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Studying business still matters in the AI-era, Wharton dean says In an interview, Wharton Dean Erika James discussed how higher education has changed ANANYA KARTHIK Senior Reporter
University’s senior vice president and general counsel, prefers working behind the scenes. A Penn-educated attorney, White previously worked as associate counsel under the Clinton administration and represented corporations in Washington. In 2003, she was hired by the University. “It’s a very different world,” White said in a rare interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian. “We don’t have shareholders. We have a community. Our job is to protect our mission and our values.” That mandate makes for an ever-changing set of responsibilities. According to Craig Carnaroli, who worked closely with White during his 25-year stint as Penn’s executive vice president, the general counsel might have the “hardest job” at the University. “My phone rings a lot,” White said. Day to day, she might meet with leaders across campus, speak with outside counsel, or host “therapy sessions” with her
When Erika James became the Wharton School’s dean in 2020, she arrived at a campus transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Classes had moved online, familiar modes of teaching had been disrupted, and James — the first woman and first person of color to lead Wharton — was beginning a job at an institution she had never worked at. Six years later, The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with James to reflect on her tenure and discuss how artificial intelligence and the evolving value of higher education will shape Wharton’s future. During her first years at Wharton, James said she focused much of her attention on guiding the school through the transition to remote education. As upheaval from the pandemic receded, she turned her attention toward the longer-term work she had been hired to do. “I wasn’t brought in to respond to the pandemic,” James said. “I was brought in to actually advance the school.” James said that navigating Wharton through that period changed how she understands the responsibilities of a dean. One lesson from her tenure, she added, has been the importance of placing faculty at the center of academic decision-making. “Our faculty will outlive any dean. Our faculty outlive our students,” James said. “They are the keepers of the brand, the keepers of the reputation, the keepers of the quality.” James, who was once a faculty member at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and went on to serve as an administrator at Emory University, advocated for faculty members to occupy leadership positions that allow them to shape Wharton’s educational experience. She feels more strongly about that principle now, even relative to when she arrived at Penn. “I think it’s really important for them to occupy a space in the leadership structure of higher education that allows them to have the voice necessary to impact change,” James said. Her own role requires working with diverse groups whose needs do not always align. On campus, much of her schedule consists of meetings with members of the Wharton community. Away from Philadelphia, she frequently meets with alumni and employers. “This role is the only role that is accountable to all of the different stakeholder groups,” she said, adding that her work depends on both “what’s going on in the world and what’s going on at the University.” The amount of time she devotes to each constituent changes throughout the year, and although one party
See OGC, page 2
See JAMES, page 2
AMY LUO | SENIOR DESIGNER
Behind closed doors, Penn’s lawyers shape its biggest decisions Many credit the Office of General Counsel with steering the University through a legal minefield. Others worry its growing influence has undermined longstanding democratic processes ISHA CHITIRALA AND FINN RYAN News Editors
Stephen Burbank had barely begun his legal career when he was made Penn’s in-house lawyer, a title no one had held before. Burbank was 27, two years out of law school, and, by his own admission, a little naive. But in 1975, he became the person Penn called when the University had a problem. “It was just nonsense to hire somebody who’d never really had a job,” Burbank said in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian. “But at that time, the position of general counsel of universities was a fairly uncommon one.” For decades, Penn relied primarily on outside counsel to handle whatever legal questions came its way. But in the 1970s, when the billable hour became the industry standard, the University grew “reluctant” to continue relying on those longstanding practices, Burbank said. By hiring its own legal team, Penn could not only avoid rising costs, but also maintain access to “specialized knowledge” that was harder to gain from an
Penn retains No. 7 spot in U.S. News rankings The Massachusetts Institute of Technology claimed this year‘s top spot — ending Princeton University’s 15-year streak KATHRYN YE Senior Reporter
Penn placed No. 7 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 ranking of universities across the country, maintaining its spot from last year. After tying with Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University last year, Penn is now the only university at the No. 7 spot, according to the Sept. 22 rankings. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology claimed the top spot, ending Princeton University’s 15-year streak as Princeton moved down to second place. The third and fourth spots went to Harvard University and Yale University, respectively. The California Institute of Technology and Stanford University were tied at fifth place. This year, Duke moved to eighth while Johns Hopkins and Northwestern descended two ranks to a tied ninth place. Penn remained at fourth place among the Ivy League universities. The Wharton School continued its No. 1 spot in the Top Undergraduate Business Programs category. Last year, Wharton shared that distinction with MIT, which has now moved to second place. The School of Nursing climbed to the top spot for undergraduate nursing programs, alongside
