Opinion

Meredith Aska McBride | Reclaiming the walk of shame

"Orgasm is the body's natural call to feminist politics," wrote feminist author Naomi Wolf. Go out and sit on Locust Walk on a Sunday morning, though - are Penn's women just not getting any satisfaction? Why won't anyone make eye contact? We're all familiar with the walk of shame: The endless march across campus in f***-me pumps and clothes that are clearly not meant to be worn in daylight, paired with sex hair and morning breath.

Harry Lee | Complaining: a guide

Avoiding weirdos is often easy, even though they crowd this world. But at Penn, you can get stuck with blossoming freaks as roommates every semester. School acts like a greenhouse for oddities, which thrive once removed from parental shadows. How can you deal with your roommates' peculiar ways and odd beliefs? For example, many weirdos believe that were they not to leave thickets of pubic hair in the shower, others would die from frustrated curiosity about its length, color and curliness.

Opinion Board | Take health seriously

When it comes to combating HPV, Penn's student health-insurance program needs a shot in the arm. Human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer, is expected to kill another 3,700 American women this year. But with the development of Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against four most dangerous types of the virus, scientists have finally found a way to halt the spread of this frighteningly common sexually transmitted disease.

Opinion Art | Amira Fawcett

Opinion Art | Alicia Puglionesi

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

Michaela Tolpin | Guilty until proven innocent*

In the early morning hours of Sept. 9, a student at Georgetown University was brutally assaulted. Why? Because he's gay. According to NBC, the victim, whose identity remains anonymous, was leaving a party near Georgetown's campus when he was allegedly assaulted with homophobic taunts before being physically attacked.

Jim Saksa | A real University City

As goes University City, so goes the University. This mindset permeates the administration's rhetoric so often that it's almost hackneyed. Even the new postal-land developments are being marketed as "forging connections between University City and Center City.

Opinion Board | Be informed or die

Today is the last day you can register to vote before the meaningless mayoral election in November. We're all for voting and fulfilling your civic responsibility. Considering we're supposed to be enlightened, engaged citizens, Penn's past voter-participation rates in past elections have been embarrassing.

Opinion Art | Daniel Schwartz

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

Cassandra Tognoni | Stereotyping Penn students

Brown kids are hippy pot smokers, Columbia kids are artsy and deep, Harvard kids are arrogant pricks, but what are Penn kids? Are we even important enough to garner any sort of stereotype, whether negative or positive? I visited four other colleges (Drexel, Brown, Yale and Princeton) to find out.

Ernest Gomez | Nipping depression in the bud

Think of any 10 undergrads at Penn. Would you believe that four or five of them might be depressed? According to a national survey of 13,500 college students published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005, 45 percent of undergraduates reported experiencing depression severe enough to prevent them from functioning day to day.

Opinion Board | All aboard

Explore Philadelphia! It's an upbeat message which the University (and the DP) often sends, as if students can simply jaunt around the city of brotherly love at their slightest whim. Just a few problems: SEPTA is a pathetic excuse for public transportation, taxis can be prohibitively expensive and most students have neither the time nor the ability to walk everywhere.

Opinion Art | Avery Lawrence

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

Jenny Zhan | Teaching people to be, well, people

When taking a brisk stroll down Locust Walk, you can't miss being inundated with flyers advertising "The Real World: Wall Street" or "Finance 101 Information Session" - Penn students troubled by such mind-boggling questions as "what private equity really is" can often find their peace of mind at these Huntsman Hall specialties.

Guest Columnist Paul Franco | Bad recitation? Don't blame just the TAs

As a teaching assistant the past two years in the Philosophy Department, I was disappointed to read The Daily Pennsylvanian's article ("Hard to follow recitation? You're not alone" 9/17/2007), which implied that the blame for "the classic bad recitation" should be placed squarely and solely on the shoulders of the TA.

Your Voice | Letters to the Editor

UA: Current election system works fine The opinion piece, "Sensible Politics," (9/27/2007) on The Daily Pennsylvanian's Opinion Page, was not only naively construed, but also greatly discounted the capabilities of the freshman candidates. We would first like to point out that the following day the DP ran an article conveying an interview with Class Board presidential candidates that explicitly asked frivolous questions to elicit frivolous responses ("For Class Board hopefuls, toilet covers, jousting" 9/28/2007).

Mara Gordon | Good treatment is good sense

It's every woman's worst nightmare. She's rushed to an emergency room after being raped or sexually assaulted. She's been physically hurt, she's disoriented and humiliated, too. She has to undergo countless interviews and tests before she can even go home and take a shower.

Opinion Board | SEPTA's got a ticket to ride

With $150 million in state funding and additional revenues from Monday's fare hike coming in, SEPTA officials finally have a golden ticket to put Philadelphia's mass-transit system on the right track. SEPTA has long postponed ticketing-system improvements because of inadequate state funding.

Opinion Art | Joanne Tong

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

Rina Thomas | Paper? Plastic? Simplify and just BYOB

BYOB. Europe does it. America used to do it before the Second World War. African nations may soon join in. So will you if the Philadelphia City Council succeeds in banning plastic bags. It's not that hard. Just bring your own bag when you go shopping. If eco-conscious council members have their way, Philly will soon join the ranks of green cities like San Francisco and Paris.