Opinion

Ryan Benjamin | It's all about the attitude

This Tuesday I woke up in D.C. at the crack of dawn to watch Barack Obama say the words, "I will execute the office of president of the United States faithfully." Or was it faithfully execute? Whatever it was, I was there to see it happen - well, sort of. My brother, cousin and I were fortunate enough to score some "blue" tickets to the inauguration - three of over 250,000 total tickets, of the millions who wanted them.

Editorial | Farewell from the 124

Today's issue of the DP will be the last published by its 124th Board of Editors. On Monday, a new board will assume leadership of Penn's newspaper of record. One of our most important goals this past year was to transform The Daily Pennsylvanian from a newspaper into a news organization.

Wiktoria Parysek | Drinking responsibly

'Can I see your I.D.?" might sound different from "Ausweis, bitte" but, in essence, they're both harboring the same doubt: You don't look old enough to buy alcohol. To some at Penn, this isn't viewed as a nuisance - they may see it as a necessary evil or as a non-issue.

Lisa Zhu |Taxing our futures

Editorial | Supporting the stands

Opinion Art | Amira Fawcett

Amira Fawcett is an Engineering senior from Houston. Her e-mail address is fawcett@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Brandon Moyse | Making the most of an opportunity

Editorial | Keeping Penn safe

Across the board, from robberies to sexual assault, Penn experienced a significant drop in most categories of crime last year. For this, we must recognize the role played by the Division of Public Safety for bringing about these declines. Throughout the past several years but specifically in 2008, DPS's work has turned the campus from a security theater to a safe environment for students and the faculty and staff living in the University City neighborhood.

Emerson Brooking | Straddling the middle of Mideast divide

When I was in elementary school, my Sunday school teacher would always close with a heartfelt prayer for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Although I was too young to understand the complicated origins of their peoples' conflict, I knew enough to hope that their leaders could come to an agreement that might end the litany of suicide bomb attacks and retaliatory strikes that haunted the evening news.

Guest Column | Answering the call to public service

Guest Column | In support of study abroad in Israel

Opinion Art | Janice Dow

Janice Dow is an College sophomore from Los Angeles. Her e-mail address is dow@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Ashley Takacs | Crafting an arts curriculum

Julie Steinberg | Investing in our futures

When Bernie Madoff was arrested on December 12, it was easy to dismiss him as another Wall Streeter getting his due. In the wake of massive bank and investment firm failures, we've become desensitized to the damage that's crippled our financial system. For liberal arts students especially, the fall of the titans has produced the sweet satisfaction that comes with choosing a life of Proust instead of Fuld.

Christina Domenico | Trying to go topless during class

I'm easily distracted. I have to have my background noise while studying, and during class there are plenty of things that can steal my attention away from the professor --- Gchat, Digg and Perez Hilton, to name a few. The majority of my distractions have one thing in common - they originate on a lovely little thing we call "the Internet" and are accessible on a portable device called the "laptop.

Opinion Art | Ilana Millner

Ilana Millner is an College junior from Washington's Crossing, Pa. Her e-mail address is millner@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Editorial |Stand up to the RIAA

After five years and hundreds of frivolous lawsuits, the Recording Industry Association of America's "war" on illegal downloading has moved out of its legal phase. This could not have happened soon enough. The random pursuit of a handful of those who regularly file share was an exercise in futility that highlighted the group's dismaying refusal to adapt to a changing technological landscape.

Ryan Benjamin | Leaving a note, at the Facebook wall

The information age has brought new technologies that enrich our lives, but with it comes a series of ethical questions, none more avoidable than the issue of how to deal with death. Penn has experienced the deaths of three students this school year, a bit more than usual perhaps.

Opinion Art | Daniel Schwartz

Daniel Schwartz is a College junior from Decatur, Ga. His e-mail address is schwartz@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Katherine Rea | Holding hands across cultures

Meeting the parents is always difficult - just ask Ben Stiller. While most guys don't have to conjure up stories about milking cats and most girls don't have ex-CIA agent fathers watching their every move, it's a milestone in any relationship. And it's hard enough to make a good impression on people with similar cultural expectations in the same language.