Opinion Columns
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.
Sophia DuRose | I couldn't afford to go home for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is about gratitude, and I think all Penn students, regardless of financial background, would be grateful for a few more days of break.
Joel Lee | Don’t let your scary childhood piano teacher hold you back from pursuing music in college
I used to dread my piano lessons. Now, music helps alleviate my anxiety when school gets stressful and exercise my creativity.
Lucy Hu | U.S. democracy is stronger than you think
We live in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the world’s oldest democracy.
Michael A. Keshmiri | Nancy Pelosi is the right person to be Speaker of the House
After some internet research, I discovered Pelosi’s unforgivable crime: She has served her country honorably through government service for too many years.
Sophia DuRose | The Kelly Writers House isn’t a cult
Whether an Econ major, a friend of a Penn student, a traveling poet, or a visiting family member, please feel free to stop by and pour yourself a cup of coffee, of which we always have brewed.
Isabella Simonetti | Pay up, Penn: Student tour guides deserve compensation
Prospective students from underrepresented backgrounds deserve tour guides who they can relate to.
Jay Shah | Rediscovering my heritage inside a lecture hall
I started to fully appreciate the other part of my identity beyond boxes on the demographic section on an application.
Michael A. Keshmiri | Politicians have gotten too comfortable with racially coded attacks
We cannot let political leanings stifle our innate sense of decency.
Christy Qiu | Sleep should be a priority from your first night at Penn
It’s like a competition: whoever sleeps the least wins. Functioning with little to no sleep is like a badge of honor, a display of invincibility.
Kaliyah Dorsey | My truth may not be yours, but I still deserve to share it
It is your right, and this is what Laymon teaches me, to own your life.
Joel Lee | Plenty of people think we go to Penn State — here’s why it shouldn’t bother us
If people didn’t know that I was going to a prestigious college, then what was all this work for?
Michael A. Keshmiri | Forsaken: the forgotten Americans of U.S. island territories
Over 4 million people reside in these territories and most Americans are oblivious about their situation.
Kaliyah Dorsey | ’The Hate U Give’ takes black girlhood seriously — we should all take a hint
I’m not just saying that the people with the most power neglect the narrative of the black girl, though they do. I’m saying that we, as a society, fail to take black girlhood seriously.
Lilian Zhang | China’s education system is notoriously rigid, but is the U.S. any better?
I came to the United States so that I would avoid falling victim to an education system based on standardized and rigid deliverance of knowledge.
Spencer Swanson | Far-right despot or economic savior? Welcome to Bolsonaro’s Brazil
Considering the chaos of corruption Brazil has endured over the last few decades, he might, just might, be exactly what the country needs.
Carl-Emmanuel Fulghieri | Anti-Semitism: what it is and how to fight it
Jews straddle the eroded precipice of whiteness, with one hand reaching into its abyss. It is necessary to name the system of white supremacy of which anti-Semitism is one face.
Sireesh Ramesh | Midterms weren’t a total loss for Dems, but they spell trouble for presidential dreams
If Democrats are to win over Trump’s rural, working-class coalition — which will be essential for a successful 2020 outcome — they must take concrete stances on these social issues that helped Trump win in 2016 and helped Republicans keep the Senate in the midterms.