May 2, 2024

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NO. 14

ENCAMPMENT TAKES OVER COLLEGE GREEN

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One week in, fate of pro-Palestinian demonstration unclear as Penn declines to intervene

Despite warnngs from Penn, Gaza Solidarity Encampment organizers have indicated they will stay put until their demands are met DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN STAFF

Following a week of pro-Palestinian rallies and programming, Penn’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment is entering its seventh day despite threats from administrators to disband.

The encampment began on April 25 amid a rally of hundreds of Penn students, faculty, and Philadelphia community members in support of Palestinians — the culmination of a citywide march that originated at Philadelphia’s City Hall and converged on campus with a walkout by a group of Penn faculty.

The encampment’s demands for the University center on the message “disclose, divest, defend.” This refers to disclosing Penn’s endowment holdings, divesting from companies with ties to Israel, and calling on Penn to defend pro-Palestinian protesters — including reinstating the student group status of Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine.

Since the encampment began, it has stirred up debate over the right to peaceful protest and the interpretation of University

open expression guidelines on Penn’s campus. Meanwhile, the University has issued warnings that the encampment is violating campus policies and is seeking to check protesters’ Penn identification, leaving the possibility of arrests unclear.

University response Despite escalating communications from the University to clear the encampment, protesters have indicated their intention to remain in place until their demands are met.

On Friday morning, Interim President Larry Jameson sent an email to the Penn community stating that Penn “will not stand by” if “protected protest and speech deteriorate into words and actions that violate Penn’s policies, disrupt University business, or contribute to an intimidating or hostile environment on our campus.”

Later that evening, Jameson released a statement saying that

the pro-Palestinian encampment constitutes “blatant violations of University policies.”

In the email, he said that the University had been closely monitoring the protest over the past 24 hours. He wrote that the encampment violates Penn’s facilities policies and that there have been “credible reports of harassing and intimidating conduct.”

Jameson listed several violations, including reported and documented “harassing and intimidating comments and actions by some of the protesters.” He pointed to vandalism of the statue in front of College Hall with “antisemitic graffiti,” writing that it would be investigated as a hate crime.

Jameson was referencing an incident that occurred at the encampment on Friday, when a protester spray painted the words “Zios get fuckt” on the Benjamin Franklin statue.

“As we have repeatedly emphasized, we will uphold free See ENCAMPMENT, page 7

Student body votes on referendum seeking University divestment from Israel’s war in Gaza

House of Representatives expands investigation into antisemitism at Penn and other colleges

The Muslim Student Association and Israel Public Affairs Committee are seeking dueling referendums on questions regarding Penn’s response to the Israel-Hamas war

The investigation comes as the University remains under a probe by the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce

KATIE BARTLETT News Editor

PAIGE RAWISZER Staff Reporter

Penn’s Muslim Student Association’s proposed referendum on divestment from Israel’s war in Gaza is proceeding to a ballot vote by the student body, with polls closing on May 3.

The petition for the referendum, which was circulated on April 24 by Penn MSA and reposted by Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine, asks students whether the University should divest its endowment fund from companies and organizations that “profit from, engage in, or contribute to the government of Israel’s human rights violations,” in addition to two other questions.

“As we have previously stated, on numerous occasions, the University of Pennsylvania does not support boycotts, divestment, or sanctions against Israel,” a University SEND STORY IDEAS TO NEWSTIP@THEDP.COM

spokesperson wrote to the DP. Voting on the referendum will be open for all undergraduate students until Friday. The ballot vote was approved by the University’s student government.

“The now approved referendum about disclosure and divestment is a way for us as undergraduate students to have a democratic student voice,” MSA wrote on Instagram. “...We the students define what our University stands for, not donors and not Congress.”

In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, a MSA spokesperson wrote that the referendum was presented “to get an honest and direct understanding of how the Penn student body feels on these three questions.”

See REFERENDUM, page 7

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced that he is opening a house-wide investigation into antisemitism on college campuses at a Tuesday press conference.

The investigation, which Johnson called a “House-wide crackdown on antisemitism,” will include several house committees — including the Energy and Commerce, Oversight, Judiciary, Ways and Means and Science, Space, and Technology committees. The investigation is an expansion of several ongoing investigations into universities’ — including Penn’s — handling of antisemitism on their campuses.

Two House committees — the House Committee

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on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means — have ongoing investigations into antisemitism on Penn’s campus. The education committee’s investigation was opened in December 2023 shortly after former Penn President Liz Magill testified before the committee. Penn began submitting documents for the committee’s investigation back in February.

A Committee on Education and the Workforce aide told The Daily Pennsylvanian that their investigation was going to continue, despite the house-wide expansion. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), the committee’s chairwoman, announced at the Tuesday See ANTISEMITISM, page 7 CONTACT US: 215-422-4640

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024

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Penn graduate student workers’ unionization election begins after postponement Graduate Employees Together University of Pennsylvania-UAW is seeking to bargain for a union contract matching their current needs and gain representation by United Auto Workers EMILY SCOLNICK Senior Reporter

The University’s graduate student workers are heading to the polls to vote on whether to form a union.

The unionization election began Wednesday in Bodek Lounge in Houston Hall. Graduate Employees Together University of Pennsylvania-UAW (GET-UP), a group of graduate teaching and research employees aiming to improve working conditions and strengthen their larger voice at the University, is seeking to bargain for a union contract matching their current needs and gain representation by United Auto Workers.

If the vote passes, GET-UP will become the largest union at Penn in recent history with about 4,500 workers.

The formation of a union would mean that all graduate student workers would be able to participate in the bargaining process and vote on the ratification of any proposed contract.

“This upcoming election is our chance to democratically convey what we already know to be true, which is that Penn graduate workers want a union,” fifth-year biology Ph.D. candidate and GET-UP field coordinator and organizer Luella Allen-Waller told The Daily Pennsylvanian earlier this semester.

The unionization election was originally scheduled for April 16 and 17 but was suddenly postponed on April

11, just one day after GET-UP won an appeal against the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to include Educational Fellowship Recipients in the pool of eligible voters.

In an April 16 email to graduate and professional students, Provost John Jackson Jr. and Vice Provost for Education Karen Detlefsen wrote that the postponement was due to an April 10 order from the NLRB determining that approximately 300 Ph.D. students should be permitted to vote. The email, which was obtained by the DP, referenced several processes that the newly eligible students must undergo — such as being notified of their right to privacy from the union and NLRB. “These 300 students must now be added to the voter list, which must be shared with the NLRB and the UAW,” Jackson Jr. and Detlefsen wrote in the email. “There are legal timeframes for these important processes … that could not be met for an election on April 16 and April 17.”

A University spokesperson wrote to the DP earlier this month that on April 15, the University and GET-UP agreed to a stipulation rescheduling the election for May. “We were not expecting there to be a delay,” AllenWaller said. “When we won that appeal, the fact that [Penn] requested an additional two weeks to get the voter

ETHAN YOUNG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Graduate Employees Together University of Pennsylvania-UAW is voting on unionization on May 1 and 2. list indicates that they had not begun to prepare for the pos- Schirvar said. “When a majority of graduate workers vote sibility that we would win that appeal.” yes, then the university will be legally obligated to enter Fifth-year history Ph.D candidate and GET-UP or- into negotiations with us.” ganizer Sam Schirvar told the DP that an election is “an In October 2023, graduate students seeking to form a opportunity for graduate workers to stand up and stand union filed 3,000 authorization cards with the NLRB, but together and show Penn that we want to have a voice in our the University subsequently refused to voluntarily recogworking conditions” and that possible platforms for the nize the union. In March, GET-UP released a bargaining organization include grievance arbitration, costs of child survey asking graduate workers to indicate their priorities care, accessibility of parental leave, and protection policies for including various working conditions, wages, and benagainst discrimination for graduate students. efits in a contract.

