November 6, 2025

Mass Penn cybersecurity breach exposes thousands of confidential files, donor records

Penn fell victim to a cybersecurity attack last week that exposed more than 1.2 million lines of data — including confidential University documents — according to the group claiming responsibility.

The breach came to light after a series of mass emails was sent on Oct. 31 from University-affiliated addresses criticizing Penn’s security practices and institutional purpose. The alleged hackers have since released thousands of pages of confidential University files, including internal talking points, memos about donors and their families, bank transaction receipts, and personal

identifying information.

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN STAFF

In a Nov. 4 message to the Penn community, Joshua Beeman — Penn’s interim vice president of information technology and interim chief information officer — wrote that while the University is still investigating the “nature of the information” that was obtained in the breach, Penn’s digital systems are now secured and operational.

According to Beeman, the breach occurred “due to a sophisticated identity impersonation commonly known as social engineering.”

The University has referred the matter to the FBI,

Penn students overwhelmingly vote blue in Pa. local election

Turnout approached nearly half the number of votes cast in last year’s presidential election as the Democratic Party made gains nationwide

ALEX DASH Senior Reporter

Penn voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates on Nov. 4 as the party made gains in elections nationwide. On Election Day, 2,126 ballots were cast across four primary polling locations on Penn’s campus — the ARCH building, Houston Hall, Walnut Street West Library, and Civic House. Turnout approached nearly half the number of votes cast in last year’s presidential election — an unprecedented campus showing for an off-cycle election year.

“I was just really impressed by what I was seeing in just today’s energy, attention, preparation, and turnout — it far exceeded the expectations of everybody I know,” Executive Director of Penn’s Office of Government and Community Affairs Dawn Deitch told The Daily Pennsylvanian. “I’ve done this for more than 20 years on Penn’s campus, and it was just impressive in every way.”

Of the votes cast in the Philadelphia district attorney race across Penn’s four polling locations on Tuesday, 90.2% went to Democratic incumbent Larry Krasner while 9.8% went to Republican challenger Pat Dugan.

The district attorney race was a rematch of the Democratic primary earlier this year, in which Krasner defeated Dugan with 64% of the vote. Krasner had been expected to run unopposed before a write-in campaign resulted in Dugan’s nomination as the Republican candidate.

First elected in 2017, Krasner has served two four-year terms as district attorney. His tenure has been characterized by reform efforts, including the termination of cash bail for most nonviolent offenses and the creation of a Conviction Integrity Unit aimed at exonerating wrongful

convictions.

Krasner has been a regular critic of 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump, promising to use legal means against the president if the National Guard were to be deployed in Philadelphia.

All three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices up for retention won their elections. Justices Kevin Dougherty, Christine Donohue, and David Wecht each won retention with more than 94% of voters at Penn’s four polling locations voting in favor.

The results mean the court will remain with a Democratic majority through 2028. If the justices had not won their retention votes, the court would have had a 2-2 ideological split until the next judicial elections in 2027.

The partisan makeup of the court is projected to determine its handling of key issues moving forward in Pennsylvania, including election administration and abortion rights. Retaining all three justices in Tuesday’s election means a Democratic majority will preside over the court for the 2028 presidential election, for which Pennsylvania will play a key role as a swing state.

While only one statewide judge in Pennsylvania history has ever lost a retention election, Democrats went into Election Day with concern over three races amid rumors of unprecedented Republican financial campaigns against three justices. Reports alleged that millions of dollars have been spent on campaigns and advertising for this year’s races.

The Pennsylvania retention vote marked the latest in a

See VOTE, page 2

according to a Nov. 3 University statement. Beeman said that Penn “locked down the systems and prevented further unauthorized access” when they discovered the breach on Oct. 31 — but not before the data had been stolen and a series of vulgar emails sent.

Shortly after the hack, the individuals claiming responsibility for the breach published what it called an “appetizer” of stolen data.

Documents included in the data dump detailed donations from individual members of the Graduate School of Education Board of Advisors to Penn. In multiple

instances, the documents list whether children of donors or board members planned to apply to Penn.

In the Oct. 31 emails, the hackers stated that the University “love[s] legacies, donors, and unqualified affirmative action admits.”

The released data also included thousands of spreadsheets containing records of wire and ACH transactions of donations made by individuals and corporations to GSE. Other documents show contributors’ addresses, phone numbers, and demographic data.

of all aspects of the budget, consolidation and realignment of services, reinforcement of established policies, and a new hiring review process,” Bachman wrote. EBUNOLUWA ADESIDA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER SP2 is located in the Caster Building at 3701 Locust Walk.

Penn’s endowment sees 12.2% annual investment return, grows to record $24.8 billion

The endowment provided nearly $1.1 billion in annual budgetary support for the University through scholarships, faculty positions, research, and health system operations during the 2025 fscal year

ANANYA KARTHIK AND LUKE PETERSEN

Contributing Reporters

Penn’s endowment increased by 12.2% for the 2025 fiscal year, growing from $22.3 billion to $24.8 billion. The growth represents an improvement from the endowment’s performance over the past several years — including a rise from a return rate of 7.1% in 2024. The fund is comprised of over 8,900 individual endowments and provided about $1.12 billion in annual budgetary support for the University through scholarships, faculty positions, research, and health system operations during FY25.

Penn currently has the seventh-largest endowment in the United States, behind Harvard University, the

VOTE, from front page

nationwide trend of politicizing judicial elections. Earlier this year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court election saw over $100 million in campaign spending.

Democratic City Controller Christie Brady also defeated Republican nominee Ari Patrinos in her reelection campaign. Brady has said she will focus on the

HACK, from front page

Several files also referenced Penn schools and departments beyond GSE.

The published documents also included confidential talking points — which appear to have been circulated to Penn communications staffers — in response to several controversies that have affected the University in recent years.

In a memo regarding former Penn President Liz Magill’s congressional hearing, the document tells University employees that it was “truthful to say that it is context-specific whether hateful speech legally constitutes bullying or harassment.”

“When testifying in front of congress, Liz Magill and her peers from Harvard and MIT were under oath,” the document read. “When under oath, answers must be completely truthful.”

The testimony served as a key turning point in the national scrutiny of Penn’s response to allegations of campus antisemitism in the months after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. Following widespread backlash and a high-profile donor campaign, Magill resigned in December 2023.

University of Texas System, Yale University, Stanford University, Princeton University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While Penn’s returns surpassed those of Princeton and Yale this year, it fell slightly below those of MIT, Stanford, and the University of Michigan.

According to the University’s Office of Investments, Penn’s endowment achieved an annualized five-year return of 11.4% and a 10-year return of 9.2%. The FY25 results signal a continuation of the endowment’s steady performance since 2022 and coincided with a 13% rise in the S&P 500 during the same period.

Penn’s spending from the endowment this fiscal year

underground economy, gun violence, and the opioid and drug crisis in her next term.

Brady is a 30-year veteran of the Office of the City Controller, which conducts independent audits into Philadelphia’s finances. She has served as Philadelphia city controller since 2022, when she was appointed as acting city controller by former Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. “I really feel the students talked to each other and prepared themselves for this day, did the work,” Deitch said about voter engagement across campus.

A 2023 document containing talking points about former President and Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice Professor Joe Biden’s relationship with the University stated that he “was in fact phenomenally successful” during his time at Penn.

“Penn is pleased with the role that President Biden played at the University and for his commitment to interact and engage with so many members of the Penn community,” the document read.

The hacker claims to have acquired the data of Biden and his family, according to The Verge.

Additional memos in the data dump advised Penn employees on how to discuss the Palestine Writes Literature Festival, comments made by University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School professor Amy Wax, and the federal government’s endowment tax.

The alleged hacker told The Verge that the motivation behind their actions was to secure the data of ultra-highnet-worth individuals — adding that their selection of Penn as a target was informed by the University’s “fairly weak authentication system.” They plan to sell some of the data before making it publicly available, according to the publication.

Following the breach, Penn has faced a wave of class action lawsuits from alumni alleging that it did not take sufficient steps to protect confidential data.

As of the time of publication, The Daily

marked a nearly $61 million hike from FY24, when the University spent $1.06 billion from its endowment.

Penn is expected to face a 4% federal excise tax on its endowment income starting July 1, 2026 — a move that University officials have warned could significantly hinder its ability to support student financial aid, faculty research, and capital growth.

The 4% tax bracket applies to schools with a studentadjusted endowment between $750,000 and $2 million.

Penn’s current endowment tax is derived from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which levied a 1.4% excise tax on private universities with endowments of more than $500,000 per student.

Pennsylvanian identified four separate lawsuits filed by Penn graduates that allege the University was negligent in implementing adequate cyber security measures. The lead plaintiffs are 2014 College graduate Christopher Kelly, 2018 Penn Carey Law graduate Mary Sikora, 2014 College graduate Christian Bersani, and 2022 GSE graduate Kelli Mackey.

Requests for comment were left with Kelly and Bersani. Mackey and Sikora could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.

The text used in three of the lawsuits is identical, with Kelly first submitting the filing on Nov. 3, followed by Sikora and Bersani on Nov. 4. The filing claimed that Penn was negligent in several areas, including failing to “maintain an adequate data security system to reduce the risk of data breaches and cyber-attacks,” “properly monitor its own data security systems for existing intrusions,” and “ensure that its vendors with access to its computer systems and data employed reasonable security procedures.”

A fourth lawsuit — filed by Mackey — lodged similar complaints against the University, alleging that Penn failed “to protect the sensitive information of its students, alumni, and donors.” The lawsuit alleged that when the plaintiff was a student at GSE, she was “required” to share her “Personally Identifiable Information” with the University and chose to remain on Penn’s email list “to keep

updated on alumni events, university news, and to receive other miscellaneous announcements.”

