February 1, 2024

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PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

VOL. CXL

Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine hosts College Hall ‘die-in,’ blocks main entrance

NO. 3

DISCONTENT GROWS WITH PENN

DINING

Participants simulated being dead to represent the victims of the Israel-Hamas conflict and protest ongoing violence in Gaza SANYA TINAIKAR Senior Reporter

Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine organized a die-in outside College Hall on Monday to demonstrate solidarity with civilians in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In the die-in, participants simulated being dead to represent the victims of the IsraelHamas conflict and protest ongoing violence in Gaza. The main entrance of College Hall was closed for the duration of the protest, which lasted approximately one hour. Two Division of Public Safety officers stood behind the entrance throughout the demonstration. Bassil Kublaoui, an associate professor of clinical pediatrics at Penn Medicine and a spokesperson for PFJP, said that the purpose of the die-in was to draw attention to “the inaction of the university towards the Palestinian community and the racist hate speech directed towards faculty, staff, and students calling for Palestinian justice.”

“We’re here because the University has been largely overlooking the Palestinian community and the killings of tens of thousands of civilians,” Kublaoui said.

The event began with protestors laying down on the steps of College Hall and holding signs protesting Palestinian deaths throughout the conf lict. Protestors laid down a parchment displaying close to 7,000 names of Palestinian victims killed during the conflict and recited See PROTEST, page 2

Recent discoveries of glass, a maggot, and a cockroach in food come a year after two dining halls violated city health code NICOLE MURAVSKY AND KELLY YANG Staff Reporters

WEINING DING | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

One year after two Penn Dining locations were found to have violated city health code, students continue to report concerns — including a cockroach, a maggot, and a piece of glass found in their food.

These most recent instances — described by three separate students — all occurred in January. On Jan. 14, Wharton sophomore Alison Yau discovered a roach in her food at 1920 Commons. Four days later, on Jan. 18, Wharton first year Jamie Kim — who is also a reporter for The Daily Pennsylvanian — found a piece of glass in her pasta from Penn Pi at Houston Hall.

In addition, on Jan. 23, an image was circulated on the anonymous social network Sidechat showing a maggot on a piece of broccoli in Commons. The DP was unable to verify the image or reach the poster of the image for comment.

Residential District Manager for Bon Appétit Management Company Bill Hess told the DP that Penn Dining staff immediately followed up to discern how these events might have occurred. Beyond additional checks being added to Penn Dining’s processes, Hess said that Penn Dining is reviewing its procedures with produce suppliers and cleaning and inspection companies to identify any areas for improvement.

Penn Dining’s pest control company verified that there has not been any bug sighting at Commons during its most recent checks. Penn Dining also confirmed that there is no glass at the station at Penn Pi or in Houston Hall’s kitchen.

In response to the maggot being found in the broccoli, Bon Appétit staff consulted with Penn’s corporate food safety team and brought up the incident to the campus supply

See DINING, page 3

Wharton MBA student Anjali Venkatesh Rajagopal dies

Who are Penn’s most-cited researchers?

Here’s what the DP found.

Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma and Dean Erika James notified the Wharton community of Rajagopal’s death in an email sent on Jan. 24

The DP’s analysis found that nearly 100 Penn-affiliated researchers had over 50,000 academic citations

JARED MITOVICH Editor-in-Chief

SINA SHAIKH Staff Reporter DESIGN BY EMMI WU

The Daily Pennsylvanian analyzed 1,000 of Penn’s most-cited researchers from across its 12 undergraduate and graduate schools.

The DP found that nearly 100 Penn-affiliated researchers had over 50,000 academic citations.

The list includes previous and current professors, graduate students, and other researchers with a Penn affiliation on Google Scholar.

Every researcher included in the analysis was cited at least 6,000 times, and the top 500 researchers each had more than 15,000 citations.

Metrics of research output can play a role in hiring and tenure decisions as well as university rankings, according to Stephen Pettigrew, the director of data sciences at the Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies.

Psychology professor Martin Seligman — whose research focuses on positive psychology, resilience, lea r ned helplessness, optimism and pessimism — topped the list with almost 300,000 citations. He has written over 350 scholarly publications and 30 books, and his research has contributed to a number of institutions, including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and United States Department of Education.

Perelman School of Medicine professor Carl

chain partners, according to Hess. He added that staff is closely monitoring the producewashing process.

Penn Dining staff have been and will continue to be extra vigilant when thoroughly cleaning produce since fresh ingredients are used, rather than frozen or canned ingredients, according to Hess.

Hess also emphasized that — in the event that an issue still takes place — it is critical to immediately bring it to the attention of the dining team member. He said that Penn Dining was not able to determine the cause of these three incidents, particularly since none of the students reached out to a manager or a Penn Dining staff member directly.

“Having only a photo to go on limits our ability to investigate these concerns,” Hess

June — who is renowned for his research into a treatment that modifies a patient’s T cells to target and kill their own cancer cells — was eighth on the list with over 150,000 citations.

June, the director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, won the 2024 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most inf luential people of 2018.

June recently told the DP that his initial discovery generated in excess of $800 million for the University and praised Interim Penn President Larry Jameson for Penn Med’s reputational improvement during the past decade.

“No one number is going to encapsulate how good a researcher is,” Pettigrew said. “But citation count can be a good proxy for the things we actually care about like the quality of someone’s research.”

Research output can be measured in a variety of ways. The first is the total number of academic citations, but a high citation count might come from one frequently cited paper or several papers that each consistently have a high number of citations.

As a result, schola rly output is often

measured by a researcher’s h-index, which takes productivity and citation impact into account.

The h-index correlates with various indicators of success, including the Nobel Prize, research fellowship acceptances, and positions at top universities. A more recently created alternative is the i10-index, which represents the number of papers an author has published that have been cited at least 10 times.

Virginia Lee, a professor at Penn Med, had the highest value for both of these metrics. Her h-index is 227, meaning she has authored 227 papers with a minimum of 227 citations. She also has an i10-index of 910 — correlating to 910 papers with at least 10 citations.

Lee, who is the director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, studies the role that different proteins play in age-related neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. She has won a number of academic honors, including the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, and was ranked the world’s No. 2 female scientist by Research.com.

Researchers associated with the Medical See CITATIONS, page 3

Wharton MBA student Anjali Venkatesh Rajagopal died on Jan. 23.

Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma and Wharton Dean Erika James notified the Wharton community of Rajagopal’s death in an email sent on Jan. 24 on behalf of Interim Penn President Larry Jameson and Provost John Jackson. Rajagopal was a member of the Wharton MBA Class of 2024.

According to an obituary, Rajagopal passed away suddenly from a brain hemorrhage.

Before she arrived at Penn, Rajagopal — a native of Chennai, India — earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of San Diego and a master’s degree in corporate communications from New York University. At Wharton, she studied management and received the Silverstein MBA Fellowship Fund.

In their email, Penn administrators wrote that members of the Wharton community were invited to attend a support session with university resources on Jan. 24 in Huntsman Hall. They also wrote that Student Health and Counseling — including Wharton’s embedded clinician, Isra Abuyounis — will be available to provide free, confidential support.

“Penn is a supportive community, and we are here for each other through challenging situations,” the email read. “We know that grief can affect people in various ways. Now and always, please know that Penn stands with you.”

Rajagopal’s final rites are being conducted in Philadelphia, according to her obituary.

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2 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

SUKHMANI KAUR | DP FILE PHOTO

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania-Cedar Avenue was recently cited for safety violations.

Penn Medicine hospital cited for two safety violations, one Penn School of Arts and Sciences resulting in patient death ANGELA YE | DP FILE PHOTO

Roy and Diana Vagelos donated $83.9 million to SAS, the largest single gift ever made to the school.

receives record $84 million donation

The donation from Roy and Diana Vagelos is the largest gift to Penn since highprofile donors withdrew their funding last fall ELEA CASTIGLIONE Senior Reporter

1950 College graduate Dr. P. Roy Vagelos and his wife Diana Vagelos made an $83.9 million donation to the School of Arts and Sciences — marking the largest gift to Penn since multiple high-profile donors withdrew their funding last fall.

