Issuu

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017 VOL. CXXXIII NO. 90

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

U. settles sexual misconduct lawsuit with former student

The student claimed Penn hadn’t provided a fair investigation or properly trained members of his hearing panel

Penn’s Tuition and Fees: A Breakdown As the cost to attend Penn continues to increase, students question where the money is going. Technology Fee

Student Health & Clinical Fee

$820

General Fee

Percent Change

Tuition & Fees for Academic Year 2018

General Fee

$546

Academic Years 2009-2018

Tuition

$47,416

$4,752

2009

‘10

‘11

‘12

‘13

‘14

‘15

‘16

‘17

‘18

*The Recreation Fee is added to the General Fee in AY 2018

Technology Fee

4.0

Academic Years 2009-2017

Percent Change

Recreation Fee

Academic Years 2009-2018

3.5

10 5 0

2009

‘10

‘11

‘12

‘13

‘14

‘15

‘16

‘17

-5 -10

3.0

-15 2009

‘10

‘11

‘12

‘13

‘14

‘15

‘16

‘17

‘18

-20

Harry Trustman | Copy Editor

enn’s tuition cost is rising at twice the rate of the national average of other private colleges, prompting some students to question exactly where their money is going. The total cost to attend Penn includes more than just tuition. For the current academic year, the total undergraduate cost is $53,534, which is a 3.9 percent increase from last year. Tuition itself costs $47,416, and the additional fees are broken down into three other categories: a general fee, which costs $4,752, a technology fee, which costs $820, and a student health and clinical fee, which costs $546. The Student Financial Services website indicates that the general fee “partially supports facilities such as the library systems, museums, and special laboratories, and also provides access to Uni-

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versity fitness facilities.” The technology category covers the cost of computer labs and services, and the student health and clinical fee provides access to Student Health Service for students at Penn. This is the first year that there is no separate category for the recreation fee, which previously enabled students to gain access to recreation facilities like the Pottruck Health and Fitness Center. Last year, the recreation fee cost $362 and the general fee cost $4,224. However, because the recreation fee was parked under the general fee this year, the general fee rose to $4,752, constituting a 12.5 percent increase. In an emailed statement, Vice President of Budget and Management Analysis Trevor Lewis wrote that the reason for this change was to provide gym access to all full-time graduate and professional

students. Prior to this academic year, the recreation fee was optional for graduate and professional students. Now, the fee will be made mandatory over the next four years, as the general fee for graduate and professional students gradually will increase to accommodate the incorporated fee. This shift comes at the same time as the elimination of the recreation fee for undergraduate students. The general fee will cover recreational costs for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Lewis noted that for the 2017-2018 academic year, there will be “no change in planned growth rates” for undergraduate students. He did not indicate, however, SEE FEES PAGE 7

CAROLINE SIMON Senior Reporter

Penn has settled a lawsuit with a former student who took legal action to protest the University’s handling of a sexual misconduct investigation last year. In an article published on Nov. 21, the radio station WHYY wrote that the University had “agreed to pay a student accused of rape an undisclosed amount after he sued the school claiming Penn’s investigation into the incident violated his civil rights.” The student, known as John Doe in court documents, was accused of sexual assault by another student, Jane Roe, in June of 2016. Penn opened an investigation against Doe and found him responsible for sexual misconduct. Doe, who was a senior at the time, was given a two-year suspension. Doe claimed that Penn breached its contract with him by not handling the investigation fairly. In September, John Padova, a district court judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, ruled that the court would move forward with three of Doe’s claims. The claims included that Penn had not provided a thorough and fair investigation, that Penn had not properly trained members of the hearing panel that adjudicated his case, and finally, that Penn had failed to protect him from gender discrimination under Title IX. If the case had moved forward, Doe’s lawyers would have been able to subpoena documents surrounding the incident and more broadly research Penn’s adjudication process. But since the case has been settled, Penn’s adjudication process will not be examined by lawyers. Experts say that universities facing lawsuits of this kind often make settlements to avoid legal scrutiny of their inner workings. “You will often see that these cases will settle shortly after the plaintiff wins a motion to dismiss precisely because the school does not want to expose the grubby interworking of its sexual misconduct process,” said Justin Dillon, a lawyer who specializes in Title IX issues. University spokesperson Stephen MacCarthy declined to comment on Nov. 27, citing a University policy of not commenting on litigation. Doe’s allegations and how the University reacted Doe argued in his complaint that Penn’s investigation — which is supposed to “include interviews of the complainant and respondent, interviews of witnesses and review of documentation, physical evidence, and any other relevant evidence” — may have been faulty because the Office of the Sexual Violence Investiga-

LUCY FERRY | DESIGN EDITOR

SEE LAWSUIT PAGE 7

Graduate students rally for protection from the GOP tax bill

Dozens of students sat outside the President’s Office MANLU LIU Staff Reporter

Just feet away from the Offices of the President and Provost, about 50 graduate students sat in the lobby of College Hall on Nov. 29 to protest the GOP tax bill. The event, organized by the student group campaigning for graduate students to unionize, Graduate Employees Together – University of Pennsylvania, is part of a larger nationwide movement against the Republican tax plan anticipated for a Senate vote later this week. On the same day, two other events were organized at Penn by graduate student groups with similar intentions of campaigning against the GOP tax bill. Passed by the House of Representatives on Nov. 16, the tax proposal is a $1.5 trillion plan that promises a comprehensive rewrite of the tax code. The

House version of the tax plan contained a provision to tax graduate student tuition waivers, which might cause some students to see a 300-400 percent increase in their taxes. The “work-in” that was held today was intended to be a rally “where graduate students can read, or grade, or do any kind of work to demonstrate how vital our work is the Penn community,” GET-UP wrote on a website publicizing the event. Graduate students and faculty gathered at 1:30 p.m. around the Benjamin Franklin statue on College Green, where individuals could speak up to the group about the tax bill. After, they headed inside together for the silent work-in. A security guard from the Division of Public Security, Darryl Richardson, said Amy Gutmann was not in her office when the work-in was taking place. The rally held at Penn was the only event held in Philadelphia that was a part of the

SaveGradEd’s national walkout against the tax bill that occurred at more than 60 universities. According to its Facebook page, SaveGradEd is a coalition of graduate students who will be forced to leave higher education if the GOP tax bill is passed. Over the course of the 90 minutes, about five faculty members stopped by the rally to show their support. English Department Graduate Chair David Eng said the GOP tax bill and the immigration stances of the Trump administration are discouraging international students from pursuing graduate studies in the United States. At 2:23 p.m., GET-UP member and history Ph.D. student Emma Teitelman called all the graduate student protestors to attention and encouraged them to call the number of U.S. Senator Pat Toomey’s (R-Pa.) D.C. office at the same time. “We’re not going to get through,” Teitelman said. “But

OPINION | Penn Dining is ‘simple robbery’

“Freshmen should instead be allowed — similarly to transfer students … to choose a meal plan that only has dining dollars.” - Alex Silberzweig PAGE 5

SPORTS | Staying sharp in the offseason

From international tournaments to marathons and more, Penn fencers keep themselves busy even when not competing for Penn BACKPAGE

we’re going to leave a voicemail to tell them to vote no on the tax bill.” In the next few minutes, nearly all students dialed the number on their phones. GETUP member and Biomedical Graduate Studies Ph.D. student Liv Harding said she reached Toomey’s voicemail and left a message telling him to vote against the tax plan. President Amy Gutmann, Provost Wendell Pritchett, and Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli released a statement on Nov. 9 calling the tax plan “regressive” and asked students to express their opinions on social media and to elected officials in the House of Representatives and the Senate. But GET-UP member and English Ph.D. student Nick Millman, who helped organize the event, said the administrators’ statement was not enough and that GET-UP is calling on Gutmann to release a statement with concrete steps on how to protect students from their loss

JULIO SOSA | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

The “work-in” was planned as a rally where grad students would read and grade to demonstrate how important their work is to the University.

in income due to the tax plan. At the event, students could sign a petition to Gutmann that

NEWS Forbes recognizes notable Penn grads

NEWS Chelsea Manning visits Annenberg

PAGE 2

PAGE 3

puts these demands in writing. SEE TAX BILL PAGE 7

SEND NEWS TIPS TO NEWSTIP@THEDP.COM CONTACT US: 215-422-4640

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Forbes 30 Under 30 selects 26 Penn graduates Penn has the fifth-highest number of past winners KATIE STEELE Contributing Reporter

This year, 26 Penn graduates and one future Penn professor were selected for Forbes’ seventh annual 30 Under 30 lists. The lists take stock of 600 of the world’s “brightest young entrepreneurs, innovators, and game changers” in 20 different industries. This year, more than 15,000 people applied or were nominated for consideration, placing the “acceptance” rate at less than 4 percent. The 26 Penn alumni, along with Deep Jariwala — an Electrical and Systems Engineering assistant professor starting in January — placed into 14 of the 20 categories, missing out only on Arts & Style, Hollywood & Entertainment, Games, Manufacturing & Industry, Music, and Energy.

