Opinion Columns
Alec Ward | Welcome to Time Zero
Now, we fight. Or at least, we prepare to. All decent people will hope and pray that Trump’s campaign promises to destroy the constitutional order, to violate the civil liberties of millions of Americans, to commit war crimes and retaliate against his political opponents were the kind of empty bluster we know he is capable of.
Ashley Stinnett | Who won the election?
It is 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 9 as I write this. I am in my month of silence for the monk class, and as such, I cannot talk to people, consume any media or read anything outside of what is required for my coursework.
Guest column by Maya Arthur | How to search for your body (even when in flames)
My body is burning. Flames sidle up and down my skin. The fire ignites and dies down. It’s a cyclical burn, charring my already black skin.
Alessandro van den Brink | The next step
America is not doomed. But man, should we be embarrassed. Donald Trump has run a campaign fueled by hatred, bluster, ignorance and a complete lack of morality.
Toe the Line: Penn Democrats | Elect Hillary Clinton and Katie McGinty
Voting in a swing state like Pennsylvania carries with it an obligation to the rest of the country to carefully consider our options in each race.
GROUP THINK | Free speech at Penn
GROUP THINK is the DP’s round table section, where we throw a question at the columnists and see what answers stick.
Harrison Glicklich | Sore losers
I remember playing poker with a friend who had a particularly heavy emotional investment in the game.
Ashley Stinnett | How to stop masturbating
The Monk class is deep into the month of silence now.
Jeremiah Keenan | Not born this way
“The idea that people are born gay — or lesbian or bisexual — is appealing for lots of reasons,” noted John D’Emilio, former Director of the Policy Institute at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Joe Tharakan | The conservative crisis
You don’t have to be a Republican to know that The Donald is not the best candidate Republicans have to offer.
Alec Ward | Knowing and reckless falsehoods
It’s got every element of the perfect 21st-century pop morality fable: a sympathetic band of marginalized heros; a sinister coalition of law enforcement and Big Oil colluding to oppress them; elements of racial and environmental activism topped off with a secret code that you — yes, you!
Amy Chan | It starts with the self
Last week, I caught the most unrelenting illness known to man: the common cold. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, sanitize your beds and cover your mouths, because the respiratory syncytial virus is back in town and he’s not sparing anyone. As I lay in bed cancelling meetings and asking for extensions in classes, I felt a heavy sense of guilt and fear.
Emily Hoeven | Lessons from the Bard
I got a C- on my last Shakespeare test. For the past week or so, I tried to think of ways to write this article without mentioning my grade.
Aaron Cooper | The lazy voting epidemic
Is it possible for a country to be bad at voting? In America, the popular election is practically deified.
James Lee | The American Story
The Chicago Cubs are in the World Series. Do you know what the true power of a good story is?
Cameron Dichter | The other minority
In the words of Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price, “... at Penn everyone belongs.” It’s a strong sentiment, an ideal we should strive to reach.
Alec Ward | Radically neutral
It was a rough year for the American social fabric. The existing political order was under deep strain.
Alessandro van den Brink | False Alarm
Last week, The Daily Pennsylvanian ran an article about Wharton sophomore Eric Hoover, who posted in the Penn Class of 2019 Facebook group that he intends to form a chapter on campus of a pro-life group called Students for Life of America (SFLA). Naturally, Hoover’s post caused a bit of chaos in the group as pro-choice advocates began to berate him with comments such as “welcome to the middle ages.” While there’s no data to back this up, it’s probable that most Penn students are pro-choice and take great offense at those who would suggest that abortion be made illegal.
Amanda Reid | National Bubble
When I first came to Penn, one of the first questions I was asked about my home country was: “Isn’t Vietnam a democracy?” At first, it seemed like a harmless question, but, after rethinking it, I saw the damaging knowledge gaps behind the query — the same lack of knowledge about the Vietnam War directly informs humanitarian disasters like Iraq.