Vagelos is a former chief executive officer of Merck & Co., a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, and served as chair of Penn’s Board of Trustees from 1994 to 1999. The donation supports science initiatives and is the largest single gift ever made to SAS, according to the announcement.

“Diana and I have always been great believers in the power of basic science to find solutions to global problems,” Vagelos wrote in the announcement.

Vagelos, who majored in chemistry, directed $50 million of the gift directly to the Department of Chemistry’s graduate program, allowing for the creation of 20 Vagelos Fellow positions.

It will also fund an endowed chair in chemistry, student leader awards in three undergraduate programs bearing Vagelos’ name, and a permanent endowment for the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology.

In the announcement, Interim Penn President Larry Jameson described the Vagelos legacy as having “an enduring impact on generations to come.”

“We are deeply committed to their bold vision for what Penn can accomplish, from discoveries in the lab to inspiring students in the classroom,” Jameson wrote.

The donation is the largest gift to the University since the fall of last year, when dozens of donors announced that they would halt funding in response to the University’s handling of campus controversies related to the Israel-Hamas war, antisemitism, and the Palestine Writes Literature Festival. Both former Penn President Liz

Magill and former University Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok resigned as a result of the donor pushback and national scrutiny.

Last semester, Penn became the epicenter of conversations related to the influence of donors on University decision making and leadership as well as academic freedom. The events of last semester raised questions about the academic and financial implications of the halted donations on the University.

The Vageloses’ financial support of Penn Arts and Sciences, which is directed towards innovation and science, now totals $239 million.

Dean and Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience Steven Fluharty wrote that the recent gift “caps off the incomparable impact” the Vagelos family has made on scientific research and education at SAS. “Supporting talented graduate students and bringing them together with the best faculty is the most promising path to breakthrough discoveries addressing not only the challenges that are facing us today, but ones that we have not yet imagined,” Fluharty wrote.

He also recognized the success of the Vagelos Institute, writing that “the School has been able to realize — and surpass — its greatest ambitions within the study of energy, sustainability, and the environment” as a result of their donations.

In the announcement, Vagelos said that the investment in students and faculty aims to advance scientific discoveries, such as curing diseases and tackling climate change.

“We hope that these funds will also help make this work more accessible and increase diversity among faculty and students pursuing these solutions,” Vagelos continued. “We are proud to help keep Penn at the forefront of science education and research.”

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania-Cedar Avenue’s behavior health unit was cited for safety violations twice in November GABRIEL STEINBERG Staff Reporter

A Penn Medicine hospital was cited for safety violations for the second time in a month — of which one incident resulted in the death of a patient.

Hospital nurses’ inability to call a “code blue” — a medical term used to indicate a need for emergency aid for patients experiencing medical emergencies — at the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania-Cedar Avenue in November resulted in the death of a patient, as first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The hospital was again under investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services within weeks after delaying emergency care on a patient’s broken wrist.

Hospital inspectors first f lagged the quality-of-care issues at HUP-Cedar in November.

Shortly after, the Department of Health and Human Services issued initial reports and released an action plan.

In the first incident on Nov. 3, a patient died on the floor of the hospital’s Behavioral Health Unit after slumping over a walker and then collapsing to the f loor. Hospital staff, including nurses and mental health technicians, left the patient alone to get a computer and determine steps for issuing a code blue, according to the final HUP report.

Following a two-day, on-site investigation, state health inspectors issued a severe warning that put the hospital at risk of losing government funding and national accreditation if the identified problems were not corrected immediately, according to the report.

The report stated that the patient’s death could have been preventable if staff had acted more swiftly in beginning CPR and been wellversed in code blue protocol — adding that CPR was only started on the patient 10 minutes after their initial collapse.

“We are saddened by the loss of this patient and are fully cooperating with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Pennsylvania Department of Health in connection with this matter,” a Penn Med spokesperson said to The Daily Pennsylvanian.

The patient death incident led the state to issue a severe safety warning, with health

inspectors placing HUP-Cedar in “immediate jeopardy” until the hospital educated behavioral health staff on code blue protocol.

The sanction was lifted after inspectors verified that hospital leaders had communicated to nurses and mental health technicians the importance of checking vital signs when a patient falls.

In the second incident on Nov. 20, another patient was admitted to the behavioral health unit with swelling and extreme pain in their thumb, according to the Inquirer.

The X-ray of the patient’s thumb showed a fracture, but the results were not given to a doctor in a timely fashion — causing the broken bone to not be splinted until four days later after the hospital’s rapid response team was called into the patient’s room.

State inspectors referred to the four-day wait as an “unacceptable delay,” as further delay in emergency care could have resulted in increased injury and risk of death, according to the Inquirer.

Hospital leaders investigated both incidents internally, citing “diagnostic overshadowing” — in which staff may wrongly assume that patient complaints of pain pertain to a psychiatric condition instead of a medical one — as a possible reason for underestimating the threat because the incidents occurred on the behavioral health floor.

A 225-page state inspection report printed on Dec. 26 elaborated on the incident and how the HUP system would improve education on how to respond swiftly and efficiently to emergency medical cases.

“Patient safety is an essential cornerstone of care across Penn Medicine,” the Penn Med spokesperson said. “Our plan of correction demonstrates how seriously we take this commitment.”

HUP-Cedar administrators plan to train all nursing staff by Feb. 2 on diagnostic overshadowing and the importance of effective and prompt physical examinations. Behavioral health staff training will include how to follow protocol for requesting a surgical consultant and how to seek a specialist when needed.

PROTEST, from FRONT PAGE

ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR

Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine organized a die-in demonstration at College Hall on Jan. 29.

their names and ages.

Around 86 University affiliates either participated in or spectated the protest. A University spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

The protest continued with the participants walking from College Hall towards the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, holding signs condemning the deaths of civilians throughout the conflict.

PFJP, a group consisting of faculty members, lecturers, staff, and other graduate employees, announced its formation on Jan. 17. In its initial statement, the group stated that it stands in solidarity with the “ongoing and ever-urgent struggles of Palestinians resisting occupation, warfare, and displacement” and advocates for shared governance of the University.

PFJP has also said that it aims to tackle concerns about the inequality between Penn’s two separate task forces: one investigating “antisemitism” and the other investigating “interconnectedness between antisemitism and other forms of hate, including Islamophobia.”

“Penn has two separate task forces, one of which is committed to condemning antisemitism and the other being for ‘everything else,’” Kublaoui said. “Racism can target anyone, and this ignores discrimination against Palestinians, Arabs, and other allies who are neither Muslim or Jewish.”

The pro-Palestinian protest is one of many demonstrations and expressions of support for both Israelis and Palestinians that have occurred on campus since the start of the IsraelHamas war on Oct. 7.

In November, a group of over 300 Penn faculty signed an open letter calling on the University community to condemn the Hamas attacks on Israel and support Israel’s right to defend itself, demonstrating the division of

faculty opinions on the conflict.

On Dec. 3, a pro-Palestinian march across Philadelphia culminated in a rally at 40th and Market streets. The rally was hosted in conjunction with a vigil for the University City Townhomes, and was investigated by the University for graffiti displaying anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian sentiments along the march routes.

The protest was criticized by Jewish students and by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro for expressing antisemitic sentiments, particularly pertaining to chants outside the Israeli restaurant Goldie in Rittenhouse Square, which also has a location inside Franklin’s Table near campus. Attendees chanted, “Goldie, Goldie you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

The day after the event, Penn community members expressed support for Goldie’s location in Franklin’s Table by patronizing it.

The Freedom School for Palestine — a selfidentified collection of Penn students, faculty, staff, and alumni — began a sit-in in Houston Hall on Nov. 14 and continued through the fall semester. The group advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza, the protection of freedom of speech at Penn, and the institution of critical thought on Palestine.

