34th Street Magazine's "Toast" is a semi-weekly newsletter with the latest on Penn's campus culture and arts scene. Delivered Monday-Wednesday-Friday.
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It's not easy being green.
But in this day and age, what with Al Gore winning a Nobel Peace Prize for his inconvenient truth about global climate change and Brad Pitt zooming around Hollywood in his hybrid car, you almost feel pressured to turn off the tap water while brushing your teeth to save that extra three kilograms of CO2 per year.
Investing with a conscience
To The Editor:
We agree: Penn's endowment campaign could help make President Gutmann a hero of higher education (10/25/2007 "Looking Ahead"). The funds raised will let Penn uphold its commitment to principled research and study for the benefit of our local and global community.
Rina Thomas is a Wharton and College senior from New Orleans. Her e-mail address is thomas@dailypennsylvanian.com. The Gospel According to Thomas appears on Thursdays.
Of all the things students look for in a university "ability to keep secrets" generally isn't a coveted quality. The administration (or at least the handful that are in the know) seem to be having trouble grasping this.
In September, in an effort to uncover the truth about Dean Stetson's mysterious resignation, we appealed to the administration's sense of accountability to the Penn community . to no avail.
The City of Brotherly Love has a less savoury nickname: Killadelphia.
Offensive, but well-earned.
Crime in Philadelphia is out of control. The homicide rate is approaching record-breaking levels as usual and crime abounds around the perimeters of campus.
Kids these days just don't care. Last time America was entrenched in a seemingly endless war against a nebulous and poorly defined enemy, college campuses were a boiling pot of protests, sit-ins and petitions. Student activism was the norm, even at that complacent haven of privilege known as the Ivy League.
A hectic, slightly hapless afternoon in New York is behind me.
Smartsave map in hand, I made it to the U.N. building two minutes after it closed to visitors; a clutch of taxi drivers refused my fare; and I took the sweltering 456 subway line to the Whitney Museum of American Art arriving at 5:10 p.
Crime in West Philly may be old news, but you know it's bad when it reaches the hallowed halls of Van Pelt.
Indeed, ten cases of theft have been reported to Penn Police since mid-September and many more have certainly gone unreported. According to the Division of Public Safety, 43 percent of total thefts since July have been the result of leaving possessions unattended.
Hark! Fellow Penn students, heed my call. A blue storm is gathering and glory is being showered on the cowardly dragons. In this, the last week of the fair month October, our honor is being challenged.
The evil Drexelians have somehow managed to get ringside seats in the greatest tournament of our time.
Nothing beats a leisurely weekend brunch.
I treasure these meals, these few hours, to the point of reverence. They are my religion, and my ritual is pretty set: tea, fruit, homework, Simon, Garfunkel and a table outside ABP.
This weekend, however, after a week bursting at the seams with unadulterated evil (read: midterms), I made the drastic decision to alter my regiment.
'Working to solve complex real-world problems is the best way to advance knowledge and learning." This sentiment, voiced by education reformer John Dewey, deserves stronger consideration from our university than it is presently receiving.
Our community, West Philadelphia, has no shortage of problems.
On Saturday, they were everywhere: sexy referees, sexy gladiators, sexy cats. It's Halloween, and that means discovering that just about any occupation and any animal can be made into tight, cleavage-baring, upper-thigh-revealing ensemble that oozes sexuality.
With the shooting at the Koko Bongo over the weekend, nobody needs to be reminded that we live on an urban campus that is far from immune to crime. Fortunately, Penn has a number of security measures in place to protect its students: 898-WALK, 898-RIDE and the fourth-largest private police force in the country.
Why the name change?
To the editor:
I was disappointed to read that the College Republicans caved to pressure from the Muslim Students' Association and dropped the term "Islamo-Fascism" from their planned awareness week ("After name conflicts, groups begin events," 10/22/07).
This week, the Penn College Republicans have organized Terrorism Awareness Week. As some of you may know, on a national level this campaign is running under the title Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, sponsored by David Horowitz and the David Horowitz Freedom Center.