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

PHILADELPHIA, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023

VOL. CXXXIX

Penn Band suspends student protesters

NO. 1

DOJ finds Biden’s classified documents in Penn center The president’s special counsel wrote to the DP that the materials from his vice presidency were found while preparing to “vacate office space” VIDYA PANDIARAJU Staff Reporter

their actions. Since then, Mahmud and Francis told The Daily Pennsylvanian that they received separate — but identical — communication on Dec. 19, noting that they have been suspended from Penn Band until January 2024 and have been barred from traveling with the band or holding leadership positions in the group

The Department of Justice is reviewing classified documents that were found at Penn’s Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, a University think tank based in Washington, D.C. Attorney General Merrick Garland called into review around 10 documents from President Joe Biden’s term as vice president, CBS News reported Monday. The documents — which were found in Biden’s office in the center — were discovered on Nov. 2 by Biden’s personal attorneys before being turned into the National Archives and Records Administration, according to a statement from the White House. Richard Sauber, who serves as Biden's special counsel, wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian in a statement that the materials were found on Nov. 2 while preparing to "vacate office space" belonging to Biden in the center. The contents of the classified documents, as well as their level of classification, remain unknown — though CBS News reported that they are not nuclear secrets. The classified materials consisted of documents on foreign countries, including on Ukraine, Iran, and the United Kingdom, though the majority of discovered items contained Biden family documents, CNN reported. University spokesperson Ron Ozio referred the DP to the National Archives and the White House in response to a request for comment. The National Archives declined to comment, and the Penn Biden Center did not respond to an inquiry by the time of publication. The Presidential Records Act requires federal officeholders to turn over legal documents as well as classified records at the end of their government service, according to CBS News. It is unclear why the records remained in a private facility after former President Barack Obama’s term. Sauber wrote in his statement that "[the] President periodically used [the Penn Biden Center] from mid-2017 until the start of the 2020 campaign.” He wrote that the White House has cooperated with the National Archives and the Department of Justice since the documents were discovered. He added that the documents were found by the president’s attorneys, and that they have cooperated with the National Archives and Department of Justice to make sure that all Obama-Biden

See BAND, page 3

See BIDEN, page 6

PHOTO BY JESSE ZHANG

Protesters outside Penn Police station on Oct. 22.

Fossil Free Penn activists allege University involvement in Band’s disciplinary process SOPHIA LEUNG Staff Reporter

Students in Penn Band who participated in the Fossil Free Penn Homecoming weekend protests have since been suspended from participation in the band until January 2024. College sophomore Sabirah Mahmud and College junior Katie Francis were among nearly 75 students who participated in Fossil Free Penn’s protest on Oct. 22, which interrupted Penn’s Homecoming football game against Yale. The protest delayed the game for over an hour and resulted in the arrests of 19

demonstrators. Although Mahmud said that she and Francis made sure to remove their Penn Band attire before running onto the field, the two students were told in an email from their band director on Oct. 24 that their membership status was “under review.” Mahmud said Penn Band Director Greer Cheesman informed the students in another email on Nov. 9 that they had breached the band’s constitution by failing to properly uphold the reputation of the University through

Five takeaways from the DP’s exclusive interview with Magill Nearly a year after her nomination, the Penn president discussed climate efforts and the University’s relationship with West Philadelphia SARA FORASTIERI Senior Reporter

Liz Magill was nominated as Penn's ninth president on Jan. 13. One year later, The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with Magill on Jan. 9 to discuss her presidency so far, including getting to know Penn and Philadelphia, her aspirations for the future, and ongoing initiatives that she hopes to highlight as she enters the second semester of her tenure. Magill talked about both personal and professional memories from the past year as well as issues such as climate change, Penn's relationship with the West Philadelphia community, and the search for new administrators. Magill also discussed her challenges and goals as president and for the Penn community as the University's first new leader in 18 years. "From afar and thinking about this job and having an opportunity to have this job, I kind of had this hypothesis that this was the most exciting presidency in the United States, at a higher education institution. I would say that that hypothesis has been really valuable," Magill said. Below are five main takeaways from Magill's 25minute interview with the DP:

1. Working towards a set of University priorities While her time as president began in July, Magill was formally inaugurated in October. In the week before her inauguration, Magill announced the Red and Blue Advisory Committee as an effort to determine the University's priorities for the next century. Magill told the DP that the Red and Blue Advisory Committee is still in engagement stages and will hold forums in the next few weeks. She added that she regularly meets with the chair of the committee, Annenberg School for Communication Dean John Jackson. The committee — which consists of 15 members including professors, administrators, and students — is dedicated to enhancing the institution and its participation in the community around it. 2. Continuing efforts to become a carbon-zero University In response to a question about her focus on climate in her inauguration speech, Magill See MAGILL, page 6

PHOTO BY JESSE ZHANG

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