Graduate student workers face increasing housing and Earlier this month, 224 Penn faculty members exliving costs in Philadelphia, a lack of rights in the work- pressed their support for graduate student workers seeking place, and uncertain futures given the nature of higher unionization by signing a supporting statement drafted by education and unstable regulation of visas and work au- the American Association of University Professors. thorization for international student workers, according to “We have every intention to win our election on May GET-UP. 1 and 2,” fifth-year pharmacology Ph.D. candidate and “There’s often a call for higher stipends and an in- GET-UP organizer Kyla Mace wrote to the DP. Ballots crease in compensation to match the rising cost of living,” will be counted and results will be announced on May 3.

Mark’s Café in Van Pelt Library implements vending machines Many students on campus have considered the cafe to be prone to theft, while the new machines require payment before accessing items GRETTA MAGUIRE Senior Reporter

Mark’s Café in the basement of Van Pelt-Dietrich Library replaced its open shelves with vending machines earlier this week, prompting criticism from students.

Many students on campus had previously considered Mark’s Café to be subject to theft from students, and the new machines require payment before accessing the item. The new vending machines also do not accept dining dollars as payment, as had been the case with the open shelving units.

The Daily Pennsylvanian was unable to confirm that concerns of theft are the reason for the change.

College sophomore Jackie Balanovsky said that she was “surprised” to see the recent change, adding that she

will no longer patronize the cafe because it no longer accepts dining dollars.

“I think that it’s showing that the administration is having less and less trust with Penn community members,” she said, adding that she found it interesting that the change was made toward the end of the semester and close to the start of final exams.

Wharton sophomore Josiah Brock disapproved of the change, calling it a method for the University to protect profit and suggesting that “it makes it less accessible for people to get food quickly.”

While Brock said that he had previously been spending $5-10 a week, he added that he will “no longer be coming” to Mark’s Café. He also said that the shift to using vending

JEAN PARK | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Mark’s Cafe Micro-Market recently removed its wooden shelves and added in vending machines. machines will likely have an adverse impact on how often wants a return to the open shelving setup, suggesting that he goes — calling it “another negative against coming to the University should hire someone to stand in the cafe to Van Pelt.” remediate stealing issues.

College first-year Lynna Baah said that — while she Penn Dining Services, Facilities and Real Estate Serhad previously gone to Mark’s Café every time she was vices, and Penn Library did not respond to requests for at the library — she will now come less. She said that she comment.

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NEWS 3

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024

Here’s what Interim Dean Jonathan Epstein is planning for Penn Medicine The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with Epstein last week to discuss his experience with the abrupt leadership transition and his priorities in his new role JESSICA WU Senior Reporter

In December 2023, Jonathan Epstein was appointed interim executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. He assumed his role during a period of administrative transition — his appointment was announced the same day that Larry Jameson was appointed Penn’s interim president, and three days after former President Liz Magill’s resigned.

Epstein has now served in his role for four months. The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with him last week to discuss his experience with the abrupt leadership transition and his priorities in the new role.

Epstein said that, in the week following Magill’s resignation, he received a call from Jameson asking him if he would be interested in filling the role of interim dean — and responded that he would be happy to do so if Jameson thought it would help the University.

“I felt comfortable doing it. I felt competent to do it,” Epstein said. “So, I was happy to be asked, and I didn’t really have to think about it very long.”

Epstein added that he had worked along Jameson, his predecessor, for almost nine years before their respective promotions. Epstein formerly held the role of the Medical School’s chief scientific officer, which directly reported to Jameson.

“I did think that Larry Jameson would be the right person [for the interim presidency] and an outstanding interim president, knowing him so well,” Epstein said. “I suspected he would be asked because I know how good he is.”

Despite speaking extremely favorably of Jameson, Epstein declined to endorse him for the permanent presidency — stating that “that’s a job for the trustees and for search committee.”

Epstein also said that he will “serve [in his interim role] as long as they want [him] to serve,” but said that, by policy, the University will do a national search for a new dean.

“I think it’s healthy for the institution to have a permanent dean in place. On the other hand, I think the school is functioning very well, so I don’t think there’s any emergency about it,” Epstein said.

Epstein also said that Penn Medicine has been less affected than other parts of the University by the ongoing donor backlash due to the University’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. Epstein said that most of the donors he has spoken with “care more about the advances in health care and in scientific discovery, and have continued to be supportive of that.”

He further called his ascension to the role of dean and executive vice president a “smooth transition” because of his past familiarity with the day-to-day workings of the dean’s office and experience discussing strategies with Jameson.

Epstein described his previous role as CSO as overseeing the academic and research mission of the Medical School and supported faculty, staff, and students so that “they can be as successful as possible.”

While he did not take credit for their successes, Epstein said that an accomplishment of his tenure as CSO was helping Penn Med become known for “being excellent at translating fundamental new discoveries to be real cures that affect people,” citing CAR-T cells, mRNA vaccines, and gene therapies as examples.

“We’ve really shifted the paradigm to take drug development from discovery all the way to FDA approval in house in a way that has gotten notice from our peers and internationally,” Epstein said.

Epstein said that, in his new roles, he plans to continue implementing Penn Med’s most recent Strategic Plan, which was initiated by Jameson for the years 2023 to 2028, and addresses issues such as health inequities and access to medicine.

“A large number of our faculty and our programs are trying to drill down into the underlying drivers of those inequities and are trying to influence policy at the national level,” said Epstein.

He said that he hopes to continue the efforts Penn Med has made toward discovering new therapies while making them more accessible to everybody who needs them and allowing them to have “maximum impact in our communities” — a point which is also listed in the strategic plan.

“We make wonderful new therapies, but they’re too expensive,” Epstein said.

Epstein said that he is pushing another goal in the strategic plan, to reduce the cost of education for Medical School students, as an area of focus — citing Penn Med’s efforts to raise additional funds to provide scholarships for their students. He also shared that Penn Med is currently in negotiations about salaries with the residents who voted to unionize, and he hopes that they will come to a fair resolution.

“The most important thing that I’ve tried to convey to our residents and our students is that our commitment to outstanding education isn’t going to change,” Epstein said.

PHOTO FROM PENN MEDICINE

Jonathan Epstein has served as Interim Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine for over four months.

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The United States Capitol on Feb. 29.

How eight Penn alumni have navigated careers in Congress and politics These Penn alumni have gone on to hold a diverse array of careers in politics — from the local level to overseas ETHAN CRAWFORD Staff Reporter

While Penn is well known for being home to the firstranked business school in the country and sending large swaths of students into the financial world, it is also a breeding ground for political hopefuls.

Both major presidential candidates — 1968 Wharton graduate and former President Donald Trump, and former Penn Professor of Presidential Practice and President Joe Biden — have deep ties to Penn. Penn’s undergraduate and graduate programs have produced hundreds of students who have gone on to hold prominent roles in politics and government.

The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with eight Penn alumni who have gone on to hold a diverse array of careers in politics — from the local level to overseas.

Growing up in a household of lawyers, 1984 University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School graduate Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon’s (D-Pa.) decision to go to law school was clearly solidified by the time she entered her undergraduate studies. While at Penn, Scanlon noticed the clear public service component that Penn’s law school had, which eventually drove her to work with public interest law firms that tackled issues such as voting rights, immigration, and poverty.

However, entering the political realm was never on the agenda until Trump was elected in 2016.

“It was something of a shock that instead of having the first female president [in Hillary Clinton], we had a serial adulterer, truth denier — someone with no history of public service — suddenly president and upending a whole lot of democratic norms,” Scanlon said.

The redistricting of Scanlon’s constituency also played a role, as the demographic shift opened up a race that otherwise would have likely skewed in favor of Republican candidate Pearl Kim. Scanlon quickly seized the opportunity to enter the political world as a representative in Congress and has done so since 2019.