external law firm. Today, Penn’s Office of General Counsel is a far cry from Burbank’s one-man operation. Nearly 40 lawyers and more than 30 staff members oversee the University’s sprawling legal affairs, responsible for everything from enforcing research patents to litigating employment disputes. The following is a glimpse into an intentionally opaque yet increasingly powerful arm of the University based on accounts from nearly two dozen members of the Penn community. Citing fears of retribution, some spoke on the condition of anonymity. As threats to higher education have mounted, so too has the Office’s influence over major administrative decisions. Many credit OGC with steering Penn through a legal minefield. Others worry that efforts by the Office to shield the University from institutional risk have hampered longstanding democratic processes. *** Wendy White, who currently leads the Office as the
Undergraduate tuition growth at Penn outpaces inflation This school year, students living on campus face the highest cost of attendance at $99,082 MOUKTHIKA KANAKALA Staff Reporter
The price tag of a Penn education has increased by roughly 50% over the last decade, exceeding the average rate of inflation. Using figures from the University’s Common Data Set, The Daily Pennsylvanian compared changes in the cost of undergraduate attendance with the local consumer price index since 2016.
The analysis accounts for annual tuition, housing, and dining costs, along with Penn’s estimates for books, transportation, and personal expenses. This school year, students living on campus face the highest cost of attendance at $99,082. Offcampus students living at home pay $81,548, while See TUITION, page 7
See RANKINGS, page 7
NEWS Penn students discussed the second year of the College Foundations pilot
Trump prepares to tighten grip on NIH funding The proposed executive order would expand the White House’s control over the National Institutes of Health’s research ISHANI MODI Staff Reporter
1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump has begun drafting an executive order to establish a committee with the power to veto research awards that do not align with the administration’s political agenda. The proposal, discussed at a “highly contentious” meeting last Friday, would broaden the Trump administration’s control over the National Institutes of Health’s research portfolio at a time when the funding landscape at universities remains uncertain. The order is the latest in several attempts by the White House to exert control over the allocation of federal research awards. A May proposal from the Office of Management and Budget would put political appointees in charge of reviewing grants, giving them the authority to modify or cancel awards already in progress. Microbiology professor Susan Weiss called the office’s proposal a “terrible idea.” “It leaves open a lot of leeway for whoever’s reviewing grants to fund what they think the current administration or leadership of the NIH wants,” she said in an interview. “It’s really vague how See NIH, page 7
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OPINION Columnist Eden Liu argues that general requirements undermine student curiosity
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JAMES, from front page may demand more attention at a particular time, James said she works to ensure an “equal” balance over the course of an academic year. Cultivating those relationships became particularly important in a recent period of broader turmoil at the University. In 2023, several prominent alumni and donors withdrew or threatened to withdraw financial support amid criticism of Penn’s response to antisemitism on campus. At the time, James said that Penn had a “responsibility to repair those relationships.” Last September, Wharton secured the largest single gift in its history. A $60 million donation from Bruce Jacobs — who holds both a master’s and Ph.D. from Wharton and previously worked at the school — funded the Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Master of Science in Quantitative Finance, the school’s first new degree program in 50 years. The program, whose inaugural cohort began their studies this fall, was one of the accomplishments James was most proud of. Initially intended for Penn undergraduates with quantitative backgrounds, it allows students to earn a master’s degree with one additional year of study. “It gives Penn students access to Wharton who aren’t already a part of the Wharton community,” she said. “It ensures that they are learning content and a skill that is a needed skill in the marketplace.” The degree program is part of the school’s ongoing investment in artificial intelligence. In 2025, Wharton introduced an AI for Business concentration for undergraduates and a corresponding MBA major. James said students frequently combine those studies with an established subject, such as finance or marketing. “I think that’s actually the best utilization for AI,” she said. “It helps them understand, yes, there’s a focus area for AI independently, but it is most impactful when it