Various demonstrations have also advocated for Israel since the war began. The most recent pro-Israel demonstration was a group of Penn community members and alumni rallying to show support for Israel on Nov. 3.

Earlier this month, dozens of Penn faculty members organized a solidarity mission to Israel. The trip — the first faculty from an American university to participate in a mission to Israel since Oct. 7 — was described as a success by the professors who attended, although some pro-Palestinian professors expressed criticism.

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NEWS 3

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

DINING, from FRONT PAGE

ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is opening a new location at 3631 Walnut Street, located next to the Inn at Penn.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream to open location near Penn campus Students expressed excitement about the chain’s extended hours and vegan options GRETTA MAGUIRE Senior Reporter

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is opening a new location at 36th and Walnut streets.

The new store is expected to open during summer 2024, according to the Penn Facilities and Real Estate Services office. It will be the fourth Van Leeuwen in Philadelphia and the 55th location in the country. The storefront, which is located at 3631 Walnut St., was previously occupied by The Accolade on Chestnut.

Van Leeuwen, which was founded in 2008 as an ice cream truck in New York, is in the process of expanding. According to their website, there are 10 other locations opening soon in states including New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. The company also operates ice cream trucks and carts.

“We’re looking forward to Van Leeuwen bringing their popular ice cream parlor and unique flavors, including vegan and dairy offerings, to the diverse culinary scene in the Shop

CITATIONS, from FRONT PAGE School made up a majority of the 1,000 most cited authors. The College of Arts and Sciences followed at 18%, and researchers from the Wharton School and the School of Engineering and Applied Science respectively made up 10% of the top 1,000.

Accounting for the size of each school, the DP found that approximately 40% of Wharton faculty fell in the top 1,000 most-cited Penn-affiliated researchers, followed by 35% of faculty from the College and 33% of the Engineering School faculty.

Among researchers affiliated with the College, those in the Physics and Astronomy department made up the largest percentage of the top 1,000, followed by those in Psychology and Chemistry.

Researchers from the Management department made up the largest percentage of Wharton faculty in the top 1,000, followed by those in Marketing

Penn District,” Penn Executive Director of Real Estate Ed Datz told the The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Wharton senior Jack Wilkin said that he was excited for the new store to be on campus, saying that he had been buying Van Leeuwen pints from the grocery store for a long time.

He also pointed out its popularity with Gen Z, saying that it “blends well with our demographic.”

Van Leeuwen is particularly known for their vegan options, offering at least 11 cashew-milkbased and nine oat-milk-based ice creams and receiving a citation on The New York Times’ Best Vegan Ice Cream List.

College senior Mason Lumer described the Van Leeuwen vegan options as equivalent, if not superior to, their non-vegan counterparts.

“It’s more inclusive to those who keep vegan diets. I feel like a lot more people are choosing

to go vegan, or they have lactose intolerant issues that this allows for better alternatives and options for them,” Lumer said.

College junior Sarah Heim also said the vegan options, as well as the location and “gourmet” product, are draws for students. However, she described Van Leeuwen’s “expensive” prices as a potential obstacle in its popularity.

The hours of the University City location are currently unknown. Other Van Leeuwen locations in Philadelphia are open until 10 p.m., 11 p.m., or 12 a.m.

Lumer said the extended hours may contribute to Van Leeuwen’s popularity, explaining that he could see “a lot of the late night crowds going in and packing” the store.

“Because of the late hours and creative flavors that are fun to try, I see Van Leeuwen’s being a very busy and popular spot,” Lumer added.

and Operations, Information and Decisions researchers.

Computer and Information Science led in the Engineering School, followed by Bioengineering and Electrical and Systems Engineering.

“Different fields cite differently; they can have different numbers of listed authors and different average publications,” political science professor Matt Levendusky said. “Like any metric, citations can be useful, but you never want to rely on them too much and it’s important to consider them in context.”

The data includes all researchers with Google Scholar profiles that either linked a Penn email to their account or mentioned Penn in their bio; some tenured or independently famous Penn professors do not create Google Scholar pages and may not be listed here.

The estimated size of each school was calculated using the number of faculty members listed, but researchers associated with that school may include staff not listed on the sites. The data was collected in December of 2023 using SerpApi.

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Hess said. “In all of these instances, staff were not made aware of the problems at the time they happened, which makes investigating the issues far more challenging.”

Yau — in contrast with Hess’s remarks — told the DP that she talked to the manager present at Commons upon seeing the roach. The next day, Director of Residential Dining Steven Green emailed her an apology and refunded her a meal swipe.

“I want you to know we’re actively working to address this issue with the goal being this never happening again,” Green wrote in the email, which Yau shared with the DP. But Yau said that she felt the apology was similar to ones from previous years.

“The fact that I’m not shocked by it kind of shows that there’s already some kind of existing issues that are pretty publicly made about the dining halls,” Yau said.

Yau also criticized the mandatory dining requirement for first-year and sophomore students, describing it as a “cash grab.”

“It’s not even like we’re expecting super high quality food,” Yau said. “It just needs to meet basic government quality and health standards, and it doesn’t even seem to do that.”

In response to Yau’s experience, an online petition with the picture of the roach was created and currently has over 570 signatures.

“The call to action is clear: the University of Pennsylvania must prioritize the immediate overhaul of its dining services to ensure the health, satisfaction, and well-being of its students,” the petition read.

The petition alleges that many students have experienced “foodborne illnesses and continuous gastrointestinal distress” from eating at Penn’s dining halls.

A Wharton student told the DP last year he experienced suspected food poisoning shortly after he ate a burger at Hill.

“That’s the bigger concern, underpinning all of this — sickness,” Yau said. “You can’t expect people to pay upfront for a dining plan and then again have to front their own money when they realize that the food could potentially make them physically ill.”

College first year Chris Tyburski, who said he was present when the piece of glass was found, shared similar disappointment.

“Dining hall food is one of the biggest factors that can contribute to quality of life here, [and] I think it is certainly something that could use a strong look at for improvement,” Tyburski told the DP. “The state of the dining when I got here is one thing, but I would say the improvements — or lack thereof — would be a lot more indicative of my feelings about the trust I have for the University.”

Hess said that Penn Dining is committed to rectifying these issues moving forward.

“The most important thing students can do is if they encounter incidents, especially those involving health and safety, is to bring them to the immediate attention of staff so we can identify the source of the issue and immediately take appropriate corrective action,” Hess said. “Students should know that we take reports such as these seriously.”

The news follows Penn Dining’s announcement last February that they would be implementing a new action plan for meeting health and safety regulations in the campus dining facilities after there were a total of 100 observations of violations of the Philadelphia health code.

The violations particularly targeted Hill and Commons, which the DP first reported were found to not be in compliance with the Philadelphia health code.

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4 OPINION

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Opinion

140th Year of Publication

THIS YEAR’S BOARD

A letter to Interim President Jameson: Learn from the shortcomings of Magill’s tenure

MOLLY COHEN President

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN EDITORIAL BOARD| Students and faculty remain at the heart of the University

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL Executive Editor JARED MITOVICH DP Editor-in-Chief SOPHIA LIU Design Editor WEI-AN JIN Design Editor CHARLOTTE BOTT Copy Editor LAURA SHIN Copy Editor KATIE BARTLETT News Editor BEN BINDAY News Editor ELLA SOHN Assignments Editor YOMI ABDI Opinion Editor WALKER CARNATHAN Sports Editor VIVIAN YAO Sports Editor ABHIRAM JUVVADI Photo Editor

DEREK WONG | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

LIV YUN Podcast Editor

Larry Jameson speaks at the 23rd Annual MLK Social Justice Lecture on Jan. 24.

DEREK WONG Video Editor

Dear Interim Penn President Jameson, The calls to address academic freedom, free speech, antisemitism, and Islamophobia indicate that people are hurting. Our University has an open wound, and now is the time for you to guide us towards recovery.