“If I’d had time to think about it, I don’t know if I would have gotten there,” Scanlon said. “It was a sixweek period from the time of the decision to redistrict until when the primary occurred, so it was just very fast and furious.”

1992 College and Wharton graduate Charles Djou represented Hawaii in the United States House of Representatives from 2010 to 2011 as a result of a special election before being “involuntarily retired by the voters,” as he put it. Djou has also served as a member of the Army Reserves for over 20 years and was deployed in

Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Djou, a Republican-turned-Democrat, went from being president of Penn College Republicans to serving as Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission under Biden. Despite his change of party, Djou feels as though American higher education has become more “close-minded” than it was when he was at Penn.

“Education is supposed to be about hearing lots of different ideas and perspectives, and then drawing conclusions after you hear lots of different ideas and perspectives,” Djou said. “If you’re not even willing to listen, I think something’s missing in higher education.”

Both 1980 College graduate Marc Morial and 1963 College graduate Marjorie Margolies followed similar career paths — they both graduated from Penn, spent time as elected officials, and then went on to involve themselves in political activism.

Morial was mayor of his hometown, New Orleans, from 1994 to 2002 after serving as a Louisiana state senator from 1992 to 1994, but his career trajectory was largely shaped by Penn and the surrounding city of Philadelphia.

“At the time, Frank Rizzo was mayor, and the political environment in the city was charged up with a lot of racial disputes,” Morial said. “There was a lot of interesting local politics, and I think that was also part of my learning experience.”

For Margolies, who is now a lecturer at the Annenberg School for Communication, her start in journalism working for WCAU-TV in Philadelphia, as well as NBC, eventually gave way to her election in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992 — a year that would become known as the “Year of the Woman” due to the number of elected female senators.

The name recognition and knowledge of the system that she acquired through her journalistic work covering Washington was the primary catalyst for her eventual nomination, but winning in what had been a Republican district did not seem feasible for Margolies at the time.

“The women in Montgomery County came to me and said, ‘Would you run for office?’ I told my kids, ‘You can’t win if you’re not prepared to lose, you have to get on the playing field.’ And that’s what I faced,” Margolies said. “On election night, I only brought in a concession speech.”

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4 OPINION

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Opinion

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Peaceful protest belongs on college campuses VESELY’S VISION | The student encampments around the country are powerful tools for change All over the country, student-led encampments for Gaza have popped up in recent days.

The encampment at Penn was erected on Thursday following continued action at Columbia University, and since then, we have only seen the national movement continue to grow. This is a developing situation, and as of my writing this, there are over 50 encampments on campuses nationwide.

Penn is no stranger to being in the spotlight of the Israel-Palestine conflict’s impact on elite college campuses. Back in September, the Palestine Writes Literature Festival brought a whirlwind of criticism to Penn’s door, and former President Liz Magill’s response and actions thereafter led to her resignation.

As documented throughout history, protests and sit-ins have been utilized as a positive tool for change. At Penn, we are now seeing hundreds of organizers and approximately 40 tents lining College Green. I support students’ rights to peaceful protest, as it is a cornerstone of our democracy. We’ve seen many examples of times when student protest at Penn brought forth the changes demanded. The 1969 College Hall sit-in against the displacement of West Philadelphia residents by the University is a prime example highlighted on Penn’s website. Currently, Penn graduate students are pushing to unionize and holding rallies to advance their objectives.

An election that was originally scheduled for mid-April has been moved to May as students actively organize around the cause.

This long history of student activism will continue with the current encampment involving Drexel and Temple students, as well as activists and community members from the greater Philadelphia area.

Free speech should be protected, but unfortunately, these peaceful demonstrations can still be met with violence. I’m well aware of how common police brutality and the use of excess force are, but videos of students in prayer being apprehended, students being tased when fully restrained, and professors being arrested have shocked members of society who believe said

actions no longer occur. We exist in a world that is very much unjust, and I refuse to turn a blind eye.

We need better education surrounding the true protections of free speech and said limitations — hate speech is not, and should not be, protected. On the other hand, peaceful demonstrations should always be upheld. Without them, we lose one of the greatest tools for change we are given that is accessible to all. They’re enshrined in the First Amendment for a reason, and our founding fathers — as do I — see free speech, press, and assembly as one of the best foundations we have.

These encampments are impossible to ignore, and that is one of the reasons they are being utilized. Students are so moved and agitated that the threat of arrest — especially in the case of entirely peaceful demonstrations — doesn’t subdue them: it inspires them to hold their ground.

On Friday, Interim President Larry Jameson made a statement calling for the disbandment of the camps. I don’t see forcibly shutting down these camps as a viable solution towards long or short-term peace within the higher education system. The Israel-Palestine conflict has been ongoing for more than 100 years, and while I hope a solution can be reached in the future, that will not happen overnight. What can happen on university campuses like Penn is the demands of the protestors — most notably the release of Penn’s financial holdings and defense of proPalestinian students involved in protest — being thoughtfully considered and discussed by administration.

I urge people who disagree with the encampments to ask themselves what they would do if they witnessed a community they felt a personal connection to, or stood in solidarity with, being killed at drastically high numbers. The scholasticide of Palestinian scholars and mass killing of children — all partially funded by the United States government — present incredible injustices that we are witnessing in real time.

Penn does not stand alone, nor do any of

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.

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Columnist Mia Vesely argues for the protection of college students’ right to free speech.

these universities and their students. A sole encampment may be seen as a nuisance or waste of time, but together, across the country, these students stand in solidarity with each other and with Gaza.

When walking through the Penn encampment today, I witnessed people coming together to share poetry, engage in prayer, and provide resources and support to one another. More spaces of presumed support — endorsed by the University — would be helpful in allowing people to feel heard, seen, and valued without the need to occupy College Green.

I also urge people to remember that these encampments are not isolated to Penn or even to Ivy League schools. At our close neighbor Swarthmore, and in my own home state of Arizona, at Arizona State University, students are participating in these protests. All across the

country, students are moved to take action.

I support Jameson and his statements regarding the safety and importance of cross-cultural communication and listening, and I urge Penn community members to do the same. That being said, Penn administration can call for the disbanding of the encampment and urge students to go home. But until they quell students’ desires for administrative accountability and provide spaces for Palestinian culture to be fully recognized, students’ right to exercise their voices in a peaceful manner seems like it will prevail.

MIA VESELY is a College sophomore studying philosophy, politics, and economics from Phoenix, A.Z. Her email is mvesely@sas.upenn.edu.

A place on campus to ask questions GUEST COLUMN | Cultivating common ground through discussion and shared experience is daunting and necessary As a precaution for potentially miscalculating the true first night of Passover, it is traditional to hold a seder two nights in a row when outside the land of Israel.

I celebrated the Passover Seder three times this year.

This semester, I participated in a Jewish and Muslim discussion group: one of many campus initiatives fostering student dialogue about the current war in Gaza. We initially planned to attend both a communal iftar and a seder together, but were not all on campus on the first or second night of Passover, when sedarim are traditionally held. No problem.

With 40-plus Passover Sedarim under my belt, I offered to host one myself. We decided to meet on Sunday night before the holiday officially began.

The night before our seder convened, I stayed up until 4 a.m. watching footage of the protests at Columbia University. I felt numb seeing many nonviolent protesters (many of whom were Jewish) get hauled away by the

police and felt terror watching videos of explicitly antisemitic threats and slurs being chanted and specifically directed at Jewish students, many of whom I knew personally.

I felt conflicted about the public statements condemning the protests and repulsed that speaking up against antisemitism had become politicized. I wished that condemning antisemitism and protecting free speech at the same time could be a politically viable opinion in 2024. I felt bewildered by how politicians who once aligned themselves with Nazi sympathizers could be lauded as protectors of the Jewish people. I felt confused as to why defenders of equality and civil rights could not speak out against a minority of protesters espousing hate.