OGC, from front page counterparts across the Ivy League. Her favorite part of the week comes on Friday, when White and her staff gather to compete for the “story of the week.” “What is the most amazing thing that your client did this week?” White asks her attorneys. Their client, of course, is the University. Not just the academic institution’s 12 schools, but the University of Pennsylvania Health System’s seven hospitals too. The Office trains its staff to look for risks and opportunities in “pretty much any situation,” according to one former OGC attorney. Their job is to ensure senior administrators understand potential legal, contractual, or reputational costs of a decision, the attorney said. In one professor’s words, OGC lawyers are “zealous advocates” for the University, but their priorities can differ greatly from those of students and faculty. The Office’s work involves tactics the public might view as unsavory or even unethical, according to several legal experts familiar with the role of a general counsel. Advocating for the University’s interests might involve thwarting union organizing or quietly resolving allegations of discrimination, they said. One member of Penn’s Faculty Senate said that in situations that might be considered legally precarious, OGC urges employees to say things in “exactly the right way.” As a result, faculty members have become “very cautious and careful,” the professor added. “OGC is the one entity on campus that I really don’t feel comfortable talking about,” another professor wrote in response to a request for comment. *** Still, there is a difference between the role of general counsel and that of other administrators, Carnaroli said in an interview. “It’s not their way or the highway,” he said of White and her team. “They’re partners, and so they’re giving you the pros and cons.” White described her role in the same way: “We advise, and sometimes people take our advice.” As general counsel, White is one of the few people on campus with a direct line of communication to Penn President Larry Jameson. “When legal issues come up, you need to get legal opinions that you can trust and rely on,” Jameson explained in an August interview. “We’ve had more of those in the last few years.” Burbank is familiar with Jameson’s inclination. Even now, he remembers trying to convince then-Penn President Martin Meyerson to stop deferring to him whenever a problem arose. Meyerson “tended to rely too much” on OGC, even when decisions did not call for a lawyerly instinct, he recalled. “It’s one thing to keep your lawyers apprised of what’s going on so they can tell you when you’re likely to get in trouble,” Burbank said. “It’s another to give a lot of responsibility to lawyers in situations where you really need to hear from others.” *** White’s office, as she put it, is tasked with managing the “latest crisis of the moment” — and at Penn, the next crisis is never far away. A lot of what OGC deals with is the Trump administration’s torrent of “inquiries and investigations,” Carnaroli stated.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 is joined with another functional or disciplinary base.” For James, however, preparing students for an AI-driven economy does not mean concentrating exclusively on technical proficiency. Last month, Wharton expanded access to generative AI tools, such as Claude Enterprise. As AI becomes more widely available, James said, technological knowledge alone will become less useful as a distinguishing feature of a Wharton education. “What I believe is necessary for Wharton and for Penn is to counterbalance the technological skills that we’re imbuing in our students with the skills that actually make us human,” James said. “It’s those human skills that will become the differentiator for a recruiter or an employer to say, ‘That’s why Penn students are different. That’s why Wharton students are different.’” She also pointed to the combination of professional and liberal arts education Penn offers. Wharton’s curriculum, for instance, extends beyond quantitative subjects and allows students to take courses housed elsewhere at the University. As technical tasks grow easier to automate, James also expects interpersonal abilities to become more valuable. Employers, she said, will increasingly distinguish graduates by other factors. “The skill that I think many employers will be looking for is: Do graduates of Wharton and Penn know how to relate to other people?” James asked. “Do they know how to interpret information and translate information in ways that make it accessible?” For James, students can develop those abilities through experiential learning, where they encounter unfamiliar ideas with their peers. Penn and Wharton’s emphasis on that form of education, she added, will help their graduates stand out. Beyond the classroom, James sees entrepreneurship as another area of possible growth. She pointed to Wharton’s San Francisco campus as an early attempt to connect the school with the Silicon Valley ecosystem. As access to AI lowers barriers to starting a venture, Wharton’s presence in San Francisco places the school
in an existing entrepreneurial environment that has become a center of AI development. James acknowledged that Wharton does not operate alone. Faculty members already collaborate with researchers at institutions such as Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. “Society would benefit by more collaboration across institutions, and yet we still operate in an industry where we are competitors,” she said. “Striking that balance between cooperation and competition will always be a part of the higher education landscape.” According to James, Wharton’s larger challenge is making the case for higher education at a moment when young people have more paths into the workforce and more ways to learn outside traditional institutions. She argued that higher education has been uniquely successful in preparing people to advance society, but