Jariwala, who was recognized in the Science category for his development of nanometer and atomic scale electrical devices, said that making the list has helped more people to understand the value of the work he’s doing. “Being published in Forbes, which reaches people outside of the science community, has brought more publicity to what I’m working on,” he said. Federal agencies and the United States Air Force have now contacted him about his research. Jariwala will be leading Penn’s Device Research and Engineering Laboratory in January 2018. According to Forbes’ analysis, Penn has produced the fifthhighest number of graduates on its lists. The top four colleges represented are Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Wharton School was the

most represented school among Penn’s honorees, with 16 Wharton graduates making the list, followed by the College of Arts and Sciences with nine graduates and the School of Engineering and Applied Science with seven. Yuja Chang, a second-year Wharton MBA student, was a 30 Under 30 finalist last year after he co-founded Aira, a service designed to help the visually impaired through wearable technology and remote assistants. Not only did Chang and one of his co-founders land a spot on Forbes’ 2018 Social Entrepreneurs list, but they were also included on the Big Money list, which is reserved for startups that have raised over $15 million in funding. Chang said the recognition from Forbes should help Aira to increase its user base as the company looks to start a new round of financing. “We’re in a [30 Under 30] Facebook group now and they

also have an annual summit that members can attend,” he said. “On top of that, they have this [database] like Wharton Connect, where you can see all the [30 Under 30 alumni], and you can reach out and request an introduction.” Penn had its strongest showings in the Marketing & Advertising and Venture Capital categories, with four graduates placing in each section. In the past, Forbes’ 30 Under 30 lists have been criticized for perceived underrepresentation of minorities and women. Penn’s honorees this year included 11 women and 16 men. Of the group, 12 were minorities and 15 were white. More generally, the Forbes’ 2018 lists included nearly 120 immigrants who came from more than 50 countries. Contributing reporter Ania Alberski and Design editor Julia Schorr contributed reporting to this article.

Penn Graduates by Category 2

Finance

Arts & Style

Consumer Technology Food & Drink

Retail & E-Commerce

Enterprise Technology

Education

Hollywood & Entertainment Games

Healthcare

1 1

Law & Policy

Manufacturing & Industry Marketing & Advertising

Media

Music

Energy

Science

1 1 1

Social Entrepreneurs Sports

Venture Capital

No Penn graduates in categories

Thanksgiving dinners held for students who stayed on campus Penn’s FGLI program planned these initiatives GIANNA FERRARIN Staff Reporter

While many Penn students visit their families or travel to new places for Thanksgiving every year, some stay on campus for reasons ranging from financial burdens to high workloads. This year, however, students who stayed on campus had a better opportunity to celebrate the holiday than they have previously. For the first time, the First-Generation, Low-Income Program at the Greenfield Intercultural Center introduced a new initiative for faculty members, alumni, and staff on campus to host students for meals during Thanksgiving break. This is an expansion of ongoing efforts by the GIC and Penn First to

provide meal options for students remaining on campus during break. College sophomore LaKeisha Henley attended a brunch at the GIC hosted by two staff members from the College of Liberal and Professional Studies. “The progress that has been made since last year has been good because last year there weren’t as many options,” Henley said. “Having the option to sign up to have dinner or lunch or brunch with a member of the faculty whatever on campus or off campus was really good. I think more things like that would be really beneficial for the future.” In addition to smaller meals with faculty members, some students also attended larger dinners at the Kelly Writers House, Platt Performing Arts House, and Harrison College House. Harrison hosts a large Thanks-

JOY LEE | NEWS PHOTO EDITOR

Some students who remained on campus over Thanksgiving attended meals at the Kelly Writers House and Platt Performing Arts House.

giving dinner with Penn First every year, but the dinner at Kelly Writers House this year was made possible by a $1,000 donation from a parent to Penn First to host the dinner. “It was really nice to work with the parent who wanted to be more

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involved,” said College sophomore Daniel Gonzalez, co-mentorship chair for Penn First, who said it was especially meaningful because the parent seemed to come from a FGLI background. “With her experience, she very

much sounded like someone who went through a lot of the similar struggles and life stories that my peers [and I] can relate to,” he said. On the two days leading up to Thanksgiving break, Gourmet Grocer also provided free packaged meals to low-income students who were identified as “high need.” Penn First Secretary and College junior Lyndsi Burcham said this system allowed FGLI students to receive help without having to personally identify themselves to administrators. Engineering sophomore Brandon Joel Gonzalez used this new program and said that, while he would have liked to be able to use his dining dollars over break, the service was helpful. “What’s nice is that they do have the program where you can get meals before Thanksgiving break,”

Brandon Joel Gonzalez said. “That helps out so you don’t have to buy a lot over those days.” He also said he would not have been able to prepare the meals if he didn’t have a kitchen, which was the case during his freshman year. The initiative to provide more meals for students on campus over breaks comes as the latest in a string of efforts from students and faculty to accommodate the needs of FGLI students. In October of last year, Penn established a designated center for FGLI students — the second of its kind among Ivy League universities. This year, the University has also worked to provide specialized study sessions and less expensive textbooks for FGLI students. Burcham and Daniel Gonzalez both said they were hopeful to see a similar meal arrangement made for the upcoming spring break in 2018.

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

NEWS 3

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

Speaking at Penn, Chelsea Manning says she has no regrets on leaking U.S. military documents The activist spoke to hundreds at Irvine Auditorium GIOVANNA PAZ Staff Reporter

Hundreds of Penn students and faculty members packed into the Annenberg Center’s Zellerbach Theatre on Nov. 29 to hear from Chelsea Manning, a controversial LGBTQ rights activist and former United States Army soldier sent to prison after releasing sensitive military documents to WikiLeaks. In 2011, Manning was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in military prison for her controversial decision to release United States military war logs — a total of 750,000 documents from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars that revealed human rights abuses. While incarcerated, Manning identified as a transgender woman and transitioned. Since then, and af-

ter her subsequent early release from prison this year, she has become an advocate for government transparency as well as queer and transgender rights. During the event “A Conversation with Chelsea Manning,” Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy at McGill University Gabriella Coleman moderated and prompted Manning with both theoretical and personal questions. The Annenberg School for Communication hosted the event with eight other sponsor groups, including the LGBT Center and the Political Science department. Manning said that despite being coerced into prison labor and dealing with few resources, she tried to dedicate her time to writing op-eds and learning about United States contract law as much as possible. Coleman also pointed out Manning’s Twitter account, which prompted a round of applause

from the audience. Manning, who began to use her Twitter in prison through outside help, now has 314,000 followers. Manning described her lifelong struggle of coming to terms with her gender identity but also discussed her decision to leak the documents. She ultimately ended the conversation with a final note on the need for government transparency. “Leaders, especially institutions, actually don’t understand the systems that are being developed underneath them,” Manning said. “They often will sometimes deliberately misunderstand in order to justify an act. They’ll pick and choose outputs from an algorithm to justify a decision they’ve already made.” Once Coleman opened the floor for questions, extended lines formed. The first audience member, who identified as a veteran, asked Manning to justify her controversial document

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leak and asked whether she had any regrets. Others probed Manning on various issues, from her anti-capitalist views to her thoughts on net neutrality and the gray area of government transparency. Manning responded by defending herself and saying she stood by all of her past decisions. A researcher in the fields of technology, hackers, and digital activism, Coleman expressed her admiration for Manning. “She’s very young and has a lot of energy and many different interests and is an outsider that connects different dots,” Coleman said. College sophomore Claudia Silver, who was already familiar with Manning’s work and her life story, reflected on hearing from someone whom she greatly admired. “With her experience in prison being trans, especially when the prison system is dedicated

PHOTO FROM ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION,

In May, the controversial activist who was sentenced to 35 years in prison, was released after serving just seven years behind bars

to keeping things underground and being under such extreme state control, I think she has a lot of amazing things to say,” Silver said. College sophomore John Mullan said that the event was not what he expected.