I felt guilty that my next thought was apprehension of when this unrest would inevitably reach Penn. I was dreading our conversation at the seder the next day. I did not feel confident having such an emotionally fraught conversation with people I was not sure

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The Jewish holiday of Passover started at nightfall on April 22.

with whom I would agree. But I showed up anyway.

The seder began light heartedly. We recited blessings over grape juice and held our noses for bites of charoset, matzo, and horseradish.

We compared the Passover tradition of hiding and collecting ransom for a piece of matzo with the Desi tradition of stealing a groom’s shoes at a wedding. I learned that Moses and the Exodus story are largely included in the Quran.

I soon felt comfortable sharing my complicated reactions to the protests at Columbia.

I realized that videos of antisemitic threats don’t travel very far out of the Jewish media sphere and how that not knowing reinforces the suspicion of politicians denouncing protests as antisemitic. I affirmed my deep humanitarian concerns about the crisis in Gaza, and the cycles of violence that have led us to this point, as well as my conviction for free speech and nonviolent protest. I expressed frustration with how police presence escalates protests and wondered how we could guarantee safety for all students by other means.

I did not, however, have to explain the primal concern for the wellbeing of my community that underscores my years-long political investment in the conflict. Or how that sense of community transcends time and place because of rituals like the seder and its text, the Haggadah. I also did not have to explain why so many people who I love call Israel their home and the centrality of that place in Jewish liturgy and religious tradition.

Everyone at my seder could see and read that for themselves.

I also did not have to restate my commitment to dialogue and understanding or my belief that the safety of all people in the land is intrinsically connected. My presence in the room and every conversation before it made that clear.

The most immediately practical takeaway from my seder was realizing the extent to which all parties in this campus conflict consume radically different news. Our

perceptions of the protests at Columbia, and the war in Gaza, are filtered through the lens of X’s algorithm and our community affiliations. Confronting and supplementing those differences is critical for promoting honesty and accountability in discourse.

Alongside uncovering misconceptions, my seder assured me of how much my peers value the theoretical and communal contours of my personal beliefs. They understood the part that I can never put into words because they took the time to immerse themselves in it directly. We have taken the time to do that for each other this semester. These shared experiences and honest conversations have a double effect of promoting direct understanding and building up enough trust on the basis of each other’s opinions to support enduring disagreement.

There is no future for dialogue on campus that is separate from a present reality that we are willing to manifest. We find our common ground by cultivating it and asking good questions about what the other side really believes and why. To get in the room, we must confront our worst expectations of those whose opinions and backgrounds we assume and have not asked about.

We have two sedarim because we cannot be sure when the true first night of Passover falls. Out of an abundance of caution for potential miscalculation, the Jewish tradition explores each of the Hagaddah’s myriad philosophical and religious inquiries twice in a row and still finds new things to discuss. To be on the safe side, put yourself in a place to ask questions again and again. There is no limit to the discovery that can take place, especially when you think you have already heard the answers.

MADELINE KOHN is a College sophomore studying urban studies from Lower Merion, Pa. Her email address is kohnm@sas.upenn.edu.

Speak to protesters’ first demand GUEST COLUMN | History offers examples relevant to our current conversations Young people across the country are demanding that their universities disclose and divest.

At Penn, student protesters want to see the University be transparent about how the endowment is invested. They want to distance our institution from the profits that some corporations are extracting from a horrendous war.

Student demands should not be put aside.

Such demands build not only on previous divestment campaigns but on a history of struggles to make ethical choices — as individuals, as communities, as institutions — about what our resources support.

It is possible to imagine a world in which the endowments of educational and medical

institutions are understood to be different from other pots of money, and are invested only where there is broad agreement that no public harm is being caused.

We don’t have to look far for models of past efforts to find an ethical financial path.

Philadelphia supplies examples of the struggle to make ethical choices with money: Many Quakers refused to support war. Eventually, this led to their condemnation of slavery. Philadelphia was the epicenter of an ethical community, where abolitionists committed to “free labor produce” chose not to purchase slave-produced sugar because it meant providing financial support to Caribbean enslavers. Abolitionists who were vilified in their own times seem visionary

in ours. Angelina Grimké, the daughter of a South Carolina enslaver turned Quaker abolitionist, scandalized Philadelphia in 1838 when she used her own wedding as a way to distance herself from sugar, cotton, and coffee: products produced by a brutal slave system.

For an enslaved person, choosing the dangerous path of “self-theft” — a choice of freedom — was illegal. Thousands of enslaved people put their bodies at risk to cross into Pennsylvania from Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. Labeled fugitives then, we see them as heroes now.

Times change.

The conversations we need to have now require transparency about the endowment. They may also require discussion about the way

investments in private equity funds make such transparency difficult.

We support students’ insistence that Penn provides an honest accounting of how the endowment is invested. We want to hear what students have to say about divestment.

ANN FARNSWORTH-ALVEAR is an associate professor of history, KATHLEEN M. BROWN is a David Boies Professor of History, ROQUINALDO FERREIRA is a Henry Charles Lea Professor of History, WILLIAM STURKEY is an associate professor of history.

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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024

OPINION 5

We’re all talk, no action MUSTAFA’S MUSINGS | A critical look at our approach to modern crises It’s comforting to imagine ourselves as heroes in the records of history, standing on the “right side” of moral battles. Many of us believe that, if given the chance, we would have marched during the Civil Rights Movement, rallied against apartheid, or fought for suffrage. Yet, in the routine of our daily lives amidst contemporary injustices, one must ponder — would we really be any different?

Our education often champions a teleological narrative of history in which we’re steadily progressing towards a better, more enlightened era.

It’s a comforting thought, like a gentle pat on the back, telling us to relax because things are on the right track.

But this notion is seriously flawed.

The same structures that enabled horrific atrocities in the past are still around, just dressed up in modern clothes. For instance, recent critiques by UN experts highlight how systemic racism within United States police and courts is not just lingering prejudice but an evolution of past injustices, deeply rooted in the era of slavery and Jim Crow laws.

Globally speaking, our international track record — from failures to intervene in the Holocaust to more recent crises in Sudan’s Forgotten War, Myanmar’s ongoing Rohingya Genocide, or Australia’s controversial refugee detainment camps — shows a disturbing pattern. The pledge of “never again” seems to have quietly turned into “again and again” as the international community repeatedly fails to act decisively.

More pressingly, teleological storytelling risks misleading us into believing that the unfolding of human affairs is entirely preordained and inevitable. In reality, history is the slow accumulation of individual choices and actions. When we buy into the myth of inevitability, we risk absolving ourselves of the active role we must play in shaping our future.

The hesitancy to dive into the waters of activism is hardly a novel sentiment. After all, if the fires aren’t from our own backyards, we feel less urgency to douse them. This psychological and social distance tends to mute our rallying cries. However,

activism that demands we alter our own beliefs or lifestyles isn’t just uncomfortable — sometimes it seems downright impossible.

Psychologist Paul Slovic has given a name to this overwhelm: “psychic numbing.” This phenomenon describes how our empathy wanes as the number of victims in a tragedy swells. A sense of inefficacy tricks us into thinking our acts of kindness are drops in an ocean too vast to ever fill. It’s a cruel irony of human psychology: the more widespread the suffering, the less potent our individual efforts seem, and the weaker our impulse to help becomes.

Perhaps even more alarmingly, there is an increasing fear of social or professional repercussions that significantly stifles our voices. It is deeply troubling to observe how pro-Palestinian students and professors across U.S. college campuses have to balance their advocacy with the looming threat of jeopardizing future career prospects. Consider Asna Tabassum, the University of Southern California’s class of 2024 valedictorian, who was barred from speaking at graduation

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Columnist Lala Mustafa encourages students to turn their desire for change into tangible action.

