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BEST of PENN 2022

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

PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2022

NO. 27

Vagelos MLS program sees low retention rates among first years First years in the program take a total of five credits in their first semester, compared to the four credits that first year College students typically take ELLA SOHN Contributing Reporter

While many students have welcomed the challenges and research opportunities that the Vagelos Scholars Program in the Molecular Life Sciences provides, several first years reported leaving the program to pursue other paths. In the Class of 2022, exactly half of the 46 students who entered the program during their first semester at Penn graduated as Vagelos MLS scholars. For the graduating class each year since 2015, the retention rate from those who originally entered the program has fluctuated from 35% to 51%. Students who express interest in the physical sciences on their applications are invited to join MLS upon admission to Penn. Over their first two years, they identify a major in physics, chemistry, biophysics, or biochemistry. By the end of their four years, another requirement mandates that they also complete a second major in the natural sciences or submatriculate into earning a master’s degree. MLS is the oldest of three dual degree programs that have been created through donations from 1950 College graduate Roy Vagelos and his wife Diana. The Life Sciences & Management program combines bioscience and business, while the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research combines science and engineering. Jeffery Saven, professor of chemistry and director of the MLS program, said that while the first year curriculum can seem rigid, it is largely due to the sequential nature of math and science coursework at Penn. First years in the program take a total of five credits in their first semester, compared to the four credits that first-year College students typically take. The five classes are in physics, math, and chemistry, as well as a seminar focused on scientific writing. “If you don’t set up things in the right way, and you want a particular career track in the natural See VAGELOS, page 3

PHOTO BY SAMANTHA TURNER

The men’s soccer team holds up the Edwin Henry Parkhurst III trophy, which recognizes its new title as Ivy League champions on Nov. 12.

Men’s soccer wins Ivy title, kicks off NCAA Tournament tonight Penn men’s soccer will face off with Rutgers at Penn Park in the first round of the NCAA Tournament after clinching its first Ivy League Championship title since 2013 CALEB CRAIN, ALEXIS GARCIA, & ESTHER LIM Sports Associates & Sports Editor

PRINCETON, N.J. — For the first time since 2013, Penn men’s soccer is on top of the Ivy League. The Quakers traveled to Princeton needing a win or tie to capture at least a part of the Ivy title. And they did just that, defeating the Tigers in a commanding 3-0 shutout. With the win, Penn clinched a spot in the NCAA tournament and will face off with Rutgers tonight at 7 p.m. at Penn Park. The Quakers have not recorded a victory against the Scarlet Knights since 2002, going 0-4-1 in the most recent five matchups. The winner of Thursday’s game will advance to the second round of the tournament, where it will

face No. 3 seed Syracuse on its home field on Sunday afternoon. Penn’s defeat of Princeton brought the team to 6-1 in the Ivy League and to 12-2-2 on the season, the most wins the Quakers have had in a single season since 1973. “It feels amazing. I’m really happy for the players,” coach Brian Gill said. “I think every single player in the group has given so much this season.” This victory caps a stunning turnaround for the Quakers, who finished sixth in the Ivy League and notched only one conference win a year ago. “I think we played well last year at times, and we

just didn’t get some results,” Gill said. “I think that motivated us this year, and [we] wound up making critical plays in games like this.” On Saturday, goals by senior midfielder Isaac McGinnis and sophomore midfielder Charlie Gaffney, as well as sophomore defender Ben Do, coupled with a strong defense propelled Penn to victory. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Gaffney said following the match. “I’m just trying to take it all in. It feels amazing, especially because of where we were last year.”

Over 4,000 Penn community members receive bivalent COVID-19 booster at University clinic

Penn Abroad adds seven new programs recently approved for credit in fall 2023

The clinic was open to the entire Penn community and their family members over the age of 16 JONAH MILLER Senior Reporter

HALEY SON Contributing Reporter

College Republicans said the club believes that “Donald Trump is not best suited for the 2024 presidential candidacy.” The statement said that the club would prefer “a younger, more qualified candidate who better embodies conservative values.” “Last Tuesday’s results are indicative of the fact that the Republican Party has many other potential candidates who garner great support in their home states and are not overshadowed by the controversial Trump presidency,” Penn College Republicans wrote. Penn Democrats Membership Director and College junior Leo Cassel-Siskind said that another term with Trump in office would be “an existential threat to our democracy” in a statement to the DP.