“I kind of expected it to be more about whistleblowing and the military and that line instead of her activism with trans issues,” Mullan said. “That wasn’t a bad thing. I learned more about the subject through that.”

OPINION

There’s no such thing as a “dream school” SIMONETTI SAYS SO | How Early Decision promotes false glorification of certain universities

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2017 VOL. CXXXIII, NO. 90 133rd Year of Publication CARTER COUDRIET President DAN SPINELLI Executive Editor LUCIEN WANG Print Director ALEX GRAVES Digital Director ALESSANDRO VAN DEN BRINK Opinion Editor REBECCA TAN Senior News Editor WILL SNOW Senior Sports Editor CHRIS MURACCA Design Editor CAMILLE RAPAY Design Editor JULIA SCHORR Design Editor LUCY FERRY Design Editor VIBHA KANNAN Enterprise Editor SARAH FORTINSKY News Editor MADELEINE LAMON News Editor ALLY JOHNSON Assignments Editor

In a few weeks, Penn’s early decision applicants for the Class of 2022 will receive their admissions decisions. Just last December, I anticipated my decision day, dreading the prospect of rejection or deferral. Like many applicants, I had worked up an image of Penn that felt perfect enough to justify the late hours I kept in high school, studying for tests and writing essays. At the time, it didn’t seem like there was any other college where I’d be happy. But while there are many unique aspects of Penn, I’ve come to find that I probably could have had a similar experience at other universities. Early Decision tends to stimulate anxiety amongst high school students. Each year, it appears that colleges receive record numbers of applicants, and acceptance rates hit alltime lows. Factors such as a student’s demonstrated interest, the smaller applicant pool size in Early Decision, and universities’ desire for high yield rates all increase early decision acceptance rates. For this reason, there can be a lot of pressure to apply early. Submitting an early decision

application has its benefits: higher acceptance rates, an early notification date, and potential evasion of writing other college applications. Still, students choosing schools to apply to early often adapt an unhealthy fixation on a given university which they see as their “dream school.” Since Early Decision is a binding agreement, applicants are essentially saying that the school they’ve applied to is their ideal college. Because these schools need to be “perfect” for applicants to apply early to them, students tend to glorify them — sometimes to an unhealthy degree. Whether one is applying early to Penn or any other college, it is important to recognize and try to avoid the false idealization of particular universities. While disappointing, rejection or deferral from one’s early decision school is not the end of the world; there is a place for everyone at other colleges. When I was applying to Penn, I became obsessed with the po-

tential to take advantage of creative opportunities on campus like the Kelly Writers House, paired with the pre-professional ideals of Wharton. Yet, I neglected to acknowledge that similar dynamics exist at other schools. For example, Johns Hopkins University has one of the best creative writing programs in the nation, as well as a large concentration of pre-medical students. Ultimately, my choice, and that of many others, to apply early to Penn was somewhat arbitrary.

During my first few months here, I read about and witnessed firsthand the mental health issues that plague Penn’s campus, wondering if I would be better off transferring to a different school, as it seemed that my friends at other universities were much happier. However, without discrediting or undermining Penn’s problems, it’s crucial to understand that they aren’t always specific to this campus. In discussing mental health on campus, we use the term “Penn Face” to describe the masking of one’s personal struggles, creating a false, unrealistic image of that person. But similar phenomena exist at other schools too. Stanford University describes the disingenuous appearances of others as “Duck Syndrome.” In other words, this isn’t just a Penn problem. College admissions is a nuanced topic that possesses many angles that demand attention. Early Decision, because it forces applicants to pick a “dream school,” is a perfect example of the false idealization that occurs

False idealization of any institution inevitably leads to disappointment; fixation on a certain school is useless.” The ennoblement of certain universities doesn’t just affect our perception of a school’s benefits, but also the problems it faces. Even after starting at Penn, I’ve continued to engage in the dangerous game of putting other colleges on a pedestal.

ISABELLA SIMONETTI when choosing and comparing schools. Although it may seem like dime-a-dozen advice, being granted admission to a particular university isn’t worth the excessive stress. Odds are, even if someone is admitted to their “dream school,” they’ll engage in mental gymnastics, questioning their decision to attend. False idealization of any institution inevitably leads to disappointment; fixation on a certain school is useless. Every university has benefits and drawbacks, and a lot of the time colleges are more similar than they are different. ISABELLA SIMONETTI is a College freshman from New York. Her email address is isim@sas.upenn.edu. “Simonetti Says So” usually appears every Tuesday.

YOSI WEITZMAN Sports Editor BREVIN FLEISCHER Sports Editor JONATHAN POLLACK Sports Editor

CARTOON

TOMMY ROTHMAN Sports Editor AMANDA GEISER Copy Editor HARRY TRUSTMAN Copy Editor ANDREW FISCHER Director of Web Development DYLAN REIM Social Media Editor ANANYA CHANDRA Photo Manager JOY LEE News Photo Editor ZACH SHELDON Sports Photo Editor LUCAS WEINER Video Producer JOYCE VARMA Podcast Editor BRANDON JOHNSON Business Manager MADDY OVERMOYER Advertising Manager SONIA KUMAR Analytics Manager SAMARA WYANT Circulation Manager HANNAH SHAKNOVICH Marketing Manager MEGHA AGARWAL Development Project Lead

THIS ISSUE KELLY HEINZERLING Deputy News Editor TOM NOWLAN Sports Associate MARC MARGOLIS Sports Associate

SIYIN HAN is a College senior from Birmingham, Ala. Her email address is siyinhan@sas.upenn.edu.

It’s time to talk about lowering the national debt

ANDREW ZHENG Sports Associate SAM HOLLAND Photo Associate AVALON MORELL Photo Associate ED ZHAO Design Associate GILLIAN DIEBOLD Design Associate GEORGIA RAY Design Associate ALANA SHUKOVSKY Design Associate ALEX RABIN Copy Associate RENATA HOLMANN Copy Associate WILL MURRAY Copy Associate ZOE BRACCIA Copy Associate SAM MITCHELL Copy Associate

LETTERS Have your own opinion? Send your letter to the editor or guest column to letters@thedp.com. Unsigned editorials appearing on this page represent the opinion of The Daily Pennsylvanian as determined by the majority of the Editorial Board. All other columns, letters and artwork represent the opinion of their authors and are not necessarily representative of the DP’s position.

