Opinion Columns
Mritika Senthil | Why Penn’s mandatory housing policy is failing students
Senior Columnist Mritika Senthil breaks down how Penn's high rise residences shoehorn students into overpriced, dysfunctional housing.
Lala Mustafa | Rich and reich: The cost of billionaire immunity
Columnist Lala Mustafa critiques Elon Musk's "Roman salute," highlighting how it emboldens extremism while exposing the double standards that protect the powerful.
Francesco Salamone | You are absolutely nobody (but that’s fine)
Columnist Francesco Salamone argues that identity is a mosaic of external influences, challenging the illusion of a self-made “I.”
Mariana Martinez | Transitional justice, a fragile peace
Senior Columnist Mariana Martinez argues that a nontraditional justice approach worsens conflicts.
Piper Slinka-Petka | Anonymity is killing college
Senior columnist Piper Slinka-Petka argues that Penn’s culture of judgement forces students to hide behind anonymity to express true opinions and make mistakes.
Mia Vesely | Are admissions officers need-blind, or are they always peeking?
Senior Columnist Mia Vesely criticizes the University for accusations of preferential admissions practices.
Ananya Shah | Where are my grades?
Senior Columnist Ananya Shah urges the University to quicken final grade deadlines.
Brian Barth | Penn’s biggest worry under the Trump administration
Columnist Brian Barth explains the potential impact of decreasing one of the University's most abundant sources of revenue.
Mariana Martinez | International law: All talk, no action
Columnist Mariana Martinez explores the failure of international law in the context of the Venezuelan crisis.
Francesco Salamone | UPenn or UPain? Why they say we’re the most depressed university
Columnist Francesco Salamone argues that anesthetizing pain, instead of voicing it, may unveil why many say Penn is the most depressed university.
Allison Santa-Cruz | We (yes, you and I) teach men to suffer in silence
Allison Santa-Cruz challenges society's silence around male vulnerability, arguing that redefining emotional openness as a strength is essential to reshaping how men connect with themselves.
Tiyya Geiger and Piper Slinka-Petka | Attractive, guilty, and untouchable?
Columnists Tiyya Geiger and Piper Slinka-Petka discuss how the media’s reaction to murder charges against 2020 Engineering graduate Luigi Mangione exemplifies society’s tendency to excuse or romanticize criminal behavior on the basis of attractiveness.
Mariana Martinez | Love is, in fact, not blind
Columnist Mariana Martinez analyzes the role physical attraction plays in finding romantic partners.
Gladys Smith | The point of opinion
Columnist Gladys Smith discusses the social basis of opinion journalism.
Ananya Shah | PHL: Where Penn pride takes off
Columnist Ananya Shah explores our fragmented pride in Penn and our selective avenues of displaying it.
Piper Slinka-Petka | Penn students: Bleed green
Columnist Piper Slinka-Petka encourages Penn students to connect with Philadelphia through supporting its sports teams.
Samra Lulseged | Birds of a feather
Columnist Samra Lulseged critiques how Penn’s self-segregation culture and adherence to social norms deepens the divide between various groups and deprives students of diverse interconnection.
Ingrid Holmquist | Social sciences aren’t that social anymore
Columnist Ingrid Holmquist argues in favor of a more humanities-focused curriculum in social sciences as a remedy to the prevalence of finance careers among Penn students.
Diya Choksey | The ’90s called: They want their plastic PennCards back
Columnist Diya Choksey questions why Penn has yet to digitize its outdated physical ID system, highlighting the convenience, security, and environmental benefits of making the switch.
