Also, the Disorientation Guide released its latest edition.
Thursday, August 29
Good morning, Penn.
Hey y'all! My name is Diamy, and I'll be your Thursday morning Daybreak anchor this semester.
The Disorientation Guide published its latest critiques of sociopolitical issues at Penn, and social science buffs have a new concentration to consider in the History department.
But first, the DP exclusively obtained previously unseen documents that detail communications between Penn and the City of Philadelphia during the Gaza Solidarity Encampment last spring.
Last spring, Penn's 16-day-long Gaza Solidarity Encampment ended with an early-morning arrest of 33 protesters on College Green by Penn and Philadelphia police. But more than a week prior to the encampment's ultimate disbandment on May 10, the University was already asking for the Philadelphia Police Department's help — and it had been denied.
New documents obtained by the DP show the extent of those disagreements between the University and the City of Philadelphia. They demonstrate that the City resisted immediate pressure from Penn officials, including Interim Penn President Larry Jameson, to escalate contributions toward police presence on the encampment.
"[D]espite our best efforts to deescalate, the pressure for action is intensifying," Jameson told Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker on May 5.
The Class of 2028 is starting its classes on a campus where the previous academic year of pro-Palestinian protests is still fresh in recent memory. At Convocation, multiple Penn administrators referenced the protests in their remarks.
In a process that started this past summer, the University is attempting to curtail such protests again — placing metal placards next to popular gathering areas with rules from the new temporary guidelines for demonstrations, as well as establishing a task force to review the current Guidelines for Open Expression.
FOUR MORE BIG STORIES
In a new interview, Board of Trustees Chair Ramanan Raghavendran reaffirmed the University's opposition to the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement, and clarified the board's role as Penn's "neutral custodians."
The Disorientation Guide published its 2024 edition on Monday, in which it criticizes Penn's role in the war on Gaza, its response to pro-Palestinian protests, and its effect on communities inside and outside the University.
If you love political history, you're in luck — the History department announced a new political history concentration within the undergraduate major on Aug. 19.
Penn Dining recently won two awards for its events and programming — but some students are surprised, given poor experiences with its quality.
Are you enjoying DP Daybreak? Please share any ideas or concerns with us by emailing The Daily Pennsylvanian's Editor-in-Chief Jared Mitovich at mitovich@thedp.com.
The Disorientation Guide 
Penn Dining 