THE OBJECTIVIST | The national debt is unsustainable and reform is necessary James Truslow Adams defined the American Dream in his book “Epic of America” as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” As college students, we are utilizing the main ladder of social mobility in today’s society. Additionally, we are told a narrative: work hard, go to college, and get a lucrative job in a fast-growing industry, and the American Dream will be yours. Yet with today’s looming and expanding national debt, this linear path to success seems all the more unlikely to materialize. As we millennials would say, “fat chance.” So what? The last time the United States was debt free was in 1835, and the United States is still a global superpower. Additionally, our current economy is doing fine; our GDP per capita is rising, GDP growth is at around 3 percent, and the current unemployment rate is at a 17-year low. However, to quote French economist Thomas Piketty, “the past tends to devour the future.” And with our government’s current spending habits, the United States’ fiscal future is comparable to a ticking time bomb. How bad is the situation now? The president signed a bill on Sept.

8 to raise the debt ceiling, a limit set by Congress on how much it can borrow in a given time, until Dec. 8 without spending cuts. Since then, the nation’s debt exceeded $20 trillion for the first time in our history. Furthermore, depending on who measures it, the United States fiscal gap (the extent to which the federal government’s liabilities exceed its revenues) ranges from $150 to $250 trillion. By 2047, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the average four-person family will have a reduced real income by $16,000, which represents a 4.4 percent loss in income as compared to stabilizing the debt. This, coupled with the crippling amounts of student debt many millennials face, contribute to increased personal economic uncertainty. All of this has three major consequences: foreign leaders will continue to own portions of the United States national debt, and the United States must constantly repay its debts; millennials (and likely Generation Xers, too), will not receive the same entitlement benefits as baby boomers; and we are electing people into office who do not accurately reflect

our nation’s — moreover, our generation’s — needs. First, as the federal government continues to borrow money, interest payments on the federal debt will continue to increase. In 2016, these payments constituted 1.4 percent of the United States per annum economic output according to the CBO, and in 10 years they are projected to constitute 3 percent of the nation’s economic output. It’s not like these interest payments are exclusively going back to Americans, as foreign entities own about one-fifth of the current United

more money or increase inflation, both of which add to an already huge problem. Second, we millennials, and likely Gen Xers, will not receive the entitlements baby boomers receive. The CBO reported that by 2033, all federal revenue will be put toward mandatory spending on Social Security, health care, and interest payments on the national debt. To meet the burden of paying for current entitlement programs, millennials can look forward to hugely increased tax rates, meaning we would sustain a program that would likely not pay back what we pay in. Overall, this reduced fiscal flexibility due to such large entitlement spending would reduce the government’s effectiveness in response to things like natural disasters, wars, and recessions. Third and finally, it is clear that we need to elect politicians — regardless of political party affiliation — that favor diligent, thorough reform of the tax code, entitlement programs, and Congress’ spending habits to reduce the national debt. For instance, we should prioritize lowering entitlement spending, particularly with regards to health

… with our government’s current spending habits, the United States’ fiscal future is comparable to a ticking time bomb.” States national debt. These interest payments are taking money away from other things, like education reform or government programs that actually help those in need, and flow into the pockets of foreign investors. And to pay investors, the United States could borrow even

JACQUELYN SUSSMAN care and the rising costs of Medicare and Medicaid, and raising the retirement age for Social Security. The “free stuff, more spending, higher taxes” mentality so popular among millennials is evidently not sustainable. When we vote, we must be cognizant that the officials we elect will promote policies that benefit ourselves in the long term. This should be neither a partisan nor philosophical issue. The question centers less on the role of government and more on how to sustain economic prosperity and reduce the national debt so the current situation does not become an inter-generational issue. We need to save our middle-aged selves from paying for the mistakes of today. JACQUELYN SUSSMAN is a College freshman from Westport, Conn. Her email address is jasuss@sas. upenn.edu. “The Objectivist” usually appears every other Wednesday.

Penn Dining really is “simple robbery” BRUTALLY HONEST | We shouldn’t have to pay for food we don’t want to eat

ALEX SILBERZWEIG

$750 could be saved per semester if not on the meal plan

CAMILLE RAPAY, CRYSTAL SUN, & JULIA KLAYMAN | DESIGN EDITOR & DESIGN ASSOCIATES

s the year winds down, we are left with finals to study for, memories to cherish, and extra meal swipes. A sunk cost like no other, the meal swipes will disappear into thin air come January. It will almost be like they never existed. What will you do about that? You have a few options. You could use all of your swipes and spend almost every living minute in a dining hall. You could convert your leftover swipes to dining dollars, which you could use at the Gourmet Grocer, Houston Hall, Beefsteak, Pret A Manger, or Tortas Frontera. The third option would be to let your swipes simply disappear. What will you do? Assuming you don’t want to waste an egregious amount of money, you might choose to convert them to dining dollars. You’ll be able to spend them at places other than cafeterias and choose exactly what you please. That’s a pretty sound solution, no? That’s where you’re wrong. While one swipe costs $15 on average, Bon Appetit, the company responsible for what you eat on campus, will allow you to convert each of your leftover swipes to just $4.87 in dining dollars. Freshmen have even cited this exchange rate as “simple robbery” just a few weeks ago in an online petition. They’re absolutely right. Simply put, first-year students should not have to pay such high prices for food plans that they will most likely not use to completion by the end of the semester. Changes, such as more affordable dining plans, increasing the exchange rate of

swipes to dining dollars, allowing swipes to carry over into the spring semester, or not requiring first-years to purchase meal plans, are necessary to ensure that we’re getting a fair return for our money. To put things in perspective, you would be able to buy approximately 292 Sweetgreen salads per semester with the total money you have to spend on your meal plan. A recent survey shows that students who stopped purchasing Penn meal plans saved approximately $750 per semester. With both greater affordability and more options, Penn students are better off not being burdened by the weight of a meal plan. How, then, does Bon Appetit give grounds for the expensive meal plans it offers? Pamela Lampitt, director of Penn Business Services says that Bon Appetit’s primary goals are to “promote community for students” and “to recognize that students have varied schedules and need flexibility and appreciate having a variety of options.” In other words, Bon Appetit claims that the meal plans bring us together during our meals and take our schedules into account. Such an assumption does not entirely function, since we can just as easily form meaningful friendships at places around, but off, campus at times of our choosing. While the University itself is responsible for making firstyears enroll in a meal plan, its justification for doing so is in a similar vein to Bon Appetit’s defense of its meal plans for first-years. Rob Nelson, executive director for education and

academic planning in the Provost’s Office, says that firstyears are required to enroll in a meal plan as a way to “provide opportunities for students in a college house to connect to one another” and that “dining together is a fundamental part of the Penn college house

fixed costs, such as union labor costs. It is worth noting that Bon Appetit, rather than the University itself, determines the Penn Dining staff’s wages. While about 30 percent of Bon Appetit’s costs go to food production, 44 percent of what we pay goes to labor costs. The

Though our food is an integral part of our college experience, the costs of eating should not tie us down and hinder us more than our tuition, housing, and work already do.” experience.” Are burdensome meal plans really so important to defining a college experience, though? I’d argue they shouldn’t be. According to Lampitt, a prominent reason for both the expensive meal plans and the low exchange rate from meal swipes to dining dollars is high

fact that the Penn Dining staff is unionized means that we likely cannot solve the problem of meal plan prices through reevaluating production costs. Bon Appetit justifies the low conversion rate by saying that it is “trying to factor an unpredictable cost into [their] overall budget.” In addition, “Penn

is one of only a handful of schools that offer this option,” so benchmarking this conversion rate with that at other universities was said to be a barrier. However, Lampitt also says that Bon Appetit “plans to review all aspects of the program, including revisiting the conversion rate, to determine how best to address both the concerns of our diners and the needs of the University.” What would be a viable way to lessen the perverse consequences of the outrageously expensive meal plans that firstyear students are obligated to purchase? If Bon Appetit continues to have a consistent consumer base of first-years, it should reduce the dining plans by roughly half the price for second-semester first-years who are more familiar with dining options outside of campus. Meal swipes should also carry over from the fall semester to the spring. Many freshmen end up having leftover swipes at the end of semesters. This essentially means that they have paid a lot of money for meals that they will never eat. And the only reason that firstyears purchase so many meal swipes in the first place is be-

cause they have to and even the dining option with the fewest swipes includes 135 swipes per semester. Freshmen should instead be allowed — similarly to transfer students, who have slightly more flexible but almost equally expensive meal plan options, — to choose a meal plan that only has dining dollars. This would both be more affordable and allow students to have more options for where they eat on campus, rather than just the dining halls. If Bon Appetit would rather keep meal plan prices as high as they currently are, it should work with restaurants around campus to have them accept dining dollars. Drexel University has adopted an agreement with many different businesses in University City, including Shake Shack and the Fresh Grocer, to allow its students to use Dragon Dollars, the equivalent of Penn’s dining dollars, to buy food at these businesses. This would benefit both Bon Appetit and businesses both small and large in the surrounding area. Tuition and housing already burden so many of us. Though our food is an integral part of our college experience, the costs of eating should not tie us down and hinder us more than our tuition, housing, and work already do. Why shouldn’t we try to lessen the impact of something that needn’t be so expensive and worrisome? ALEX SILBERZWEIG is a College sophomore from New York, studying mathematics and economics. Her email address is alexsil@sas.upenn. edu. “Brutally Honest” usually appears every other Tuesday.