Mackey’s lawsuit alleged that the data breach “appears to be much broader and more damaging than Defendant is currently recognizing.”

“The full extent of the repercussions of the Data Breach have not yet been discovered, and the consequences as such will likely continue to arise as time goes on,” the lawsuit stated.

In response to the incident, Penn will implement increased monitoring, additional security measures, and new mandatory training, according to an FAQ page posted by the University.

Once the University finishes analyzing “the exact nature of what was taken,” Penn plans to notify individuals with impacted personal information “if and when appropriate.”

“We encourage our entire community - inside and outside of Penn - to be wary of suspicious calls or emails that could be phishing attempts, particularly those that may be soliciting fraudulent donations, asking for your system credentials, or suggesting you change credentials or passwords,” Beeman concluded in the email.

This summer, a hacker at Columbia University accessed personal identifying information — including Social Security numbers and birthdays — of more than 1.8 million applicants, students, and staff.

CAITLIN TAI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER College Hall on Nov. 2.

Penn enters into AI advising agreement with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

The agreement aims to help the state develop clear guidelines for the use of artifcial intelligence in felds such as education, healthcare, and public administration

ARTI JAIN AND ANANYA KARTHIK

Contributing Reporters

Penn has entered into a cooperative artificial intelligence advising agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The partnership was announced on Oct. 30 by Penn President Larry Jameson and Pennsylvania’s Chief Transformation Officer Ben Kirshner during the “Unlocking AI for Public Good” summit. It aims to guide how Pennsylvania uses AI to improve public services and support responsible innovation.

The agreement — which draws on the expertise of Penn faculty members — aims to help the state develop clear guidelines for the use of AI in fields such as education, healthcare, and public administration.

In the announcement, Jameson said the University’s goal is to “inform AI policies that benefit and protect all Pennsylvanians,” adding that “generative AI is changing how we work, learn, and innovate.”

said the partnership is “leading the way in this new era of artificial intelligence” and will “show the nation how we can use AI to grow our economy, empower workers, and deliver better, faster results for the people we serve.”

The summit, convened by Penn AI, included discussions about the role of AI in promoting growth and community-building around Pennsylvania.

The daylong program, which aimed to centralize University AI usage across its 12 schools, featured talks by Vijay Kumar, the Nemirovsky Family dean in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Katharine Strunk, dean of the Graduate School of Education.

In the announcement, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Penn consults student groups as investigation of student video containing racist remarks continues

In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, one of the students in the video wrote that a University investigation concluded he did not use racial slurs and he was not issued any disciplinary measures

SAMANTHA HSIUNG AND FINN RYAN

Senior Reporters

Penn is continuing to investigate a video that circulated last month in which two students appeared to express racist remarks and racial slurs.

An Oct. 27 email from Provost John Jackson Jr. — which described the video as “highly disturbing” — to University student leaders acknowledged the widespread condemnation of the incident by several on-campus organizations. Jackson wrote that Penn’s administrators “have been meeting with a wide range of student groups” to discuss the video and the progress of the University’s investigation.

“President Jameson and I take this incident — and its impact on our community — extremely seriously,” Jackson wrote. “As we stated at the time of the incident, and as President Jameson reaffirmed in his remarks at the University Council last week, there is absolutely no place at Penn for this kind of hateful speech.”

The video, which was reviewed by The Daily Pennsylvanian, was first posted to a private social media account and contained derogatory comments about Black people — including the repeated use of racial slurs.

In a statement to the DP, one of the students featured in the video wrote that the University, following its investigation, concluded he did not use racial slurs. He added that he was not issued any disciplinary measures.

Penn’s Code of Student Conduct states that although “the University condemns hate speech, epithets, and racial, ethnic, sexual and religious slurs … the content of student speech or expression is not by itself a basis for disciplinary action.”

LAYOFFS, from front page

According to Bachman, “these strategies were not enough,” which led to the school’s decision to begin an employee reduction process “to better align our staffing and resources with current enrollment and financial realities to build a strong, sustainable future.”

A spokesperson for the Provost’s Office directed The Daily Pennsylvanian’s request for comment to SP2. A spokesperson for SP2 declined to comment.

The layoffs come amid a wider implementation of cost-cutting measures across the University. At a June University Board of Trustees Budget and Finance Committee meeting, Executive Vice President Mark Dingfield described the University’s “cautious” budget plan for the current academic year as a reaction to a “rather significant external financial uncertainty.”

At the meeting, Vice President for Budget Planning and Analysis Trevor Lewis said that Penn has initiated proactive hiring freezes and discretionary spending cuts as a result. He added that the University’s decision to reduce graduate program admissions has also “worked”

“Student speech may be subject to discipline when it violates applicable laws or University regulations or policies,” the code of conduct continues.

According to Jackson, Penn’s investigation has included representatives from the Division of Public Safety, the Center for Community Standards and Accountability, and the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs. He added that the offices of Joann Mitchell — the senior vice president for institutional affairs — and Russell Composto — the vice provost for undergraduate education — have also taken part in the investigation.

On Oct. 7, Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma met with representatives of the Undergraduate Assembly to discuss the video. The day prior, the UA posted a statement to its Instagram account denouncing the individual’s actions.

Kozuma, Jackson, and Vice President for Social Equity and Community Chaz Howard also met with student leaders from UMOJA — the representative body for Black student organizations at Penn — on Oct. 13.

On Oct. 8, UMOJA publicly criticized the video in a statement posted to the group’s Instagram account.

“Over the past two years, the University has swiftly disciplined students for actions it deemed as violations of free speech, particularly toward those involved in campus protests and demonstrations,” UMOJA’s statement read. “We will not stand idly if this same level of urgency is denied to Black students in the face of blatant racism.”

Following UMOJA’s statement, the Descendants of

to control costs.

SP2 Student Government President Yibo Zhou sent an email to the school’s student community regarding the layoffs and led an emergency meeting of the student government’s executive board.

“I understand that this news has created uncertainty and may have disrupted parts of student and academic life,” Zhou wrote on Nov. 2. “We are waiting for further information from the administration, and I remain confident that the Dean’s Office and OSA will provide transparent and thoughtful communication as next steps unfold.”

Zhou stated that the board “will continue to work closely with” the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of the SP2 Dean, and faculty members.

In September, Bachman was reappointed as SP2’s dean for a second term. Prior to her reappointment, SP2 students expressed mixed reactions to Bachman’s leadership in June interviews with the DP.

“We recognize that these changes may take time to adjust to as responsibilities evolve,” Bachman wrote in the Oct. 27 email. “We appreciate your flexibility and collaboration as we navigate this transition together. Moving forward, we will emerge from this period financially healthier and positioned well for future success.”

David Seltzer

Tuesday, November 11, 2025 5:30 PM

“AI is evolving faster than any technology in decades, and to stay ahead, we’re connecting our world-class research institutions like Penn, our innovative private sector, and our forward-looking state and local governments to harness its power responsibly,” Shapiro added.

The agreement marks a continued expansion in AI related initiatives at Penn. In February, the Engineering School made Penn the first Ivy League school to introduce an undergraduate degree in AI. The Wharton School later

launched the “Artificial Intelligence for Business” MBA concentration and minor in April.

The announcement also follows Shapiro’s 2023 executive order establishing statewide standards for the ethical use of AI in government operations.

Afro-Americans at Penn also issued a public statement condemning the video.

“It is imperative that the University protect its Black students and put an end to Anti-Blackness at Penn with the same vigor provided for all the other minority communities on campus,” the statement read.

That same week, Penn administrators also met with members of the Asian Pacific Student Coalition, Makuu: The Black Cultural Center, and the leaders of the remaining members of Penn’s main minority coalition groups, commonly known as the 7B — including the Lambda Alliance, Latinx Coalition, Natives at Penn, Penn Association for Gender Equity, and the United Minorities Council.

“We’re aware that conversations have taken place between Penn administration and several student groups, but we haven’t received any formal updates since, given the sensitivity and confidentiality surrounding the issue,” Wharton junior and UA President Nia Matthews and College junior and UA Vice President Musab Chummun wrote in a statement to the DP.

“Our focus continues to be on transparency, collaboration, and ensuring that student voices are represented in high-impact discussions,” they added.

In his email, Jackson also described Penn’s plan to organize “future opportunities to address these issues,” including educational events in partnership with Penn’s Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests.

JEAN PARK | DP FILE PHOTO

The agreement was announced by Jameson and Kirshner.

CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Locust Walk pictured on Oct. 26.

The compact Penn forgot about

GUEST COLUMN | A call for administrative transparency

I never would’ve known that Marc Rowan was the one of the world’s richest CEOs, or that he attended the Wharton School, or that he authored the federal government’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education — if it weren’t for the clubs I managed to weasel into during my first-year fall.

After a grueling process of applying to more than 20 Penn clubs (with a host of odd interviews, mysterious email chains, and humbling rejections), I somehow landed spots on both the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education and the Undergraduate Assembly. I joined because I wanted to help make Penn a better place for students, advocate for our needs, ask hard questions, and contribute to the policies that shape our campus. I imagined they’d be like a bridge between students and administrators, where ideas could turn into tangible change. What I found went even deeper. These were rooms where Penn’s internal operations unfolded in real time.

Most of what I’ve learned about how this University runs hasn’t come from classes or campus headlines, but from the quiet, sometimes tense, often passionate conversations that happen in these meetings.

