Opinion

Jim Saksa | Getting off the high horse

When I first thought of transferring to Penn from Villanova, one of the reasons was Villanova's insane inferiority complex. Villanovans were obsessed with Georgetown and Boston College: the suburban Catholic schools they didn't get into. We acted out our jealousy by intensely mocking the kids from St.

Opinion Art | Daniel Schwartz

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

Editorial | Uncivil debate

Drawing over 1,200 members of the Penn community, SPEC's Evening with Karl Rove was, by all accounts, a success. Unfortunately, the evening was tarnished by a couple of students more interested in venting their anger than participating in civil discussion.

Zachary Noyce | Everyday low prices

About once a month or so, I like to go into the Financial Aid office to ask a question or two - and to remind them that I am still desperately poor. So just in case they happen to have a couple thousand dollars that they're looking to give out, I'm their guy.

Opinion Art | Avery Lawrence

Avery Lawrence is a College senior from Charlottesville, Va. His e-mail address is lawrence@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Benjamin Alisuag | Finding where APAs belong

When I opened the center spread of last month's Punch Bowl's diversity issue, my world collapsed. For years I thought Asian Americans belonged at parties. The craziest shindigs I'd ever been to were hosted by Asian Americans. But even more horrifying was the realization that Asians did not belong at Crown Fried Chicken.

Lisa Zhu | Going under the knife

For most of us, Penn's a place for making new friends and pursuing intellectual challenges. But for some students, the college years are also the ideal time for getting plastic surgery. The benefits are obvious. In transitioning from a familiar hometown to a campus populated mostly by strangers and to the even more alien "real world," there is little chance of meeting someone who would recognize that you had work done.

Your Voice | Letters

Not that clever To the Editor: I am amazed, frankly, that Penn undergrads can't be more creative than singing "you suck" at opposing teams. Way back when, we used to have clever buttons for large sports games, with sayings on them like, "The Tigers have mini-paws.

Opinion Art | Jennifer Lesser

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

Editorial | Hey Penn, you suck

There's a fine line between sportsmanship and oversensitivity. It's called common sense. Unfortunately, the Athletic department crossed that line when it decided to stop The Penn Band from playing the popular "Hey Song." Officially titled "Rock and Roll Part 2," the song is a mainstay at Penn men's basketball games.

Collin Beck | Stuck without a seat

Every Tuesday last semester, I rushed to class in order to arrive early. Not because there was an interesting lecture that day or because I wanted brownie points. The reason I hurried was simple - because if I didn't, I wouldn't get a seat. For a number of classes I've taken, there simply aren't enough desks, meaning students are forced to play musical chairs.

Simeon McMillan | Meaningless gossip

It used to be you'd find Penn students glued to Facebook, YouTube and bad Chinese soap operas on their computers. Now procrastinators have one more thing to add to their Ivy League idleness. JuicyCampus.com, an online gossip Web site, guarantees its users complete anonymity to spread any rumor about any student on any campus.

Editorial | Showing our gratitude

As Ben Franklin once said, an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. That was the idea behind the original GI Bill. Enacted in 1944, the legislation covered tuition and other expenses for veterans going to college. Over the past fifty years however, Congress has scaled back the program to provide a flat payment.

Mara Gordon | Catching Obama fever

I have a confession to make: I'm a Hillary Clinton fan. I'm always a little reluctant to tell people about my love for the former first lady. It seems so tragically uncool - the kind of thing that Midwestern soccer moms do, not urban college kids. Obama-mania has hit Penn, and it's hit hard.

Opinion Art | Alicia Puglionesi

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

Gabriel Oppenheim | You've got mail - and you just lost healthcare

It's Valentine's season. If you're lucky, you've received a letter from a lover, finding out someone cares. If you're an AlliedBarton guard, you might have received a letter saying no one cares. And that you no longer have health insurance. Here's a beautiful message one guard (who requested anonymity because Allied forbids media contact) received in early February: "Our records indicate that you have not consistently maintained full-time status; as a result, you have lost eligibility for Health and Welfare Benefits through AlliedBarton.

Editorial | For the record

Pennsylvania's putting all its votes in one basket. A recent report issued by Common Cause and the Verified Voting Foundation identified the Keystone State as one of 17 states at "high risk" for voting-machine problems. The reason? While voting machines in Pa.

Elizabeth Song | Fighting back

Thhhwack! That's the sound of bare skin against foam padding as I smack the daylights out of an oncoming assailant. Don't worry. Hidden behind the pads is none other than my smiling instructor, Michelle Ray. This simple exercise is part of my first lesson in physical self-defense.

Opinion Art | Amira Fawcett

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

Stephen Krewson | An Evening with Irrelevance

Last Monday, Karl Rove addressed students at Connecticut preparatory school Choate Rosemary Hall, in a lecture setting. Rove had originally been penciled in as Choate's commencement speaker but accepted the less glamorous engagement after a swell of student and parental protest.