THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2025
VOL. CXLI
NIH funding indirect cost cuts leave Penn researchers, faculty in state of ‘chaos’
EAGLES FLY TO VICTORY
NO. 5
Penn introduces changes to University discrimination policies, removes term ‘diversity’
Despite a temporary halt to the policy after Penn and 12 other universities sued the NIH, researchers say the future of their work remains uncertain
The changes include the renaming of several statements, offices, and policies and the elimination of terms, including ‘diversity’
JASMINE NI AND ISHA CHITIRALA News Editor and Senior Reporter
ETHAN YOUNG AND ANVI SEHGAL News Editor and Staff Reporter
On Feb. 7, the National Institutes of Health implemented a funding cut that would cost Penn $240 million. While a judge temporarily halted the changes following a lawsuit brought by Penn and 12 other universities against the NIH, University researchers say the future of their work remains uncertain. The Feb. 10 lawsuit alleged that the funding cut, a 15% cap on indirect costs — which provide funding for overhead research costs such as lab spaces and support staff — was a “flagrantly unlawful action” that would “devastate medical research at America’s universities.” Penn medical practitioners and researchers expressed similar sentiments and warned of severe consequences for the future of the University’s research programs. “Besides its devastating impact on medical research and training, the proposed actions run afoul of the longstanding regulatory frameworks governing federal grants and foundational principles of administrative law,” the Association of American Universities wrote in a press release announcing the lawsuit. “This action is ill-conceived and self-defeating for both America’s patients and their families as well as the nation as a whole.” A University spokesperson wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian that Penn is currently “exploring all legal options available” to “address the
Penn divisions and departments have removed online references to longstanding Universitywide nondiscrimination and affirmative action policies from their respective websites throughout the week. The changes follow an executive order from 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump that requires federally funded universities such as Penn to terminate any diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that could be in violation of federal civil rights laws. While Penn has championed its commitment to DEI in recent years, the changes marked significant steps in backpedaling such initiatives. A University spokesperson wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian that Penn is “reviewing websites and programs to ensure they are consistent with our nondiscrimination policies and federal law.” Among the changes was the renaming of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs to the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs. In a note prefacing the new policies, Interim Penn President Larry Jameson, Provost John Jackson Jr., and other senior administrators wrote that the revised policies come as a “result” of Trump’s executive orders. “The new policy and statement, which appear below, ref lect Penn’s long-standing commitment to values of excellence, freedom of inquiry
See NIH, page 2
JEAN PARK | MULTIMEDIA EDITOR NEEMA BADDAM AND WALKER CARNATHAN Assignments Editor and Former Sports Editor
The City of Brotherly Love is a city of champions once again. On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX, avenging their championship loss in 2023 and
giving the franchise its second Super Bowl title. To celebrate, Penn has suspended normal University operations on Friday, Feb. 14 for the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory parade. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts took home the
See DIVERSITY, page 7
See EAGLES, page 8
As Mason on Chestnut faces new code violations, owners allege plan to turn it into homeless shelter The recent issues bring the building to a total of 131 code violations in recent years. City officials told The Daily Pennsylvanian that they have no knowledge of the redevelopment plans ISAAC POLLOCK Staff Reporter
As the Mason on Chestnut, an off-campus residence near Penn’s campus, faces another round of city code violations, its owners allege the building will be converted into a homeless shelter — a plan city officials say they are unaware of. According to a Jan. 15 notice from the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections, the Mason received 19 code violations after a Jan. 13 inspection of the property, bringing the total number of violations in the building’s history to 131. The
citations are the latest in a long series of problems the property has faced in recent months, including a flood on June 10, 2024 and a subsequent Cease Operations Order a day later. The most recent citations include unmaintained fire alarm systems, combustible materials stored underneath bleachers in the gym, and fire extinguishers that were improperly mounted throughout the property. The Department of Licenses and Inspections wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that
ABHIRAM JUVVADI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The Mason on Chestnut is an off-campus residence at 37th and Chestnut streets.
the building has until Feb. 14 to appeal or correct the violations. A spokesperson for CSC — the development company that currently owns the Mason — told the DP that the property is addressing code noncompliance issues “one by one.” In addition to CSC’s alleged plans to convert the Mason into a homeless shelter, the group also announced plans in June 2024 to construct a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility on the lot directly behind the Mason. Current plans for the building include a total bed count between 150 and 250, though the number is not finalized. The status of the drug rehab center remains unknown. “This is a critical step in addressing Philadelphia’s homelessness crisis, providing long-term, stable housing and essential support services for those in need,” the CSC spokesperson said about plans for the homeless shelter. “This project is not just about shelter — it’s about restoring dignity, rebuilding lives, and setting a new national standard for urban redevelopment and social impact. This project will transform University City into a saving grace for the entire city of Philadelphia at once.” The Department of Licenses and Inspections said it was “unable to confirm” the plans for the homeless shelter and the Philadelphia Housing Authority — which CSC said the Mason was partnering with — wrote in a statement to the DP that the PHA “is not involved in this development.” The City of Philadelphia also wrote to the DP that it “[doesn’t] have any information” on the plans. “We understand that some current residents may have concerns about how this conversion will affect them,” the CSC spokesperson wrote. “We
are committed to ensuring a structured and wellplanned transition process. No one will be displaced without an alternative solution in place, and we are actively working with housing agencies and community partners to provide relocation assistance and support.” This summer, following an eight-day shutdown after a Cease Operations Order, CSC founder Sal Smeke wrote to the DP that “[CSC’s] only focus right now is the drug and alcohol tower, which we are breaking ground [on] at the end of the year and spending over $300 million building it.” However, these potential plans come as residents of the Mason voice concerns about tenant safety, building mismanagement, and lease security — and amid claims that the building has between 15 and 40 current residents despite being zoned for over 400 units. CSC declined to provide clarification on the residents’ allegations. A spokesperson for Redstone Residential — the building’s most recent management company — wrote in a statement to the DP that they no longer manage the Mason and “officially parted ways” with CSC in November 2024. “Many of the specific concerns you referenced occurred outside of our management period or involved operational decisions made at the ownership level. As such, we are unable to provide direct responses to these,” the spokesperson wrote. A request for comment was left with Philadelphia management company Madison Parke, which — according to a former resident — now manages the property. The Mason flooded in June 2024, forcing residents to evacuate the building. A May 29, 2024 email exchange between a Mason maintenance staff member and the regional property manager shows the manager was warned that the water system for heating and cooling in the building was “one of the main structural issues that the building has.” The staff member stated years of use “causes the pipes to break, fracture, and burst.” According to former Mason resident Joshua Kulda, the building’s management disregarded the See MASON, page 2
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