When the compact first circulated, I could’ve easily skimmed past it. I received a short, under-200-word update in my inbox from Penn President Larry Jameson alerting me that Penn had been asked to sign, saw a few headlines,

and assumed it would fade into the noise of Penn life. But in the meetings I attended, students were dissecting it line by line, debating what it meant for the University’s governance and questioning the motivations behind it. That’s when I realized something: The most important conversations about Penn rarely happen in public.

These spaces — SCUE, UA, and many other campus groups — are filled with students who care deeply about the University. They show up to 9 p.m. meetings after long days of classes, ask hard questions, and work to make real change for their peers and future generations of Quakers. But they’re also small circles, often invisible to the rest of campus. What happens in them trickles out only through whispers, text chains, or the occasional article from The Daily Pennsylvanian.

To be clear, I’ve grown to genuinely admire many administrators I’ve met through these experiences. They are thoughtful, deliberate, and often balancing much more than we’d ever realize. I respect the time they take to hear from student leaders and the effort they put into keeping this massive institution afloat. But I also wouldn’t know any of that if I hadn’t been in these particular organizations.

That’s the problem. For a University that prides itself on meticulously selecting “pioneering thinkers” to fill each incoming class, Penn often keeps those same students in the

Time to deflate grades

dark about decisions that directly shape their lives. Whether it’s a new administrative compact, a change in financial aid structure, or a policy shift affecting student group funding, communication tends to come after the fact — summarized, simplified, and stripped of context.

Transparency shouldn’t be something students have to chase down through committee meetings or group chats. It should be part of how the University engages with us every day. Because when students understand why things happen, not just what happens, we’re more likely to engage constructively. We stop speculating, start collaborating, and bring our creativity to the table.

When Jameson announced that he declined to sign the compact (again, in a sub-200-word email) and eventually released the University’s full response to the compact after weeks of student feedback, it felt like a win. But it also raised the question: Why did it take so much backand-forth for students to see something that should’ve been public from the start? Imagine how much stronger our campus discourse could be if every student had access to the same information we debate behind closed doors.

Penn doesn’t need to overhaul its leadership structure to make this happen. It just needs to embrace the same ethos it expects from its students: intellectual openness, curiosity, and dialogue. Holding a town hall before major

ALEX BAXTER | DP FILE PHOTO

Guest columnist Sophie Rivell discusses the lack of transparency Penn’s administration provides.

decisions, publishing more detailed administrative updates, or even hosting casual “ask me anything” sessions with deans could go a long way toward bridging that gap. We, as students, came here because we wanted to be part of something dynamic and world-changing. We care about this place not just as a school, but as a living institution that reflects our values and ambitions. That care deserves to be met with trust. Empowerment comes from knowledge. Change comes from awareness. Passion comes from understanding. If Penn truly wants to live up to its reputation as a leader in higher education, it should start by letting its own students in on the conversation.

SOPHIE RIVELL is a College first year from West Chester, Pa. studying political science and communication. Her email is rivell14@sas.upenn.edu.

GUEST COLUMN | Students and faculty both beneft from knowing what stellar work looks like

BAHNG | SENIOR DESIGNER

DANA

Guest columnist Daniel Hopkins contends that grade inflation diminishes the value of a Penn education.

Grade inflation here at Penn is not the world’s most pressing problem. But, as its inclusion in the Trump administration’s proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education makes clear, grade inflation has negative consequences for our reputation, just as it has negative effects in our classrooms. I aim to make the case to Penn students and to my faculty colleagues that it’s in all of our interests to institute mandatory caps on the proportion of A-range grades that are awarded in each course.

Understandably, all students want high grades, just like everyone wants to be able to drive where they are going as quickly as possible. But in both cases, without systemwide limits, we risk a system where fewer people actually get to their intended destination.

While discussions of the issue often suggest

There

is a

that students drive grade inflation, that’s not quite right. As professors, we are the ones who give the grades — and so ending grade inflation is something that’s fully within our control. That said, we face a collective action problem. No one wants to see their classrooms empty (or their teaching evaluations full of negativity) because of a reputation for overly harsh grading.

I don’t have exact grade data for Penn. But Harvard University just released a report detailing that for its Class of 2025, the median grade point average there was 3.83, while it was 3.64 just 10 years ago. The distance between the median GPA and a perfect 4.0 declined by almost half. And from my conversations with students and faculty around the university, it is clear that grade inflation is a real challenge in

many (but not all) of our classrooms as well.

At the college level, grades play multiple roles. One is that they help students understand the quality of their academic work. But if grades are increasingly clustered at the high end, it’s harder for students to identify which areas they excel in relative to their peers — or even relative to themselves. This problem can be especially acute early in college, when students are trying to figure out their strengths to determine what to major and minor in.

As grades inflate, more of the distinction between grades seems arbitrary, and they provide less information to students about where their strengths truly lie. As a professor, grade inflation limits my ability to acknowledge top work or to build in the natural improvement that happens over the course of a semester. What’s more, if grade inflation is uneven, it can also distort students’ incentives, leading them to choose different classes and majors because they seem easier.

One thing that sometimes surprises college students is that in many fields, no one will ask about your grades after college. What employers care about is what you know and what you can do. But our college is often a prominent part of our resume, giving us added reason to care about its perceived rigor. Graduates have a stake in Penn’s reputation long after they have forgotten their grades.

Of course, for those bound for postgraduate education or seeking fellowships, grades can be especially important. But those evaluating students’ transcripts already know that there is variation in how different universities grade, and many of them will quickly become aware of any changes in grading. Penn could help

serious problem with meritocracy

LET’S BE FRANC | Why I will not remain in the United States upon graduation

The English Puritans who settled in North America in the 17th century thought you could build a new Jerusalem on Earth by literally building a city upon a hill. American meritocracy may be a consequence of this belief: Everything is possible here if you just work hard. We tend to miss the perturbing insight that success is merited, but so is failure. This produces intolerable psychological pressures. Failure is crushing if you believe in meritocracy. Let us get there slowly. If we owe the contemporary United States to the Puritans, we owe contemporary Europe to less optimistic tragedians. This is an obscene oversimplification, but let us start there. The ancient Greeks were obsessed with the arbitrary nature of fate because they believed gods control human destiny, not humans. The scaffolding of antediluvian European culture is the belief that human beings are inherently flawed, the playthings of gods, unable to master the show until, if lucky, the next life, but certainly not in this one. What this does, according to philosopher Alain de Botton, is “immediately create a comedic modesty around the gap between your aspirations and your reality.”

To abbreviate sharply: melancholic dark humor. I cannot help but relate. My homeland of Sicily (and to an extent, Italy more broadly) may not do many things well, but it undeniably excels in this kind of comedic cynicism.

In the United States, a child is told to aim big because the sky is the limit. In Sicily, the ceiling is already too high. I grew up being told that there are no opportunities,

everyone takes corrupt shortcuts, and I will inevitably end up unemployed. The only sophisticated response to such a pessimistic truncation of aspirations is a rich and somber laughter. Like all generalizations, this is horrible, but partly true. Ask exchange students from Europe how often Penn professors encourage students, and you will see my point.

The United States radically changed the planet because of this belief that anything is possible. You do not have to wait until the next life for Eden; you can build it here and now with the help of some tools. Drive to Silicon Valley, and off you go. The disabled refugee can earn a full scholarship to Harvard University and then start the next Amazon if he so wishes — and, of course, if he works hard enough.

The temptation to misinterpret me is irresistible. Of course meritocracy is a brilliant idea; it quite literally birthed the wonders of the world. Nowhere else can this happen so poetically. The difficulty emerges when you consider the psychic implication. The toll is enormous. What de Botton wishes to point out to us is that in meritocracy, everybody is put under stifling psychic stress and is forced to measure themselves against a punishing ideal. In his words, “The secret sorrows of the American heart is a volume without end.”

When you build a meritocratic society where everybody gets to where they deserve to be, you will have a really hard time explaining why someone fails. In the modern American view, you control your destiny, so you are responsible for it. Where I am from, no one fully believes

them out by highlighting the median grade in each class on students’ transcripts.

As a professor, I write dozens of letters of recommendation annually, a job I take seriously because I know students’ opportunities can depend on those letters. But when there exists a reputation for inflated grades, it becomes harder for me to convince outsiders that a given record is noteworthy. My letters increasingly contain disclaimers to the effect that “even in an era of grade inflation, this student’s accomplishments are impressive.”

It’s plausible, too, that Penn’s famously competitive extracurricular culture is partly reinforced by grade inflation: If prospective employers expect high grades, students may understandably need to seek other ways to stand out.

Deflating grades may require an adjustment period. It wouldn’t be fair for students who started here in the same year to be graded very differently because of when they took a course. But we are all invested in Penn’s reputation. As a professor, I know the tireless work students put into classes. I know the disconnect between the learning that goes on here at Penn and the perceptions of it fostered by our detractors. Tackling grade inflation will not only improve education on campus but also bolster our reputation for rigor well beyond our corner of Philadelphia.

DANIEL J. HOPKINS is the Julie and Martin Franklin Presidential Professor of Political Science. His email is danhop@sas.upenn.edu.

