September 14, 2023 by The Daily Pennsylvanian

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

PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

VOL. CXXXIX

NO. 20

DESIGN BY INSIA HAQUE

Indigenous Studies program at risk The retirement of the program’s founder has left Penn with no tenured Indigenous professors, canceled core classes, and prompted students to rethink or drop their Native American and Indigenous Studies minors KIRA WANG Senior Reporter

Penn's longtime coordinator of Native American and Indigenous Studies quietly retired, prompting concern from students about the future of the NAIS minor and Indigenous representation at the University. Margaret Bruchac, a tenured anthropology professor whom Penn hired to found the NAIS program in 2014, was scheduled to teach two classes counting toward the minor this fall. Instead, she transitioned to professor emerita status in June — meaning that the University now has no tenured Indigenous professors and two Indigenous non-tenured professors out of a faculty of

nearly 5,000, according to Bruchac and students involved with Natives at Penn. Students lamented Bruchac's retirement, describing her as the backbone of Indigenous studies at Penn. They previously credited her for running a “one-person department” during her tenure, in which she worked closely with students completing the NAIS minor at the academic and administrative levels to ensure they finished the minor despite a lack of course offerings. “NAIS at Penn has minimal funding,” Bruchac told The Daily Pennsylvanian. “It's running primarily on my own enthusiasm and willingness to

See NAIS, page 3

Magill addresses controversy surrounding oncampus Palestinian literature festival

The policy prohibits Wharton-affiliated consulting clubs from engaging in profit sharing

The administrators’ statement was the first in recent memory to respond to criticism of a campus event

RYAN WOLFF Staff Reporter

ELEA CASTIGLIONE, IMRAN SIDDIQUI, AND DEDEEPYA GUTHIKONDA Staff Reporter and Senior Reporters

because raw earthquakes aren’t common in Morocco … the house infrastructure isn’t built to withstand large earthquakes.” In addition to houses, tourist and sacred sites have also been damaged in Morocco, Kettani told The Daily Pennsylvanian. “I know in Marrakech, the Old Medina has partly fallen which is horrible spiritually and touristically as well," Kettani said. "My mom told me that the top of the most famous mosque in Marrakech also fell … symbolically it’s pretty wild.” Taroua and Kettani both said that they hope the donations will specifically reach vulnerable groups in villages outside major cities. “People are living in areas that are too remote to access early … with the earthquake breaking roads. Houses [in these mountainous villages] break the easiest and that’s why we have the most deaths there,” Kettani said. Kettani said she has received support from students who organized the fundraiser for earthquake relief in Turkey and Syria in February. She also has

Wharton banned student-run consulting clubs from charging fees for their services and sharing the profits among members. On June 5, now-former Wharton Undergraduate Director of Student Life Lee Kramer informed Wharton club leaders via email that they could no longer earn money from consulting services or engage in profit sharing, effective July 1. The new undergraduate policy was also announced to Wharton undergraduates in a message from Vice Dean of the Undergraduate Division Diana Robertson. The policy prohibits clubs from charging fees to nonprofits as well as for-profit companies. However, clubs are permitted and encouraged to “continue to provide pro-bono consulting work." Consulting groups that recruit from the Penn undergraduate population but are unaffiliated with Wharton are not subject to this regulation. For example, 180 Degrees Consulting is not affiliated with Wharton and is instead a branch of a larger umbrella organization – so the group can continue to charge consulting fees from clients in addition to pro-bono consulting. “Experiential learning is an essential part of the Wharton undergraduate experience," Wharton Executive Director of the Undergraduate Division Jen Murphy wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian. "We strongly encourage our clubs and students to use their business acumen to provide top-notch pro-bono consulting services to nonprofits and businesses in our Philadelphia community and beyond." Murphy went on to emphasize the value of pro-bono consulting work to the surrounding community. “These pro-bono opportunities provide a valuable and unique way for students to apply what they learn in the classroom in service of positive change in our immediate neighborhoods and around the world,” she said.

Penn administrators addressed widespread criticism about an upcoming Palestinian literature festival held on campus. The Palestine Writes Literature Festival is scheduled to take place later this month with events at Irvine Auditorium, Penn Commons, and other University spaces. It celebrates itself as the "only North American literature festival dedicated to celebrating and promoting cultural productions of Palestinian writers and artists." Some students and national Jewish groups, however, have pushed back against the event — saying that its speakers' previous statements threaten the safety and belonging of Jewish students on campus. In response to the criticism, Penn President Liz Magill, Provost John Jackson, and School of Arts and Sciences Dean Steven Fluharty published a statement on Sept. 12, where they wrote that many people have raised concerns about several speakers who "have a documented and troubling history of engaging in antisemitism by speaking and acting in ways that denigrate Jewish people." "We unequivocally — and emphatically — condemn antisemitism as antithetical to our institutional values. As a university, we also fiercely support the free exchange of ideas as central to our educational mission," the administrators wrote. "This includes the expression of views that are controversial and even those that are incompatible with our institutional values." The administrators' statement — which said the event was not organized by the University — was the first in recent memory to respond to criticism of a campus event. Palestine Writes organizers told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the goal of their festival is to offer community and support for Palestinians, Arabs, and people from other minority backgrounds. University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School student and organizer Jenan Abu Shtaya wrote in a statement to the DP that she is grateful to be a part of planning this event, adding that it is "a rare opportunity to celebrate our [Palestinian] heritage through literature and the arts." Penn administrators' statement came after a letter sent

See FUNDRAISER, page 3

See WHARTON, page 2

See FESTIVAL, page 3

The bake sale will be on Locust Walk near ARCH every day this week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. based on volunteer availability.

Student groups organize fundraiser for Morocco earthquake relief Penn Muslim Student Association, the Penn Arab Student Society, the Penn Middle East Center, and other volunteers are assisting in the efforts GABRIEL STEINBERG Staff Reporter

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Brighid Dwyer wrote to the DP in a joint statement that "The School of Arts and Sciences takes great pride in the Native American and Indigenous Studies program founded by Professor Marge Bruchac." They added that the school is "committed to seeing [the program] thrive." Without an active search announced for a permanent NAIS coordinator – and with no core classes for the minor taught since spring 2020 – Bruchac's departure has raised questions about

Wharton bans student-run consulting clubs from charging fees for services

PHOTO BY ABHIRAM JUVVADI

Penn student groups are hosting a fundraiser to aid the Morocco earthquake relief efforts. Wharton sophomore Yasmine Kettani is leading the response by coordinating fundraising efforts and a bake sale on campus in partnership with Penn Muslim Student Association, the Penn Arab Student Society, Penn Middle East Center, and other student and faculty volunteers. The bake sale, including Moroccan desserts such as baklava, will be on Locust Walk near ARCH every day this week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. based on volunteer availability. The recent 6.8 magnitude earthquake left many without access to water, food, shelter, and medical supplies. Over 2,800 people died and 2,500 were left critically injured. The World Health Organization found that more than 300,000 people were affected by the quake. Wharton senior and Penn Muslim Student Association President Rayane Taroua explained her family’s reaction to the unexpected earthquake. “They just weren’t prepared for it at all … everyone was kind of confused as to what was happening at first,” Taroua said. “Everybody across the whole country, I’d say, spent the night out in the streets

overwork.” Since April 2021, the NAIS website has contained a note that reads: "NAIS roster of courses is in a period of transition, since some faculty have retired and some courses are temporarily unavailable. In the interim, we encourage interested students to take other related courses, which can be accommodated as substitutions (contact the NAIS Coordinator with any questions)." In response to the concerns raised over the future of the program, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Steven Fluharty and Vice Dean for

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