Good morning, Penn.
Happy National Pistachio Day! I hope you find a way to shell-ebrate by indulging in some pistachio ice cream.
Matthew Grossman was named the next vice president for University Communications, and Penn spent $180,000 on lobbying in the most recent fiscal quarter — the highest sum since 2019.
But first, Pennsylvania lawmakers met with Interim Penn President Larry Jameson, Provost John Jackson Jr., and other senior Penn administrators yesterday morning to express concerns about the University’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
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Photo by Jean Park
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Senior Penn administrators met with Pennsylvania lawmakers on Tuesday morning to discuss the University’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, with multiple elected officials expressing concern about recent changes — and one calling the meeting “bullshit.”
The local lawmakers met with University administrators at College Hall “to discuss the decision and urge action to reverse it,” according to a press release. The elected officials criticized Penn’s swift rollback of DEI policies in response to recent federal actions and alleged the University lacked accountability, failed to defend DEI compared to its legal fight for funding from the National Institutes of Health, and delivered damaging messages to marginalized communities.
“I don’t think they understand the gigantic signal that they’ve sent to students, to faculty, to the community, to the entire country about whether Black and brown students and historically underrepresented populations are going to be protected on this campus,” Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier said.
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FIVE MORE BIG STORIES
 Matthew Grossman was appointed as the next vice president for University Communications yesterday.
 Penn spent $180,000 lobbying the federal government in the final quarter of 2024 — the most it has spent since 2019.
 Penn is launching the Penn Advanced Research Computing Center in spring 2025, creating a new platform for interdisciplinary research.
 Stuart Weitzman School of Design students traveled to Senegal for eight days as part of their studio class curriculum.
 Penn’s Graduate School of Education held an event on the role of social safety net programs in college students’ success.
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Photo by Hannah Shumsky
COLUMNIST ELO ESALOMI questions whether the DEI era ever led to real change or if it was just corporate window dressing.
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SPORTS
 After a season of adversity, Penn men’s swimming and diving is ready for the Ivy League Championships, led by Olympian and senior breaststroker Matt Fallon.
 From Mercer to Penn, read here to learn about sophomore guard Michael Zanoni’s path to becoming a Quaker.
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Photo by Kylie Cooper
In 2022, the DP reported on a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine that occurred in front of Philadelphia City Hall, attracting hundreds of individuals. On Monday, the Ukrainian Student Association at Penn remembered those who died in the war between Russia and Ukraine at a vigil outside College Hall.
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Click here to play today’s DP mini crossword, which was constructed by Clarice Wang.
And click here to play today’s Password puzzle, which was constructed by Nira Goyal.
Finally, click here to play today’s DP Full Size crossword, which was constructed by Nira Goyal.
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FROM 34TH STREET MAGAZINE
These days, it feels like every bestselling book is mining misery for clicks, awards, and sales. But who’s really responsible for turning pain into product — the writers cashing in, the publishers pushing the trend, or us, the readers, soaking it up? Maybe it’s time we take a harder look at the stories we celebrate — and why.
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Today's newsletter was copy edited by Uma Mukhopadhyay.
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