Opinion

Opinion Art | Amira Fawcett

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

Editorial | Doing your civic duty

Your vote (finally) counts - at least if you're a Democrat. By a strange twist of fate, Pennsylvania's voice will matter in the presidential primaries. For residents of the Keystone state, including many Penn students, that means a rare opportunity to play a pivotal role in deciding on candidates for president.

Elizabeth Song | A smarter GRE exam

Just when you thought it was safe to relax, a whole slew of standardized tests is lurking around the corner. For the grad school crowd, the Educational Testing Service comes back to infect you with a nasty bout of SAT redux: MCAT, LSAT and GMAT. And don't forget the queen them all, the Graduate Record Exam.

Nicky Berman | So you want to be a superdelegate?

Meet Jason Rae. He's 21, a junior at Marquette University, loves Netflix and college basketball. And along with President Clinton and Governor Rendell, he'll be casting his vote as a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention this August. Yes, you read that correctly - he's a 21-year-old superdelegate, the youngest of them all, and his vote will be equal in value to that of some 15,000 average-Joe voters like you and me.

Your Voice | Letters

AlliedBarton provides opportunities To the Editor: As the ranking official assigned by AlliedBarton Security Services to Penn, I would like to respond to the guest column offered in The Daily Pennsylvanian on Feb. 20. I began at AlliedBarton in 1993 as an officer.

Lisa Zhu | Political platforms for stronger cities

With talk of ethanol and agricultural subsidies galore, this year's elections have been more than just a little bit country. But somewhere between our amber waves of grain and our purple mountains' majesty, America lost sight of one of its greatest competitive advantages in the future global economy - its cities.

Opinion Art | Priscilla des Gachons

Priscilla des Gachons is a College sophomore from Paris, France. Her e-mail address is pgachons@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Christina Domenico | Banking on your future

It's that time of year again - spring break, of course - when students flock off campus to more exotic locations around the globe. The one thing they all have in common? They'll all be feeding whatever economy they happen to find themselves in. Not that that's any different from a normal week at Penn.

Editorial | Speaking out on the ban

In the ongoing debate over the FDA's ban on men who have sex with men (MSM) donating blood, it's time for Penn to take an actual stand on the issue. And as the Undergraduate Assembly debates whether or not Penn should examine the ban's conflicts with its nondiscrimination policy, there's a right way for universities to respond, and there's a wrong way.

Point | FDA policy proves unnecessary

A lot has changed at Penn since 1977. This May the LGBT Center will celebrate it's 25th anniversary at Penn. The University has made tremendous strides in recognizing and understanding its diverse array of students. But thanks to an outdated FDA policy, any man who has ever had sex with another man (MSM) is banned for life from donating blood on campus - or anywhere else.

Opinion Art | Jennifer Lesser

Jennifer Lesser is a College sophomore from Minneapolis, MN. Her e-mail address is lesser@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Counterpoint | Caution is not discrimination

Does the FDA's policy of banning males who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood violate Penn's non-discrimination policy? Absolutely, but so do comedy troupes that don't allow women and a capella groups that exclude men. The University also sanctions registered parties where only people past a certain age can drink (blatant ageism) - unless one of their friends is conniving enough to figure out how to remove a bracelet.

Opinion Art | Alicia Puglionesi

Alicia Puglionesi is a College junior from Havertown, Pa. Her e-mail address is puglionesi@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Editorial | A practical solution

Universities around the country have long struggled with how to best meet the needs of minority groups. Case in point: the controversy over single-sex exercise facilities. While some religious groups have requested such spaces, Harvard's policy of shutting off an entire gym for female-only exercise is both unnecessary and unreasonable.

David Kanter | Closing the door on political activism

For far too long college students have avoided the political process, neglecting their right to vote. This theme is old and tired, but true. In 2004, only a bit more than 40 percent of 18-to-24-year olds voted in the presidential election. Nevertheless, as statistics start to roll in from yesterday's primaries in Texas and Ohio, the national media will remind us once more this election season that young Americans are finally voting.

Mara Gordon | Power of rhetoric

Last week, I went to my commencement. Or at least I'm pretending I did. It was everything I wanted in a great graduation speech. A famous, influential speaker. Inspiring rhetoric. I left with a sense that no matter what I set my mind to, I would be able to change the world.

Stephen Krewson | An age of unreading?

Walking into the Penn Bookstore yesterday, I smiled to see the Campus Bestseller display. A prominent stripe of Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!) ran across it, three books wide and ten books in length. Below them, I spotted several copies of Susan Jacoby's just-released The Age of American Unreason.

Your Voice | Letters

Penn isn't biased To the Editor: I must admit that I don't fully understand David Back's comment on free speech. If his concern is that Penn is politically biased in its choice of high-profile speakers, I would remind him that Karl Rove, Bill Clinton and Senator John McCain have all spoken this academic year.

Class Board | Style or substance

'It Rhymes with Pumpkin!" "Getting down to business!" "The Asian Sensation!" With Student Government elections coming up, you are about to be bombarded with candidates' slogans. Chalked on the walk, hanging from trees, written on your friend's T-shirt, these catchy adages certainly vie for your eyes but also make it difficult to distinguish style from substance.

Opinion Art | Amira Fawcett

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