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LALA MUSTAFA is a College sophomore studying international relations and history from Baku, Azerbaijan. Her email address is lmustafa@sas.upenn.edu.

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because of a hate campaign in response to her pro-Palestinian stance. Adding to these concerns, more than 100 protesters were arrested at Columbia University last week. Even here at Penn, the University banned the activities of Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine and condoned police detainment of students for chalking “Let Gaza live” across Locust Walk.

This effect on student activism reveals a chilling crack in the foundation of our professed freedoms.

If the cost of speaking out is the forfeiture of future opportunities, then surely, we must question the integrity of our societal structures that respond with censorship. Are we fostering a culture where advocacy is only for those who can afford to be fearless, or worse, excludes certain people altogether?

We must acknowledge that inaction is a privilege fraught with profound consequences. The Milgram experiment from the 1960s illustrates this point. Designed to probe the psychology of genocide, the study revealed how ordinary people could be driven to commit horrifying acts by obeying authority. This demonstration of compliance underscores a broader truth: when we opt to stand by, whether due to psychic numbing, perceived inefficacy, or fear of repercussions, we risk becoming unwitting accomplices in perpetuating harm, echoing the dark chapters of history we so readily condemn.

Despite formidable barriers, there are uplifting instances of people surmounting these obstacles to drive meaningful change. The advent of social media has been particularly transformative, amplifying previously marginalized voices and their reach around the world. For instance, the Iran protests which began in September 2022 saw thousands, led predominantly by young women, take to the streets and social media to demand reform following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. Similarly, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led to worldwide antiwar protests while the global climate protests in September 2023 marked one of the largest coordinated actions post-COVID-19 for climate advocacy.

Together, these movements reflect a global trend towards challenging the status quo and advocating for far-reaching societal changes.

As we contemplate our hypothetical heroism in past conflicts, it is crucial to scrutinize our current actions. Claiming potential activism in the past is easy self-assurance; the real test of our character is reflected in how we address today’s injustices.

Otherwise, perhaps our imagined historical heroism is just that — an imagination.

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ANTISEMITISM, from FRONT PAGE press conference that the presidents of Yale University, UCLA, and the University of Michigan would testify at a May 23 hearing.

Foxx thanked Johnson for expanding her committee's investigation at the Tuesday press conference.

"As Republican leaders, we have a clear message for mealy-mouthed, spineless college leaders: Congress will not tolerate your dereliction of your duty to your Jewish students," Foxx said. "American universities are officially put on notice that we have come to take our universities back."

Foxx also criticized the ongoing pro-Palestinian encampments at universities across the United States.

"No stone must go unturned while buildings are being unfaced, campus greens are being captured, or

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024 graduations are being ruined," she said. "College is not a park for play-acting juveniles or a battleground for radical activists."

The aide added that, while other House committees will now be analyzing antisemitism on college campuses through their own perspectives, the education committee's investigation will not be altered.

They added that the house-wide investigation will now be building on the work already done by their committee.

Johnson spoke of the importance of Jewish student safety on their respective campuses at the press conference.

“We will not allow antisemitism to thrive on campus, and we will hold these universities accountable for their failure to protect Jewish students on campus,” he said.

The House-wide investigation comes as the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on Penn's College Green enters its seventh day. Throughout the week, counterprotests and reports of antisemitism have occurred at the encampment.

ABHIRAM JUVVADI | PHOTO EDITOR

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s investigation into antisemitism on college and university campuses expanded into a House-wide probe.

REFERENDUM, from FRONT PAGE "This ballot is an ideal platform to uplift student voices while combating fears of doxxing and supporting student safety on campus," they added.

The petition also asks if the University should disclose all investments held through its endowment fund and if Penn should cut ties with Ghost Robotics, a company housed in Pennovation Works that develops four-legged robots for military use that are allegedly used by the Israeli government to “commit human rights violations.”

The MSA spokesperson also emphasized the importance of student participation in the referendum.

"We want to emphasize that it is crucial that ALL undergraduate students vote on this referendum," they said. "Whether students vote in support or disagreement with the questions, this is an opportunity to receive the most accurate perspectives of the undergraduate student body."

A Penn Arab Student Society spokesperson wrote to the DP that the group "is in full support of MSA’s referendum and wants to echo the MSA’s ask that all undergraduate students exercise their right to vote.”

The petition gathered the 500 signatures necessary to be sent to the undergraduate student body and

came before the Nominations and Elections Committee for approval on Wednesday night.

“We understand that the MSA is proposing an unprecedented referendum and we want to stand by our commitment to amplifying student voices and our responsibility to advocating for the student body,” NEC Chair Yousef Elyoussef and UA President Ria Ellendula wrote in a joint statement to the DP on Wednesday. “Our goal is to ensure this is an equitable and transparent process.”

The Penn Israel Public Affairs Committee posted on its Instagram story after the referendum vote was opened, writing "VOTE NO TO BDS PROPOSAL NOW!!!! SO IMPORTANT THIS DOES NOT PASS." Earlier in the week, in response to MSA's referendum being proposed, PIPAC sought their own referendum — writing that it was in response to "the proposed BDS referendum that went around campus yesterday."

PIPAC asked four questions related to whether Penn should adhere to the Department of Education and Pennsylvania's anti-discrimination regulations, whether Penn should continue investing in Israeli companies spearheading "cancer research," "medical breakthroughs," and "innovative technologies to assist underdeveloped countries"; and whether the University should maintain ties with Israeli companies working on using technologies to "defend itself and free the hostages."

ENCAMPMENT, from FRONT PAGE speech and the productive exchange of ideas, but we will not allow any actions that harass, threaten, or intimidate others,” Jameson wrote.

On Tuesday, Penn opened disciplinary cases into at least three students participating in the encampment. A University spokesperson wrote in a statement to the DP that Penn has “clearly communicated” that encampment participants “are in violation of the University’s policies.” The University is “checking IDs in accordance with Penn’s Open Expression Guidelines,” according to the statement.

The spokesperson added that “several student disciplinary cases” have been opened through the Center for Community Standards and Accountability, and that faculty and staff violations “will follow the relevant disciplinary processes.”

“These actions, while unfortunate, are necessary,” the spokesperson wrote.

After a meeting with Jameson and Provost John Jackson Jr., PAO issued a statement on Instagram on Wednesday reaffirming protesters' commitment to the encampment.

The statement indicated that protesters would not enter into negotiations until Penn met several stipulations, which included withdrawing disciplinary proceedings against students, removing police presence from the encampment, and explaining any potential Guidelines on Open Expression violations before checking IDs. "While the University drags its feet, we remain steadfast and our demands will not change," PAO wrote. "Until our demands are met, this encampment will not move and neither will the community in it."

Programming focuses on Palestinian cause Protesters have engaged in praying, chalking, chanting, and a wide ranging of programming throughout the past several days.

Frequent chants include "Free, free Palestine," “The students, united, will never be defeated,” and “There is only one solution, intifada revolution.” Some chants relate directly to the University, such as "Disclose, divest, we will not stop we will not rest" and “Liberation is our mission, no more bombs with our tuition."

On Saturday, the National Lawyers Guild led a deescalation training on how to respond to antagonistic behavior and interactions with the police. Fred Hampton Jr. of the Black Panther Party Cubs and former MOVE movement member Pam Africa delivered speeches, as well as several Penn faculty members, including associate professor of English Dagmawi Woubshet and associate professor of Arabic literature Huda Fakhreddine.

Over 200 attendees gathered on College Green for a “Seder in the Streets” on Sunday. The event — cohosted

by Jewish Voice for Peace Philadelphia, Rabbis for Ceasefire Philadelphia, Families for Ceasefire Philly, and Tikkun Olam Chavurah — followed the order of a traditional Passover seder but included prayers and chants supporting the people of Gaza.

