June 22, 2017

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THURSDAY, JUNE 22ND, 2017

The Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania

SUMMER EDITION

Penn’s Trustees meet to talk new investment projects Leaders discussed the new Penn Medicine Pavilion CHRIS DOYLE Staff Reporter

As part of the scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees last week, the Trustees Facilities and Campus Planning Committee discussed Penn’s newest investment projects,

one of which is valued at more than $1 billion. Here’s what you need to know: The $1.5 billion Penn Medicine Pavilion will make up for a shortage of beds at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The Pavilion being constructed across the street from HUP — Penn’s largest capital project in its history — will expand the amount

of space for inpatient care in Penn Medicine’s complex of hospitals. Ralph Muller, the CEO of Penn Medicine, said the additions were necessary, largely because HUP does not have enough beds. Muller reported that “several days each week,” HUP had to turn away patients because there just wasn’t sufficient space.

Penn President Amy Gutmann said she was enthusiastic about the Pavilion, and thought it marked a milestone in the history of Penn Medicine. “This is by far the largest project we’ve ever done, and by far the most intensive care project we’ve ever done,” Gutmann said. “We want [Penn’s hospital facilities] to be the best and we want everybody

to compare themselves to us.” Gutmann said that the growth Muller spoke about was part of a national trend towards consolidated and more efficient care. Muller summarized a number of other Penn Medicine projects that were completed over the last year. He spoke to the committee about the $90 million expansion project for Chester County Hospital,

which Penn Medicine acquired in 2013; the acquisition of the Princeton HealthCare System; and the opening of a new Penn Medicine location in Cherry Hill, N.J. Wharton is adding another building — it’ll be across from the Quad at 37th and Spruce streets. Wharton Dean Geoffrey Garrett SEE FRES PAGE 5

Penn has limited outsider access to the Class of 2021 Facebook group, likely in response to the racist cyber attack last year HALEY SUH Senior Reporter

Access to the Class of 2021 Facebook group will be limited to just six New Student Orientation coordinators this year, a change from years past when Peers Helping Incoming New Students, or PHINS, had access to the page. PHINS, who help incoming freshmen, transfer and exchange students adjust to life at Penn during NSO, have generally used the page to interact with incoming students during the summer. Now, they will only get to do so in person during NSO. This change comes after a consideration by the Admissions Office to delete the Facebook group for admitted students. Access to the page provided the means for an admitted student to collect contact information from the page and add black freshmen to a racist group chat in November. Kathryn Bezella, a spokesperson for the Admissions Office, wrote in an emailed statement earlier this year that the Admissions Office will be working with other departments, including NSO, the Registrar’s Office and the Office of Student Affairs, to “moderate” the Facebook group by managing the enrollment in and content of the page. “The GroupMe incident led us to think about the Facebook group from the ground up,” said NSO Director David Fox. “In discussions, we all agreed that the primary goal of the group was to build community among freshmen, and that worked best when it was really their space, with only a few moderators functioning largely in the background.” Fox added that they were limiting the participation of upperclassmen strictly to NSO coordinators because the Facebook SEE FACEBOOK PAGE 2

WENTING SUN | DESIGN EDITOR

Penn rejects fossil fuel divestment proposal again

I’m waiting for an Asian actor to play a character whose main trait isn’t being Asian. - Jessica Li PAGE 4

Trustees see no reason to change former decision CHRIS DOYLE Staff Reporter

PHILLY INTERNSHIP DECONSTRUCTED PAGE 3

CARSON KAHOE | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

DAN XU | FILE PHOTO

Fossil Free Penn student outreach co-coordinator Zach Rissman said FFP was disappointed and reiterated the Univ.’s commitment to climate action.

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University administrators have rejected student protesters’ latest call to divest its endowment from fossil fuel holdings. At a planned meeting of the full Board of Trustee’s meeting last week, Chair David L. Cohen addressed various aspects of the open letter Fossil Free Penn published earlier this month which, among other demands, calls for the University to divest immediately from fossil fuel companies. Cohen said he felt the University was already a strong contributor to the fight against climate change. “Despite the continued entreaties from Fossil Free Penn, the Trustees see no change in

circumstances that would justify the reconsideration of the initial, well-reasoned, and fully communicated decision [not to divest] made by the Trustees last September,” Cohen said. Fossil Free Penn student outreach co-coordinator and rising College sophomore Zach Rissman said FFP was disappointed with Cohen’s remarks, and reiterated that the University has a duty to offer more than verbal reassurances of its commitment to climate action, particularly in the wake of President Donald Trump pulling the United States out of the Paris Accord. “We recognize that Penn has taken steps toward reducing our carbon footprint, but the issue lies instead in what Penn has not done,” Rissman wrote in a SEE DIVESTMENT PAGE 5

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June 22, 2017 by The Daily Pennsylvanian - Issuu