ABHIRAM JUVVADI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Columnist Francesco Salamone critiques the American meritocratic ideal in its generation of overwhelming pressure.

in meritocracy. We think the system is random at best, rigged at worst. The poor used to be popularly known as “unfortunates” — souls to be pitied by the gods of fortune. They were subjects of charity, not objects of accusatory moralism. The modern world deprives us of such consolations. In the American language, the only word assigned to laggards is not based in pity — it’s “loser.” The loser plays a game with fair rules, messes up, and has only himself to blame for his failure. The result? A culture of victimhood. The ubiquity of the victim identity is the flip side of the heroic image of the self-made man who carved destiny with unwavering grit. The proclamation of opportunity and the condemnation of failure are two sides of the same brightly gleaming coin. It is another way of stating the irreproachable rule of capitalism: If everybody wins, the game stops. To limit myself to a lamentable tone

neither respects nor reflects my holistic view of my time in the United States. I am here because of meritocracy. Yet I have no desire to offend the basic facts of existence. It is time to backpedal and accept the truth unflinchingly: Eden cannot be found on Earth. The only redemption we are entitled to is relief from the distorted belief that we were ever meant to be successful gods. We cannot work hard enough to build Eden because we are inherently flawed. Our flaws do not revoke our claim on existence, but rather reaffirm it. We are tiny, inept human puppets. Maybe this is what is divine about us after all.

FRANCESCO SALAMONE is a Wharton senior from Palermo, Italy studying decision processes. His email is frasala@wharton.upenn.edu.

Mamdani’s victory is a wake-up call for Wharton

DOUBLE TAKES | New York just chose public equity over private equity

The school that drives New York’s capitalism and populates its elite cannot ignore last night’s election. Few believed that Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist polling at just 1% at the start of the year, would ever become mayor of New York. His upset victory demonstrated that the city’s faith in Wharton-backed capitalism wasn’t as absolute as we thought.

Mamdani’s victory wasn’t founded on Bernie Sanders-esque tirades against “the 1%.” Instead, he ran a campaign built on substantive policy: a rent freeze on rent-stabilized housing units, fare-free buses, cityowned grocery stores, universal child care, and a higher minimum wage. His rhetoric avoided the usual caricatures of populism. There was no simplistic villainizing of an obscure “elite” or scapegoating at the expense of political opponents. That restraint made his movement harder to dismiss. His platform didn’t rely on politics of resentment, but instead competence and conviction. Using his charisma and a remarkably effective social media campaign, he organized a coalition of everyday New Yorkers — tenants, transit riders, and service workers — determined to remake their city.

The young state assemblyman didn’t defeat the city’s business-backed establishment by himself. His victory speaks more to the magnitude of grievances working-class New Yorkers have experienced under the “trickle-down” economy of Wall Street. Most major developers, financiers, and real-estate groups backed his opponents. And yet, their candidate lost. The message is stark: The business world’s grip on politics may be loosening, a warning that should reach from New York’s City Hall to our own Huntsman Hall. Wharton School alumni populate the very ecosystem Mamdani challenged. From private-equity firms aggressively reshaping housing markets to consulting shops being paid millions in taxpayer sums to advise on banal city services, Wharton-trained minds sit at

the

fulcrum of United States capitalism. Yet for all its business competence, the culture at Wharton reads like a trade school for corporate bubbles — focused on margins, valuations, and deal flow — at the cost of civic conscientiousness.

In an age in which voters are demanding a new mandate for how capitalism must serve society, Wharton’s allergy to politics and civic purpose risks making it irrelevant — or worse, antagonistic — to the political will of the people of the United States. Wharton must not be detached from civic questions: What are the evolving social purposes of business? What obligations do business leaders owe to the communities in which they operate? If Wharton doesn’t adapt to this political moment, its graduates may find themselves leading businesses that people no longer trust. The business world needs more than Excel models and never-ending exit opportunities. It needs critical thinkers who ask why this matters. Wharton graduates can and should be those leaders.

Mamdani’s win underscores a broader shift: Voters are not just asking how they grow the pie, but who gets a slice — and under what terms? And when a city like New York elects a mayor on that basis, it exposes a reckoning for the institutions that train tomorrow’s business elite to separate profits from the civic and social conditions that make our markets legitimate in the first place.

Wharton must prioritize civic engagement, policy literacy, and public leadership foundations — not as electives or categorically relegated to their liberal arts requirement, but as core, business-integrated coursework. Students should not just learn how housing policy affects profitability, but how it shapes labor outcomes or neighborhood belonging. Students must think past balance sheets and understand how tax strategy intersects with theories of democratic legitimacy. These business decisions don’t stop at the bottom dollar

Path@Penn needs AI

PIPER’S PENN PAL | Why Path@Penn needs an artifcial intelligence chatbot

For many students, the process of course selection looks a little like this:

Open Path@Penn. Create a primary cart. View major requirements. Check College Foundations requirements. Open Penn Course Review. Check College Sector Requirements. Evaluate course attributes. Read The Daily Pennsylvanian’s double count website. Compare class times. Read syllabus. Find a recitation. View primary cart. Add class.

And then repeat this cycle about 17 times in a carousel of different combinations, and the classes you choose might still not be right.

What should be an exciting (maybe) and fairly easy process, often becomes so arduous that students end up taking classes that fail to interest them, duplicate requirements they’ve already met, or slow down their degree process entirely.

Of course, students have advisors to help, and supposedly we’re all perfectly capable of whacking through the weeds to find a perfect schedule each semester. But does it really have to be like this? Could there be a better way to build a schedule that gives students the freedom of fun while keeping them on a steady track to graduating? Definitely.

I remember thinking as I scheduled my fall semester courses, “I wish there was a way to streamline all of these sources of information. Could there be a way to see eight tabs at once? Is there a way I could put all of this information in my Chat GPT?” The answer is a resounding no.

While the presence of artificial intelligence looms around our world, with more people than ever denouncing its uses, it feels scary to admit that it might have beneficial assistive and organizational elements. No, I don’t think it should write our papers, create our art, or

misinform my relatives via Facebook reels. However, helping students choose which classes to take seems like a relatively harmless and time effective practice.

Path@Penn course selection could feature a small chatbot, built to combine your academic information and answer questions like: How many more courses do I have to take to finish my degree? What class could fulfill my Sector requirement and add to my major progress? Do I have room to fit this minor in? Which class that fills X and Y requirements fits best into my schedule? Do any classes for Quantitative Data Analysis have required attendance or recitation?

This AI assistant could respond with answers to FAQs, information about courses, or small advisory suggestions to ensure students can find their way to the perfect course for their schedule. It would be a nexus — a system that bridges syllabuses, degree requirements, course reviews, and scheduling in one tiny package.

But you may be wondering: What if this takes away the explorative and educational experience that is choosing classes? I hear you on that point. Perhaps we should be slowly flipping through a dusted course catalog and scribbling down codes on a notepad, adorned with a tweed blazer, elbow patches, and fountain pen in hand. Maybe that’s what Benjamin Franklin intended. But the opportunity to do it without technology will still always (mostly) be there if you don’t want an AI assistant.

A tool such as this one is merely an assistant — not there to choose for you, but to help make the process more informed. And at the risk of seeming like an AIcrazed futurist, I think this would meet students where we already are. The process of Penn’s course selection might be one of the only media we haven’t completely optimized.

The (liberal) art of the deal

that undergraduate business

is beneficial for society.

However, this caricature of the “evil” business student dramatically misrepresents Wharton, and it confuses profit and purpose as complete opposites. A business education does not exist as the antithesis of the

arts at Penn. Wharton prepares future leaders and entrepreneurs by honing in on important skills: oral and written communication, critical thinking, and problem solving. Each of these skills is key to professional success, according to the Department of Labor. The Wharton undergraduate curriculum

— they ripple into the very communities and livelihoods that, in turn, shape the character of the markets themselves. I urge my fellow students — the next generation of Penn-grown business leaders — to stop viewing the city as a marketplace and start seeing themselves as stewards of a larger project: carrying the American experiment in capitalism to a future rooted in civic purpose. Should Wharton lose sight of the world beyond its

This wouldn’t take away the function of our advisors, either. When choosing my courses, I don’t ask my advisor every single question I have. They advise on the big decisions, concepts, and questions. As far as which individual course fits the best place is my schedule, it is likely beyond their pay grade and below productive uses of their time.

My perspective is largely influenced by the privilege of being a student in the College of Arts and Sciences with the flexible curriculum we have to choose from. For pre-med, Engineering, Nursing, or Wharton students, choosing courses is likely much more straightforward. But even they have to take electives; they might benefit from a platform to search. What courses could I take about pop culture? Is there a class about environmental justice? What classes are known to be easy and fun?

That’s the kind of exploration that choosing classes should provide. Students don’t have the time or way to see a full picture of courses and often take a shot in

the dark, settling for any course they think could be helpful. Which, while it seems harmless, can be at the expense of their best interests. Choosing a course with elements that suit a student’s academic preferences, such as a paper rather than test final, can be the difference between class success or failure.

A chatbot could give students the gift of time, of exploration, or of play. Time to find a class that fits a student’s academic goals, preferences, and interests. Penn’s curriculum markets itself as the very pinnacle of exploration, and it can be. Especially if we give students more time to discover what excites them and limit the time spent decoding degree requirements and syllabi.

PIPER SLINKA-PETKA is a College sophomore from West Virginia studying health and societies. Her email is pipersp@sas.upenn.edu.

recognizes this, and it incorporates these ideals through its course requirements. Of the 37 course units required by Wharton to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in economics, at least nine CUs relate directly to the liberal arts — more if you count the foreign language classes that many students are required to take. Beyond this basic requirement, 22% of Wharton undergraduates go beyond their foundational business courses and pursue minors, most of which are housed within the College of Arts and Sciences. Thus, a Wharton education does not exist entirely outside the study of the liberal arts. At the same time, studying solely the liberal arts, though it may be “beautiful,” does not save one from

a job dedicated to “denying your grandmother’s medical coverage,” as the recent column posits. Even within the College, 47.5% of Class of 2022 graduates reported that they would enter jobs in consulting or finance after graduation. Why would learned students in the liberal arts choose to contribute to “crimes,” as the column claims, in working for these large forprofit organizations?