“I think it’s pretty important in dealing with these very challenging, incredibly important — to some extent, existential — issues, that the lawyer’s voice is heard,” White said. Her attorneys are not the only ones shaping Penn’s response. The University also retains outside counsel — whose assistance White says she needs now more than ever — to advise on federal matters, including government investigations and executive orders. Keeping pace with a volatile political environment has not been cheap for Penn and other universities. White was paid well over $1 million in 2024, and Penn has reported rising “legal and insurance” costs in recent budget briefings. Carnaroli said that relative to when the Office was first created, the landscape Penn now faces is “more complex and regulatory-oriented.” “The stakes have gotten a lot higher,” he said, citing the “overturning of long-established precedents” and the “shifting nature” of Penn’s relationship with the federal government. Those conditions make having an “established, seasoned general counsel” all the more necessary, he added. *** For Penn’s Faculty Senate tri-chairs — Neurology professor Roy Hamilton, History professor Kathleen Brown and Nursing professor Eileen Lake — OGC’s growing prominence has clear repercussions for “shared governance, academic freedom, and a culture of inquiry.” Faculty have alleged in recent years that it has become harder than ever to reach central administrators. In December 2024, retired Political Science professor Anne Norton — who was also a Faculty Senate Executive Committee member — told the DP that power at Penn “rests almost completely with three individuals: the President, the General Counsel and the Provost.” “The challenge is not determining whether legal guidance is essential; it clearly is,” the tri-chairs wrote in a statement. “Rather, the challenge is to determine how institutions can best integrate that guidance while preserving the distinctive culture and collaborative decision-making processes that are central to University life.” In March 2025, the federal government froze more than $175 million in funding to Penn, citing the University’s failure to bar transgender athletes from women’s sports. The move spurred months of negotiations between Penn and the Trump administration to recover the lost money. When a resolution came that July, a senior Department of Education official told the DP they had dealt directly with the University’s attorneys. Brown, who was chairing the Faculty Senate at the time, was not privy to the negotiation process. The Title IX settlement exemplified what some consider to be OGC’s modus operandi. One source familiar with the Office said it tends to not “seek input from faculty.” At the time, an overwhelming number of professors and staff members condemned the resolution, arguing that Penn entered into an agreement with the government without properly fielding faculty concerns. Annenberg School for Communication professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson, who served as the school’s dean for 14 years, said that her administrative role provided insight into OGC’s involvement in “very important” issues that she “wouldn’t have known about” as a faculty member. Often, there was “no reason for
them to be public-facing,” Jamieson said in an interview. History and Sociology of Science professor Harun Küçük described OGC’s expanded authority as a “net stressor for shared governance.” “Fending off existing and potential lawsuits has a different logic than what is right and good for the Penn community,” Küçük, who worked with the Office on a number of occasions during his time on SEC, wrote in a statement. On Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring Penn and other federally funded universities terminate their diversity programs. Trump graduated from the Wharton School in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Per the Office’s recommendation, the University quickly wiped nearly all references to diversity, equity, and inclusion across its graduate and undergraduate schools. Penn’s attorneys said the eliminated programs were “not compliant with how the Trump administration reads the 14th Amendment,” according to College senior and Undergraduate Assembly President Musab Chummun. One casualty of Penn’s compliance with the order was the University Council’s diversity committee. When students and administrators came to a head over the issue again last winter, the OGC’s “risk-averse” recommendation prevailed, Chummun said. He met with members of OGC again this year to discuss the possibility of federal immigration enforcement officials on campus. Chummun said he and others pressed the University to provide more resources for undocumented students, but OGC feared that bringing attention to their presence on campus could draw the ire of the federal government. When student leaders advocate for something they know to be “a bit legally risky,” Chummun said, Penn’s attorneys often shut them down. “They always approach it from ‘This is what we can and cannot do as per the law,’” he said. “We want Penn to be making choices that benefit the students, not capitulating to laws that we don’t think are good.” *** Penn has repeatedly confronted questions about the limits of academic freedom and open expression in recent years. After the spring 2024 Gaza Solidarity Encampment, administrators looked to quell the campus turmoil that had drawn national attention while preventing such a protest from recurring. In a move characterized by some as an overstep by University administrators, Penn unveiled a set of temporary open expression guidelines that June. The temporary procedures were based on recommendations made by the University Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community. As an ex-officio member of the task force, White has remained a key figure in many of the conversations on Penn’s new speech policies — even after the tents on College Green were removed and campus turmoil mellowed. Michael Weisberg, a Philosophy professor who currently oversees the task force and commission, said he regularly reaches out to OGC for advice.
THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM that universities must continue to prove their relevance as technology changes how students approach learning and work. “Not everyone needs a business degree, but everyone needs access to business acumen,” James argued. Wharton should find new ways to offer foundational business knowledge to people who may never enroll in one of its degree programs, she added. That goal is emblematic of the legacy James hopes to leave behind: a school that can change with the times while advocating for the enduring role of business in society. “I hope that I have honored the vision of Joseph Wharton and left the school more agile and more focused on understanding how business contributes to broader society,” James said. “To me, that would be a wonderful legacy to have left.”
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The DP sat down with James for an interview on Sept. 22.
“The General Counsel doesn’t have an office in College Hall, so it’s not like she’s in every meeting,” Weisberg said of White. “But I’ve always found it very useful to discuss things with her, even when I knew we were going to disagree.” Penn released another revision of its open expression
guidelines earlier this year, again in consultation with OGC. According to several faculty, the new policies would enshrine restrictions first seen in the temporary policies and signal a further step toward centralizing administrative power. *** Last October, the Trump administration appeared to switch up its strategy — and Penn did too. Rather than targeting individual schools with investigations or litigation, the White House sent the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” to nine universities, including Penn. The document laid out sweeping guidelines governing admissions, tuition, and hiring practices that institutions could agree to in exchange for federal funding benefits. Penn rejected the federal government’s proposal just 16 days later. Prior to making that decision, the University explicitly sought out the input of faculty and students. Jameson issued Penn’s rejection on the heels of a recommendation from the Faculty Senate. At the time, a White House official suggested that the University’s decision not to sign on might jeopardize its federal funding. Nearly a year later, Penn’s funding has not been impacted. One professor said Penn’s approach to the compact was evidence the Office has room to challenge the federal government even when legal risks are high. Unlike OGC’s usual strategy of keeping its “head down a tiny bit lower than the next guy,” the professor said a lack of retribution from the White House showed that universities can act collectively to resist “unlawful and unconstitutional” orders. For Penn Medicine professor Scott Halpern, OGC’s guidance has proven vital. When the federal government moved to restrict research funding on the basis of “woke” or “questionable” topics, Halpern turned to OGC for support. He worked with the Office to develop a machine learning algorithm that flags language in grant applications that could lead to funding being denied or revoked. “I and others in the Office of Research Services really relied on OGC for confirmation that what we were doing was not going to put the University at risk,” Halpern said. The frequency of his interactions with the Office has “at least doubled, if not much more than that,” since January 2024. “These past few years have been extraordinarily challenging for the higher education, and many of the challenges have been legal,” University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School professor Eric Feldman wrote in a statement. Despite those pressures, Feldman thinks White has maneuvered this onslaught with grace. “Based upon my interactions with GC’s at other schools, I know that Penn’s OGC is held in high regard, and I think that its reputation is well deserved,” he wrote. Feldman, who’s known White for a number of years, is not alone in singing her praises. Several other faculty members and administrators commended White’s leadership. Steve MacCarthy, who served as the University’s vice president of communications until 2025, wrote that White is “most likely the best general counsel in American higher education.” “We’re always making really tough decisions,” White said. “It’s not always easy, and the approach doesn’t always please everybody.” “But part of that decision,” she added, “and I can’t say it strongly enough, is that we are protecting our values.”