During the seder, a man with a knife holster and wearing an "I stand with Israel" shirt entered the event and was followed by multiple police officers and legal observers. Two knives were seized by police, who said that he “violated civil code” and would be receiving a citation. The man was escorted away from the seder and was seen entering a police vehicle in hand cuffs.

The Gaza Solidarity Encampment addressed the incident in a statement later that day, contending that "the administration’s concern is one-sided and it is ambivalent when violence is directed towards us.”

“Even when a Zionist screams hate speech and carries multiple weapons, putting families with young children in explicit danger, supporters of our encampment are still the ones associated with violence,” the statement wrote.

The statement also contended that Penn administration attempted to stop the "Seder on the Streets" event before it started by telling organizers not to use the lawn next to the encampment.

Several politicians have visited the encampment to show solidarity with peaceful student demonstrations, including 2013 Engineering graduate and Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Krajewski, state Sen. Nikil Saval (DPhiladelphia), and City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

Activism continues against encampment The encampment has prompted increased pro-Israel activism on campus, with some expressing safety

AMANDA SHEN | DP FILE PHOTO

Penn’s Muslim Student Association’s referendum voting deadline has been pushed back to May 3.

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NEWS 7 concerns for Jewish students and calling on Penn to take disciplinary action against the protesters.

On Monday, around 250 community members gathered on Annenberg Plaza for a pro-Israeli rally entitled “No Hate on Campus." The program featured speeches from Jewish community members and Anti-Defamation League Regional Director Andrew Goretsky, and attendees sang American and Israeli national anthems.

Community members gathered on the plaza with Israeli flags and signs reading “No Hamas No KKK, fight racism and antisemitism,” “UPenn stands with Israel and the United States,” and “Protect Jewish students.”

“I am proudly and unapologetically a Jew,” Penn Medicine professor Benjamin Abella told the crowd. He said that he believed that everyone in attendance loved America, Penn, and “accept[s] and encourage[s] robust discussion and debate.”

Wharton and Engineering junior Noah Rubin, who also spoke at the rally, told the DP that he felt the emails and messages sent out by University administration had not actually led to protections for Jewish students.

“We’ve seen a complete lack of leadership and ability to follow through with President Magill and now with President Jameson. There’s a pattern of sending out emails and then not doing anything,” he said. “I need Jewish students to be safe on campus.”

College senior Eyal Yakoby was the last to speak at the rally, encouraging “solidarity” among attendees and denouncing the Penn administration’s lack of action in response to the encampment.

Following the speeches and music, hundreds of rallygoers marched to College Green, where they faced off against encampment participants. The pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli contingencies engaged in chants from opposite sides of Locust Walk. Officers from the Division of Public Safety added additional barricades outside Van Pelt-Dietrich Library to separate the two groups.

Throughout the time the dueling protests were assembled, chants included “Free, free Palestine” from the pro-Palestinian encampment and “Rape is not resistance” from the pro-Israeli side.

On the encampment's second day, several Jewish community members who spoke with the DP expressed opposition to the encampment, citing allegedly antisemitic actions and behaviors.

Encampment raises stakes of free speech, open expression debates The presence of the pro-Palestinian encampment has generated significant debate over the right to peaceful protest and Penn's open expression policies.

On Monday, Committee on Open Expression Chair Lisa Bellini shared “anticipatory guidance” for demonstrations with The Daily Pennsylvanian — guidance which she said was provided to Jameson and Provost John Jackson Jr. on April 26.

The document discusses the possibility of asking for Penn IDs in University locations "in some circumstances related to safety and its enforcement authority."

"Free expression rights on campus may be restricted to those with Penn IDs, with appropriate notice provided to the Committee on Open Expression," the document says.

"Non-university affiliated persons may have less expansive rights of open expression in University locations than those who are members of the Penn community."

According to the document, checking Penn IDs for safety concerns "ordinarily" does not include making a record of the information for disciplinary purposes. It adds that officials who request identification for "purposes of a possible disciplinary action" must give notice of doing so at the time of the request.

In a Tuesday letter, the Penn chapter of the American Association of University Professors alleged that administrators have “repress[ed]” nonviolent protest" and violated the University's open expression guidelines over the past several days.

In the letter — which was sent to Jameson, Jackson, Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma, the Faculty Senate tri-chairs, and the COE chair — the AAUP-Penn Executive Committee outlined several alleged “abuses” of Penn’s open expression guidelines and called for a new system to “interpret and enforce" the guidelines.

The committee also criticized the University's "acts of intimidation" as potential precursors to a police response or other incitement, claiming that the administration and COE's "fabrications, misrepresentations, and threats … are acts of escalation that are creating fear on our campus."

The statement also criticized the “exclusive power” the vice provost for University life has “to decide when the guidelines have been violated.”

According to the anticipatory guidance, the vice provost or delegate shall determine the extent to which open expression policies apply to non-University individuals.

8 SPORTS

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Women’s Athlete of the Year: Isabella Whittaker The senior track and field sprinter will be running at the U.S. Olympic Trials later this year CONOR SMITH Sports Associate

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Men’s Athlete of the Year: Matt Fallon The junior breaststroker is poised to take the pool at the U.S. Olympic Trials later this year VALERI GUEVARRA Sports Reporter

Penn swimming and diving junior breaststroker Matt Fallon’s years of hard work have culminated in one of the greatest seasons in Penn history, and it’s not over yet.

The Warren, N.J. native came into the 2023-24 swim season with momentum from a bronze medal-winning performance at the World Championships last summer, and he kept this momentum going into the collegiate season. Fallon went undefeated in both breaststroke events during the regular dual meet season and was instrumental in Penn’s historic win over Harvard — the first win over the Crimson since 1971.

During the collegiate championship season, all eyes were on Fallon, and he consistently delivered. At Ivies, Fallon touched the wall in a time of 1:49.75 seconds, claiming both a championship title and the fastest time in the NCAA at the time.

A month later, Fallon made a triumphant return to the NCAA Division I Championships after missing last year’s

due to injury. In a competitive heat including five-time world champion Leon Marchand, Fallon finished second behind Marchand. His time put him up as the secondfastest American in history in the 200-yard breaststroke.

Outside of the NCAA, Fallon has consistently proved that he is the top American 200-meter breaststroker and the one to beat at this year’s U.S. Olympic Trials. At the U.S. Open, Fallon took home a win in meet record-breaking-fashion in the 200-meter breaststroke over a field of Olympians and fellow World Championship medalists.

Most recently, at the TYR Pro Swim Series, Fallon took home a revenge win over Marchand.

As we head into the final weeks ahead of the U.S. Olympic Trials, Fallon’s chances of an Olympic berth this summer are high. Regardless of his Olympic outcome, the Penn community will be looking forward to next school year for his final season with the Red and Blue where he will return as the top 200-yard breaststroker in the NCAA.

Men’s Rookie of the Year: Malachi Hosley The Penn football running back exploded in the season with several games recording over 100 yards

While the season overall was underwhelming, Penn football undoubtedly found its breakout star in running back Malachi Hosley. In his first season of college football, the Columbus, Ga. native became Penn’s first Ivy League Rookie of the Year winner in 30 seasons, earned a first team All-Ivy selection, and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice FCS Freshman of the Year Award. Hosley ran for 723 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, while also making an impact in the passing game, hauling in 22 balls for 246 yards and a touchdown.

After a slow start to the season, Hosley had his first impactful performance in the Red and Blue’s home game against Dartmouth, recording 66 receiving yards and a score in a 23-20 overtime loss. He then began to find a steady role in the offense, totaling 343 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in the Quakers’ next four games.

