Opinion Columns
Christy Qiu | I looked at my Penn admissions file, and you should too
What we need to fight for is transparency. While Penn doesn’t even have a rubric for interpreting admissions files, other schools have clear guidelines along with original comments attached to their files.
Joel Lee | We shouldn't call dining hall food 'disgusting'
We are all entitled to our own preferences, but we should do our best not to degrade the preferences of others, especially when it comes to food.
Ana West | Gendered organizations are a problem — even outside of Greek life
Gendered groups abound at Penn, and while it’s rare for anyone to take issue with that fact, maybe more of us should.
Sophia DuRose | Twenty-five percent of students are in Greek life. Penn should cover dues.
If Yale can allocate some financial aid funds towards sororities to help bridge this obvious gap between women who can afford sisterhood and those who can’t, Penn should too.
Kaliyah Dorsey | Acknowledge the narratives of black students at Penn
The art of being black at a predominantly white institution isn’t always pretty.
Rebecca Alifimoff | I’m in a sorority. Here’s what I wish someone told me before rush.
Don’t let the machinery of the process make you feel like you should be selling yourself to the sorority. In reality, the sorority should be selling itself to you.
Joel Lee | Not everyone shares the same ‘subtle asian traits’
It hurts to think that some Asians feel that they only have a meme page to voice their concerns. I don’t want anyone to feel like they have to satirize their concerns as a way to cope with them.
Sireesh Ramesh | Using CRISPR to create genetically engineered ‘superbabies’ is an ethical nightmare
This direct editing of the genome of future generations could eventually lead to parents paying for genetically engineered babies who could grow to have the athleticism of Lebron James athleticism or the IQ of Albert Einstein.
Christy Qiu | Penn, don’t normalize Juuling
Juuling is not cool. It’s not something to brag about on social media. It’s certainly not something to encourage other fellow students, friends, or family members to try.
Michael A. Keshmiri | Don’t overlook anti-Semitism cloaked in progressive values
I have been in conversations where acquaintances proudly talk about the anti-racist demonstrations and initiatives they have been active in only to turn the conversation to how Jews control the world through a wide-reaching conspiracy.
Isabella Simonetti | I was lonely at the ‘Social Ivy.’ My readers gave me purpose.
My column, my editor, and the friendships I made along the way, were my lifelines. They kept me here.
Spencer Swanson | What modern politicians can learn from the late President Bush
It sometimes seems as though the more reserved Bush is overshadowed by the larger-than-life personalities of the men who preceded and followed him: Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.
Julia Mitchell | Penn students are fascinating creatures — listen to their stories
You would think that it would be easy to just listen to each other. Yet, we’ve built up so many impulses to pivot away and check out when the subject gets intense or hits a nerve. Especially when it’s as easy as glancing down at our phones.
Lilian Zhang | STEM is sweeping through Penn, but the humanities deserve a chance too
Don't let the soaring number of STEM majors dissuade you from pursuing art history or philosophy.
Rebecca Alifimoff | Trying to focus on finals while Paris riots outside my window
This weekend I slunk around the city avoiding protests that I could only half understand
Sophia DuRose | Should I censor my social media to appease admissions officers and employers?
We’ve all heard the stories — someone gets accepted to the college of their dreams or to the perfect job, and then their position is revoked on the basis of a Facebook photo of them holding a Red Solo cup.
Christy Qiu | to all my 'convenience friends': thank u, next
Boiled down, the elementary characteristic of a friend is a person who cares about you. I had ignored this basic trait with my convenience friend.
Kaliyah Dorsey | At Penn, it’s not cool to love — but it should be
I’ve experienced the stress, even in my first semester, of thinking about majors in terms of potential income first and passion second.
Lilian Zhang | I’m tired of justifying why I don’t live in the Quad
I was immediately disappointed when placed into Gregory, a college dorm no one knew the location of — a place that received no frat party fliers under the doors.