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NEWS 7

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

How Penn responded to the Campus Conversation In the rooftop lounge of Harnwell College House on Nov. 28, Penn students gathered to visualize the last time they emotionally confided in someone. As students opened their eyes and gathered their thoughts, Isra Abuyounis, a social work intern at Pennâ€™s Counseling and Psychological Services, calmly asked, â€œHow did that feel?â€? One student said they felt emotionally vulnerable. Another said they were just relieved to have a brief moment of respite away from

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tive Officer did not adequately question inconsistencies in Roeâ€™s story. In Padovaâ€™s ruling, he cited Doeâ€™s original complaint, which stated that the office, led by Deborah Harley, did not obtain video recordings of the bar or of Doe and Roeâ€™s walk home. Padovaâ€™s ruling also found that the office did not interview the student who accompanied Roe to various administrative offices on campus. Andrew Miltenberg, a lawyer who specializes in Title IX issues, said sexual violence investigators at universities can influence hearing panels to reach a particular outcome by presenting the investigative reports in a certain way. â€œThe investigators tend to act as the gatekeeper of information for the panel, not the collector of information â€” either overemphasizing certain evidence that is inculpatory evidence, or deemphasizing or relegating to a footnote evidence that tends to be exculpatory,â€? he said. Doe, whose counsel Patricia Hamill declined to comment for this story, also alleged that Penn breached its obligation to properly train members of the hearing panel that tried his case. He pointed to a document called â€œSexual Misconduct Complaint: 17 Tips for Student Discipline Adjudicatorsâ€? that Penn uses to train hearing pan-

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University spokesperson Stephen McCarthy wrote in an emailed statement that Penn is â€œactively workingâ€? to address the concerns of graduate students. â€œWe continue to encourage students to contact their members of Congress to express their concerns about these proposals,â€? he added. Harding said she attended the work-in because, if the bill passes the Senate, she would experience a $5,000 tax increase that would make it very difficult for her to save money with her $31,000 stipend. She added that she was the oldest of 11 children and was hoping to save money to help her parents support her youngest siblings, who are

el members, alleging that the materials teach adjudicators to presume that the accused student is guilty. Doe cited the guideâ€™s warning that perpetrators may have â€œpositive attributes such as talent, charm, and maturity,â€? but that these qualities are â€œgenerally irrelevant to whether the respondent engaged in nonconsensual sexual activity,â€? and that a â€œtypical rapist operates within ordinary social conventions to identify and groom victims.â€? Matt Kaiser, a lawyer who has encountered similar guides in cases at other universities, said these guides can encourage panel members to assume the accused student is guilty, endangering the possibility of a fair outcome. A developer of the guide did not respond to requests for comment. Doeâ€™s third claim â€” that Penn discriminated against him because of his gender, violating Title IX â€” was grounded in what he saw as a process that was fundamentally unfair to accused students, who are typically male. But Daniela Nanau, a civil rights lawyer who has worked on campus sexual misconduct cases, said it is rare for university adjudication processes to actually be biased against men. â€œMost courts who have reviewed these cases have not sided with the students,â€? Nanau said. â€œTo demonstrate that a disciplinary process is infected by gender bias requires more

still in elementary school. â€œWorst case scenario, college is not an option for my sister [who is currently in first grade],â€? she said. English Ph.D. student Aaron Bartles-Swindells said he sought a graduate education in the United States instead of in his home country of Britain because the graduate studies programs offer tuition waivers and stipends. He believes that the tax plan will severely impact graduate students from low-income backgrounds. â€œMy mother works in the supermarket and my father is dead,â€? Bartles-Swindells said. â€œFor someone like me, itâ€™s impossible to imagine staying at Penn running-up debt or asking somebody at home for extra money.â€? Two other graduate student groups on campus sponsored

However, this list was not available on the Campaign for Community website or on other University platforms. College junior Niyathi Chakrapani, who organized the workshop at Harnwell, said she did not know that the workshop was associated with the campaign. She said the event received funding from Penn Wellness and the Harnwell College House fund, but not from other administrative departments. Penn President Amy Gutmann announced the Campaign for Wellness in a University-wide email as a direct follow-up to the â€œCampus Conversationâ€? held on Oct. 30. The discussion, which was held a month ago to address what Penn can do to foster resilience in the face

than just pointing to the outcome by a disgruntled student who doesnâ€™t like it.â€? Doeâ€™s case demonstrates larger issues within sexual assault adjudication processes In a 2017 report released by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education critiquing due process protection in disciplinary procedures at Americaâ€™s top universities, Pennâ€™s sexual misconduct policy received a failing grade of only 3 out of a possible 20 points for protecting due process. According to the report, Penn also does not include an explicit presumption of innocence for accused students. â€œWhat weâ€™ve seen in many institutions â€” the military, the church, universities, fraternities â€” is that the institution has some interest in protecting its own reputation,â€? said Cari Simon, a lawyer who specializes in school violence law. â€œ[This] can lead to that institution choosing to sweep sexual violence under the rug.â€? But for Felice Duffy, a lawyer who has defended students on both sides of sexual misconduct cases, protecting victims and allowing due process for respondents are not mutually exclusive. â€œThis is really about fairness and due process and being thorough, and I am a huge believer that sexual assault on college campuses is a problem,â€? Duffy said. â€œNo matter which side Iâ€™ve represented, this process hasnâ€™t been that great.â€?

rallies against the tax bill earlier in the day. The Graduate and Professional Student Assemblyâ€™s External Affairs Committee organized a â€œcall-inâ€? where they provided information and scripts for graduate students to call local representatives to express their opinions against the bill. The Graduate Student Center also held a similar call-in later in the day. But because the center is affiliated with Penn, a 501C3 nonprofit organization, the center is not allowed to express political opinions. Didem Uca, the GSC student fellow who organized the event, emphasized that the event is mainly to provide information for graduate students and to encourage them to voice any opinions about the bill to their representatives.

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of student deaths, natural disasters and political instability, consisted of a brief interview with Gutmann and Provost Wendell Pritchett, a panel with select faculty members, and small group discussions. At the end of the event, attendees were invited to submit â€œreflections and ideasâ€? on the back of the program booklet to â€œhelp guide followup conversations and planning.â€? In her follow-up email on Nov. 20, Gutmann said Penn had drawn on the feedback from the conversation to design more wellness programming in the college houses and Penn Recreation. Some of these initiatives have already started in the Quadrangle. Marilynne Diggs-Thompson, the Riepe house dean and a pro-

fessor of anthropology, said in an email that she decided to organize a CAPS-led mental wellness session for her student residents the night of the Campus Conversation. Diggs-Thompson also said that after the first wellness session, she reached out to a CAPS counselor regarding holding monthly sessions in the building. This month, Riepe has also hosted a â€œPositive Affirmationâ€? session, which was led by the student-run wellness group, Active Minds. This was another event that Charney listed as associated with the Campaign for Wellness. President of Active Minds and College junior Vivian Dai confirmed that the event was associated with the campaign.

