Opinion Columns
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.
Harrison Glicklich| A Cycle of Mediocrity
As we all know, the presidential debates mark the tail end of the two-year-long campaign for president of the United States. With the cicada-esque lifespan of the campaign coming to an end, television networks across the country reap record ratings by broadcasting these debates. Some of you may still remember the debate from this past week, which drew 71 million viewers, and which represents the conclusion of the most-watched series of presidential debates in history. But does “most-watched” mean “best?” Based on the leading nature of that question, I think many of you would disagree.
Ashley Stinnett | When you monk too hard and think you’re having a heart attack
Communications are limited in the Monk class now: 100 spoken words per day, no social media, no contact beyond what is necessary for school or employment. It started out innocuously.
Alec Ward | Reverse and remand
Early last week, the University of Florida circulated a memo to its undergraduates, cautioning them not to wear offensive costumes on Halloween. The issuance of such statements has become something of an October tradition on many campuses, and kerfuffle of some kind nearly always attends.
Joe Tharakan | The other PC culture
The other PC culture Electronic Device use in classrooms is hurting students Standing at the front of any given classroom on Penn’s campus, you will see students diligently typing, presumably taking notes on whatever important topic the professor is discussing.
Amy Chan | Take it or leave it
This weekend, I decided to never wear eye makeup again. Red lipstick: okay, because I like the way it makes me stand out, but eye makeup: no. What may seem like a rather non-drastic decision, means a life change for me.
Toe the Line: Penn Democrats | Gun violence
On October 5, 2015, Penn was one of many Philadelphia-area colleges that lived under the threat of an anonymous online post foreshadowing a mass shooting.
