34th Street Magazine's "Toast" is a semi-weekly newsletter with the latest on Penn's campus culture and arts scene. Delivered Monday-Wednesday-Friday.
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There is certainly merit in our pursuit of a higher education and a better life — both spiritually and financially. But there are also costs to consider.
While Penn is undoubtedly patting itself on the back for not getting wrapped up in the current college admissions scandal, it still has a long way to go to ensure that its affirmative action policy benefits its students.
The insecurity I feel about my body is mine, meaning learning to be comfortable with my appearance is an internal journey. And yes, it is immensely discouraging to be bombarded with images of models who seem so picture-perfect.
When I came to Penn, I saw explicitly inclusive congregations and met accepting faith leaders for the first time, and it made me genuinely optimistic for the future of the Christian church. But there is a massive amount of progress that needs to be made — and recently, some of that progress has been reversed.
Traveling can have a lot of benefits and encourage people to immerse themselves in exciting settings and engage with vibrant cultures. But there is a difference between being appreciative of cultures and being ignorant of the harmful effects of your presence.
Penn needs more students of color to join not only the Tutoring Project, but any type of community service that focuses on helping Philadelphia’s children and other indigent residents.
The abuse of this drug by students who simply want to cram for their upcoming midterm or pump out a paper at four in the morning is what I take issue with.
Wharton is consistently ranked one of the best business schools in the world. Attending a school like Penn gives us an unparalleled opportunity to learn from elite business professionals, in the shape of both peers and faculty.
This year’s housing process was extremely flawed. In typical Penn fashion, the lottery-based time slots fostered unnecessary competition among students, and when coupled with unexpected differences in housing prices, resulted in extreme inequities.
Students often complain, and rightly so, because Penn, indeed, has a long way to go in improving their housing situation. But, we must be aware that in comparison to many other colleges, Penn’s housing services are well above average.