THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2023
VOL. CXXXIX
Penn prepares for Supreme Court decision on affirmative action
PAIGE RAWISZER Staff Reporter
for a while, which is turning the Equal Protection Clause from a constitutional provision that prevents the government from inflicting inequality to one that prevents the government from promoting equality,” Roosevelt said. In response to an interview request, Penn Carey law students and co-advocacy chairs of the Black Law Students Association Ty Parks and Devontae Torriente directed the DP to an opinion piece in The See AFFIRMATIVE, page 6
See POLITICAL, page 6
SARA FORASTIERI AND ELEA CASTIGLIONE Senior Reporter and Staff Reporter
Penn is actively planning for the possibility that the Supreme Court will overturn affirmative action in an upcoming ruling, but the exact response and impact remains unsure. Legal analysts widely expect the court to overturn affirmative action by the end of June, in its ruling for two cases filed by Students for Fair Admissions against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Administrators, professors, and students that The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with said that the end of affirmative action would force higher education institutions nationwide to recalibrate their admissions processes in order to build diverse classes of incoming students.
PHOTO BY MEHAK DHALIWAL
advance a “colorblind” college application process that, historically, has been seen in conflict with the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law. The current legal precedent has upheld the rights of schools to consider race as a contributing factor to admissions in higher education. University of Pennsylvania Carey Law professor Kermit Roosevelt said that the current case is “absurd” given this precedent. “I think it would complete what’s been a project
Penn political groups divided on affirmative action, debate methods for diverse admissions
Leaders of Penn’s undergraduate political organization are divided on how the Supreme Court and Penn should address affirmative action. Politicians across the ideological spectrum have disagreed about the future of affirmative action ahead of the court’s ruling for two cases filed by Students for Fair Admissions against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Democrats have encouraged the court to uphold affirmative action, while Republicans have urged the court to end the policy. Members of the Young Democratic Socialists of America and Penn Democrats have pointed to how affirmative action policies should increase socioeconomic diversity in addition to racial diversity. College senior and member of YDSA Matthew Liu said in a statement sent to The Daily Pennsylvanian that affirmative action policies have increased racial diversity within admissions, but the policies have failed to recognize socioeconomic diversity within the admissions. “Although affirmative action has resulted in increased access to elite universities for underrepresented minorities, Penn and other elite schools have remained almost exclusively composed of the wealthy and upper middle class,” Liu wrote. Penn Dems Diversity and Coalitions Chair and College junior Joy Olatunde echoed this sentiment about affirmative action overlooking socioeconomic status. She said that if affirmative action remains upheld by the court, it should encompass both race and socioeconomic status. “While affirmative status should include race because of the problematic past that the United States has with obviously segregation and racist policies that have held African Americans back academically and financially, I think there should be more emphasis on students’ socioeconomic status, as well as race,” Olatunde said. Olatunde added that students of lower socioeconomic statuses often cannot afford tutors and books, which can heavily impact which schools they can get into. Certain students also benefit from “extra boosts” in admissions, Olatunde said, such as legacy status and inclusion on the Dean’s interest list. Expanding beyond the factors that contribute to admissions, Liu added that Penn and many of its
If affirmative action is overturned, Penn would be impelled to reframe its admissions process to maintain a diverse student body
Why affirmative action could be overturned In modern higher education, affirmative action refers to the practice of considering a student’s background as a factor in admissions decisions. At Penn, the Policy on Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action prohibits discrimination based on a series of legally protected classes, including race and ethnicity, among other factors. Penn admissions are based on a holistic approach, meaning it takes into account various factors — including race — when evaluating applicants. Penn President Liz Magill wrote in a statement to the DP that diversity is important for preparing Penn students and crucial to the University’s mission. “We have long been committed to providing the transformative opportunity of a Penn education to the broadest range of talented individuals, and a student body that reflects the diversity of our broader society creates a rich and dynamic educational experience,” Magill wrote. “It is also essential to preparing Penn graduates to lead in our pluralistic world.” The two cases being heard by the court were petitioned by SFFA, an organization that aims to
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Penn to stop awarding dean’s list recognition to undergraduate students The dean’s list is an annual honor given to students based on academic performance during the fall and spring semesters KATIE BARTLETT Staff Reporter
Penn announced that it will no longer award the dean’s list to undergraduate students effective July 1. The policy change is a result of “the shared belief that a dean’s list designation does not reflect the breadth and evolution of students’ academic achievements over the course of their education at Penn,” according to a message dated March 24 from Interim Provost Beth Winkelstein and Vice Provost for Education Karen Detlefsen. Spring 2023 will be the final semester for which dean’s list will be awarded, according to an email sent to students on Tuesday from administrators from Penn's four undergraduate schools. The administrators wrote that the list was redundant and does not capture how a student progresses during their time at Penn. The dean’s list is an annual honor given to students based on academic performance during the fall and spring semesters. The award is given to any student who achieves a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher, provided they also take a minimum of six credits, receive no grade lower than a C, and complete all classes on time. The administrators wrote that members of the Penn community — including deans and student representatives from the Undergraduate Assembly See DEANS LIST, page 3
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PHOTO BY ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL
In 2013, the University honored former Penn rowing coach Ted Nash with the dedication of its indoor rowing center in the Hutchinson Gymnasium.
Filmmaker alleges sexual assault by former rowing coach, criticizes his legacy at Penn Fox calls on Penn to remove Nash’s name from the Ted A. Nash Land Rowing Center HALEY SON Staff Reporter
A filmmaker who says she was sexually assaulted by a Penn rowing coach is calling on the University to remove his name from a center dedicated in his honor. The filmmaker, Jennifer Fox, alleges that she was sexually abused by Ted Nash — who died in 2021— when she was 13 years old. Fox gave Nash a pseudonym in her Emmy-nominated film detailing the incident, "The Tale," but publicly named Nash as her abuser for the first time on March 20 in a New
York Times article. A legend in the rowing community, Nash coached both women’s and men’s rowing at Penn from 1965 to 1983 after winning two Olympic medals. In 2014, Penn honored him with the dedication of its indoor rowing center, the Coach Ted A. Nash Land Rowing Center. Fox, along with Penn community members, told The Daily Pennsylvanian that she wants Penn to change the name of the center to address his legacy. “My goal is to have Nash’s name taken off of
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everything, not just at Penn, but everywhere,” Fox said. Fox added that she hopes Penn community members stand up against having Nash’s name continue to be memorialized on campus, adding that Penn's reaction could signify a larger message. “I think hurting his legacy is a big blow to Ted Nash and all the abusers out there,” she said. See ROWING, page 6
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