Opinion Columns
Amy Chan | Embrace the shame of studying abroad
My friend says that “studying abroad is learning how to shame yourself.” I would like to amend that statement by saying, firstly, that I never needed to learn how to shame myself.
Reid Jackson | Flying foul: the sorry state of American aviation
A cold wind rushes through the cabin as passengers bundle themselves up in whatever thick clothes and blankets they can find.
Taylor Becker | Responding to violence at campus protests
College campuses around the country have experienced a slew of violent protests against invited speakers, as students protest guests they deem unworthy and prevent them from sharing their views.
Calvary Rogers | Discovering intersections between our mental health and academia
Recently, the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education conducted a survey to shine light on the growing demand for an expanded half-credit course system here at Penn.
Emily Hoeven | Making time with family cool again
I was watching one of my brother’s baseball games over spring break when a parent asked me why I wasn’t living it up in Florida or Puerto Vallarta or some other tropical location with my friends.
Shawn Srolovitz | Don't forget the trees
This past week, I participated in an Alternate Spring Break trip to Hendersonville, North Carolina, where we spent the week working with Housing Assistance, a local organization that helps with home repair for people in poverty. Throughout the week, we had the opportunity to help repair roofs around the community, visit local sights and eat lots of great food.
James Lee | Hate the player, hate the game
I went through a phase growing up when I was really into the saying “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” I’m not sure where I first picked it up, but it had just the right amounts of flippant attitude and pseudo-profundity that young James was really into.
Amy Chan | Finding richness in the down times
I’ve been happy lately — really happy — and when I’m happy, I don’t want to write. It’s unfortunate, this sensation.
Reid Jackson | What happens when the media doesn’t get tech?
As you might have noticed, the news media has spent much of the past two years focused, seemingly solely, on the comings and goings of a certain Penn alum.
Emily Hoeven | The case for great expectations
If you type the word “expectations” into your search bar, the first suggestion that comes up is “expectations versus reality.” The search yields endless memes that attest to the vast discrepancy between what we expect the result of something to be and its actual result.
Shawn Srolovitz | Why we need to talk about rejection
I have failed in college. A lot. I’ve been rejected from more clubs than I can remember. I’ve been turned down from countless jobs.
James Lee | Humans still need the humanities
Much has been said and written about Penn’s pre-professional culture, but to me it seems like an inevitable and natural product of Ben Franklin’s emphasis on a practical education.
Cameron Dichter | Is failure an option anymore?
Everyone one of us, no matter how smart or hardworking, will at some point face the pain of rejection during our time at Penn.
Group Think | Should Penn help students with rejection?
GROUP THINK is the DP’s round table section, where we throw a question at the columnists and see what answers stick.
Isabel Kim | So when are you getting married?
I went back to Korea over winter break, because that is what you do when you’re the daughter of Asian parents: You fly back to your country of ethnic origin so that all your relatives can exclaim to your parents “how much taller she is!” and “She looks just like you!” except in Korean, because you are, as mentioned earlier, in Korea.
James Fisher | From the bottom of the barrel to Penn: Adjusting to the immense wealth of Penn and its students
Adjusting to life at Penn was a very difficult process. Many people, especially Penn students with whom I have interacted, assume that because I am on financial aid, I have everything I need to survive on Penn’s campus.
Calvary Rogers | Unboxing Black history: Black staff matter
James Baldwin once said, “The paradox of education is precisely this — that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated.” From the second I started my education here I’ve constantly seen and interacted with black staff working as servers, security guards, janitors and the like.
Toe the Line: Penn Democrats | Protecting the press from tyranny
The state of the press is alarming. And many of the critiques of the media, echoing endlessly in the ears of the American people, are legitimate and necessary.
Joe Tharakan | We are all idiots
In high school, I used to participate in extemporaneous speaking. We were given a question on current events; something like, “How will Brexit impact the UK economy?” might be asked today.