Opinion

Editorial | Increasing our options

If there's one constraint that Penn students often complain about, it's the writing requirement. Many of the Writing Seminar courses follow a particularly rigid format. Only a handful of classes allow students to practice specific writing skills needed for certain majors or fields, such as business or journalism.

Opinion Art | Jennifer Lesser

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

Adam Goodman | Stepping up to the soapbox

So . how do you feel about the FDA's lifetime ban on the donation of blood by men who've had sex with men? The issue may not have even been on your radar a month ago, but if you're a semi-aware Penn student, it sure as hell is now. After the UA initially threw its support behind a proposal urging the University to examine whether the ban violated Penn's discrimination policy, the controversy received prominent exposure in these pages and was picked up by local news affiliates.

Penn Leads the Vote | Register like a champion

For more years than any of us have been alive, politicians and political pundits have discounted student voters, arguing that young people just don't turn out at the polls. On the campaign trail and in office, government officials from the White House and Congress have ignored the issues most important to us, assuming that youth voter apathy would preclude them from political punishment.

Mara Gordon | Unionization isn't the issue

When I met Bob Bark outside of Fresh Grocer last week, I thought I'd be writing a simple pro-union column. Bark had handed me a flyer that announced: "Newsflash! Campus Apartments has decided to hire an electrical contractor who does not pay what the government says is a fair wage.

Editorial | A worthy program

Thanks to a policy change by the Philadelphia School District, every school volunteer will have to undergo three background checks costing a total of $70. And that may put the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project - run by Civic House, Penn's community service center - in jeopardy.

Opinion Art | Alicia Puglionesi

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

Penn for Hillary | Cutting short a lively debate

Two weeks ago, Chelsea Clinton came to Penn; when she walked out of the front doors of Houston Hall, hundreds of students and dozens of journalists stood to see her kick off her mom's Pennsylvania campaign. There was tangible energy in the air. Chelsea's event was not a campaign rally but the beginning of a conversation.

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.