This is likely because the private sector is not a moral failure. The private sector comprises approximately seven out of 10 jobs in the United States. These workplaces offer opportunities to apply one’s skills to innovate, facilitate, and grow one’s own career and knowledge, and they just so happen to do so in search of profit. Profit isn’t a dirty word. It is the mechanism that encourages progress and innovation.

To vilify profit is to misunderstand what it represents. Profit is a way to measure how much value a product or service delivers to consumers in society. It is how the market recognizes solutions that work, from groundbreaking pharmaceutical therapies to educational technology platforms like Canvas, and even everyday innovations like Owala water bottles which make it more fun to stay hydrated. A study done by the National Institutes of Health showed that the amount that would have to be spent by the government to maintain the development of all new drugs currently being produced by the private sector would have to be over 2.5 times the current total budget of the NIH. Profit is not exploitation, it’s reciprocity. Profit is often a precondition for creating lasting progress as it funds research, attracts talent, and helps good ideas come to life.

Even without buying into the notion that profit is progress, the column’s argument against undergraduate business education overlooks its potential to create social mobility. First, college is expensive. Even at a school like Penn that provides hefty aid packages, these packages generally only cover up to the cost of

tuition, leaving as much as a $30,000 estimated gap that must be filled by families. For students facing this reality, pursuing a practical and employable degree is prudent, not greedy.

Especially for students from low-income backgrounds (23% of the Class of 2029 is estimated to be Pell Grant-eligible), the opportunity to earn six figures right when you graduate can be life-changing for not only the student but also their family. Many of these high-paying jobs facilitated by a business education provide social mobility that uplifts historically underprivileged students and their families.

It’s no coincidence that 86% of business-related degree recipients are extremely or very satisfied with their education, compared to only 70% of liberal arts graduates — it represents a tangible path to stability.

The liberal arts may teach us how to think, but Wharton shows us how to apply those thoughts. To pretend that profit corrupts the beauty of knowledge is to forget that every library, lab, and lecture hall stands because someone once built a business. Profit is not the enemy of morality. It incentivizes innovation, opportunity, and value for all.

An undergraduate business education is meant to turn understanding into impact. Wharton’s undergraduate program does not corrupt education or lessen the importance of the liberal arts, but instead makes them actionable. And for those who still don’t like Wharton, well, Penn has four undergraduate schools and 12 graduate and professional programs. There is something for everyone to learn from the art of enterprise.

ISABELLE CHEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Guest columnist Malia Sanghvi claims

education

MALIA SANGHVI is a Wharton senior from Fort Wayne, Ind. studying finance and management. Her email is malia1@wharton.upenn. edu.

spreadsheets, it risks training leaders out of step with its very own backyard.

COURTESY OF BINGJIEFU HE | CC BY-SA 4.0

Columnist Sohum Sheth argues that Wharton is in need of greater civic awareness.

SOHUM SHETH is a College first year from Jacksonville, Fla. studying philosophy, politics, and economics. His email is sheth0@sas. upenn.edu.

SYDNEY CURRAN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Deputy Opinion editor Piper Slinka-Petka discusses AI integration with Path@Penn.

GET-UP announces strike authorization vote at press conference with elected ofcials

If the strike authorization vote passes, the bargaining committee of Graduate Employees Together — University of Pennsylvania will have the authority to call a strike at any time

SANDY WALLS AND JAMES WAN Staff Reporter and Contributing Reporter

Graduate Employees Together — University of Pennsylvania hosted a press conference on Monday with local elected officials to formally announce its strike authorization vote.

The Nov. 3 event was the latest effort by GET-UP to rally graduate workers across the University in favor of contract negotiations. If the strike authorization vote — which will be conducted from Nov. 18-20 — passes with a two-thirds majority, GET-UP’s bargaining committee will have the authority to call a strike at any time.

During the press conference, Katelyn Friedline — a second-year Ph.D. student and GET-UP bargaining committee member — cited “needless delays and insulting offers” from Penn’s administration as the rationale for holding the authorization vote.

GET-UP’s economic proposals have included pay increases to match a living wage, comprehensive vision and dental coverage, health insurance for dependents, childcare benefits, retirement contributions, and access to employee benefit programs.

During the union’s bargaining sessions on Oct. 28, Penn provided counterproposals on various economic articles, including compensation and healthcare. In its response, according to Friedline, Penn proposed raising the minimum stipend for graduate workers from $39,425 to $43,000.

Friedline emphasized the union’s disappointed reaction to this counterproposal.

“Just last week, Penn admin finally responded for the first time to the economic articles that we proposed in the beginning of June,” Friedline said. “Their initial offer was an insult to the workers that perform the bulk of the teaching and research labor that Penn relies on to fulfill

its academic missions.”

In an Oct. 30 post on Instagram, GET-UP wrote that “most graduate workers already make more” than Penn’s proposed stipend, adding “is not an improvement on the status quo.”

A University spokesperson wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian that Penn administrators have been “bargaining in good faith” and “believe that a fair contract can still be achieved … without a work stoppage.” The spokesperson added that “first contracts typically take over a year to negotiate.”

“We appreciate the progress so far and hope the union will continue constructive negotiations,” they wrote.

Beyond economic proposals, negotiations have also continued over protections for international students, which Friedline emphasized as “especially important amidst a national anti-immigrant political climate.”

“Penn must do better by the workers that ensure its continued success,” Friedline added. “Penn only works because we do.”

Representatives from United Auto Workers, which represents GET-UP, attended the press conference in support of the union.

Wence Valentin — the political director of UAW’s Region 9, which includes most counties in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey — emphasized UAW’s “solidarity” with graduate workers at Penn.

“No one dedicating their life to education and research should have to struggle just to pay rent,” Valentin stated.

At the conference, graduate workers were also joined by city councilmember Jamie Gauthier, state Sen. Nikil Saval (D-Philadephia), and Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia).

“Penn loves to call itself world class,” Gauthier said. “But you cannot declare yourself a world-class institution if you don’t treat the workers that power your success in a world-class way.”

Saval also expressed his support for the union and its effort, referencing his own experience as a graduate student worker.

“Once a graduate worker and a teacher and researcher myself, I know personally both the sacrifice and the beauty that such labor entails,” Saval said. “I also know the bullshit that we get from the administration … time and time again.”

Krajewski criticized Penn’s unwillingness to use its endowment to meet GET-UP’s proposals. He characterized the University’s current situation as an “emergency” due to the action of 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump’s administration and the lack of a “livable wage” for graduate student workers.

“You’re sick and tired of being nickeled and dimed by a university that has $22 billion in an endowment — and yet, again and again, excuses,” Krajewski said. “After a while, you start to ask yourself: Is this a university, or is this a corporation?”

University extends Nursing School Dean Antonia Villarruel’s appointment

‘We anticipate that the Board of Trustees will enthusiastically endorse our recommendation to extend the term of Dean Villarruel,’ Penn President Larry Jameson and Provost John Jackson Jr. wrote in the announcement SAANVI RAM Contributing Reporter

Penn President Larry Jameson and Provost John Jackson Jr. announced they will formally recommend School of Nursing Dean Antonia Villarruel’s tenure to be extended through June 30, 2028. The email announcement to the Nursing School community followed the conclusion of a semesterlong review. In the email, Jameson and Jackson highlighted Villarruel’s leadership and “major progress toward achieving the School’s strategic goals.”

“[Villarruel] is widely recognized as an effective and inclusive leader who has guided the School with clarity of vision, resilience, and a deep commitment to academic excellence,” Jameson and Jackson wrote. “Under her tenure, the School has made notable strides in research, education, and community impact while continuing to

grow financial support for faculty and students.”

They also highlighted that the Nursing School was ranked the No. 1 nursing school in the world by the QS World University Rankings for nine consecutive years. It has also received the most National Institutes of Health funding of any nursing school in fiscal year 2025, among other accolades.

During Villarruel’s service as dean, the Nursing School reported receiving the largest charitable donation ever to a school of nursing in the United States. Jameson and Jackson’s email emphasized the “transformational community impact” of the resulting Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program, which is now in its third year.

“We anticipate that the Board of Trustees will

enthusiastically endorse our recommendation to extend the term of Dean Villarruel for an additional two years,” Jameson and Jackson wrote.

Villarruel was appointed dean in 2014, and her tenure was previously extended in 2020. Before becoming dean of the Nursing School, Villarruel received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Nazareth College, a Master of Science in Nursing from Penn, and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University.

Villarruel is also a charter member of the National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities, a member of the National Academy of Medicine, and a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She directs World Health

Collaborating Center for Nursing and Midwifery

News Editor and Senior Reporter

According to FEC disclosures, Rowan contributed more than $2

to different political committees and candidates this year.

The Wharton School’s Board of Advisors Chair Marc Rowan has long been one of the University’s most influential figures. But in recent years, Rowan has become a defining force in shaping not only Penn’s internal governance, but also national politics. Since the reelection of 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump — who considered Rowan for a seat on his cabinet as secretary of the Department of the Treasury soon after his election victory — Rowan’s political influence has steadily grown. A Daily Pennsylvanian analysis found that in the first two fiscal quarters of 2025, Rowan contributed millions to primarily Republican-aligned groups and candidates. A spokesperson for Rowan did not respond to a request for comment.

As evidence of Rowan’s sustained efforts to leverage political influence during the second Trump administration continues to surface, the DP analyzed disclosures of his political contributions from the first six months of 2025.