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Tuition

whether the general fee will continue to grow in years after. College sophomore Diana Kafkes said that she felt most students were unaware of exactly what services their annual cost of attendance entitles them to. â€œIf Penn was more forthcoming about what exactly the money went to, that would justify what we were paying for.â€? Kafkes said. â€œI think itâ€™s kind of ridiculous that you have to be charged something extra.â€? Although Kafkes said she appreciates the fact that the mandatory fitness facilities charge is cheaper than an annual gym membership, she said she believes that many Penn students are not taking advantage of their access and are wasting their money. â€œIf it was something you could opt out of, I think the majority of Pennâ€™s population would opt out of paying that fee,â€? Kafkes added. In April, 2017 College graduate and Engineering masterâ€™s student Eric Tepper, a former member of the Undergraduate Assembly, said the University must respond to student frustration over the spike in tuition cost by better communicating its budgeting decisions to students. If not, students will not be able to

â€œWe felt that it was important to have students speak to people their own ages and have a more relational model of care,â€? Alaina Bailey, the Riepe house coordinator, said in an email. â€œIt creates a more holistic community.â€? Other college house administrators expressed a similar commitment to expand wellness programming. â€œAll of our Houses do various programs focused on the health and well-being of Penn students,â€? Ryan Keytack, the College Houses and Academic Services director of four-year houses and residential programs, said in an email. â€œThe Campus Conversation at Irvine reinforced the need for these types of programming options.â€?

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understand the changes that the administration makes. â€œ3.9 percent [increase in total undergraduate fees] isnâ€™t just a number they choose,â€? Tepper said at the time. â€œIt is well-thought-out, which is something that Bonnie [Gibson] and other administrators have communicated to [former UA President] Kat McKay and I, but is not communicated as often and as clearly to the rest of the student population.â€? Wharton freshman Rachel Kulik said she wished the University would return to its previous system of charging students a stand-

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alone recreation fee. However, she added that she supports the Universityâ€™s policy of requiring all students to pay for access to fitness centers. Kulik said that doing so sends a message that exercise is important for student health and well-being. â€œIâ€™m definitely more motivated to go since I know that I do have access to it,â€? Kulik said. â€œWeâ€™re already paying for a lot of services including Career Services, Student Health Service, [Counseling and Psychological Services] that not everyone uses with the same frequency, or at all.â€?

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their studies. The workshop called â€œHow to Listen to Your Friends,â€? which was led by CAPS, taught students how to be more mindful and receptive to peers who are struggling with mental strain. According to a statement from Leo Charney, the executive director of the Provostâ€™s Office, the event in Harnwell is one of a range of University-associated programs across Pennâ€™s campus. These programs have been organized as part of the new â€œCampaign for Wellness,â€? which operates under the Universityâ€™s Campaign for Community. In the statement, Charney listed more than 10 events associated with the campaign, either being held by CAPS in on-campus housing or student-run cultural groups.

Percent Change

The University promised more wellness events

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8 SPORTS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

Junior Olympian Li brings winning pedigree to Penn FENCING | Freshman has dominated international events

Li said with a smile. “My coach then told me to compete because I had potential.” In his first competition, at 9 years old, Li stared down the strip feeling nervous. After years of sweat and tears, he has found his place in fencing. Gracefully, with the flick of a wrist, he has left his competition in the dust. “My first competition was nerve-wracking. I didn’t know what to expect at all. All I wanted to do was win,” Li recalled. Flash forward to his 20152016 season, where Li became one of the most internationallyrenowned young fencers. At the beginning of that season he came in fifth in the Junior Olympic Fencing Championships, and things only got better from there. He began fencing in the younger age groups called the Cadet class, making it his goal to win the gold and move up the rankings. For the rest of the season, he made many top 10 appearances, and finished in the top 10 rankings five times in European competitions, two of which were first-place, gold medal runs. Finally, Li received his chance

STEPHEN TANNENBAUM Sports Reporter

Penn men’s fencing freshman Michael Li might be new to the Red and Blue, but he’s old to the sport. Li, the left-handed foil prodigy from California, is already showing signs of dominance on the strip. His most recent effort was at the National American Conference where he placed in the top 20 fencers for foil after falling 15-8 in a close match in the round of 32. A little bit of history: Li has been a fencer from the age of 8. His mother signed the Li brothers up for fencing after watching them sword fight with sticks for hours in the backyard pretending to be Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean. He was an immediate success and has continuously accomplished the goals he has set. “At the time when we started, it was all about fun and not really about competing with each other,”

to win the Junior Olympic Fencing Championships as a cadet. With a dominant performance, he claimed the gold and afterwards went to fence in the Cadet World Championships in Bourges, France where he again stole the show and finished in 8th place. That brings us to today; the previous No. 2 world-ranked Cadet foil fencer is ranked as the No. 3 ranked Cadet foil fencer in the US. He is currently attending Penn and is dividing his free time playing both for the Penn Quakers and the U.S. National Fencing Team. When it came to deciding where he wanted to go to college as a high school junior, he was impressed that Penn had one of the strongest men’s teams in the nation. Now, as a Quaker, he competes as the team’s premier freshman foil fencer with a record of 9-2. “Coach [Andy] Ma is one of the nicest coaches ever. He wants you to be the best fencer that you can possibly be. Fencing here at Penn helps me be a better fencer so I can then compete greater internationally,” Li said. Now his goals involve Ivy

COURTESY OF MICHAEL LI

Foil Michael Li, despite his youth, has the potential to become one of the best fencers in the Ivy League.

League championships, NCAA championships, and the prospect of fencing for the United States in the Summer Olympics. Li wants

to compete back at home in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. “It’s an amazing feeling to rep-

resent your country and compete on a global scale,” Li said. “I feel like I have the whole nation behind me.”

Football’s Watson, Miller up for Ivy League Player of the Year awards Wide receiver, linebacker up for offensive, defensive MVP YOSEF WEITZMAN Sports Editor

Penn football might not have won any trophies this season, but two players might be bringing home some hardware after all. On Tuesday, the Ivy League announced the finalists for its Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards. Senior wide receiver Justin Watson was named a finalist for the offensive award and junior linebacker Nick Miller was nominated for the defensive honor. Watson finished his collegiate football career with a record-breaking season for the Red and Blue. The Bridgeville, Pennsylvania native set an Ivy League record by hauling in a receiving touchdown in every game this season and also broke several other school records. His 286 career receptions, 3,777 receiving yards, and 33 career receiving touchdowns all rank first at Penn all-time. Miller’s 104 tackles this year were

more than any other Ivy player and the most for any Penn player since 1997. His four fumble recoveries were also tops in the conference and were tied for the most in the entire FCS. He also recorded two interceptions, bringing one all the way back for a touchdown. “This is a tremendous honor for Justin and Nick, and a wonderful representation of where we are as a program,” said coach Ray Priore in a Penn Athletics press release. “Both of these players provided big play after big play for our team this season and are undoubtedly among the best in the country at their positions. Whether it was game-winning touchdowns from Justin or momentum-flipping turnovers from Nick, they provided our team with countless huge plays and left an unforgettable mark on our fans this season.” The other offensive finalist is Princeton senior quarterback Chad Kanoff, and Yale senior linebacker Matthew Oplinger and Brown senior defensive end Richard Jarvis were both named as defensive finalists. All five finalists will meet in New York on December 4 for the award announcements at the Asa S. Bushnell Cup Presentation.

