The Daily Pennsylvanian is a student-run nonprofit.

Please support us by disabling your ad blocker on our site.

Opinion Columns

10/28/10 2:45am

Smart Alec | It doesn't get better

The response to the slew of bullying-linked suicides has been a touching nationwide movement to send messages to teenagers that “it gets better.” Pity, then, that it simply isn’t true.
10/28/10 2:07am

Scientifically Blonde | Hardwired to fear the paranormal

Even though there’s no real proof that paranormal phenomena exist, there’s a good scientific reason why we can’t shake these feelings. A leading theory is that irrational fears are scientific in nature — simply a product of evolution.
10/27/10 3:16am

Say Anything | (Un)dressing for Halloween

There isn't anything wrong with being next to naked on Halloween, should that be your costume of choice. My issue is with the fact it’s practically impossible to find an acceptable alternative.
10/27/10 3:06am

Ad-Libs | A Four Loko ban at colleges is loco

Four Loko is made up of materials commonly found in energy drinks, but also contains 12% alcohol. Although its content and marketing does make it a concern, there is no reason to ban it altogether.
10/26/10 3:28am

Berry Nice | LARPers deserve respect

At Penn, we claim to abide by the tenet that you can learn something from everyone. So, in true columnist fashion, I’m here to tell you why students should give LARPers the time of day.
10/26/10 3:25am

Southern Comfort | Facebook and the Philosopher's Stone

It’s up to us to appreciate the power and recognize the pitfalls of our deepening digital footprint.
10/25/10 12:40am

Wiki-Pedia | Saving energy = saving money

Saving energy is important for the world’s sake, but I’m talking specifically about the nickels and dimes. Students should be more aware of how they can save money by conserving energy.
10/22/10 2:38am

Hassall-Free Fridays | Study Chinese or beware in business

Fail to learn Chinese at your peril. Not only is Chinese one of the most useful languages for any person to know, it is also relatively easy.
10/22/10 2:30am

Penn Name | Alluding to understanding

I propose that the English Department require majors to take a religion class. It’s in Penn’s best interest to make sure students are capable of interpreting literature independently.
10/21/10 1:56am

Truth Be Told | When research becomes political

If you ever needed more proof that lives are decided by popular opinion then look no further than the current state of federally funded embryonic stem cell research in this country.
10/20/10 4:55am

Ad-Libs | Course investment, not class participation

Professors should replace the participation percentage with one that is more versatile and inclusive. Professors should grade students’ overall course investment.
10/20/10 4:45am

Amanda Please | Far from the real veritas

Apparently, the creators of The Social Network thought their viewers could not deal with the facts. The old Harvard has undergone a much-needed makeover.
10/19/10 4:13am

Ryu's Clues | More than just 'Survivor' winners

The Asian-American community needs more encouragement from leaders like Yul Kwon, particularly when pursuing careers in humanities- or social-science-related fields.
10/19/10 3:56am

Berry Nice | Think before you tweet

It’s time a certain social taboo is faced — we as college students need to re-evaluate what is and is not tolerable to publish on the internet.
10/18/10 3:44am

Cosmopoli-Tanvi | White, black, brown and yellow

We say people are tall or short. We say that they are fat or thin. We say that they are pretty or ugly. Why can’t we also say whether they are white, black, brown or yellow?
10/18/10 3:32am

The Sooner, The Better | Keep the fear alive?

Sarcasm aside, Penn seems to be doing a good job on the no-yelling front. Students could engage in legitimate discussion and debate policy issues — if only people didn’t write their opponents off as nut jobs.
10/15/10 4:01am

Lu-stick To The Point | Phantastic and safely monitored

The Philadelphia Police have a plan to handle riots if the Phillies win the World Series this year, and it seems like they will do a good job.
10/15/10 3:55am

Penn Name | The (out)source of job issues

I feel that not passing a bill like President Barack Obama’s anti-outsourcing bill will have dire consequences for our economy.
10/14/10 3:25am

Scientifically Blonde | The sickening truth about dishonesty

It seems that patients lie across the board. We lie about our bad habits, we lie about sticking to our treatment plans and we lie to get the medicines we want. This has me a little concerned.
10/14/10 3:19am

Smart Alec | Lessons from Voldemort

One of the ways to learn about leadership is to study the good and bad examples of others, so in that spirit I present the lessons we can learn from the example of Lord Voldemort.

PennConnects