In the past year, Locust Walk has immersed us in a sea of impassioned protests and fervent calls for action echoing from diverse groups across campus. Our University now stands under the scrutiny of the public eye, leaving the administration at a crossroads — but also with a rare opportunity to turn over a new leaf.

While Penn boasts its many stakeholders — and several groups in particular have recently made their voices heard loud and clear — students and faculty remain at the heart of the institution. We have witnessed firsthand the imperfections and shortcomings of former Penn Preseident Liz Magill’s tenure and, more importantly, the entire administration’s response to the tensions on campus.

Thus it is also our responsibility to contribute to a discourse that shapes the trajectory of our academic environment. These issues dominate our conversations, our classroom discussions, and the news we consume. Taking into account the significant impact of these issues on us as students, we have outlined what we think will lead you to a successful tenure as interim

JADA EIBLE HARGRO Social Media Editor SARAH MARCUS Diversity, Inclusion & Standards Director ZAIN QURESHI Business Manager EDWARD LIU Analytics Director IRENE PARK Strategy & Promotions Manager SANGEETA QUDDUS Finance & Accounting Manager DHRUV GUPTA Innovation Lab Manager

THIS ISSUE’S TEAM KATRINA ITONA Deputy Design Editor ANISH GARIMIDI Deputy Design Editor EMMI WU Deputy Design Editor CHENYAO LIU News Photo Editor SYDNEY CURRAN Opinion Photo Editor WEINING DING Sports Photo Editor LIALA SOFI Editorial Board Chair SANGITHA AIYER Deputy Opinion Editor

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Send your letter to the editor or guest column to letters@thedp.com.

Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. Editorial Board, which meets regularly to discuss issues relevant to Penn’s campus. Participants in these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on related topics.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Land on which the office of The Daily Pennsylvanian stands is a part of the homeland and territory of the LenniLenape people, known to the original Indigenous people as “Lenapehoking.” We affirm Indigenous sovereignty and will work to hold The Daily Pennsylvanian and the University of Pennsylvania more accountable to the needs of Native American and Indigenous people.

president.

1. Use your position to your advantage.

Recognizing the temporary nature of your tenure presents a unique opportunity to bring about meaningful change without the normal constraints of long-term political considerations. As interim president, you can leverage this timeframe to implement initiatives that will align with the University’s core values to address existing challenges. It is imperative that you avoid complacency and not view your role as merely a caretaker but as a catalyst for change in the trajectory of the future of Penn’s institutional values. We urge you to set our University up for success and ensure an easy transition for our next president.

2. Take a stance and stick by it.

A major fault that contributed to Magill's downfall was that the University lacked a consistent and unwavering vision as the crisis unfolded. Partnered with the rising instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus, this spelled trouble for her as the public face of the University. Don’t fall victim to external pressures from media, alumni, donors, or faculty. Your leadership must be grounded in strong ethics and values that you follow from day one. We urge you to lead with a strong emphasis on personal and institutional integrity. This is undoubtedly going

to involve making decisions that are not going to appease every shareholder. But even if people disagree with your take, they will respect that you have a backbone and stand by your opinions. As a physician, you follow the principles embedded in the Hippocratic Oath; use the same guidelines to approach challenges in your tenure. As you aptly stated earlier this semester, “at times we encounter very challenging patients and circumstances and need to set aside our personal views and priorities to care for everyone.” You have made your living healing patients, and now it's your time to heal your most challenging patient yet.

3. Come talk to us.

We urge you to step out of the confines of College Hall and engage with us directly.

Meet us where we are. Come into classrooms, sports games, and dorms. Attend gatherings at Penn Hillel, the Muslim Student Association, and the vast array of identity groups across campus. Frequent the dining halls. Walk on Locust. Be available. In doing so, you'll gain firsthand insight into the diverse needs and perspectives of the student body. If you don't talk to us, you won't truly understand what we need. Remember, we are the ones investing in our education — we are the customers.

We are the primary stakeholders. Holding

regular office hours, like presidents at other Ivy League universities, would further provide students with a direct channel to express concerns, share ideas, and engage in constructive dialogue. It's essential to acknowledge that when people are vocal and passionate, it signifies that they are invested.

We, as students, are trying to fulfill our responsibilities, and open communication with you is instrumental in creating a more collaborative University environment.

4. Start a new tradition of a ‘State of the University Address.’

It is important to acknowledge that despite the history of our institution, we must adapt to today’s fast-paced environment — an environment that demands a leader who can maintain a clear, public focus on the tens of thousands of students, faculty, and staff who fulfill Penn’s essential missions every day. Alumni may have fond memories of the institution as it was, but it is important for them to understand that the current dynamic on campus is starkly different from their idealized memories.

Embark on a new tradition by speaking directly to the University through State of the University addresses. Under Magill’s tenure, constant emails with unclear and evasive messages sounded apathetic and led to frustration. Stand at the heart of campus, in the shadow of Benjamin Franklin, and speak to us directly. We want to hear from you.

Despite the challenges Penn has faced, we remain an extraordinary place for learning. It is imperative to recognize that, even amidst the media storm, our University stands resilient.

The record-breaking number of applicants in the early decision cycle is a testament to the enduring appeal of a Penn education. Penn has provided us with unparalleled opportunities. Let's not allow the external noise to overshadow the invaluable experiences and education we've received. With your help, we can ensure that Penn remains an extraordinary university for many years to come.

Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. Editorial Board, which meets regularly to discuss issues relevant to Penn’s campus. Participants in these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on related topics.

Reach us at edboardchair@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Penn’s next search for a president will be different GUEST COLUMN | Much has changed since the last search The last search for a Penn president — which I led not long ago — was a harmonious, conflict-free affair reflecting what appeared to be a broad set of shared beliefs held by Penn’s Board of Trustees, as well as by its deans, faculty, staff, and students. Given the events of recent months, the next search will be different.

The one aspect of the search that will remain unchanged is the process, which is prescribed by the University’s governing statutes. Those statutes provide that the process begins with the trustee chair forming a consultative committee made up of members of each of the constituencies named above. The committee’s charge is “to advise in the selection process by identifying priorities, issues, challenges, candidate qualifications, and other factors important to the constituencies” represented on the committee. Later, a subset of that committee then becomes the search committee, which is “responsible for the identification, recruitment, and selection of candidates.”

Last time around, there was a robust discussion on the consultative committee of what Penn’s priorities should be, what challenges it faced, and what candidate qualifications might be most valuable going forward. But in retrospect, what is most noteworthy about that large and diverse group is how many important matters did not require discussion or debate. Everyone seemed to believe that the prior three decades, under the leadership of Presidents Amy Gutmann and Judith Rodin, had been a period of great progress for Penn. By any measure — applications for admission, quality, and diversity of the student body, caliber of the faculty, research breakthroughs, alumni engagement and contributions, growth in endowment, etc. — the University was broadly perceived as having risen from excellence to eminence, to use Dr. Gutmann’s memorable catchphrase.

Nobody suggested that Penn’s culture had gone wrong.

Nobody suggested that Penn’s historic approach to shared governance — with a strong chief executive, a supportive board, and academic matters left largely to the faculty — should be modified.

Nobody suggested that Penn’s rules on free expression or its student code of conduct needed to be changed.

All appeared to agree that the increased diversity of Penn’s faculty and student body was the positive result of an intentional commitment that ought to be continued.

While the candidates we met in the search all had different thoughts on how they would lead Penn into the future, none of them questioned any of the foregoing shared beliefs.

But next time will be different.

The tumultuous events of last semester have shattered any notion that there is a broad set of core beliefs and values that are so widely held that no discussion of them is necessary. Indeed, each of the foregoing matters has now been questioned. And, given all the press focused on Penn in recent months, any presidential candidate will know that.

In order to reestablish a modus vivendi among the board, administrative leadership, and faculty — as well as to prepare for answering the obvious questions that every presidential candidate will ask — I would suggest asking several important questions before any search process begins. I know what my responses to those questions would be, but it is now for others to provide the answers.

Were the past few decades at Penn a period of great progress and escalating success, or has Penn — in some sense — been heading in the wrong direction?