CHASE SUTTON | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

ZACH SHELDON | SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR

After strong Keystone Classic, wrestling takes to four dual meets

Quakers set to take on strong field at the Vassar Invitational this week

No. 21 Rider, Hofstra, The Citadel, and Campbell await

Talented Penn State squad among others to face Penn

VINCENT LUGRINE

REINA KERN

Sports Reporter

Associate Sports Editor

Penn wrestling has a busy weekend ahead of them, as the Quakers have four matches in three days. The Red and Blue welcome a No. 21 ranked Rider team (1-1) that is eager to continue its success after defeating Iowa State this past Sunday. For many Quakers, this is not the first meeting with Rider wrestlers, as seniors Joe Velliquette and May Bethea, at 157 pounds and 165 pounds respectively, wrestled their respective opponents, Rider’s B.J. Clagon and Chad Walsh, both NCAA AllAmericans, in this year’s Keystone Classic. “They have gone back and forth in their careers, Walsh got the better of their Keystone match-up and now May has the opportunity to avenge that loss at home,” Penn coach Roger Reina said. The dual meet format also presents a challenge for the youthful Quakers, as it is their first nontournament action this season. “In the upcoming dual meet, we will need all ten wrestlers to step up and be at their best,” Reina said. “That is what we’ve been emphasizing to the team thus far.” Reina has seen the immense strides his team has taken thus far through the season and looks to improve upon some of the mistakes he has seen through the first couple of tournaments.

After a deceptively short holiday break, Penn fencing prepares for its second tournament of the season: The Vassar Invitational. This weekend’s Vassar Invitational will be the Quakers’ first competition since nearly three weeks ago when seven fencers traveled to Kansas City, Mo. for the Junior North American Cup. Looking at this weekend’s bouts, both the men’s and women’s teams are preparing for the tough competition that is headed their way. “Penn State is going to be our strongest competitor. We fenced them last year and lost to them a couple of times and a few we definitely could have won. I think it’s important we pay attention to the seemingly easier bouts,” sophomore Sara Papp said. According to the NCAA Coaches’ Poll for the 2017 season, the Penn State women are fourth in the country behind Notre Dame, Columbia, and Princeton with a record of 27-8. The Penn State men’s team is sixth behind Columbia, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn, and Princeton. However, Penn fencing coach Andy Ma seems confident in his team’s ability to perform at the highest level despite the high level of competition and the Thanksgiving break period. “We started with a pretty good couple weeks where both men

GRIFF FITZSIMMONS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Senior Joe Velliquette and Penn wrestling will face familiar and nationally ranked opponents in Rider to open the dual meet slate.

“On Friday, it’s really a matter of executing on the areas that we have been concentrating on that we learned from in those opening two tournaments,” Reina emphasized. After their match with the No. 21 Broncs, the Quakers head to Hempstead, N.Y. on Sunday to face three unfamiliar opponents in The Citadel, Campbell, and Hofstra. Reina is especially interested to watch his team’s endurance, saying this weekend’s matches will serve as great preparation for the postseason tournaments. “We are ultimately preparing for the Eastern Championships and the NCAA Championships – those are events where we will need to compete day after day,” Reina said. The freshmen have played a fairly significant role in the Quakers’ success to this point in the season and three freshmen have solidified their spot in the starting lineup for this weekend’s matches.

Freshman Gianni Ghionne, who will wrestle at 133 pounds, returns from injury after missing the Keystone Classic, and will look to build momentum from placing at the opening tournament in Binghamton. Coach Reina is definitely excited for his return and upcoming matchup. “Gianni has a key matchup on Friday night and it will be a really important test and good challenge for him,” Reina said. “He has showed signs of really great promise, but he is going up against a more experienced competitor and he needs to be focused on dominating key positions to win that match.” Fellow freshmen Dan Planta, at 125 pounds, and Khamari Whimper, at 174 pounds, have also shown signs of brilliance early on. The Quakers will look to continue building momentum from the opening tournaments as they embark on this upcoming stretch of dual meets.

LIZZY MACHIELSE | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

Sophomore Sara Papp and the rest of Penn fencing will look for a strong return after going three weeks without competition.

and women went 4-1. The only team loss is Ohio State who got second place last year and is one of the best in the nation so we’ve had a pretty good start,” Ma said. Coach Ma is taking the necessary steps to ensure his athletes are successful this weekend, keeping in mind the few days of break where the team was not practicing together in a structured environment. Ma takes a tapering approach to the invitational, although it is only early in the season. “People have taken five days off so its important this week to train not too hard and not too easy. We need to warm up and stretch so that no one gets injured,” Ma said. Looking ahead, the squad

knows who it will have to beat to continue its solid start to their season. The men will compete with Penn State and NYU, while the women will square off against Penn State and Temple this weekend. Still, this is the program’s first time going to Vassar, so they don’t know exactly what to expect. “This is our first time going to the Vassar Invitational. It is pretty big competition, not huge. We will fence five teams: NYU, Penn State, Temple, NJIT, Sacred Heart and Vassar,” Ma explained. With the tournament’s opening match rapidly approaching, Penn fencing will be hard at work this week in preparation of taking on some of the very best teams in the country.

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

NOTT

>> BACKPAGE

Nott made sure to balance her studies with her commitments to the team. “I worked with my social work program to make sure I was at practice every day,” the former junior world team member said. “I started giving some private levels and continued coaching the team at all of their dual meets and NCAAs.” To improve on her coaching, Nott turned to some of her best coaches: a club coach, and one of her coaches from college. The two helped give the Notre Dame graduate “lessons on how to give lessons.” The most important part of giving a good lesson? “Pick one or two things to work on in a lesson, rather than trying to fix everything at once,” Nott said, recalling advice that her club coach gave. “My coach from Notre Dame pointed out that since we’re college coaches,

OFFSEASON >> BACKPAGE

it’s impossible to fly back for all the national tournaments,” Wong explained, “so I have to do way better than the rest in the international competitions.” Fencing for the national team presents the opportunity to travel all over the world to compete against fencers from other nations. Li has traveled to places such as Bangkok representing the US National Team and Wong will be leading the charge for Singapore to qualify for the Asian Games in Indonesia next year. For those representing their countries back home, the extra training and competition for international tournaments keeps them in top form for the collegiate season. Offseason or summer training can be the most crucial time to improve in any sport. Whether it’s improving a specific technique, improving fitness, or a combination of both, there are few times better than the summer. Fencing is no different. However, there is no one

we get students that are more developed technically. As a college coach you don’t want to change their style too much.” With Penn holding an impressive stable of foilists, such as junior Justin Yoo, sophomore Willie Upbin, and siblings John and Nicole Vaiani, Nott’s teachings will only fine-tune the skillsets the Quakers possess. What makes Nott stand out above other coaches is her ability to serve as both peer and mentor. She can empathize and tailor her advice to the rigor of elite NCAA fencing, which takes an otherwise individual sport and adds a team dynamic. Nott provides an additional resource to help newer squad members adjust to the shift in mindset. She just might be Penn’s secret weapon. And as for if she has plans with her SP2 degree? “Probably not,” Nott chuckled. “I feel like coaching is the best job I’ve ever had.”

