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Opinion Columns

02/18/11 5:40am

Last Call | R-E-SPEC-T speakers

Students need to be respectful of even the most divisive speakers — including Newt Gingrich, who is coming to campus next week.
02/17/11 6:17am

Truth Be Told | Reinforcing the great pyramid

The USDA guidelines should be a call for organizations that provide food for large groups of people to take into account not only what foods are served, but how they are offered.
02/17/11 5:56am

Smart Alec | Let students try students

Why are we honorable enough to dispense the death penalty but not to mandate community service? Penn should introduce true student juries in the disciplinary system.
02/16/11 6:49am

A Likely Story | Cover letters without deceit

Penn students tend to apply to so many different internships that they couldn’t possibly want to spend their summers doing. That’s when the propensity to exaggerate kicks in.
02/16/11 6:44am

The Half of It | Post-midnight McDollar manipulation

Penn students have fallen victim to a savvy staff with a scheming knowledge of their irresistible inventory. Surely McDonald’s must be taking advantage here.
02/15/11 6:05am

Tattle-Taylor | Diversity is only skin deep

Like oil and water, the many races and cultures that comprise Penn’s population seem to just naturally separate.
02/15/11 5:35am

The Gray Area | Take CPAC-tion against debt

College students have an opportunity to become politically active in the conservative movement via a very pressing issue — our national debt.
02/14/11 6:33am

Combat Ray-tions | Chocolate, candy and a wedding ring

I’m thinking of doing something a little bigger for Valentine's Day this year. I’m thinking of getting married.
02/14/11 5:21am

The Gold Standard | Focus on merit, not diversity

Overzealous initiatives to increase faculty diversity have overshadowed a more necessary bedrock of the Penn experience — a superb education.
02/11/11 5:57am

Duly Noted | SEPTA finally gets smart

Now that SEPTA is eliminating its outdated token system, Philadelphia has the chance to be the leader in modern transit fare technology.
02/11/11 5:26am

Last Call | A creative community

Students should take advantage of the creative writing courses, which can complement every major and teach skills that transcend the subject itself.
02/10/11 4:49am

Scientifically Blonde | Well-prepared? You still might choke

To prevent students from choking before exams, use different ways to test them. Give them various options — take a test, give a presentation or write a paper.
02/10/11 4:35am

Smart Alec | Abolish University Council

In the place of the University Council (which is currently no more than a mothballed roundtable), create a “University Forum” where anyone can speak.
02/09/11 6:13am

A Likely Story | Just for the sake of learning

Students eagerly embrace preceptorials because they represent what is best in Penn students. These seminars are built on the belief in students’ willingness to learn.
02/08/11 6:17am

The Gray Area | My personal AlcoholEdu

Last Thursday, I turned 21 and, for the first time ever, I had an alcoholic beverage.
02/08/11 5:54am

Peace Not Politics | Appreciate the power of local politics

Penn students should be more aware of what Philadelphia's local government is doing. They should also maybe even vote once or twice.
02/07/11 2:57am

Bank on It | Cyberchondria: the dangers of self-diagnosis

Almost two-thirds of all Penn students have used WebMD for health information, but self-diagnosis may lead to the wrong conclusion.
02/07/11 2:34am

The Gold Standard | The two-year plan

Penn should offer special programs for students who wish to study for two years and then head off to join the workforce.
02/04/11 6:16am

Hassall-Free Fridays | Political apathy’s dishonest roots

With so many Penn students looking for jobs in the finance, is it any surprise that reining that industry in generates little political excitement?
02/04/11 5:59am

Last Call | NSO: New Student Obstacles

Although Penn offers undergraduates many resources for dealing with their academic, social and emotional issues, it could do more to help freshmen.

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