Should there be any significant change in the respective governance roles of trustees,

the president, and the faculty? Former Penn President Liz Magill asked early in her interview process about the relationship between the board and the president. The reassuring answer we provided then cannot be simply repeated next time.

Should Penn’s rules on free expression or its student code of conduct be amended? Public universities must follow the First Amendment. The notion that a private university like Penn should have more restrictive speech constraints than Penn State — or Harvard than UMass — may seem odd, but many have now suggested it. For a real-time case study, check out Barnard College with its political speech ban, administrative censorship, and resulting protests.

Is there a shared belief in the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion?

I would suggest focusing on the actual meaning of each of those words rather than the acronym that has become such a political football. At a minimum, any presidential candidate who does not look like me will want to know if his or her candidacy will be taken seriously. But more broadly, the answer to this question will inform a range of ongoing admission and hiring decisions.

One final question — perhaps the most difficult — is one that any thoughtful candidate will ask: What happened to former President Magill, our committee’s

unanimous choice for president, whose widely acclaimed success in her first 14 months echoed that of her predecessors Gutmann and Rodin? How was it that the consensus on so many matters melted down in such a quick and publicly visible manner, prompting her to resign? Any serious candidate will want to know how the board might react to unknown, future challenges.

Finding Penn’s next president will be harder than it was last time and not just because of all the turmoil of recent months.

The candidates we considered seriously last time have almost all landed new positions since our committee met them.

And while there were almost no comparable searches that provided competition for Penn last time, this time we know that Harvard, Yale, and Stanford are — or soon will be — looking for presidents.

To maximize the potential for success in Penn’s next search, it is worth taking whatever time is necessary to answer the foregoing questions — both within the Board of Trustees and across the other constituents that play a governance role at the University.

Scott L. Bok is the former chair of the University’s Board of Trustees. His email is scottlbok@gmail.com.

ETHAN YOUNG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Scott Bok speaks with now-Interim Penn President Jameson at the Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 3, 2023.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

OPINION 5

Navigating the controversy and contradictions of former Penn President Liz Magill GUEST COLUMN | Magill’s resignation reflects poor decision making and a shift in public opinion Last month, former Penn President Liz Magill resigned due to controversial remarks related to Palestinian activism on campus. This so-called resignation follows a tumultuous sequence of events, many of which The Daily Pennsylvanian and other media outlets either overlooked or inaccurately portrayed. There were dates and events, such as the Oct. 18 statement, that were not mentioned but played a pivotal role in shaping the discourse surrounding activism on campus.

Moreover, some of the wording used to describe the ongoing genocide in Gaza was deemed problematic in the grand scheme of things, highlighting the need for more nuanced discussions and actions.

Magill's actions provoked criticism from both Zionists and supporters of Palestine alike, leading to a cycle where each new comment she made served merely as an apology for the previous one, raising serious questions about her leadership and decisionmaking abilities.

She began by condemning antisemitism on Sept. 12 in response to the Palestine Writes Literature Festival.

When Hamas initiated the attack on Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, Zionist alumni began financially blackmailing the University due to a lack of action. It wasn't until Oct. 15 that Magill finally issued a statement condemning Hamas. This action put pro-Palestinian protestors at risk, prompting the University to clarify on Oct. 18 that they would support free speech. After Magill had the opportunity to meet with other student groups on campus, she issued another statement on Nov. 1, in which she reaffirmed her unwavering condemnation of antisemitism but also superficially mentioned Islamophobia. Ironically, on the same day she paid lip service to Muslims, congressional officials sent a letter accusing Penn of antisemitism. This led to Magill's infamous testimony before Congress and a follow-up apology video, ultimately culminating in her so-called resignation.

From the Palestine Writes Literature Festival to the congressional committee hearing, Magill appeared to be relying on at least some principles, like academic freedom and free speech, to guide her actions effectively. Hence, many found it surprising that she received backlash from Congress, especially Republicans, who often claim to be the saviors of individual

rights in the United States. Moreover, this situation revealed the strength of the Zionist lobby in American education, if it wasn't already evident. However, the more significant issue at hand is her miscalculation, whether intentional or accidental, in responding to Congress's attack on Palestinian activism on campus.

By responding to the committee's question about whether calls for the genocide of Jewish people would violate Penn's policies or code of conduct, Magill made a critical mistake. In doing so, she accepted the premise that genocidal calls were being made on campus in the first place.

Before delving into the specific chants that were misinterpreted, it's important to clarify the context and actual wording of these expressions, as misconceptions can significantly alter their perceived meaning and intent.

"Israel, Israel, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide": Misinformation spread rapidly when a media outlet, which happened to express Zionist viewpoints, misheard protesters chanting this statement as "We want Jewish genocide." However, this allegation was quickly dismissed.

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”: Zionist allies, like the U.S. Department of State, have conflated this chant with calls for the destruction and genocide of Jews. In reality, this conflation is a perspective that Zionists, who can only envision a free and self-determined Palestinian people at the expense of Jewish people in the region, often spread. This interpretation is a projection of the historical strategy of the Zionist project, which was able to establish a Zionist state only at the expense of the Palestinian people.

And ironically, Muslims, Christians, and Jews experienced total peace in the region under Islamic rule.

“There is only one solution: intifada, revolution”: An overarching and ironic theme is that Zionist students at Penn have stated that they feel unsafe due to demonstrations chanting against injustice in the entire Middle East, whether inflicted by Zionists, Saudis, or Emiratis. Many are quickly alarmed by the term "intifada," which Rep. Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.) inaccurately translated as “genocide.” Similar to the previous chant, the intifada revolution symbolizes a persistent struggle for freedom and a

DEREK WONG | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

A walkout in support of Palestine was held on Oct. 18, 2023.

resistance movement born from the desperate need to reclaim basic autonomy. Many Penn students and others often conflate intifada with a contextually ignorant interpretation of history, failing to realize that 1.) the occupation of Palestine predated the emergence of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in 1987 and other resistance groups, and 2.) there would be no casualties in the region if the occupation were to end. So, one could argue that supporting an intifada is in the best interest of everyone.

Perhaps what's more interesting is that Magill probably did not hold the opinion I've just expressed regarding the chants being non-genocidal. This would mean that, in her mind, Magill actually supported freedom of speech, even if it meant allowing genocidal chants.

Overall, this situation makes no sense. A university president, who didn't show any real support for Palestine, let alone Hamas, was fired due to alleged antisemitism, influenced by donor pressure and the board's decision. Moreover, the basis of Magill's argument centered on academic freedom and freedom of speech, which ironically might be the only factors keeping Zionism active at a grassroots level on campuses, contrary to the shift in wider public support for

Magill’s resignation was a wake-up call for the Penn community SETTING IN MOTION | Why we need to stand up against donor efforts to restrict free speech on campus and control University life

ETHAN YOUNG | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Penn’s Board of Trustees met at the Inn at Penn on Nov. 3, 2023.

On Saturday, Dec. 9, Penn received news that had been expected for some time: former Penn President Liz Magill announced her resignation. She had been receiving criticism from all sides for months. Some community members criticized her delayed acknowledgement of Hamas’ attack in October while others expressed dismay over her omission of any mention of Palestinians from her original statements on the conflict. When the news finally broke, however, a sense of fear over what was to come permeated much of campus discourse, because this event demonstrated just how much Penn's donor base is in control of narratives on our campus.

After the flurry of resignations that occurred that Saturday afternoon, there was a broad range of emotions expressed throughout the Penn community, including anxiety about the future of the University, anger directed towards the donor base (whose outsized influence in these matters was clear to see), and, most

importantly, a sense of powerlessness. University presidents are primarily evaluated based on their capacity to raise money and enhance the institution’s brand. When Magill’s statements and perceived lack of action threatened the University in these core areas, pressure for her to resign came largely from Penn’s powerful donor base. These wealthy and highly influential individuals constitute an Ivory Tower within the Ivory Tower; they are an elite subset of Penn’s alumni and donor community, whose interests go far beyond controlling leadership on this campus.