“dominant” body type in fencing. In other words, everyone’s body is different, so everyone trains differently. “I pretty much train all year round,” Li explained. ”[I] fence in the summer, and I swim for cross training and I do a little bit of weight lifting.” “I went to lift twice a week [in the summer] and I would go running every morning,” Papp added. While running and cardio are common ways for fencers to train, that didn’t stop senior Pierre Aymerich from taking it to a whole new level. Aymerich runs marathons. This was not something he did on a whim. He vigorously trained and prepared his body for the grueling 26.2-mile trek that is a marathon. And he did it twice. “It’s something that I picked up from my dad,” Aymerich explained when asked how he got into distance running. “I started with smaller distances, like a 10k, then I decided to go the whole way.” Aymerich recently ran the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov. 19 and had previously run a

SPORTS 9

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

CAPTAINS

>> BACKPAGE

fore coming to Penn, he competed in club fencing and won the 2012 Hungarian Student Olympics Championship. Vaiani, who heads the foil team, began fencing competitively at the age of 13. “New Jersey and New York are two of the biggest places for fencing, so it was pretty easy for me to get into it,” the New Jersey native said. “I went to a small fencing club in Jersey and then switched to a bigger club in New York, until my time at Penn.” Vaiani also has a sister, Nicole, who is a sophomore on the women’s fencing squad. The third, and youngest, of the men’s captains is sophomore Connor Mills. Mills’ impetus for getting into fencing was watching his older cousin Michael, who fenced for Penn and won the 2013

NCAA Championship in sabre. "[Michael] really inspired me to go out and fence, too,” said Mills, also from New Jersey. Mills, a sabre captain himself, will look to build off of an impressive freshman season, in which he earned second-team All-Ivy honors. Both teams have acquired a lot of young talent over the summer, and the captains will undoubtedly make the transition into college play much smoother for the freshmen. In terms of expectations, an Ivy League championship is a central goal. The men’s team would make it three in a row if it were to win the conference again, while the women’s team is seeking its first Ivy championship since 2004. And while both teams are hungry for a conference championship, that is not the only objective in mind.

marathon in his home country of France on the Coast of Normandy on D-Day. “The course went right in front of my grandparents’ house,” Aymerich said with a smile, “so I could see them, they were just outside waving.” Aymerich acknowledged that he was slightly disappointed his time being “a little slow” in the Philadelphia marathon, but finishing a marathon is no small feat. Let alone two. He plans to continue running after his fencing career is over since he enjoys it and says it keeps him in good shape. But as great cardio as marathons may be, running too many can easily cause burnout. “I’m done with full marathons for this year,” Aymerich laughed. “I’ll wait a few years to get the craving back.” As members of the Red and Blue return from their respective countries, bringing with them a myriad of experiences from the summer months, it’s easy to imagine it creating more success for the program that has already seen so much success.

LIZZY MACHIELSE | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

Senior foil John Vaiani will be a captain for the third consecutive season as the team seeks a third straight Ivy League title.

"[The Ivy title] is the goal,” Unwalla said. “But we’re also looking to qualify as many as possible for the NCAA championship. Last year we qualified eleven [fencers], and we could potentially qualify up to twelve this year.” Mills echoed the same thought for the men’s team.

“This year’s gonna be the year where we qualify a full team [for the NCAA championship].” The Quakers will go as far as these leaders will take them, and judging by the captains’ confidence and desire, the Red and Blue could go further than ever before.

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FENCING Issue THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017 VOL. CXXXIII NO. 90

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

International tournaments, marathons and more: how fencers spend their offseason CARTER THOMPSON Associate Sports Editor

It is no mystery that fencing is an international sport – it is only one of five sports that has been played at every modern Olympic Games. Penn fencing reflects this international presence, boasting a roster comprised of fencers from all over the globe.

With so many different countries represented, there are a great deal of experiences that make up the squad. Some members of the Red and Blue don the colors of their home country in the summer months. Sara Papp of Hungary, Nicole Wong of Singapore, and Michael Li of the United States are just a few of the Quakers who have had the honor of representing their national team. “It’s really nice to represent your country,” Wong said. “I’m the oldest [on my team], which is crazy because I’m under 20 years old.” The process of national team qualification dif-

FOUNDED 1885

fers by country, but most simply, fencers compete in tournaments and try to earn points toward their national ranking, and if it’s high enough, they are selected for their national team. However, since the NCAA limits when fencers can compete outside of the university they represent, international fencers are limited in their opportunities to obtain national ranking points. Both Papp and Wong acknowledged the large challenge this presents. “Since we’re not in our own country anymore, SEE OFFSEASON PAGE 9

LOUISE LU & CAMILLE RAPAY | DESIGN ASSOCIATE & DESIGN EDITOR

Penn’s new assistant coach — and potential secret weapon

Quakers’ captains ready to lead the team to Ivy League hardware

Former Notre Dame, USA fencer Adi Nott joins the team

Senior Vaiani, junior Umwalla provide steady leadership

MOSES NSEREKO

DANNY CHIARODIT

Sports Reporter

It’s often said that those who can’t do, teach. But Penn fencing assistant coach Adi Nott’s incredible résumé as a fencer would suggest otherwise. Nott is currently entering her second year as a full-time assistant coach for the Red and Blue’s fencing program. While Nott will be one of the first to admit that the pairing is a match made in heaven, how the partnership came to be is quite remarkable in itself. Nott’s collegiate fencing pedigree is no less than stellar. A member of Notre Dame’s class of 2009, Nott competed for the Fighting Irish as a foilist. She served as squad captain for her team, and was a four-time All-American, three of those honors being first-team distinctions. In 2008, she finished in fourth place in the women’s foil division at the NCAA Collegiate Fencing Championships. And one cannot overlook her success at the national level. The Pittsford, N.Y. native has previously served on the U.S. Junior National Team, and the Junior World Championship Team (2006). In 2011, she made the US Women’s Foil team. ESPN Magazine listed Nott among their recognized

Every championship team needs strong leaders. Penn men’s and women’s fencing have aspirations for an Ivy League Championship, and they have the leadership to back it up, with the team captains at the forefront. For women’s squad, all three captains are new to that role. Junior Simone Unwalla is the captain of the foil team, senior Stephanie Wolf is the epee leader, and junior Kathryn Khaw heads the sabre unit. All three have unique stories of their introduction to the sport. Khaw, for one, got started in the summer of seventh grade, when she attended a fencing camp at her local high school in Plainsboro, N.J.. From there, Khaw joined a local fencing club, where she met current Penn coach Andy Ma, who was in charge of the club. Their relationship strengthened over the years, ultimately leading to Ma’s recruitment of Khaw to the Penn team. Wolf began fencing at her Boston high school after having no experience in the sport prior to her ninth grade year. “I wasn’t interested in joining any of the other main-

PHOTO BY PENN ATHLETICS

Assistant coach Adi Nott knows collegiate fencing inside and out. Now, the second-year coach gets to teach the Quakers.

CoSIDA Academic All-American athletes in her junior year at Notre Dame. With her extensive list of accomplishments, it may be surprising to learn that it was graduate school that helped lead Nott to her current role with the Quakers. “I started with Penn about four years ago. I was a graduate student at SP2 (School of Social Policy & Practice),” the fourtime All-American said. “I was working out on the stairs and I ran into coach [Andy] Ma. He basically was like, ‘why don’t you come in and volunteer?’” And that’s exactly what she did. Following Ma’s invitation,

Nott began volunteering with the fencing program during her time at Penn. A couple of years ago, she graduated with a Master of Social Work degree. Upon graduation, Ma offered Nott a full-time job with the program. In that same season, the men’s fencing squad secured its second straight team Ivy title. Nott has gradually increased her involvement in the fencing program. She first participated in practices a couple of times a week. Eventually, her involvement grew to traveling with the team and strip coaching for the team. As her involvement grew, SEE NOTT PAGE 9

LIZZY MACHIELSE | ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

Foil Simone Unwalla took an unusual path to fencing, but now finds herself a captain of the Quakers in only her junior year.

stream sports,” Wolf said. “Fencing was another [sport] that was offered, and I picked it up and have pursued it from then on.” Perhaps the most interesting story, however, is that of Unwalla. The junior captain is from Virginia, a state in which fencing is not nearly as popular as in the New England region. But that didn’t stop her from getting involved with the sport. “I started when I was ten,” Unwalla said. “I saw [fencing] in a movie and asked my parents if I could start, and I joined a private club in Virginia.”

Once high school rolled around for Unwalla, she was not able to compete at the high school level, since fencing was not offered. However, she began competing nationally and internationally until finally looking at colleges for fencing. From there, the rest is history. The men’s captains come into the season with more experience in their roles. Both Zsombor Garzo and John Vaiani are seniors in their third year as team captains. Garzo, the epee captain, is from Hungary and went to high school in Budapest. BeSEE CAPTAINS PAGE 9

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