 14 to appeal or correct the violations.
Penn announced that University operations will be suspended on Friday for the Eagles championship parade.
Several Penn schools — including Wharton and SEAS — have removed websites and policies referringto diversity, equity, and inclusion as the University continues to roll back DEI initiatives.
In a lawsuit filed on Monday, a senior University administrator alleged that the NIH decision to cap funding would eliminate hundreds of jobs and cut millions in research funding at Penn.
After a $120 million donation, the Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania will be renamed to the Clifton Center for Medical Breakthroughs.
Author Maria Smilios visited Penn to present her book featuring the stories of Black nurses who worked during the tuberculosis epidemic of the 1900s.
COLUMNIST INGRID HOLMQUIST explains the contradiction between reaping the benefits of an institution that has an extensive past of harming its community.
In 2009, the Penn Art Club announced its decision to place 20 to 25 giant squirrel statues on Locust Walk and College Green, following similar actions in Cities like Chicago and New York, which featured cows, angels, and other figures. This year, the DP reported on how the black squirrels on campus became an unofficial campus mascot.
TAKE A BREATHER
Click here to play today’s DP mini crossword, which was constructed by Srikar Venkatesan.
And click here to play today’s Password puzzle, which was constructed by Doer He.
FROM 34TH STREET MAGAZINE
Penn grads continue to fly high: Street spoke to eight of the 26 alumni who made it into the 2025 Forbes “30 Under 30” list. They’ve excelled across everything from medicine to innovation, to helping people quit vaping (good luck), to vigilante justice (redact that). It’s basically a comprehensive list of everyone you need to meet to Saltburn your way to the top.
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Author Maria Smilios visited Penn to present her book 
No. 12 Penn women's lacrosse is 