One of the first donors to withhold their funding from the University due to alleged antisemitism was Jon Huntsman Jr. Huntsman serves on the board of Chevron Corporation, a powerful company whose offshore Tamar field in Israel provides a major source of natural gas for Israeli power generators. This field shut down on Oct. 9 as a result of Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on

Israel and only resumed its operations on Nov. 13. Huntsman also previously served on the board of Caterpillar Inc., a corporation whose D9 bulldozers were used to demolish Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem and Rafah. Thus, it is no wonder that Huntsman recalled his funding from Penn — any inaction on the part of Magill would run counter to his financial interests in Israel’s military-industrial complex.

Another donor who halted his funding, and was a major player in the fight to oust Liz Magill, is Marc Rowan. Rowan is the CEO of Apollo Global Management, a major conglomerate which, on Sept. 5, announced a lucrative partnership with Phoenix Holdings Ltd., one of Israel's largest insurance and asset management corporations. It is easy to see why many of Penn’s donors have so much banking on the dynamics that play out on this campus as many of them have significant amounts of money invested in businesses that

a ceasefire and a free Palestine.

These presidents, who have previously labeled these pro-Palestinian chants as antisemitic hate speech and contrary to Penn's values, suddenly refuse to acknowledge this in court. Recently, I was casually browsing Zionist Twitter and TikTok, and it's clear that these events have provided ample ammunition to the Zionist camp. Knowing that the narrative is shifting, they have used these resignations as a red herring to divert attention to antisemitism. As a student and alumni body, it is our collective responsibility to avoid even tacitly portraying the conflict as being on the same level of alleged aggression and oppression experienced on campuses. Moreover, it's crucial to highlight the inconsistency in our institution's morals and interests. They show outrage over alleged “calls for genocide” on campus, yet remain conspicuously silent on actual acts of genocide against Palestinians.

JOHAER JILANI is a 2023 College graduate, holding a B.A. in neuroscience and philosophy and an M.Sc. in biology. His email address is johaer@sas.upenn.edu.

operate in Israel.

Given the deeply enmeshed economic interests of Penn’s donor base in a country that is actively committing genocide, the Penn community at large should not focus any of its efforts on “regaining the trust of donors.” Instead, we should focus our efforts on establishing connections between students, professors, and workers — essentially, all those who work on and live within Penn’s campus. Penn’s relationship with its elite donors — who have demonstrated the degree to which they are fundamentally out of touch with daily campus life — is inherently frayed and thus irreconcilable. A wide gulf separates their interests from those of Penn’s students, many of whom have indicated that they are open to dialogue and conversation about what is happening in Israel and Palestine.

Students, faculty, staff — this is a time in our history when we cannot afford to be silent, as the right continues its battle against free expression on university campuses, especially our own. Focusing energy on academics and applying to internships is important, but the time is now to take a stand against the dangerous and absurd notion that donors run our University. The pressure against Liz Magill during her presidency and her eventual resignation should serve as a continuing reminder for us of the power that elites can exercise on university life, and we know that their efforts to restrict free speech and control the narratives on campus are far from over; just look at the questions posed by Marc Rowan to the Board of Trustees and his concern about the University’s “current political orientation.” As we begin this new semester, I encourage you to get organized and stand up to those who think they can control our campus, for our academic freedom is not the only thing at stake.

IZZY FEINFELD is a College first year studying anthropology from Westwood, Mass. His email is izzyf16@sas.upenn.edu.

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ABHIRAM JUVVADI | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Penn squash player and Wharton senior Penelope Oh competes against Yale on Jan. 28, 2023.

For sisters Penelope and Madeline Oh, playing squash runs in the family The senior and freshman duo are looking forward to playing on the same team for the first time VIVIAN YAO Sports Editor

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preseason No. 8 to now being No. 4, which has been a really impressive improvement for us,” Penelope said. “Just seeing how much effort my team has put in and how our results are really reflecting that has been super rewarding, especially knowing that I played more of a leadership position on the team this year.”

An added bonus for Penelope this year is that a familiar face has joined the team. Namely, her younger sister, Madeline Oh. “For me, it's just the little moments we get to spend together,” Penelope said. “Obviously, in college, you have a lot more downtime than you do in high school. So, [it's just] the little moments of grabbing coffee after practice [or] grabbing lunch. She'll come over to my house sometimes because her dorm room is so small. So I think just little moments are the best part for me and getting to spend that time with her.”

Unlike her older sister, Madeline’s path to playing at Penn wasn’t nearly as straightforward.

While she also grew up playing squash her whole life, she wasn’t as set on playing in college until much later in her high school career. For her, playing for and eventually captaining the Greenwich Academy team was the tipping point that gave her the push she needed to continue playing squash in college.

After being accepted to Penn, Madeline ended up joining the team as a walk-on. Shortly after joining the team, a MRI scan revealed that she had a stress fracture that prevented her from playing right away. Overall, the transition from high school to collegiate squash was tough for Madeline.

“That was definitely really hard for me,” Madeline reflected. “Because I felt like, ‘What am I even here for?’ First of all, I’m a walk-on. Second of all, I'm injured so I can't even prove that I'm worthy of being here and that was definitely really difficult.”

In this case, it really helped to have an older sister already on the team who could help her with the transition. This isn’t the first time that the two sisters have gone to the same school.

When Madeline was a freshman in high school, Penelope was a senior in high school. However, going to the same high school was a much different experience than going to the same college.

As a high schooler, she was afraid of always being considered “Penny’s younger sister.”

Since coming to Penn, Madeline has appreciated having her older sister around.

“Freshman year in college is so different from freshman year in high school,” Madeline said. “Now I just see it as such a bonus and even though I am sort of known as Penny’s sister, I'm known by that in the best way possible, which I think is really helpful and I'm just glad that I'm here with her.”

However, this does mark the first time that the two sisters have played on the same team. The sibling dynamic has definitely brought a lot of energy and excitement to the team, especially during practices. Whenever the two face off against each other, there’s always an added level of excitement. The coaches will even do their best to raise the stakes by adding in more sprints for the loser. The two do a good job of toeing the line between competitive and hostile, but that doesn’t meant that they each won’t be giving it their all to secure bragging rights over the other.

“I never felt hostile which I think is just so great that we have that relationship … I definitely know there are siblings out there that that can't play against each other or it gets too crazy,” Madeline said. “But we both want the best for each other and want each other to play our best and just be the best version of ourselves, so I think that's really good … it doesn't even matter about whatever other people say and if they put pressure on it, we're still sisters.”

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Some things just run in the family, whether it grade. be height, extroversion, sense of humor, or having When she started recruiting, it seemed like a bad eyesight. For the Ohs, that family defining no-brainer that Penn would be her top choice. In trait is playing squash at Penn. early March of her junior year of high school, she Current women’s squash senior Penelope Oh was offered a spot on the team. The fact that she knew very early on that she would end up at was also given the opportunity to follow in her Penn. Growing up, she would spend a lot of time father’s footsteps by studying at Wharton accelat Penn, largely driven by the fact that her dad, erated her decision-making process.

Sam Oh, attended Penn as an undergraduate. Sam Penelope missed out on her freshman season graduated from the Wharton School in 1992. due to the COVID-19 pandemic but has found While Sam never ended up playing for the varsity plenty of success since then. In her debut season team, several of his fraternity brothers did. As a as a sophomore, she would win all eight matches result, he became a really big proponent of the that she competed in 3-0, dropping just a handful sport with his own family. of points each time. After a junior season that saw Sam currently holds a seat on the Penn Ath- her tied for second on the team in wins, Penelope letics Board of Advisors that serves as a bridge was named one of the team captains heading into between the Division of Recreation and Inter- her senior season. collegiate Athletics and the general community With that role has come a lot more responsioff campus. His continued involvement with bilities, but the team is currently in a good spot.

