Opinion

Nick McAvoy | Slavery in the city of liberty

Slavery. Not somewhere else. Right here. Earlier this semester I went to a presentation of the Not For Sale Campaign, a movement launched in February with the aim of abolishing worldwide slavery within our lifetime. Going in, I felt that while this was probably a worthy cause, it was more a global issue than a national one.

Jim Saksa | Avoiding mindless conversation

Whenever I go home, I find myself trapped in the same infuriating conversation. Lacking any topics we really want to talk about, old friends and distant relations fall into the same rut when we catch up on news. Where do I go to school? Penn. Mindless banter question? Mindless banter answer.

Your Voice | Letters to the Editor

An insensitive choice of words To the editor: While there is no shortage of derogatory language circulating on Penn's campus, I was shocked to see an example printed in the pages of Friday's DP. In his article "It's the network (or lack thereof)", Stephen Krewson nonchalantly uses the term "retard" to describe Sen.

Opinion Art | Avery Lawrence

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

Jenny Zhan | Gambling with Philadelphia's voice

Penn's eastward expansion over the blighted postal lands has been greeted with mostly nods and applause. But what if the renewal project built casino resorts instead of nanotechnology centers or dorms? Whether you like it or not, two casinos are going to break grounds along the Delaware River waterfront in a few weeks.

Stephen Krewson | Not the right attitude

About a month ago, I wrote a column in response to the shootings outside Koko Bongo nightclub, in which dozens of shots were fired and one person was killed. My outrage was directed primarily at Penn's Division of Public Safety. I accused them of being misguided and failing to do enough to protect students.

Rina Thomas | Answering the call to action

There's a massive, non-violent protest going on in our very own backyard. Community leaders are calling for 10,000 men to flood the streets with peacekeeping patrols in an effort to stem the rampant violence. Philadelphia has organized town-watch movements and Father's Day rallies before, but the city has never hosted something of this scale.

Opinion Board | Navigating the storm

As this semester draws to a close, it's evident that Penn's administrators are trying hard to get through the "perfect storm" of crime. And while the semester did include the glamorous launch of an ambitious capital campaign, along with an exciting eastward expansion effort, those successes haven't been able to gloss over the disturbing assortment of incidents that have dented Penn's reputation and campus life.

Opinion Art | Amira Fawcett

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

Mara Gordon | Teaching, one meal at a time

It was the best chicken sandwich I'd had in a long time. I got it at a little cafe nestled along a nondescript block of Fairmount Avenue, kind of a hike for an ordinary weekday lunch after class this week. But what made this one chicken sandwich so good was the people who made it.

Opinion Art | Joanne Tong

Joanne Tong is a Wharton senior from Manila, Philippines. Her e-mail address is tong@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Opinion Board | Freedom to explore

Students shouldn't have to jump hurdles to balance the classes they want with the credits they need. But certain policies, like the College's cap on credit for outside courses, only complicate the scheduling process. Along with their majors, College students take around 20 classes to fulfill General Education and elective requirements.

Meredith Aska McBride | Student activism isn't going anywhere

'The best defense is a spirited offense," the saying goes. And our generation has been forced to go on the defense. We're under constant assault from politicians, pundits and ex-hippies, explaining away our cohort's failure to stir up mass resistance and apologizing for our supposed apathy.

Elizabeth Song | Putting on the Ritz

Welcome to University City, land of the $4 Starbucks latte and home of the $48 American Apparel sweatshirt. The 300 acres of land that Penn owns in University City rise above the desolate, crime-ridden lands of West Philadelphia like the Emerald City over Oz.

Opinion Art | Alicia Puglionesi

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

Jim Saksa | All I want for Christmas is a $200 laptop

The holidays are upon us once again. I'm a big fan of Christmas - I love the hushed beauty of a bright, snowy night, Claymation TV specials and Harpoon's delicious Winter Warmer ale. Here at Penn, we celebrate the winter solstice with the stars on Locust Walk, finals and gift drives.

Michaela Tolpin | Winning isn't everything

"I forget the author… but I was wondering if you had a book called The Game?" I asked the grandfatherly man behind the information desk at the Penn Bookstore. "Yes, of course," he said. Then, after a pause and a slight roll of the eyes, "We have plenty.

Opinion Board | Information we can use

It's that time of the year again. As classes wrap up, thousands of students will once again fill out bubble-forms to give feedback for their professors. And although students provide a fair amount of information on these forms, key portions of this data don't make it onto Penn Course Review.

Opinion Art | Daniel Schwartz

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

Mike Tully | Spending away our generation's future

The youth of America are looking to the 2008 presidential candidates for a change in policy and fiscal responsibility. We will no longer support the culture of deficit spending and pork-barrel legislation, as we will have to bear that burden, crippling our future and America's economic might.