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Penn students discuss second year of College Foundations pilot The four-course program now offers roughly 300 first years an early look at the College’s upcoming curriculum overhaul EMMA DESMET AND MBRESA SIMNICA Staff Reporters
This fall, the College of Arts and Sciences expanded its pilot curriculum for first-year students. The four-course College Foundations program, which has tripled in size since its debut last year, now offers roughly 300 first years an early look at the College’s upcoming curriculum overhaul. The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with faculty and students about their experiences and how the program has changed since its first iteration. Half of the students in College Foundations are taking “Kite,” a humanities and qualitative social sciences course, along with a writing seminar. The other half are enrolled in the quantitative-focused “Key” alongside a first-year seminar. Come spring, students will swap into whichever of the two courses they are not currently taking. Next fall, these four courses will be part of the new College curriculum starting with the Class of 2031 — along with simplified general education requirements and changes to electives. Curriculum leaders College Dean Peter Struck, who is also teaching a Kite section this fall, said College Foundations has the potential to strengthen a “community of inquiry” and allow students to tackle “interesting, challenging, provocative questions.” Developing the new curriculum, he said, is an “iterative, changing process” where “the syllabus for each of the courses is meant to change year to year.” “There were some pieces that needed adjustments,” Struck explained. “Sometimes there were books that were just a little bit too long, or were too abstract, or didn’t exactly support the multiple points of view that we wanted.” For Struck, one of the most “exciting” parts of the curriculum is introducing College Fellows — upperclassmen who serve as peer mentors and learning assistants and facilitate “conversation inside of the classroom.” Currently, there are two dozen student fellows, but Struck hopes to have 100 by next year. “They’re trained to understand the breadth of knowledge that’s here at Penn, so they can help students pursue an interest in a place that they might never have known,” Struck said. English professor Jed Esty will oversee the development and rollout of the new curriculum starting next January. Esty is tasked with constructing a “thoughtful, integrated, holistic approach to choosing a course of study.” He emphasized that career preparedness and an open, exploratory mindset — one that doesn’t require students to commit to a major right away — can go hand in hand. Esty added that both Kite and Key can engage students in community, civic learning, and free debate. “When everybody in the community shares some common points of reference — the same problem set in Key, or the same interesting text from Kite — you can walk around this campus and meet any one of your 1,400 classmates and know that they’re working on some of the same big ideas,” Esty said. “That creates the possibility for a deep, residential, intellectual life,” he added. “That’s what college should feel like.” Kite and Key instructors Philosophy professor Daniele Lorenzini, a Kite
College senior Lexi Walker, who has been a teaching assistant for Key since last year, said her “students are responding very positively.” Compared to last year, she added, there are a “lot less students falling behind, so everybody seems to be following the material, understanding it, asking questions, and feeling confident.” “What I think we’re all hoping for is to help students get some kind of quantitative foundation, so everyone’s on an even playing field as they pursue whatever they want at Penn,” Daniel Lapinski, a College senior and Key TA, said. College sophomore Tamara Kohmann, also a Key TA, said the course this year emphasizes participation and general knowledge. “It makes it a lot less stressful for freshmen who are going into their first and second semesters of college,” she explained. Mark Doraszelski — a College sophomore and a Key TA who participated in the Foundations pilot last year — said that the lectures have changed from last year’s “classic” format. “The format of the lectures is completely different,” he said, explaining that the course now focuses on active learning and group activities. “A lot of the feedback that we gave as students last year was definitely applied,” he added. Jody Huege, a College sophomore and a Kite TA, said one of the changes from last year’s pilot is a reduction in the amount of assigned readings. “I know last year, students who had opted in were a little bit upset and overwhelmed by the amount of reading that was given,” Huege said. He explained that, so far, students have shown both interest and uncertainty toward Kite’s assignments. “There’s excitement, and there’s interest, but I think there’s also some trepidation there, too,” Huege said. College senior Luke Weidemoyer said Kite aims to
The first-year experience College first year Lisa Lu, a student in Kite, said she enjoys exploring a different topic each week without having to commit to a full semester on any single subject. “You get to spread really far and wide,” Lu said. “Let’s say something really catches your interest — you can go explore that on your own.” “Because there’s no tests,” she added, “we can explore without the stress of getting a grade on an assignment or having to study.” College first year Daniel Song said he is a “big fan” of the interdisciplinary emphasis of Key. “It’s just one class, but it covers so many broad topics that you’re able to explore and see for yourself — ‘Which ones do I really connect with and resonate with?’” Song said. Although the topics vary, he said there are broader, consistent themes that anchor the course, such as “verifying your assumptions,” remaining skeptical of your instincts, and looking at data in context. College first year Zara Nwadibia said she appreciated the “interactive” parts of Key’s lectures and lab sections, though she suggested adding more opportunities for hands-on learning and reducing the length of the lab period by an hour. “I remember one day we measured our heights and we got these fun party hats,” Nwadibia said. “That was cool because we learned about histograms simultaneously.” Key student and College first year Dani Ibrahim described the program as a “great concept,” explaining that she enjoys the “lax” nature of the class and the lack of homework. She pointed, however, to the intensity of the course as a possible area of improvement. “Since there are no quizzes, no tests — which, again, I’m happy about that — there’s no check for understanding,” she said. “I think there needs to be a bit more incentive to learn and retain the information.”