All of that would eventually pale in comparison to his homecoming game performance on Nov. 4, 2023. In Penn’s 23-8 win over Cornell, Hosley punched his way

through the hole for a 68-yard score to put the Quakers up 16-0 midway through the second quarter. Later, in the third quarter, with the Quaker offense up by eight and backed up near their own goal line, Hosley cut outside, found open space, and broke away from the Cornell defense for another touchdown — this one for a whopping 96 yards, the longest offensive play in program history.

Hosley finished the game with 261 rushing yards on 21 carries, which was the third most in Penn history, earning Hosley FedEx Ground FCS National Freshman of the Week honors. His second touchdown run was even featured on SportsCenter’s Top 10.

Hosley built off his strong performance the remaining two weeks, going over 100 yards rushing in each game and adding two more touchdowns in close losses against Harvard and Princeton. While the Red and Blue unfortunately could not capture an Ivy League title this season, they will surely continue to rely on more impressive performances from Hosley to help them achieve their goals in the future.

Game of the Year: Men’s basketball vs. Villanova The award goes to the basketball program’s biggest win since the last time it beat Villanova back in 2018 MATT FRANK Former Sports Editor

No surprise here: Game of the Year goes to Penn basketball’s biggest win since the last time it beat Villanova back in 2018.

On Nov. 13, Penn men’s basketball pulled off a major Big 5 upset, taking down then-No. 21 Villanova, 76-72, in front of a packed Palestra. Villanova would later finish in sixth place in the Big 5 — yes, you read that right — after losing to St. Joe’s and even Drexel. But Penn was the first team to take down the Wildcats, as Villanova was undefeated going into the November matchup.

Penn’s student section stormed the court once the final buzzer sounded, moshing at center court along with the players.

“I told these guys to come here and this is what they dreamed of,” Penn coach Steve Donahue said postgame. “Then to walk out and perform and have the campus basically running onto the court, it’s why you

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The star for Penn against ‘Nova was, ironically enough, freshman guard Tyler Perkins, who will be on the other end of the court when those two teams meet next season. Perkins announced his transfer to Villanova in March after just one season in the Red and Blue.

Against his new team, Perkins chipped in 22 points and six rebounds in what was just his fourth collegiate game. As a team, Penn shot 51.1% from the field, 41.2% from three, and out-rebounded the Wildcats 38-35.

Those types of nights were few and far between for a Quaker team that finished this season 11-18, including a dismal — albeit injury-ridden — 3-11 Ivy League run.

Villanova, meanwhile, amassed an 18-16 record and missed the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in the past 20 seasons.

And again, just to reemphasize, the Wildcats finished in sixth place in the Big 5.

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among the sprinters of the Ancient Eight in the 400m sprint. This first-place finish helped catapult Penn women’s track and field to the overall Ivy championship.

These commanding performances landed Whittaker a spot in the 2024 Indoor NCAA Championships. Unfortunately, Whittaker was unable to compete in her qualified events due to injury.

Most recently, Whittaker competed during day three of the Penn Relays Carnival, a competition she has run in since her freshman year of high school. This year, she anchored the 4x400-meter sprint and led the Quakers to a third place finish in the event and another Ivy league record.

Whittaker will be continuing her athletic career as a graduate student at the University of Arkansas. She is joining an impressive group of 400m sprinters at a wellestablished women’s track and field program.

“My end goal is to go pro. [Competing at Arkansas] just felt like the perfect next step. It’s going to be pretty intense, but I’m really excited for that,” Whittaker told the DP last week. “I think just switching it up and just trying to see how far I can take this track thing.”

WEINING DING | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Women’s Rookie of the Year: Mataya Gayle Gayle took home both Ivy League and Big Five Rookie of the Year

EASHWAR KANTEMNENI Former Deputy Sports Editor

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Wearing the Red and Blue stripes for the last time, senior sprinter Isabella Whittaker never lost speed in her final dash to the finish line. Her dominant senior campaign made her the clear leader of the pack for Women’s Athlete of the Year honors.

Whittaker’s 2024 started off hot. In the span of two January weekends, Whittaker set Ivy league records in the 400 and 500-meter races respectively. For Whittaker, however, this record-shattering start did not come out of thin air. Breaking records was all a part of Whittaker’s plan for her final go-around as a Quaker.

“Leading up to the season, I had written down a bunch of goals for myself,” Whittaker told The Daily Pennsylvanian in January. “Ivy League and school records were on there.”

Just as she planned, Whittaker kept on winning as the season progressed. At the John Thomas Terrier Classic, Whittaker ended her historic January in style, running a 51.96 second 400-meter race. This staggering personal record broke the facility record for the event and was the No. 2 time in the world at the time of the race.

Whittaker continued her winning ways into the Ivy Heptagonal Championship. At the Heps, she placed first

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T R I M F C S F A RME D WA C O L A H A R I ANA ON E ONON E B E D L AM A D D E R A L L S E AMS SWA L L OW WE E E ND S L S T H E P I L L ROO F A T ON E AN T I D E P R E S S AN T S L OG I C K E E P F O R E I GN I R A WA Y A R E S U C C E S S C A S T S P R OA C T I V I N T U I T ANC HO R E D AG E ND A B I T L AN E L E D G E R S C S E N T S

SEAN MCKEOWN Deputy Sports Editor

In a rookie season for the books, Mataya Gayle proved herself to be the future of the Red and Blue women’s basketball. Walking in with the pressure of filling the shoes of Kayla Padilla, one of Penn’s all-time greats, the Woodstock, Ga. native started all 28 games for Penn, in a freshman season where she earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year and Big Five Rookie of the Year. Ranking third on the team in scoring, first in assists, and first in steals by the end of the season, Gayle exceeded all expectations.

Coming out of the gate hot, Gayle scored 25 points in only her third game as a Quaker and ended the season with five scoring performances of 20 or more. Additionally, she racked up seven Ivy Rookie of the Week awards and a USBWA National Rookie of the Week award, with the latter earned for notching 28 points in a win over a Maine

team that would go on to win the America East championship.

Gayle’s electric play was a primary reason Penn made it to the Ivy League Tournament as the fourth seed and earned a trip to Columbia to fight for an Ivy League title.

It was on this stage where Gayle had arguably her greatest performance. In her first collegiate playoff game, a bout that saw Penn and Princeton lock into a tight back-andforth, Gayle led all players in scoring (20) and assists (five).

While her performance wasn’t able to help the Red and Blue push past their perennial Ivy foil, the Tigers, it was enough to earn her an All-Tournament bid. Despite the season not ending as many had hoped, Penn has plenty to look forward to with Gayle running the point.

Coach of the Year: Andy Ma In his 15th year at the helm of the Penn fencing program, Ma continues his streak of success VIVIAN YAO Sports Editor

Prior to the 2023-24 season, the last time a Quaker took home a national title in an individual foil event at the NCAA Fencing Championship was 27 years ago.

Similarly, the last time Penn women’s fencing won the Ivy League was two decades ago.

This year, under Penn fencing coach Andy Ma’s leadership, Penn men’s fencing finished one and two at the NCAA Fencing Championships. In the individual men’s foil finals, senior foil Bryce Louie was able to eke out a win against teammate and senior foil Blake Broszus to become a national champion.

Equally notably, Penn women’s fencing secured the program’s first Ivy League title since 2004. In all, six

Quakers across the men’s and women’s teams received All-Ivy honors at this year’s Ivy League tournament, with two additional Quakers earning All-Academic honors.

For the success at the tournament, Ma was recognized as the Ivy League Women’s Fencing Coach of the Year — the fifth of his career and second as the women’s coach.

Ma led the women’s team to a 23-7 record in a season that saw the team ranked as high as sixth in the nation. The Ivy title was the first of his career as a women’s coach.

Ma has also received Ivy League Coach of the Year honors three times as the men’s fencing coach and has amassed over 500 wins coaching both teams throughout his career.

