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FOOTBALL PREVIEW
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885 VOL. CXLI
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025
NO. 21
INSIA HAQUE | DESIGN EDITOR
Penn experts link political violence to misinformation, polarization after Charlie Kirk assassination In today’s political environment, Penn experts argued, isolated acts of violence can reverberate far beyond those directly involved — and foster distrust in public institutions while deepening polarization RIANA MAHTANI Senior Reporter
Following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Penn experts spoke to The Daily Pennsylvanian about the role of political violence in American life — both past and present — warning that misinformation and polarization are exacerbating the problem.
Penn faculty members universally agreed that political violence has long been part of United States history, from clashes on the congressional floor in the mid-1800s to the racialized politics of the Jim Crow era. But professors told the DP that what distinguishes the current period is how
the rapid spread of information intensifies public reactions and exacerbates partisan divides. In today’s political environment, faculty members argued, isolated acts of violence can reverberate far beyond those directly involved — and foster distrust in public institutions while
deepening polarization. Political Science professor and Director of the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy Jeffrey Green emphasized that the current moment cannot be understood without See VIOLENCE, page 2
Wharton launches Master of Science Penn students say new club funding degree in quantitative finance model has caused ‘immeasurable funded by historic donation stress’ for campus organizations Bruce Jacobs’ gift — the largest single contribution in school history — will support the new Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Master of Science in Quantitative Finance program
The changes follow nearly two years of collaboration between student leaders and administrators in the Office of Student Affairs
JACK GUERIN Senior Reporter
TANISHA AGRAWAL Staff Reporter
The Wharton School launched its first new degree in 50 years after receiving a $60 million gift from Bruce Jacobs, a 1979 School of Arts and Sciences graduate, 1986 Wharton Ph.D. graduate, and former Wharton faculty member. Jacobs’ gift — the largest single contribution in school history — will support the new Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Master of Science in Quantitative Finance program. The program is open to Penn undergraduates, and its inaugural cohort will begin their studies in fall 2026. “Wharton is the world’s top business school because it consistently leads at the forefront of
CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Whar ton announced the launch of its new Mas ter of Science in quantitative f inance program on Sept. 15. SEND STORY IDEAS TO NEWSTIP@THEDP.COM
fields like quantitative finance,” Penn President Larry Jameson said in a press release announcing the gift. “Dr. Jacobs has long been a champion for Wharton’s preeminence in this essential area, and we are deeply grateful for his historic gift.” In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Jacobs stated that he was motivated to create the program to support “the next generation of leaders in the asset management industry.” He emphasized that the program would offer students a strong foundation in financial economics while also providing technical skills in areas like machine learning and artificial intelligence. The donation follows a 2023 email from Jacobs to the DP discussing his concerns with “antisemitic incidences” at Penn. In the email, Jacobs wrote that his future donations to the University “would be dependent upon the administration ensuring a safe, inclusive, and respectful academic environment for its students.” The donation brings Jacobs’ total contribution to Wharton to over $80 million. He previously donated $12 million to create the Jacobs Levy Equity Management Center and another $8 million to support a quantitative finance MBA major at Wharton. The 2025 donation surpasses 1984 Wharton graduate Marc Rowan’s $50 million gift in 2018, which was previously the largest gift Wharton had ever received. In an interview with the DP, Wharton Dean Erika James emphasized that the new program was “a perfect representation of [Wharton’s] innovation in both what and how we teach.” “We’re very interested in trying to keep our pulse on where the needs are in the economic landscape,” James said. “And right now, quantitative finance and quantitative asset management are growing fields, and we want to be the supplier of choice for those going into that domain.” James added that the program will also allow students across Penn to access Wharton’s resources. “One of the things that I’ve recognized during my time is there’s great desire by Penn students to See WHARTON, page 2
Penn’s Office of Student Affairs has introduced new policies for student group registration and funding in a move it says makes the process more efficient and equitable. The changes follow nearly two years of collaboration between student leaders and administrators, according to Katie Bonner, the executive director of OSA. In an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, Bonner said that the updates were made in response to longstanding frustration among students with regard to the distribution of funding. “The primary motivation for the change was from student feedback over many, many years, about a frustration with a funding system at large that felt like it didn’t equally serve all student organizations,” Bonner said. “We kept adding things on … but maybe it was time to just really rethink how we were doing this.” According to Bonner, student organizations must first register with OSA to be eligible to apply for funding through the Student Activities Council. Those approved by OSA will receive budget codes to manage all financial transitions. In a written statement to the DP, Penn Outdoors Club board members noted that the new funding rules have left them unable to plan major trips and events, with their budget cut to a fraction of past levels. UPOC wrote that new contingency requirements and “lack of communication and transparency” have caused event delays, including the cancelation of its annual Labor Day trip and various general body meetings. It added that the sudden transition has created stress and uncertainty for the club as it prepares for the semester. “SAC’s new funding structure has directly impeded our ability to hold GBMs, host trips, and plan other events that are core to UPOC’s mission,” UPOC wrote. “When we disputed the budget cuts at last semester’s SAC GBM, we were informed we would no longer receive our full budget because the board didn’t trust us to run trips independently.” OSA has also eliminated the “SAC-recognized” status, meaning that clubs now only need to register with OSA to receive funding. The organization
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will take over funds previously managed by Penn’s Social Planning and Events Committee, the Intercultural Fund, and Undergraduate Assembly contingency funds. Funding decisions will be made using a rubric that evaluates how activities align with organizational missions and the appropriate use of University funds. The overhaul comes as the UA approved a budget of more than $3 million for student organizations in 2025-26, a 2% increase from last year. SAC received $1.03 million from the budget — about 12% more than it requested — and took on funds previously allocated to the SPEC “fully planned” fund and the UA contingency fund, in line with the new consolidated funding model. Marissa Prager, the Penn Glee Club’s finance manager, wrote in a statement to the DP that the organization relies heavily on SAC support to cover the costs of running a 70-member group, often needing contingency funds beyond its annual award. Prager added that while the Glee Club received more than $14,000 in total support last year, its award this year was cut to less than half that amount. “I’m anxious to see how much of our contingency request will be approved, especially since the new model essentially shifts everything to contingency funding rather than a full-year award,” Prager wrote. “That said, I do appreciate the shift toward a rubric-based process, even though the transition was messy at first. The new system feels more transparent and hopefully will lead to a more equitable approach to funding student organizations.” The first round of funding applications is in progress, with results expected on Sept. 18. Bonner acknowledged that the transition has not been without its challenges. “Even though we felt like we had planned and prepared for these changes, it is [a] large-scale change for hundreds of organizations,” she said. “We did go into this fully anticipating that there See SAC, page 3 CONTACT US: 215-422-4640