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INSIDE: QUAKER DAYS GUIDE

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885

PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2024

VOL. CXL

NO. 11

CLOUDY BUT CAPTIVATING IN PHOTOS: SOLAR ECLIPSE AT PENN, page 7 DEREK WONG | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

For first time in 20 years, College may change curriculum structure

EMILY PARK Staff Reporter

JACKSON FORD | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Sector 1: Society Sector 2: History & Tradition Sector 3: Arts & Letters Sector 4: Humanities & Social Science Sector 5: The Living World Sector 6: The Physical World Sector 7: Natural Sciences Across Disciplines

Wharton sophomore Michelle Chen (left) and College junior Ria Ellendula (right).

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Amaan Omer, Vedika Jawa, and Steven Li were elected as the presidents of the 2025, 2026, and 2027 class boards, respectively

College junior Ria Ellendula and Wharton sophomore Michelle Chen will serve as the Undergraduate Assembly’s next president and vice president. The Nominations and Elections Committee announced the results on Wednesday, April 10 at 8:56 p.m. after voting closed on Tuesday, April 9 at 11:59 p.m. Ellendula was elected president by a vote of 830 to 694 over College junior Hannah Liu, and Chen was elected vice president by a vote of 876 to 603 over College junior Mackenzie Sleeman. This spring’s election also decided leaders for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 Class Boards. The total amount of votes cast in the presidential election was 1,524, an increase from last year’s total of 1,280. Nominations and Elections Committee Chair Yousef Elyoussef told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the voter turnout was the highest since before the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that approximately 24% of Penn’s campus voted or opened the ballot, a 5% increase from last year’s tally of 19% — a fact which he described as “awesome.” Ellendula, the president-elect, and Chen, the vice-president-elect, ran on a platform — ”An Intentional Penn” — structured around diversity and equity, academic initiatives, inclusion, and student wellness. During the campaign, Ellendula spoke about her love of advocacy. She added that her platform aims to bring “high impact solutions” to students. In an interview with the DP, she expressed excitement in being elected as president, citing her positive experience in the UA so far. “I feel like being involved in student government has been such a fulfilling experience and has been the channel through which I can pursue my love for advocacy,” Ellendula said. “I’m really honored and blessed to have been elected as president, and hope that I can do as much justice to the position as I can in the upcoming year.” Ellendula also expressed hope that her initiatives as president would help build community and improve students’ experiences. “I hope that we can continue to foster community within the UA and that we can continue to encourage

The value of a liberal arts degree Throughout the past academic year — as Penn was swept up in political scrutiny and

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Ria Ellendula, Michelle Chen elected Undergraduate Assembly president, vice president

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Associate Dean and Director of Academic Affairs for the College Molly McGlone said. “If we go back 25 years, history and English were the biggest majors in the College, and not anymore.” Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Paul Sniegowski also said he has noticed a decline in liberal arts appreciation. “What has happened in the last two, three decades is that what used to be a kind of assumption that the liberal arts are extraordinarily valuable has kind of been more and more questioned,” he said.

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For the first time in 18 years, faculty and changes could impact the sector and foundation administrators in Penn’s College of Arts and requirements, the number of credits in each Sciences are beginning to consider extensive major, and the College’s mission statement. changes to the College curriculum. The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with adminStanding faculty last revised the curriculum istrators, professors, and students about what in 2005, creating the t hese cha nges may cur rent framework of look like and how they sectors and foundational ref lect the value of a approaches that remains liberal arts education I don’t think that there has been in place today. at Penn. a whole scale look at the majors “The purpose of the in the way that we’re talking major is clear: it proThe decline of the about doing it now. vides a n intellectua l liberal arts ‘home base,’ and a perLibera l a r ts pro spective from which to gra ms have seen a MOLLY MCGLONE understa nd, cr iticize, decrease in student enAssociate Dean and Director of Academic Affairs for the College engage with and imrollment and funding prove the world,” the at large public schools 2005 announcement from former College Dean and small liberal arts colleges alike. This pheDennis DeTurck reads. “But in order to do so nomenon is happening at Penn. constructively, our students must also appreciSince 2003, the University has seen a decline ate the importance and relevance of fields in in the number of students graduating with dewhich they have not developed particular ex- grees in the humanities and the social sciences pertise.” as well as a simultaneous rise in the number of The College is now in the process of review- students graduating with degrees in natural sciing the curriculum on a large scale for the first ences. time since this announcement — though the “One thing that we are all super aware of is timeline for implementing any changes remains that the humanities majors are just tanking,” unclear, and the school continues to consisSee CURRICULUM, page 3 tently review its academic framework. Potential

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ETHAN YOUNG Staff Reporter

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Potential changes relate to sector and foundation requirements, the number of credits in each major, and the College’s mission statement

Penn Fund donations down 21% from last year amid leadership crisis, donor backlash The Daily Pennsylvanian found that the Penn Fund was closer to meeting its fundraising goals at this time last year MAX ANNUNZIATA Staff Reporter

The Penn Fund has received less money from fewer donors in 2024 than in any year since at least 2020. The Daily Pennsylvanian found that Penn was closer to meeting the fundraising goals outlined on the Penn Fund website at this time last year. As of April 3, donations were down 21% compared to last year. The University has until the end of the fiscal year on June 1 to meet fundraising goals. “We are grateful for the generous support of our donors, who share our passion for and commitment to Penn,” a University spokesperson wrote to the DP. “As the University’s fiscal year has not yet concluded, it is too early to share results or trends at this time.” See DONATIONS, page 3