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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885 VOL. CXXXIX

PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2023

NO. 9

RAs file for union

United RAs at Penn wrote that RAs are “consistently undervalued and unpaid” JONAH MILLER Senior Reporter PHOTO BY ABHIRAM JUVVADI

A supermajority of Penn residential advisors and graduate resident associates filed to unionize on Tuesday. The RAs and GRAs have filed for official recognition with the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 153 and the National Labor Relations Board. A letter from OPEIU Local 153 was sent to Penn President Liz Magill to announce their formation as a union and request voluntary recognition

from the University. College junior and Rodin College House RA Mica Lin-Alves told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the group's central grievances center around the limitations of the meal plan, discouraged employment for first-generation, low-income students, and tasks that fall outside RAs’ job description. Lin-Alves said that these issues would not be official union demands until the group reaches the collective bargaining phase

of organizing. "RAs are integral to campus life but are consistently undervalued and unpaid," United RAs at Penn wrote in a press release. "RAs are organizing for increased and fair compensation, better communication, and a more democratic workplace — when RAs are supported, so is the entire Penn community." The press release also directed supporters to send a letter via Action Network asking Penn

leadership to not engage in anti-union campaigns against the RAs and GAs. As of 11 a.m. on Wednesday, over 640 letters had been sent. "Penn is a university that prides itself on civic engagement and creating the leaders of tomorrow, and we are proud to take this step towards workplace democracy," the statement on Action Network said. In response to a request for comment, Penn spokesperson Ron Ozio wrote in a statement to

See UNION, page 2

Idina Menzel announced as 2023 Commencement speaker “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson will deliver 2023 Graduate School of Education Commencement speech

KATIE BARTLETT Staff Reporter

Pennsylvanian. The closure is a part of Penn’s Capital Plan for fiscal year 2023. Under the plan, which was published in June 2022, the Commons renovations would encompass the second and third floors of the facility and cost $10 million this fiscal year and $55 million in total through fiscal year 2024. The planned improvements to Commons during summer 2023 have been underway since before the Philadelphia Office of Food Protection found the dining hall was not in satisfactory compliance with the Philadelphia health code after conducting inspections on Oct. 3 and Jan. 18. However, Penn Business Services Director of Communications and External Relations Barbara Lea-Kruger wrote to the DP that some work is being completed now “as part of our comprehensive approach to addressing issues raised in the inspections.” On March 3, the dining hall was reinspected by the city and was found to not be in satisfactory compliance for the second time this year, with a number of both new and repeated violations of city health code. The most recent inspection cites observations of violations including a cockroach “observed crawling on the wall in the Expo station area” and an “inoperable” dishwasher that has resulted in the use of single-use plates and utensils. The March 3 inspection came days after Penn Dining announced a new action plan for meeting health and safety regulations in campus dining

Actress and singer-songwriter Idina Menzel will deliver Penn’s Commencement speech at the Class of 2023 graduation ceremony. Penn will award Menzel, a Tony award-winning actress, an honorary Doctor of Arts at the ceremony, according to an announcement from Vice President and University Secretary Medha Narvekar. At the 267th Commencement — which will take place May 15 at Franklin Field — graduates will be granted degrees, honorary degree recipients will be celebrated, and University officials and the commencement speaker will deliver remarks. Menzel is well known for a variety of performances on the Broadway stage and big screen, including Maureen in the musical “Rent,” the original Elphaba in the musical “Wicked,” and as the voice of Elsa in the Oscar-winning Disney film “Frozen.” In “Frozen,” Menzel sang “Let it Go,” which became a Billboard Top 10 hit and won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2014. She is the first artist to win a Tony Award for acting and have a song become a Billboard Top 10 hit. “We are extremely pleased that Idina Menzel will be addressing this year’s graduating class at Commencement,” Penn President Liz Magill wrote in the announcement. “Ms. Menzel has contributed so much to America’s creative body of work and brought joy to us all. A tremendous role model for pursuing your passion with hard work and determination, she is also devoted to creating opportunities for others through the arts. I know it will be a memorable day for our students and their families.” In addition to Menzel, Emmy-award-winning actress, producer, writer, and comedian Quinta Brunson will deliver the 2023 graduation speech for Penn’s Graduate School of Education. Brunson, a West Philadelphia native, is best known for creating, executive producing, and starring in ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” which premiered in 2021. Brunson

Penn will become the only Ivy League university to not offer on-campus housing exclusively for graduate students. In mid-November, Penn Off-Campus Services announced that Sansom Place West — currently the only Penn-owned graduate student housing option — would close at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, according to Graduate and Professional Student Assembly leaders. The imminent closure of Sansom Place West comes after Sansom Place East closed in April 2022 for redevelopment into a privately-owned apartment building. In response to a request for comment, Penn Business Services Director of Communications and External Relations Barbara Lea-Kruger directed The Daily Pennsylvanian to the Graduate Housing tab on the Penn Residential Services website. The site offers information about privately owned graduate student housing and rental search services. Sansom Place West, which is located at 3650 Chestnut St., currently houses a few hundred graduate students, according to GAPSA president Robert Watson. In 2019, Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Education Anita Mastroieni told the DP that about 600 graduate students were living on campus, with around 75 acting as residential advisors in undergraduate college houses. GAPSA Executive Board members said that they had been told that the closing of Sansom Place West is due to plans for renovation. In February 2021, a $10 million renovation plan for Sansom Place West was approved by the Board of Trustees Budget and Finance Committee. The plan includes upgrades to Sansom Place West’s interior and infrastructure, including aesthetic and fire panel improvements. GAPSA Executive Board members said that they were informed that the on-campus housing option would be ending at the same time as the public announcement was made. They expressed frustration that the change had not been communicated earlier, alleging that no opportunity was provided for GAPSA to offer input.

See COMMONS, page 2

See SPEAKER, page 8

See GRADUATE, page 8

PHOTO BY ABHIRAM JUVVADI

Under Penn’s Capital Plan, the Commons renovations would cost $55 million in total through fiscal year 2024 ANNALISA FANG Staff Reporter

1920 Commons will close for renovations this summer amid efforts by Penn Dining to address repeated issues raised by recent health inspections. The initial closure for dining this summer will address issues with the 1920 Commons building infrastructure, Penn Dining announced on March 12. In addition, a study is expected to be completed this semester to determine the time frame and cost estimate for the renovation, Executive Director of Business Services Doug Berger wrote to The Daily SEND STORY IDEAS TO NEWSTIP@THEDP.COM

The closure of Sansom Place West comes after Sansom Place East closed in April 2022 for redevelopment into a privately owned apartment building

JARED MITOVICH Senior Reporter

Following the reinspection on March 3 that found both new and repeated violations of city health code, 1920 Commons will close for renovations this summer to address the issues.

1920 Commons will be renovated this summer amid dining hall health code violations

Penn to eliminate on-campus graduate student housing

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