Penn Athletics meant that he had a pretty close Despite the Kurtz Cup win last year, the team is relationship with both of the varsity squash pro- hungry for much more. And this year, the team The New New York York Times Times Syndication Syndication Sales Sales Corporation Corporation The gram’s head coaches Jack Wyant and Gilly Lane. seems to take on the challenge to be the 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, poised N.Y. 10018 10018 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. As such, Penelope became a regular at Penn’sCall:best in the nation.

For Information 1-800-972-3550 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Thursday, February 2024 summer squash programs starting in eighth “We've improved our ranking from being ForRelease Release Friday, January 26,1,2024

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NIL, from page BACK PAGE differences between Penn and the high-level Division I schools that were recruiting her for her post-graduate year of eligibility. Padilla added that one of the schools recruiting her was averaging $50,000 in annual NIL money per player, and that the transfer process had allowed her to see “what [she] might have missed out on.”

“Being an Ivy League institution, you know NIL is not the biggest priority here,” Padilla said. “But when you hear stuff like that, it’s like, ‘Wow, my life could be changing if I had that kind of money.’”

With this new initiative, Penn hopes to shed its perceived status as a school where athletes and their priorities take a backseat. One common thread between Richardson, Padilla, and almost every Ivy League athlete is an emphasis on the long-term nature of their commitment. While many larger programs may be able to offer more during an athlete’s four years on campus, playing at and attending an Ivy League institution can set an athlete up for success that extends far after the final whistle.

This creates a complex situation for the Ancient Eight’s coaches come recruiting time, when the prospect of future benefits is far less enticing than that of immediate impact. According to Richardson, Penn-I-L will help bridge the

gap between those two poles, providing potential Quakers with a blueprint for both short and long-term gain.

“For recruits, I believe in this phrase: ‘money talks,’” Richardson said. “So like Alabama, these big schools, they throw a lot of money. Obviously we’re not gonna do that because we’re Penn, we have the degree — in the later stages of our life, with this degree, we’re gonna be able to make good money. So I think just, the implementation of this, the recruits are gonna be able to see this, and they’re gonna be excited to be able to take part in this.”

While the tangible impact of Penn-I-L on recruiting will not be measurable until several years from now, it is all a part of, as Richardson put it, a move in the right direction. In a competition with the rest of college sports for NIL dollars, Penn has decided to play ball.

“Looking forward, all sports, they’re gonna see this and be like ‘Ok, they’re offering NIL money. This is a good thing, because they’re taking advantage of it,’” Richardson said. “The kids are gonna be able to come in and know there’s an outlet … if we just keep pushing it and pushing it, this platform we’re using, if we’re able to get more companies, a lot more companies on this, it’ll be a huge success.”

Greg Chimera seeks to continue winning ways as Penn football offensive coordinator Chimera was previously head coach at Johns Hopkins University for four years CALEB CRAIN Sports Reporter

Coaching turnover is a major yet unavoidable part of college football. At the end of a season, coaches leave, seeking greener pastures or a chance at more responsibilities at a different school. But once the sting of a coach’s departure has worn off, the opportunity for a program to partially reinvent itself under a new coach beckons.

This winter, Penn football found itself in this spot. After Dan Swanstrom left Penn to become the head coach at Cornell in December, coach Ray Priore and the rest of the Quaker program had a vacancy to fill at the offensive coordinator spot. Now, it seems as though the team has found an answer in new offensive coordinator Greg Chimera.

Even though Chimera doesn’t have much formal experience coaching in the Ivy League, he brings a track record of success to Penn. At Johns Hopkins, where he was head coach for the last four seasons after a decade as an assistant, Chimera’s teams excelled, going 40-7 overall and reaching the NCAA playoffs twice.

Beyond his coaching success, Chimera also shares a long-running connection with Priore.

Chimera’s predecessor at Johns Hopkins, Jim Margraff, worked with Priore dating back to the latter’s first coaching job at Albany in 1985.

This allowed Chimera to attend summer camps Penn hosts for high school players and gave him exposure to the program.

“You are always thinking about the planned replacements when you need to make a hire,” Priore said. “You have some folks in the back of your mind that if the opportunity presented itself, I would like to talk to [them] … we’re very very grateful that [Chimera] came in and had great interest [at Penn].”

This connection also helped make the decision to move from Maryland to University City easier for Chimera. He had been with the Blue Jays for nearly two decades, playing as a fullback for four seasons during the 2000s.

Immediately after graduation, he joined the coaching staff as a running backs and tight ends coach and worked his way up the coaching tree before taking over at the helm of the program in 2019 following Margraff’s retirement.

“I’ve been [at Johns Hopkins] for 18 years in some form or fashion, and I wasn’t looking to leave, so it was going to take something special for me to leave,” Chimera said. “I’ve gotten to

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know Coach Priore over the years, and when my mentor speaks that highly of somebody, they’re a great person … I started thinking about that if [Swanstrom] left, would this be the opportunity that I want to go for? And [after] going [to Penn] and interviewing and seeing the place … it was an easy choice for me to be my next step.”

Coming from Johns Hopkins — which competes in NCAA Division III and has dominated the Centennial Conference for much of this century — to Penn, which finished fifth in the Ivy League last season, will definitely be a transition for Chimera. But so far, the man in charge of the Quaker offense for 2024 seems up to the challenge.

In terms of his philosophy, he doesn’t expect much to change now that he wears the Red and Blue. Chimera noted that while his offense will feature some tempo and explosiveness, he relies heavily on his players to excel, focusing his own efforts on putting them in the best positions to succeed. When pressed about what aspect surprised him the most, he quipped that Penn’s locker room is nicer than those he has encountered in the past.

“I just try offensively to teach the players everything that I know about the offense and about football,” said Chimera. “It’s really way less about what I know … it’s about what they know and what they can comprehend and handle on a given basis … there’s a lot of great players at Penn. So walking into a full cupboard there, and we got a really good offensive staff.”

Chimera’s arrival to Franklin Field — and his quest to bring the Quakers their first conference title in nearly a decade — comes at an interesting moment for the Ivy League. Despite its stability compared to much of college football, the conference will feature four new head coaches in 2024. While Priore doesn’t know exactly how that will change the Ancient Eight’s nature and even though the Quakers won’t play their first competitive game for another seven months, he is confident in his hire.

“We are on a really, really high note and I think [Chimera] is the person to take our guys down that path of innovative schemes,” he said.

“They’re all players; it’s really now building and developing and being a teacher and [using] getting on Franklin Field as opportunities to teach his knowledge and wisdom and lead the staff.”

Penn wrestling dominates Columbia in 31-3 victory After suffering a narrow defeat by Stanford, Penn wrestling bounced back in a dominant win against Columbia HUMZA ASIF Sports Reporter

Following a narrow defeat against Stanford last week, Penn men's wrestling went head-tohead with Columbia this week, where the team triumphed with an overwhelming 31-3 victory.

The day began with the Red and Blue trailing 3-0 in the 125-pound category. However, in the subsequent 133-pound match, senior Michael Colaiocco delivered a spectacular performance. Colaiocco took control of the match where he consistently shot at his opponent, resulting in numerous takedowns. Colaiocco dominated with an impressive 19-5 major decision victory, propelling the Quakers to a 5-3 lead. This performance ultimately shifted the momentum in favor of the Quakers for the rest of the meet.

“Momentum is big, and in wrestling, I think it’s really tough to reverse that momentum,” said sophomore Kaya Sement. “I think we did a good job of keeping it. The energy from the bench, the energy from our guys behind our bench was really high, which is definitely a factor that keeps that momentum going.”

With the lead in hand, the Red and Blue capitalized with consecutive victories in the 141, 149, 157, and 165-pound classes. In a particularly narrow match, sophomore Andy Troczynski pulled out a stellar performance, especially in the final period. Dominating in the last 45 seconds with multiple takedowns, he clinched a major decision victory. Senior Lucas Revano continued this trend of dominance, securing a win by a major decision in his match.

“We all came out on the mat and stepped on the gas and kept the gas pedal down. We

today across the lineup. We were pushing the pace,” said senior Cole Urbas.