According to Federal Election Commission disclosures, Rowan contributed over $3 million to political committees and candidates in the first and second 2025 fiscal quarters. His giving pattern shows a strong concentration in Republican-aligned groups, with most of his contributions directed toward high-level party and political action committee entities and a smaller share distributed among individual candidates.

The majority of Rowan’s contributions were made in two $1,000,000 donations to the Congressional Leadership Fund and Senate Leadership Fund — GOP super PACs that work to elect Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, respectively.

He made an additional $310,100 contribution to the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP’s campaign arm, and donated $289,100 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the GOP’s upper chamber campaign arm. Rowan also made $100,000 donations to two super PACs: Security is Strength PAC — a group associated

with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) — and Texans for a Conservative Majority, another high-dollar committee backing Republican candidates.

The campaign contribution records show that Rowan donated $7,000 — the maximum amount an individual can donate to a candidate per election cycle — to nearly a dozen congressional officials.

Among them was a $7,000 contribution to Rep. Tim Walberg’s (R-Mich.) campaign, who has made investigating allegations of antisemitism on college campuses a priority of his tenure as chair of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Under Walberg’s leadership, the committee has launched several investigations and hearings into alleged antisemitism at universities and public schools.

The Committee on Education and the Workforce played a key role in shaping Penn’s administration and actions over the two years following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) — who preceded Walberg as the chair of the committee — launched several investigations into antisemitism at Penn and presided over the 2023 hearing that led to the resignation of former Penn President Liz Magill.

After the former University leader’s remarks during the testimony faced national scrutiny, Rowan orchestrated a pressure campaign that ultimately led to the resignation of Magill and former University Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok.

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) has chaired the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee since January 2023. Rowan contributed $315,100 to Smith Victory, a joint fundraising committee associated with Smith’s campaign, and an additional $5,000 to a PAC supporting the Missouri representative.

Penn was subject to a Ways and Means Committee investigation in 2024, which challenged the University’s tax-exempt status. The committee — citing Penn’s “failure” to protect Jewish students on campus — alleged that the University failed to comply with antidiscrimination laws and was therefore ineligible for tax exemptions.

The Education and Workforce, Judiciary, and Ways and Means Committees joined three other House Committees in a broad investigation of “ongoing and

pervasive acts of antisemitic harassment and intimidation” on college campuses — including Penn — in June 2024. A letter sent to universities being investigated claimed that they had violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by failing to “ensure a safe learning environment for all students.”

Rowan also donated $12,000 to the campaign and associated PACs of U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who serves as chair of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. Under Jordan’s leadership, the committee launched a price-fixing investigation into Penn and other Ivy League universities in April. The investigation alleged that the Ivy League violated antitrust laws by colluding to raise tuition costs and engaging in unfair financial aid practices.

The committee subpoenaed Penn in July, accusing the University of inadequately submitting the documents on tuition pricing and communication with peer institutions requested during the probe. Rowan, who holds a 1984 bachelor’s degree and a 1985 MBA from Wharton, has been a prominent donor to Wharton for years.

In 2018, Rowan gave a $50 million gift — at the time the largest single contribution in the school’s history — and made an anonymous $10 million gift in May. The latter came around a year and a half after Rowan publicly announced that he was withholding donations to the University in protest of Penn’s response to campus antisemitism allegations.

In May, Rowan also publicly called for “fundamentally reforming” higher education across the country, arguing that the Trump administration was in a uniquely apt position to usher in an era of change.

On Oct. 1, Penn and eight other universities received the Trump administration’s wide-ranging compact — a document whose language closely mirrored a list of reform questions Rowan had sent to the University Board of Trustees nearly two years earlier.

The New York Times later reported that Rowan was a chief architect of the document and insisted that the compact be sent to his alma mater.

One day after Penn rejected the federal government’s proposal on Oct. 16, Rowan joined a call with University leaders and senior White House officials as discussions over the compact continued.

CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Friedline spoke at the GET-UP press conference on Nov. 3.

SANJANA JUVVADI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

ETHAN YOUNG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Villarruel’s appointment was extended through June 30, 2028.

Organization’s

Leadership at Penn along with Nursing School professor Eileen Lake.

Ringhofer | A student’s guide to Penn football’s Homecoming game

Home sweet home. On Saturday, Penn football will take on Cornell in a pivotal game for the Ivy League standings. If that isn’t enough to get you to the game, you might just miss the start of something special. After ending with a 2-5 conference record last year and tying a sixth-place finish in the conference, the Quakers have already surpassed that win total this year with three victories in the Ancient Eight. The offense has been unstoppable and the defense is starting to hit its stride. But what does this game mean in the context of Homecoming weekend?

Simple: It’s for the students.

Facts for students Admission is free — everyone’s favorite fourletter word. Not only is the game free of charge, but also, Penn Athletics will be handing out an exclusive, limited-edition “toast” pin that is only available on game day as part of its pin drop series. Students can go watch at any point during the game, but it is best to be there by the third quarter to be on time for a hallmark Penn tradition — toast throwing. At the end of the third quarter, students will be provided with toast that they can hurl onto the field as far as the eye can see. The tradition originated

from a football game where fans would make a toast with alcohol, but after its prohibition in the 1970s, slices of toast were used instead.

The game Saturday marks Penn football’s 73rd Homecoming matchup. Surprisingly, the Quakers have a losing overall record on Homecoming at 31-39-2, but they do hold a winning record against Cornell on Homecoming with a record of 2-1. That win column could increase on Saturday as Penn battles Cornell for the Trustees’ Cup. The last time the Quakers met Cornell on Homecoming was in

Men’s basketball junior forward TJ Power is ‘ready to

2023, when former star running back Malachi Hosley posted one of the best rushing games in Penn football history to propel the Quakers to a 23-8 win.

Football 101

The goal of football is to score more points than your opponent. But how do you do it? The goal of the offense is to move the football down the field, with the defense trying to prevent the offense from doing so. Coordinators from each team send in a play to attack an opponent’s weaknesses on offense and defense. Teams on offense have two options to move the football — running or passing the ball. Each offers different advantages and disadvantages, and teams will employ both throughout the course of a game. The offense gets three chances, or downs, to get 10 yards and continue moving down the field. If not, the offense will have to give the ball — through a punt — to the other team.

Got it? If you don’t, you’ll catch on!

Players to look out for

Although Hosley is not with the Quakers anymore after his transfer to Georgia Tech last season, several star players remain on this Red and Blue squad. Senior quarterback Liam O’Brien has turned heads this season, putting together an impressive season so far. He mostly targets his two favorite senior wide receivers Jared Richardson and Bisi Owens. Richardson has taken home multiple Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors and is expected to have a big showing against Cornell.

A tradition like no other Homecoming isn’t just a Penn tradition — it’s a college staple across the country. But one thing always stays the same: the football game. Students are the heartbeat of any home team’s success, and this year will be no different. Homecoming at Penn usually draws the biggest crowd of the season, but it’s usually alumni filling the stands. Instead of heading to daytime parties, students may find it worthwhile to trade the Solo cup for a stadium seat. Penn football is right in the thick of its Ivy League push, and the team needs the student section louder than ever.

play this weekend,’ per report

Power, who previously played at Duke and Virginia, has been out with an ‘upper-body injury’

CONOR SMITH Deputy Sports Editor

Penn men’s basketball junior forward TJ Power is “ready to play this weekend,” according to The Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Jonathan Tannenwald. In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Tannenwald wrote, “Penn coach Fran McCaffery tells me that star transfer T.J. Power is ‘ready to play this weekend’ after missing much of the preseason with an elbow injury.” McCaffery did not confirm to the Inquirer the

number of minutes Power will see along with whether the former five-star recruit will be ready for Penn’s Friday opener against Rowan or wait until Sunday’s match at American.

A request for comment was left with Penn Athletics.

The Daily Pennsylvanian previously reported that Power would be “shooting” to return before the start of the season, according to McCaffery. At the time, he described Power as having an “upper-body injury.” He did not initially describe it as an elbow injury, but Power was seen with a brace on his right arm.

“He’s not in practice yet,” McCaffery told The Daily Pennsylvanian on Oct. 24. “He’s not been cleared to play yet, but I think in time he will be. It’s day-by-day. So we’ll see. We’re shooting for the first game, see if that happens — if not, hopefully shortly thereafter.”

It seems that McCaffery’s timeline for the

Mid-Major Madness Ivy League Preseason Newcomer of the Year was on track.

In 2023, Power was a top-20 recruit coming out of high school. He originally committed to Duke alongside now-Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain. Power ultimately saw limited minutes at Duke, scoring just 2.1 points per game. After a season with the Blue Devils, Power made his way to Virginia. With the Cavaliers, he did not gain significant minutes, playing 9.3 minutes per game last season. Power ultimately opted to transfer for the second time in as many years, landing at Penn due to his prior connection with McCaffery.

“[Penn is] very different from Virginia. Virginia is slower-paced and very defensive-oriented. But here, [McCaffery] lets us play [with] a lot of freedom on offense,” Power previously told the DP on Oct. 25. “We’ll be able to play really fast and shoot a lot of threes, and kind of keep teams on their heels at all times.”

SANJANA JUVVADI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Quaker mascot pictured on Franklin Field during Penn’s Homecoming football game against Harvard on Nov. 16, 2024.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

Power is the first former five-star recruit in program history.

Kayla Fu breaks pool record in 100yard butterfly to open women’s swimming and diving season

In the team’s frst meet at Sheerr Pool post-renovation, Fu christened the pool with a new record

VALERI GUEVARRA AND ELLIE CLARK Sports Editor and Sports Reporter

Penn women’s swimming and diving started its season with a huge splash last Saturday.

