Opinion Columns
Robert Hsu | Working as a double agent
I’ve blown my cover too many times to be considered a real American agent.
Emily Orrson | Pitchfork, take a 5.9
Pitchfork isn’t offensive. It’s hilarious.
Divya Ramesh | Why I wait with bated breath
If we corral the polluted air in one place, if we quarantine the smoke, there’s a big chance that it’ll be easier to breathe everywhere else.
Adam Silver | Thank you for not surfing
The main reason I try not to surf the web in class is privacy. I don’t want people behind me to know that the only person who ever chats me online is Sara Silver (my mom).
Brian Collopy | The Best of Penn
I propose starting an organization called “Best of Penn” to offer informal coffee chats with the best professors who are willing to spare an hour.
Alexa Nicolas | Why sex belongs in the classroom
I want to see sexual health on the NSO calendar. But, is that too extreme? Is that something we as a community are unwilling to face, since unlike alcohol, the threats to health from sex are often less conspicuous?
Wesley Vaughn | A ‘good part of town,’ but for whom?
This August, along with reminding me to ignore the liberals and to enjoy Penn State, my family members and neighbors advised me to avoid the “bad parts of town.”
Yessenia Gutierrez | Wanted: Upperclassmen
During the beginning of each school year, we are all involved in making sure freshmen know what’s what on campus. We want them to know about our club, our major, our leadership opportunities. Yet most of us don’t know half of what occurs at Penn.
Ernest Owens | Equal when separate
While the media and politicians attempt to convince us that we live in a post-racial society, the truth is, self-segregation persists and is a natural instinct.
Aya Saed | A silent victory in the face of violence
I have more in common with a moderate Christian than any Muslim radical who proposes violence.
Kurt Mitman | What they don’t teach you in Econ 1
Many people believe that the playing field is leveled once students get to college, but in reality, inequality persists.
Lauren Agresti | Just put your pants on for now
Trying to get on top of your schoolwork? Take your books out. You don’t have to read them. Just open them up. Trying to catch up on email? Respond to one. See what happens.
Adam Silver | The democratic infomercial
Although the formalities of the old still echo the halls of the convention — there are voice votes, motions and even a gavel — it is no longer a place for a party to pick a nominee.
Sindhuri Nandhakumar | Conceding to ‘The Help’
We rationalize away uncomfortable facts by thinking that if a lot of people think something is okay, then it must be okay.
JY Lee | Welcome to Wild West Philadelphia
Even with Dr. Franklin’s heart and Mr. Huntsman’s wallet, Penn should remember that it cannot not save West Philadelphia on its own.
Ernest Owens | Freshmen, please screw up
Don’t just be a passerby on Locust Walk, that will only increase your chances of suffering a mid-college-life crisis.
Robert Hsu | Here to burst your bubble
Living in Philadelphia has pushed me further outside of my comfort zone than most of my classes at Penn have.
Emily Orrson | Convention celebrates celebrity
I don’t want to know how much Romney’s horse cost. I don’t care to read Obama’s Occidental transcripts. I don’t have a particular interest in Michelle Obama’s shoe size.
Lauren Agresti | Licensed to wave
The amount of almost-waving, half- smiling and awkward eye-contacting I see around campus every day is absurd.