Opinion Columns
Lucy Hu | Let a naturalized citizen be president
History had a reason to fear foreign tyranny. But history has also shown what makes America great — a nation built by immigrants where all Americans are treated equally.
Sophia DuRose | Part of the privilege of attending Penn is gaining connections. Use them.
Penn’s competitive culture is a fantastic motivator. It’s also a fantastic reason to feel an awful trepidation when asking for help, whether that help be in reference to a simple homework question or a major search for a post-grad job
Isami McCowan | After being catcalled countless times, I've learned I'm not to blame
My countless run-ins with verbal harassment in the Philadelphia area has varied between mildly annoying and frightening to the point where I have had police officers file into my apartment after a 911 call made on my way home from Center City.
Michael A. Keshmiri | Reject hostility towards Hispanic Americans
One depressing fact about this is that history is repeating itself — and we have clearly not learned our lesson from it.
Tyler Larkworthy | Course selection can be a nightmare. Penn needs a shopping period.
At the root of this anguish is Penn’s system for course registration.
Joel Lee | I'm the son of two pastors, but my faith is my own
What I realized was that given the choice to decide to follow God or not, choosing it myself makes it so much more powerful.
Reginald Lamaute | Don't dismiss sexual assault allegations, even those against friends
Whether or not we believe or act on allegations — in politics or on our campus — often depends strongly on how we feel about the accused.
Catherine Qiao | Penn Engineering isn't as inclusive for women as it seems
Inclusion is not just about the amount of female engineers entering Penn, but also about making them feel that they belong here.
Ton Nguyen | How Penn's notable alumni can inform our career ambitions
All of these alumni are not remembered for what they studied or even what clubs they were involved on campus, but rather they are known for what they chose to do with their skills.
Sophia DuRose | How I'm surviving Valentine’s Day two weeks after getting dumped
We Penn students are entering that dangerous arena of adult love, and sometimes need to be reminded that with adult love there is the possibility of adult heartbreak.
Christy Qiu | I haven't had my first kiss, and I'm not ashamed
At Penn, a version of love, far from my own, seems to be the center of attention.
Urooba Abid | All Penn alumni should send their kids to public schools
With a Penn education comes a very real responsibility to make sure every child in this country is receiving an adequate education, regardless of their economic circumstances.
Ana West | It’s time for children of privilege to grow up — and that means Penn kids too
The second best time to hold people like Northam accountable is right now, while we have the chance.
Joel Lee | Regardless of success or failure, Penn students should have self-worth
The very fact that we are students at Penn speaks to our intelligence. Some of us have never really felt overwhelming rejection or underachievement.
Christy Qiu | Coming to Penn made me appreciate Lunar New Year
Whether you are Asian, Hispanic, African American, or any other race, make Penn a new site for sharing stories about your culture and celebrating your family’s heritage.
Lucy Hu | Spending a semester at Cambridge made me love Penn’s pre-professionalism
But when I peeled back the layers of historical extravagance, I realized that while the Ivy League evokes less Harry Potter imagery than Cambridge or Oxford, the actual learning experience may be more worth the prestige than the English schools.
Sophia DuRose | How to treat yourself at Penn
If we fall into cycles of pushing yourself too far, burning out, and then treating yourself to copious amounts of whatever it is that makes you feel temporarily better about yourself, the cycle will never end. Temporary relief is all you’ll ever feel.
Julia Mitchell | What Birthright taught me about Judaism at Penn
At Penn, blocking out Jewish life altogether is nearly impossible, especially since about 17% of undergrads identify as Jewish, but I still managed to do it first semester.
Rebecca Alifimoff | A year after #MeToo, it feels like little has changed
The habits we form here at Penn — the things we chose to expect of our friends, the organizations we decided to be a part of, the behavior we tolerate on our campus — will shape the moral compasses that guide us through our infinitely more complicated post-graduate lives.