After a season of bouncing between two practice sites, the Quakers dominated the Delaware Blue Hens 175-118 in the first meet back at the newly renovated Sheerr Pool. Sophomore freestyle/butterfly specialist and reigning Ivy League 100-yard freestyle champion Kayla Fu led the win with individual victories in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly while also swimming the anchor leg for the victorious 200 medley relay.

Fu, a program record-holder in three events for the Quakers, added her first Sheerr Pool record in the 100 fly with a time of 53.59 to her already impressive resume. The win comes after ending last season in ninth in the event at the Ivy League championships. Fu entered the championships seeded first, but an illness slowed her down.

“It’s a great start,” Fu said, “I think it’s more momentum for the team going forward. I think it’s a great start for the pool itself, because we’re already technically undefeated.”

And it does not seem like the star from Sugar Land, Texas is slowing down any time soon, especially with new NCAA qualification procedures in place this season that include an automatic qualification for conference champions that hit a national time standard.

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year in the FCS playoffs. With a loss against Cornell, it’s highly unlikely that the Quakers will finish at the top of the Ivy League standings. It’s easy to say that the stakes are high, but I believe Penn has the offensive and defensive tools to outrun Cornell.

With that said, Cornell isn’t a team to sneeze at. The Big Red, despite starting 0-2 in Ivy play against Yale and Harvard, have roared back to life with three-straight wins. Two of those wins came against conference foes in Brown and Princeton, and it is clear that Cornell won’t go down easily.

Cornell’s offense has been led by quarterback Garret Bass-Sulpizio, who accounted for three touchdowns, including one on the ground, in the win over Princeton. Standing at 6-foot-5, Bass-Sulpizio brings a powerful presence under center, and the Quakers will be focused on containing both his rushing ability and red zone production.

Last year, Penn lost in a heartbreaker to Harvard on a last-second field goal on Homecoming. This year I predict a last-second field goal again — only this time, the Quakers end up on top.

Penn 38, Cornell 18 — Sonal Sukhatme, DP Sports associate

Following their win against Brown last weekend, I’m sure the Quakers will take down Cornell as well. The two teams have some interesting history, most notably Penn’s high-scoring and record-breaking win last season, dubbed “Liamsanity” after O’Brien.

In that game, O’Brien completed 22 out of 30 passes for 341 yards and threw six touchdowns, as well as scored one

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play, Penn controls its own destiny.

When Chimera and the coaching staff are preparing internally for the week, senior quarterback Liam O’Brien is there too, absorbing as much information as possible.

“I’m doing a lot of learning in those sessions, not as much [giving] input,” O’Brien said. “They’re so creative with how they manipulate our offense — who’s lining up, formations, motions — everything like that. … If I have something to say, they’re always open ears.”

After being jolted into the starting spot in the middle of last season following then-senior quarterback Aidan Sayin’s season-ending elbow injury, O’Brien now has 11 total starts under his belt. Compared to other Ivy League quarterbacks this season, he is ranked third in total passing yards with 1,750 and second in passing touchdowns with 14.

O’Brien credits Chimera’s schemes for the team’s success through the air.

Similar to how Fu started her Penn career hot, the season opener also featured many new Quakers making strong collegiate debuts. Three was a popular number as freshman diver Caroline Holcomb and freshman butterfly specialist Caroline Cancelmo both finished in third in the 3-meter dive and 500 freestyle respectively.

Freshman butterfly/backstroke specialist Brianna Cong in particular shined, taking home her first collegiate victory in the 200 backstroke by three seconds and notching second in a 1-2-3 Penn finish in the 100-yard backstroke. Junior butterfly/backstroke specialist Kate Levensten won the event with a time of 54.55 while another freshman — backstroke specialist Connie Wang — rounded out the sweep.

“The team and the coaches make it such an easy transition,” Cong said of transitioning to collegiate swimming. “They’re the reason I’ve been able to come in the pool every day and have the attitude that I have approaching the pool.”

While underclassmen shone, that’s not to say Penn’s returners did not have themselves a day.

The Quakers distance group maintained its reputation of dominance. In the 1,000 freestyle, senior distance freestyler Anna Boeckman touched the wall in first with

on the ground. This standout performance will definitely be on the minds of everyone this Saturday at Franklin Field, hopefully serving as motivation for the Red and Blue to perform just as strongly.

Richardson will also be vital to the matchup. Last year, he received three of the touchdown passes, and he’s been named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week twice this season. The O’Brien-Richardson combination will undoubtedly be just as strong this Saturday as it’s been all season.

It is important to mention that Cornell is on a bit of a win streak, having won its past three games against Bucknell, Brown, and Princeton. But all three games were on Cornell’s home turf, and they weren’t blowouts either. Against Brown, the game went into double overtime before Cornell brought it home, while Penn beat Brown much more cleanly.

Last week’s game against Brown was a return to form for the Quakers, as the team set a new rushing-yard season high at 231 yards. With the passing game already strong, the team’s rushing game was certainly an improvement from previous weeks, and if it can maintain both this Saturday, I think they’ve got the game in the bag.

Penn 42, Cornell 31 — Ellie Clark, DP Sports reporter Everyone loves an underdog, but the second installment of “Liamsanity” might be too much for the Big Red.

Penn comes into its Homecoming game with a hardfought victory against Brown that saw sophomore running back Donte West shine with two touchdowns and the offensive line improve its run game by hitting a season-high 231 rushing yards. Junior defensive back/wide receiver Jayden Drayton, who earned Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week for his dominant performance on both sides of the field, made a 54-yard kickoff return that led to the Quakers’ fourth touchdown of the night while also

“I think coach Chimera is doing a really nice job getting our best playmakers — the guys that do great things with the ball in their hands — in positions to get the ball. From there, it’s just what they can do in open space,” O’Brien said. “When all 11 guys on offense truly understand why we’re running a play, who we’re targeting, and the space we want to get to, we operate really well.”

This isn’t Chimera’s first time running a successful offense.

Before arriving in Philadelphia, Chimera spent over a decade coaching down the interstate at Johns Hopkins. After spending a decade’s worth of seasons as the offensive coordinator, Chimera was named head coach after the Blue Jays’ winningest coach in program history, Jim Margraff, died in early 2019.

In his four years at the helm of the program, Chimera led Johns Hopkins to a 40-7 record, two conference titles, and two trips to the NCAA playoffs, as well as two bowl victories. When Chimera was hired at Penn, he was sought out specifically for his innovative play-designing abilities.

“He has an unbelievable ability to be creative from week to week, to figure out how to put defenses in a ton of

Fu swam against Delaware on Nov. 1.

a time of 10:13:81. NCAA qualifier and senior freestyler

Sydney Bergstrom was right behind two seconds later in second. To kick off her final campaign, captain and senior freestyle/individual medley specialist Anna Moehn notched a win in the 500-yard freestyle and finished third in the 200-yard freestyle. Moehn is a two-time NCAA qualifier and swam the 1,650 freestyle, 500 freestyle, and 200 freestyle at last year’s championships.

“My perspective this year is just one of gratitude and enjoyment. Every practice, I just try to come in with the best mindset and enjoy all the little moments with my favorite team in the entire world,” Moehn said.

Experienced star power was also on the pool deck.

This meet was Texas graduate and assistant coach Emma Sticklen’s first as part of the Penn coaching staff, and Paris Olympian Matt Fallon was present on the pool deck as a student assistant coach.

There is still room for improvement in the season to come. None of the Quakers bested Delaware butterfly/

putting up six tackles.

The Big Red defense poses a big threat with linebacker Ben Sahakian and cornerback Braylon Howard leading the conference in forced fumbles and passes defended, respectively. The Big Red also boast Midseason AllAmerican first team selection tight-end Ryder Kurtz on the offensive line, who leads the team with 373 receiving yards and 29 receptions.

Cornell enters Homecoming on its longest win streak since 2016. If victorious again, the Big Red will extend its win streak to four, which would be the longest since 1999. As inclined as I am to root for the underdog, the statistics fall in favor of the Red and Blue, who have won nine of their last 10 games against the Big Red.

backstroke specialist and two-time CAA champion Victoria Novinskiy in her signature events — 200 butterfly and the 200 individual medley. Delaware breaststroke specialist Bri Cottingham also emerged victorious in the 100 breaststroke and put up a tough fight in the 200 breaststroke against junior breaststroke/individual medley specialist Meredith Holcomb, who pulled ahead at the end for the win.

Regarding goals for the season as a whole, Moehn reiterated enjoying the little things but

38,

This season, the Big Red have yet to win a game on the road, while Penn has yet to lose a game at home. Penn is also ranked second in the Ivy League compared to Cornell’s fifth place. Both teams are entering Franklin Field winning their previous games by only one possession. Penn completely dominated the rushing game against Brown, out-rushing it by nearly 200 yards. This will certainly present a chal-

stressful situations,” Josephson said of Chimera. “He’s an unbelievable in-game play caller … and he’s been doing a great job of putting guys in a position to succeed so far this year.”

Josephson’s history with Chimera extends beyond the past two years at Penn. At Johns Hopkins, Josephson was an offensive coordinator for Chimera, and when Chimera took the job at Penn, he brought Josephson with him.

“Him giving me opportunities to work underneath him … those opportunities were transformative to my career,” Josephson said. “The way I can repay him here is just to do my best to be the best assistant to him to help put guys in the best situation to succeed week to week.”

So far, Josephson has produced positive results as the wide receivers coach, with the standout duo of Richardson and senior wide receiver Bisi Owens leading the way. Richardson ranks first in the Ivy League in receiving yards with 817, while Owens’ 514 receiving yards are good for fourth. Just one of O’Brien’s touchdown passes this season has not been caught by one of the two receivers.