Penn Abroad will offer seven new programs recently approved for credit in fall 2023 as study abroad sessions for the semester. The partnerships — with the Ibero-American University of Mexico, CASA-Santiago, CIEE Cape Town, CET São Paulo, Paris School of Business, Stockholm School of Economics, and the University of Queensland — have been added over the past two years, some immediately before and several during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few students have had the opportunity to apply to these programs, and several of the programs will run for the first time this spring, according to Penn Abroad administrators. The first step to study abroad is to go to the Penn Abroad office for a group advising session, which goes over the “nuts and bolts” of studying abroad, Deputy Director of Penn Abroad Kristyn Palmiotto said. These sessions will be held every Tuesday at 12 p.m. and Friday at 3 p.m., and students are required to register beforehand. Applicants will then have the option to attend an additional region- or discipline-specific session, she said. Previously, students were required to attend a regionspecific session first. “Our semester abroad programs are not fully back to where they were pre-pandemic, but we did expect this. With each semester, we’re increasing our numbers, and we expect to be back to where we were within a few years,” Palmiotto said. “We’ve seen [COVID-19 restrictions] lessening, but we’re also aware that winter is on the horizon, and things may change,” she added. The newest partnership with the Ibero-American University in Mexico City was approved this past February for Wharton and College credit. “Students will live with host families, so this is a good program for students who want to practice their

See TRUMP, page 8

See COVID-19, page 3

See ABROAD, page 7

PHOTO BY JONAH CHARLTON

Penn’s Democratic, Republican political groups oppose Trump’s 2024 presidential run Wharton graduate and former President Donald Trump announced his third presidential campaign on Nov. 15 IMRAN SIDDIQUI Senior Reporter

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These new partnerships have been added over the past two years, some before and several during the COVID-19 pandemic

Penn vaccinated over 4,000 community members during its November bivalent COVID-19 booster clinic. The booster clinic hosted by Wellness at Penn ran from Nov. 3 to Nov. 4 in Gimbel Gymnasium in Pottruck Health and Fitness Center. The two-day clinic marked Penn’s first COVID-19 booster initiative since January, when the University held a four-day clinic in partnership with SunRay Drugs, a local pharmacy. Director of Communications for Student Wellness Mary Kate Coghlan told The Daily Pennsylvanian that 4,198 Pfizer mRNA bivalent COVID-19 booster shots were given out during the clinic. The clinic was open to the entire Penn community and their families over the age of 16, and Coghlan said 61% of those who received a vaccine from the clinic were students. Of the 2,561 students who received the shot, 49% were undergraduates. “We are thrilled that so many University community members attended the Penn Cares Booster Clinic, thus continuing to help keep Penn and our surrounding communities healthy and safe,” Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé said. Dubé said the bivalent mRNA booster is particularly important because it reduces the chances of severe illness and hospitalization caused by the current Omicron variants, in addition to the original strain of COVID-19. As of the fall 2022 semester, Penn required all eligible community members to be fully vaccinated and have received at least one booster against COVID-19. The University mandated students to submit proof of vaccination to their Wellness Portal.

1968 Wharton graduate and former President Donald Trump at Johnstown, Pa. on Oct. 13, 2020.

While former United States President and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump announced his third presidential campaign on Tuesday, Penn political groups – on both sides of the spectrum – are not supporting his candidacy. Trump made the announcement on Nov. 15 at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Fla. In his speech, Trump spoke about his vision for America — reflecting on what he called the “successes” of his own time in office. “We were a strong nation, and, more importantly, we were a free nation. But now we are a nation in decline,” Trump said during his announcement. “We are a failing nation for millions of Americans. The past two years under Joe Biden had been a time of pain, hardship, anxiety, and despair.” In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn

See SOCCER, page 10

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