THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2023
VOL. CXXXIX
NO. 5
‘I want equal because I serve equal’
PHOTOS BY ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL
Workers at Falk Dining Hall on Feb. 6. Liondell Pratt, Troy Harris, and Elijah Wingate (pictured in the top photo), among others, told the DP that they want access to University amenities.
Hillel dining staff allege poor treatment from University, push for greater integration within Penn IMRAN SIDDIQUI AND BERNADINE KUMI Senior Reporter and Contributing Reporter
Workers in Falk Dining Commons in Steinhardt Hall come in to work each day ready to serve students at Penn Hillel, but — behind the scenes — they say their dedication is taken for granted. These dining workers, who have worked at Penn for
decades, told The Daily Pennsylvanian that they want the University to fully integrate them into Penn Dining. Unlike other dining halls at the University, Falk workers are not directly hired by Penn. Rather, they are employed by Bon Appétit Management Company.
See HILLEL, page 3
Over 700 upperclassmen placed on waitlist for oncampus housing Penn annouced changes to the college housing system that have affected next year’s capacity CASSIDEE JACKSON AND YASH RAJPAL Staff Reporters PHOTO BY ABHIRAM JUVVADI
A mural for Black History Month on the first floor of ARCH on Feb. 7.
Penn community celebrates Black History Month with Universitywide collaborations Student groups and University Life are hosting events recognizing Black History Month SEJAL SANGANI Staff Reporter
Student groups, cultural centers, and other organizations around campus have planned events to commemorate Black History Month. UMOJA, Makuu: The Black Cultural Center, and the African American Resource Center, among others, have planned events ranging from speaker series and panels to musical performances and shared meals for the month. SEND STORY IDEAS TO NEWSTIP@THEDP.COM
Makuu started its festivities with a kickoff lunch and will continue its programming throughout the entire month, culminating in a closing dinner on Feb. 28. In the coming weeks, Makuu — which is collaborating with Platt Performing Arts House, La Casa Latina, and Penn Alumni Relations — will host a See MONTH, page 3
As of Jan. 30, 720 rising juniors and seniors are on Penn Residential Services’ waitlist for on-campus housing for the 2023-24 school year. Many students who applied for on campus for next year initially received emails on Dec. 1 from Penn Residential Services notifying them that they had been placed on the housing waitlist. Penn Residential Services randomly selected students on the waitlist to provide on-campus housing assignments for the next school year, given that the number of applicants exceeded the allocated number of spots for upperclassmen. With a large part of the Quad preparing to be closed for renovations, Penn Residential Services shifted both Van Pelt Manor in Gregory College House and Lauder College House to first-yearonly housing next year. Penn Residential Services also leased out the Radian to accommodate upperclassmen beginning in August 2023. In an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, Assistant Director of Housing Occupancy Scott Hammell declined to speculate on how the size of this year's waitlist was impacted by Penn's leasing of the Radian. “Talking to students, we were asked about the
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Radian a lot," Hammell said. "Whether or not it has caused more applications is to be determined." Students on the housing waitlist told the DP that the situation has increased stress due to its random nature, with students being told of their placement on the list. “We — those on the waitlist — are sort of left with not a lot of options,” College sophomore Nora Youn said. A College sophomore, who was granted anonymity because of fear of retaliation from the University, said that being placed on the bottom third of the waitlist is particularly difficult as a first-generation, low-income student and as a disabled student: “I’m having to resort to fighting with housing and financial aid so that I know where to live, instead of studying for my classes.” Students who submitted the rising junior and senior room selection application in November were randomly divided into two groups — one for students who would be placed on the waitlist and one for “active” students who will be given housing. Penn Residential Services randomly assigned “active” students — which include all rising sophomores — point values based on factors such as their class year and other circumstances that account for changes in housing policy. Rising seniors will be given 300 points, rising juniors will be given 200 points, and younger students will be given 100 points. Students living in houses that are being transitioned to first-year-only housing for the 2023-24 school year are given 10 extra points. Penn Residential Services randomly selected students to remove from the waitlist based on how many "active" students failed to fill out their housing preferences on the Room Selection application by Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. If students are not taken off the waitlist, Associate Director of Housing Occupancy Katie Musar said they can contact Penn Off-Campus Services for support. “Don’t panic, but be realistic and take advantage of the resources we have through our office of off-campus services," Musar said. "There’s housing all around." CONTACT US: 215-422-4640