“We’re much more comfortable in [Chimera’s] offense,” Owens said, “Second year, it’s just easier for us to

fly around and make plays, and not have to worry about running the wrong route or not blocking the right guy. We’re very familiar with the offense. We’re very comfortable with the offense, which allows us to play faster and play together.”

The respect goes both ways.

“My philosophy is let the locker room decide what you do,” Chimera said. “And right now, we have a bunch of great receivers and good pass blockers up front, so we’ve leaned toward the pass.”

Last season, Penn had a prolific day through the air against Cornell with O’Brien passing for 341 yards and six touchdowns. This performance led to Chimera implementing more run-pass options into the playbook for his starting quarterback. With a rematch with the Big Red looming this Saturday for Homecoming, there’s plenty of behind-the-scenes work that the coaching staff and the players will be putting in to match last year’s performance.

“What’s great about [these] guys is they’re coming in ready to continue to work,” Josephson said. “And they understand that we still have work to do to reach our ultimate goal.”

YAELLE DE OLIVEIRA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Penn

Cornell 17 — Cavance Snaith, DP Sports reporter

ERICA JIANG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Then-sophomore running back Malachi Hosley evaded a tackle by Cornell’s defense on Nov. 9,

‘Ofce hours,’ ofensive coordinator Greg Chimera’s creative schemes fuel football’s elite passing game

The Quakers are second and third in the Ivy League in passing effciency and total passing yards, respectively

CONOR SMITH AND VIVIAN YAO Deputy Sports Editor

and Former Sports Editor

For most Penn students, office hours are opportunities to obtain additional help. For football senior wide receiver Jared Richardson, wide receiver coach David Josephson’s “office hours” are a necessity.

“We go over what these teams do, their tendencies and stuff like that,” Richardson said, referring to Josephson’s office hours. “When we’re out there on the field, come Friday night or Saturday, we’re able to just see things before they happen.”

“It’s a mix of reviewing the day’s practice tape and seeing how it’ll apply to the upcoming opponent that weekend,” Josephson explained. “The reality is, it’s a big credit to them. They’ve just become extremely processoriented this year, and that’s just another piece of the process throughout the week that gets them ready to play.”

This season, which is also offensive coordinator Greg Chimera’s second year with the program, Penn’s passing game has taken a massive step forward.

Football’s Liam O’Brien was set to play lacrosse at Cornell. A ‘gut decision’ changed that

Last season against Cornell, O’Brien set the Penn record for the most passing touchdowns in a game

SOO YOUNG YOON Sports Reporter

As he prepares for this Saturday’s matchup against Cornell, there is a sense of calm about senior quarterback Liam O’Brien.

Coming off a win against Brown this past weekend, O’Brien and Penn’s football team are back on the practice field. On one play during Wednesday’s practice, he surveyed the defense before taking a snap out of the shotgun. He rolled to his right. With pressure coming off the edge, he stopped, set his foot, and fired a dart to senior wide receiver Bisi Owens, running in stride. Since last season, O’Brien has put the rest of the Ancient Eight on notice. Some remember his monstrous performance last year where he set the program record for the most passing touchdowns (six) in a dominant 67-49 win over Cornell. Others might remember the time last season when O’Brien rushed for at least one touchdown for four consecutive games. He’s been a textbook example of a dual-threat force, capable of punishing the secondary with both his arms and his legs.

His athleticism doesn’t just come from playing football in his high school years. Before his journey at Penn, O’Brien was committed to play

lacrosse at Cornell. With both his parents having attended Cornell, O’Brien had the chance to continue his family’s legacy with the Big Red. Despite his parental ties, O’Brien knew he wasn’t done with football.

“My decision was less about the schools and more about the sport,” O’Brien said. “I decided that I really wasn’t done playing football. [I] just really wanted to continue playing football.”

As O’Brien shifted his focus to football, his time playing lacrosse showed in his footwork on the field. Every time he takes a snap, the defenders know that his feet can be a weapon. On the lacrosse field, O’Brien learned how to evade defenders and spot opening gaps. Those same instincts now show up every Saturday game. Whenever Penn needs to score, the team heavily relies on O’Brien to take off and zigzag his way past the defenders.

“The way he plays does show a little bit of his lacrosse skills, especially how he runs the football,” Penn offensive coordinator Greg Chimera said.

“It’s like he’s dodging that midfield with the lacrosse stick,” Chimera added with a smile.

O’Brien leads all Penn players in total rushing touchdowns with five and is No. 1 in the conference in quarterback rushing yards with 354.

He also has the second-most touchdown passes seven weeks into the season. With an impressive 1,750 passing yards so far — just 103 yards shy of being crowned the passing leader in the conference — O’Brien has silenced critics on his label as a “run-first” quarterback.

“He has that ‘it’ factor,” Chimera said. “You just trust him with a ball in his hands, that he’s going to make something happen and lead you to success. We’ve done that a lot this year in crucial situations.”

O’Brien could have ended up playing lacrosse at Cornell. But he’s here now, at the helm of the Penn football team. Ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Big Red, he took some time to reflect on what made him confident in that decision.

“It was a gut decision,” O’Brien said. “I’ve made some of the best friends in my life that are here, and the coaches have been great. The trainers have treated me well through ups and downs, and you know, ultimately, it’s just the people who have made the experience great.”

The picks are in for football’s Homecoming game against

Cornell

The Daily Pennsylvanian Sports Department sent in score predictions for the biggest game of the season so far

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN SPORTS DEPARTMENT

Penn 31, Cornell 21 — Valeri Guevarra, DP Sports editor

From returning alumni to current students to regular Penn football fans, a lot of eyes will be on this critical matchup. After a win last weekend, where Penn football got its groove back in the run game, the team will not disappoint the packed stands when the moment comes. The explosive offensive trio of senior quarterback Liam O’Brien and senior wide receivers Jared Richardson and Bisi Owens no doubt remembers last year’s heartbreaking Homecoming loss against Harvard, and I believe that will be part of the fuel for a not-even-close victory.

It also helps that Cornell’s defense against the passing game is not the strongest, allowing 231.7 yards per game. While the offense must remain balanced, as seen in the team’s blowout loss to Yale, the Quakers will have a lot of room to thrive in the air once again, similar to last year’s record-breaking matchup at Cornell.

However, the Quakers must remain disciplined, especially with penalty issues following them from week to week. The Big Red are not one to waste opportunities. Last week against Princeton, Cornell’s secondary was able to force impactful turnovers at crucial times, including a fumble that started the game-winning drive.

“The second year is always gonna be easier,” Chimera said. “Now we’re learning, going through little details. …

The guys have really bought in.”

Through four games, Penn ranks second in the Ivy League in total offense, with much of its success coming through the air. Despite ranking fifth in the league in rushing, the Quakers are third in passing yards and second in passing efficiency. With three conference games yet to

Penn 31, Cornell 28 — Tyler Ringhofer, deputy DP Sports editor

If you’re not on the Penn football bandwagon now, don’t try to hop on when they’re knocking on the door of the FCS playoffs.

This Homecoming will prove to be the most critical point in Penn’s quest to make the Ivy League’s inaugural

See PASSING, page 9 See PICKS, page 9

Football looks to snap Cornell’s three-game winning streak in Homecoming matchup

The Quakers are looking to stife a Cornell rush game that has powered the Big Red’s offense

JAVIER ST. REMY

Sports Reporter

Penn football is looking to snap Cornell’s threegame winning streak in the next chapter of the sixth-most-played series in college football.

The Quakers (5-2, 3-1 Ivy), ranked No. 2 in the Ivy League, are coming off a 28-21 win over Brown on Oct. 31 in which Penn set its season high in total rushing yards. Although the Bears scored 14 points after being down 21-7 at the half, it was a touchdown on the ground by sophomore running back Donte West — his second touchdown of the game — that gave Penn the win. West is looking to build off his breakout performance against a scorching-hot Cornell (3-4, 2-2) team that ranks No. 4 in the conference in rushing defense. The week prior, West didn’t log a carry against Yale. He is not looking to change up his practice routine now.

“I don’t [prepare] any differently. Same mentality: It starts in practice, staying true to ourselves and the game plan, knowing that our ability will get us where we need to go,” West said.

The Big Red started their season 0-4 before winning their last three matchups. At the forefront of Cornell’s offense is quarterback Garrett BassSulpizio, who led the team in a come-from-behind win against Princeton on Saturday. Two weeks

ago, Bass-Sulpizio passed for a season-high 346 yards in a victory over Brown. However, Cornell has been most deadly when using its junior quarterback in third-down situations to run the ball. Penn coach Ray Priore is well aware of this.

“[You’ve] got to stop their run game. If you stop their run game, that makes them one-dimensional,” Priore said.

“Stopping the run, that’s always the goal. Just getting our hands on [them], getting a knock back, and not getting our asses kicked up front. The rest will take care of itself,” senior defensive lineman Carter Janki added.

Priore is confident that his squad is well-suited to win this weekend over a Cornell team that has had an impressive last few games.

“[Cornell has] done a tremendous and terrific job coming from behind in the second half. So I think it’s our ability as a football team to come out fast. Finishing strong is going to be really, really important. … [Cornell] is a team that is going to play you for [all] 60 minutes.”

Going into this Homecoming matchup — even after losing their starting senior running back Julien Stokes to a likely season-ending fibula

ANDY MEI | DESIGN ASSOCIATE

ERICA JIANG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Then-senior linebacker Max Matolcsy pictured being tackled by Cornell’s defense on Nov. 9, 2024.

KENNY CHEN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

O’Brien pictured preparing to pass the ball to his teammates at Lehigh on Sept. 27.