Heartbreak of the Year: Topseeded men’s soccer loses to Brown by penalties in semifinal The Quakers entered the Ivy League tournament as top seed and the favorites to repeat as champions CALEB CRAIN Former Sports Editor

In 2022, Penn men’s soccer won the Ivy League title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. There, the Quakers nearly beat Syracuse as the latter made a run to the national championship game. This year, after winning the regular season title and earning the right to host the inaugural Ivy League Tournament, expectations were similarly high for Penn.

But what greeted them was another close loss, but this one felt more heartbreaking than anything. After being tied 2-2 with Brown following overtime, Penn was downed on penalty kicks after the Bears converted three of their chances to just the Quakers’ two.

The game just before it had lived up to high expectations. On one of the first truly chilly nights of the fall and under the bright lights of Penn Park, two skilled teams

played out an incredibly tight game. The match was scoreless until the 71st minute, when junior midfielder Leo Burney scored the first goal. But the Bears equalized, sending the game to overtime, where they quickly took a lead. Even getting to penalty kicks took a miracle, as Penn scored and then saved a penalty try by Brown in the game’s final ten minutes.

In penalties, a team game becomes a series of individual contests — a test of fate between goalkeeper and striker. Tragically for the Quakers, Brown won one more of these contests than they did. After the game, the Penn players made their way to the stands, greeting the family and friends who’d spent their Friday evening there, each wishing that the embrace could have been under better circumstances.

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Team of the Year: Men’s squash

Performance of the Year: Bryce Louie and Blake Broszus at NCAA Fencing Championships

The team brought home the program’s first ever national championship LUCY RUPERTUS Sports Reporter

The Penn men’s fencing duo take home the honor after finishing one and two at the NCAA tournament PHOTO COURTESY OF PENN ATHLETICS

This year’s team of the year is undoubtedly men’s squash.

Despite being a more obscure sport, squash has been able to garner significant school spirit as it rose to the top this season and dominated across the board. In the 2022-23 season, the men’s squash team fell short of expectations, leaving a chance at redemption in the hands of the 2023-24 team.

This team consisted of a group of standout players, including senior Nick Spizzirri, junior Nathan Kueh, junior Roger Baddour, sophomore Omar Hafez, and freshman Salman Khalil, who provided hope for Penn men’s squash fans that this season would not be a repeat of the last. The team collected win after win and successfully secured a share of the Ivy League title in a notable win against Yale. Here Khalil and Spizzirri

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led the team with standout straight-set victories.

The team didn’t stop there. In the Potter Cup, Penn successfully executed a revenge tour, defeating Princeton and Trinity, each of which had defeated the Quakers during the regular season and the latter of which had beaten Penn in the 2023 Potter Cup. The victory that followed brought Penn its first-ever collegiate squash national team championship. This team came into the season prepared to repudiate the shortcoming of the season prior, and they did so with determination and pride.

“It felt like we had built up those scars and calluses,” coach Gilly Lane said. “You learn more from losing, and we have lost in big moments. There was something about this weekend where the guys just said there was no chance [that] we were losing. And they did it.”

LUCAS MILGRIM Deputy Sports Editor

Entering the 2024 NCAA Fencing Championships, Penn fencing had not taken home an individual title in the men’s foil in 27 years. This year’s final was different; that was guaranteed to change. Quaker seniors Bryce Louie and Blake Broszus each won their semifinal matchup, setting up a title bout that guaranteed a trophy would be coming to Philadelphia.

In reaching this moment, the pair first had to reach the four-team playoff round. Louie dominated, winning 19 of 23 preliminary bouts and earning the top seed, while Broszus took second with 16 wins. Both faced Ivy League rivals in their respective semifinal matchups, as Louie took on Daniel Zhang of Harvard while Broszus matched up against Sam Kumbla of Columbia.

Broszus, who entered the semifinal match on a fourmatch winning streak, handily defeated Kumbla 15-8, rolling into the finals. Louie also rode a four-match streak

into his playoff bout, facing Zhang, who also had a hot foil entering the match. In a back-and-forth battle, Louie finally put Zhang away with a score of 15-11, setting up a final with both sides representing the Red and Blue.

The Quaker contingent in men’s foil guaranteed the first title for Penn since 1997; the question now was who would take it home. Louie, the clear favorite based on his previous performances, looked to end his Penn career on the highest of notes, while Broszus aimed to do the same as the underdog.

Broszus proved to be overmatched by his teammate in the championship bout, as Louie took home the title in a 15-9 victory, making history for the Quakers. Both Louie and Broszus provided Penn with one of its best performances in fencing in school history and the best performance for the Red and Blue this year.

Moment of the Year: Liv Dynamic Duo of the Year: James Morganti secures program’s first Rhoads and Scott Toney individual female track title at the Penn Relays

The Penn men’s track and field pole vaulting duo have consistently dominated every competition this year

The senior steeplechase specialist wrote herself into Penn track and field history PHOEBE WEINTRAUB Sports Associate

It’s 7 p.m. on the first day of the 128th Penn Relays Carnival. The air is chilly, spectators are shivering, and after a morning packed with high school events, the college distance runners are finally stepping onto the track. While distance races might not be quite as stimulating for the spectators as the sprints, the upcoming race is sure to stop everyone in their tracks.

In her last year competing at the Penn Relays as a Quaker, senior distance runner Olivia Morganti recorded a show-stopping performance, earning her the DP Sports Moment of the Year Award.

Last Thursday, Morganti competed against 31 athletes in the 3000-meter steeplechase. The race didn’t appear to be anything special until the second half, when Morganti and two other competitors pulled ahead from the rest of the pack.

They maintained their lead and positioning

until the last two laps, when Morganti sidled up to Penn State distance runner Makenna Krebs to battle for first place. The tension in Franklin Field continued to climb as Morganti finally pulled into the lead with 600 meters to go. From there, Morganti widened the gap with each stride, and the stadium went wild as she became the first female athlete to win an individual track event for the Quakers at the Penn Relays.

“Conservative early and aggressive late,” Morganti said of her strategy going into the race. “A little bit less than 800 meters to go … I knew I could run fast[er] and I just had to trust myself.”

Her final time, 9:57.94, set a new program record for Penn, a record previously held by herself, and moved Morganti up to 12th place in the NCAA rankings. Morganti has one more year of eligibility, which she plans to use at the University of Colorado at Boulder next year.

VIVIAN YAO Sports Editor

Entering the 2023-24 season, no Penn track and field pole vaulter had ever managed to successfully clear a height of 18 feet.

This season has seen not one but two Quakers pole vaulters surpass this mark: senior Scott Toney and junior James Rhoads. Toney was the first to do so, breaking the Penn program record with a height of 18 feet and 0.5 inches at the Penn State National Open. Not to be outdone by his teammate, Rhoads followed suit two weeks later by resetting the record at 18 feet and 3.75 inches at the 2024 Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational.

Since then, Rhoads has pushed the program record even higher, reaching a height of 18 feet and 5.25 inches at the 64th Annual Mt. SAC Relays. The mark places Rhoads in a position to potentially qualify for the United States Olympic Track & Field trials, set to take place from June 21-30 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

At the Ivy League Indoor Heptagonal Championships earlier this year, both Toney and Rhoads topped out at 5.36 meters, with Toney claiming the Ivy League title due to using fewer attempts and Rhoads finishing in second. At the NCAA Division I Track and Field Indoor Championships a few weeks later, the two’s fates were reversed as both successfully cleared 5.50 meters — this time, Rhoads succeeded using fewer attempts to finish in fourth while Toney took home fifth.

Rhoads and Toney also finished first and second at the 128th Penn Relay Carnival, where Rhoads became just the 12th Quakers pole vaulter to win a Penn Relays title and the first since John Gray in 1958. With the Ivy League Outdoor Heptagonal Championships and the NCAA Division I Track and Field Outdoor Championships on the horizon, this dynamic duo still has plenty left in store.

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