Opinion
Xavier Flory | Secularism: A western conceit
Secularism as understood today, although a great idea in the West, isn’t always exportable. The problem is that secularism is not a neutral concept but has positive associations with modernity and democracy.Nominations and Elections Committee | Taking charge
With advertisements implying we, the United States’ constituents, possess the power to elect “leaders of the free world,” many were pulled in by the allure of such a glamorous opportunity. When it comes to student government on Penn’s campus, however, that same fervor is not shared by the masses, both in regard to applicant pool and voter turnout. But why?
Divya Ramesh | Playing with fire
Stepping away from our compulsive need for action to adopt a version of the NRK’s digitized natural world might be a healthy choice. After all, with Norway recently ranked first on Forbes’ list of the happiest world nations, the country might have something to show beyond its magnificent fjords.Editorial | Small steps
It is unequivocal that Penn’s administration should be more diverse. However, less than two years ago, Penn launched its Faculty Diversity Action Plan, geared at increasing the diversity of Penn’s faculty.
Jeff Nadel | Neighborly government
It is absurd to suggest that we consent, by virtue of our participation in a professedly democratic society, to whatever abuse the government may dole out.
Kurt Mitman | Spend away
There is little evidence that disparity in spending has a big impact on outcomes. Research into the effect has found a modest positive link between disparity in spending and vote outcome. However, one of the confounding problems is that popular and well-organized candidates are probably more likely to win.
Adam Silver | Size doesn't matter
But what sounds good in a political ad doesn’t necessarily make good policy sense. If we allow ourselves to continue to pursue big vs. little, we might forget the more important fight: smarter vs. dumber.
Morgan Jones | Don't keep walking
To many students, Locust Walk is just a means to get from one class to another. This, unfortunately, reflects an attitude found beyond the cobbled blocks of Locust: to many students, Penn is just a stepping stone between high school and the “real world.”Alla Abramov | Teaching finance is a good investment
Just as vocational school is more practical than a four-year undergraduate degree for many high schoolers, so is personal finance a more useful class than something less applicable to the real world.Kira Silk | Where are your priorities?
If those arguing for their right to bear arms claim that it is within their constitutional right to hunt and own a gun for self-defense, the statistics surely demonstrate that this is rarely what guns are being used for.Your Voice | Pedagogical potential
It is important to appreciate the potential of professor Ghrist’s course to revolutionize the teaching of calculus during the internet age.
Hayley Brooks & Ali Kokot | Working to play
Penn has a pre-professional aura that radiates outward from Huntsman, enveloping the rest of campus. This internal pressure, coupled with the external pressure from career-minded parents, can discourage students from seeking other opportunities, even if those opportunities might be a better fit than finance. There should be more support for students who want to spend their summer incorporating their play — or better put, their passions — into their work.Editorial | The Coursera cliff
Two weeks ago, ACE recommended that Penn should give course credit for mathematics and engineering professor Robert Ghrist’s calculus course offered on Coursera. Our concern is that ACE is trying to leave the nest too soon, so to speak.
Rachel del Valle | Updating the status quo
Today, instead of shifting education to match the new century, people point to the status quo as an argument to preserve it. But to suggest, for example, that there is a dearth of qualified minority candidates for administrative positions at Penn is evidence itself that the system is broken.
Divya Ramesh | Dropping names
We all find it awkward when we mix up names, but it seems I’m the only person upset over rechristening Sam as Wesley and mistaking Mary Kate for Caroline.Anthony Liveris | The fall of the American empire
We are only $550 billion away from reversing Tytler’s Cycle. More so, this is over a 10-year period. That makes it $55 billion a year in a $13 trillion economy.Your Voice | Preserving a dream
I was disheartened to see so many fellow students in the crowd show support to someone who presented a case to ultimately break up a huge part of what contributes to Penn tradition based largely on their admiration of his personal status.