Following the intermission, the Quakers maintained their relentless pace, coming out victorious in the 165, 174, 184-, 197, and 285pound classes. These matches were intense but the Quakers consistently overpowered the Lions, notching takedown after takedown after takedown. Notably, Columbia managed only a single takedown, which came early in the 285-pound match. However, senior John Stout responded immediately with a takedown of his own, and in the final period, he secured the Red and Blue's victory over the Lions with yet another takedown, extending the narrow decision to a major decision victory.

Sement ref lects on last week’s defeat by Stanford. “Coming off the loss from Stanford, we had high expectations for that [meet], but it was kind of a salty finish to the dual, but I think we did a good job of channeling that towards this week,” Sement said. He added, “[w]e got physical in the room, training hard.

We competed with grit, and I think we smelled blood with that team. They were tough in the first period, but we did a good job of wrestling the match.”

Urbas echoed these sentiments, saying, “[i]t’s just focusing on the task ahead of you.

I know we’ve been bringing the intensity all season, especially this week. We were raising the intensity in the practice room and we’re on a mission right now, just focusing on the next match, and bringing everything we have to reach our full potential.”

NATHANIEL SIRLIN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Penn wrestling took on Columbia at the Palestra on Jan. 28.

showed that in the third period, especially

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Greg Chimera was recently named the offensive coordinator for the Penn football team.

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With new NIL initiative, Penn athletes seek a bigger cut of the cash The recently announced “Penn-I-L” seeks to transform the way Quakers engage with the NIL landscape WALKER CARNATHAN Sports Editor

It has been nearly three years since the ruling of National Collegiate Athletic Association v.

Alston, a case that revolutionized college athletics by allowing student-athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness. Now, a school that has been playing sports for nearly 200 years is looking to join the party.

Earlier this month, Penn Athletics announced the creation of a new initiative dubbed “PennI-L,” a program designed to transform the way Penn student-athletes engage with paid opportunities from brands and companies. The

Perfecting the Palestra playlist Checking in with Ryo Lindsey, the man behind the music at the Palestra CONOR SMITH Sports Reporter

Basketball is a melodic sport. The steady dribble of the ball provides a drumline, the symphony of squeaking sneakers mimics a harmony, and the “oohs” and “aahs” of the spectators supply vocals.

It is difficult to find another sport where music is as integral to the game day experience as it is to basketball. From warm-up playlists handpicked by players to iconic themes played after wins, it is impossible to deny the connection between basketball and music. At the Palestra, this relationship is evident and spearheaded by a student DJ, Ryo Lindsey.

Ryo was born into a family of musicians. His father is a composer and pianist for the Swarthmore Ballet Theater. Additionally, one of his sisters attends the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music while another is a ballet dancer. Growing up, Ryo played the piano and trumpet but concedes that he “wasn’t very good at playing instruments.”

For Ryo, DJing and producing have allowed him to flex his musical muscles.

Ryo began DJing just one year ago. Like most students, Ryo found himself at his fair share of fraternity parties. At these parties, he admitted, he was generally unimpressed with the music selection. Despite not having any previous experience DJing, Ryo felt he could do better than the DJs he heard around campus by simply playing his “own stuff.” Before working at the Palestra, Ryo got his start DJing for fraternities on campus. Through performing at various events ranging from formals to house parties, Ryo found that a successful DJ does not just play their catalog of favorite songs.

Instead, he or she must quickly adapt and connect SEND STORY IDEAS TO DPSPORTS@THEDP.COM

initiative’s flagship innovation is the creation of the Penn-I-L Marketplace and Local Exchange, which is intended to streamline the communication process between athletes and brands.

Companies will also be able to pay athletes directly via the exchange without any involvement from the University.

“The Penn-I-L Exchange is a student-athlete NIL business registry, custom-designed for businesses, donors, alumni, and any other interested NIL dollars wishing to connect with student-athletes…” Penn Athletics wrote in the with his or her audience.

DJing a basketball game differs drastically from a frat party. However, the goal for both is the same: engaging and involving the audience. For fraternities, Ryo plays the music college students want to hear. During these events, Ryo reaches into his bag of pop music and a mixture of hits from the 2000s and today. When DJing at the Palestra, he has to match the energy of both the fans and the players on the court.

For the spectators, Ryo knows first-hand how music can add to the excitement of a sporting event. Raised in Philadelphia, Ryo has fond memories of going to 76ers games and being mesmerized by not just the game, but the presentation the organization puts on. Ryo believes that the DJ at Sixers games has a responsibility to hype up the home crowd with dynamic, boisterous music. As opposed to mundane, music-less commercial breaks, this selection of music further engages the fanbase.

For Penn basketball, Ryo pointed to t-shirt tosses that occur during breaks in game action. For these tosses and other activities put on by Penn Athletics, Ryo provides the much-needed soundtrack.

The combination of Ryo’s music stimulates those in the stands who would likely be scrolling on their phones if not provoked by the high-energy music.

“I think music is a really, really big part of [the game day experience] just because there's a lot going on during the game at all times,” Assistant Marketing Director Kevin Nguyen explained. “And you just never know what's gonna happen next.”

Ryo also pays selective attention to what the players want to listen to. At the beginning of every season, players on both the men’s and women’s basketball teams put together a list of songs they would like to be played during warmups. It is the responsibility of Ryo to mix these songs to craft the correct atmosphere in the Palestra. His primary goal in using these songs is to hype up the players with familiar music. Ryo relishes in the overwhelmingly positive on-court reactions to his DJing by the Penn players when their favorite songs are played for all to hear.

“The team all contributed to making our pregame playlist for the season,” junior guard Reese

initial announcement of the program.

For the brands, this makes partnering with players significantly easier, as it allows them to complete an NIL deal from start to finish in one convenient location. For the athletes, it changes the game from a money-making perspective.

“Just the exposure,” Penn football sophomore wide receiver and 2023 first-team All-Ivy selection Jared Richardson said. “I just reposted it on my [Instagram] story, and I’ve had people that I know that own their own businesses reach out to me … we’re moving in the right direction.”

For many years, Penn and Ivy League athletics as a whole have been perceived as antiquated in the wider landscape of college sports. One of the only Division I conferences to not offer athletic scholarships, the “Ancient” Eight has been understood by many as a conference stuck in the past — one that does not make its athletes a primary concern.

In 2023, then-senior guard for Penn women’s basketball Kayla Padilla remarked on the See NIL, page 7

ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR

College junior Ryo Lindsey is the DJ at the Palestra during basketball games.

McMullen explained. “I personally think the playlist is great. I think music helps us all lock in but also keeps us loose prior to tip off.”

Inversely, the players have had an impact on Ryo’s own music preferences. He is being routinely introduced to new music through the players’ warm-up suggestions. When not performing, Ryo listens to a combination of house music and music from the ‘70s to ‘80s, which he describes as the “golden age” of music. Since beginning at the Palestra, rap music has also slowly creeped into his everyday selection due to suggestions from the players.

There have been critics of the increasing presence of music during basketball games. One of these critics who have vocalized their displeasure is Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

Kerr, after suffering a loss to the Phoenix Suns, compared the home of the Suns to a “South Beach Club” as he “couldn’t hear anything” in the arena

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but “thumping techno club music.”

When asked about Kerr’s quote, Ryo pointed out that the Warriors were the away team, so the Suns' DJ was not pandering to their music taste.

“If the Suns like that type of music, their fans love the music, let them play it.” Going further, Ryo expressed that he finds it important that every team has its own musical interests that are fulfilled.

This, of course, applies directly to his responsibility to cater to the Penn basketball players when DJing.

“If you come to the Palestra, I'm gonna be DJing,” Ryo said. “You can’t be on the opposing team asking me to play whatever songs you like, I'm going to be playing what my players want.”

Along with working at the Palestra, Ryo continues to DJ prominent events on Penn’s campus and throughout Philadelphia. His Instagram provides updates on his future gigs and showcases his mixes.

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