Locust Walk on Sept. 10, 2025.
instructor who helped design the curriculum, said the seminar is meant to give students space to explore beyond their immediate interests. “One of the main things that the students last year — at least in my class — found really important was the way in which this class type allowed them to resist a little bit of the pressure that can be felt at Penn to professionalize,” Lorenzini explained. English professor Paul Saint-Amour, who also teaches Kite, said that the course provides “a running set of discussions and debates about keywords that matter to multiple disciplines.” “There isn’t really a course like Kite at the College right now,” he said, noting that his class exposes students to topics spanning a range of disciplines, historical periods, and geographical areas. As the program prepares to expand to the entire incoming College class, Saint-Amour said it will also call on faculty to step outside their areas of expertise. “Anyone who teaches Kite is going to be teaching mostly material that is outside of their discipline,” he said. Mathematics professor Mona Merling, a Key instructor, said her class accounts for differing levels of student experience in quantitative reasoning and data analysis by emphasizing “thoughtful participation” instead of memorization, test-taking, and “high-stakes performance.” In Merling’s view, this format allows students to focus on “asking questions, testing ideas, and making mistakes and learning from them.” Merling said she hopes that students “can make better-informed judgments” and “remain open to reconsidering their views” after taking the course. Teaching and learning assistants Many of the students leading lab sections in Kite or Key bring experience from last year — either as former mentors or as participants in the program themselves.
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CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
introduce students to major texts and ideas but also help them develop skills they can use throughout college. “Part of what Kite is trying to do is teach students, from the beginning of their time in college, to be able to focus on a task or an idea for an extended period of time,” Weidemoyer explained. College sophomore Leila Feldman, a Kite TA who participated in the pilot last year, said that she is still friends with many of her peers and thinks about the assigned readings “to this day.” She said her experiences as a student have informed her approach to serving as a TA. “I now get to ask the same questions to my students that were asked of me last year, but I kind of see it from a different point of view because I’ve already had the conversations about the questions,” she said. “So I know where to lead them a little bit and know where the conversation can and should go.” College sophomore Eliav Zendehdel — also a current Kite TA and former College Foundations student — said he enjoys serving as a source of advice for firstyear students. “A lot of them come to me for peer advisor questions, questions about school in general, clubs, and class,” Zendehdel said. “I’m there not only to guide them through this class but guide them through as they explore the College.”
LUIS FERRÉ-SADURNÍ C’17 is an immigration reporter at the New York Times. He joined the Times in 2017 and has covered breaking news, crime, housing, and politics for the Metro Desk. MATT FLEGENHEIMER C’11 is a correspondent at the New York Times. His primary focus is long-form profiles of notable figures - in politics and otherwise - for the Times and Times Magazine. BEATRICE FORMAN C’22 is a food writer at the Philadelphia Inquirer and a co-author of Taylor Swift (Spotlight on a Legend), an Amazon-bestselling retrospective on the pop star published in 2024 by Hearst. ASHLEY PARKER C’05 is a staff writer at The Atlantic. Previously, Parker — a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner —spent eight years at the Washington Post, where she covered all four years of Donald Trump’s first presidency, was White House bureau chief covering the first two years of the Biden presidency, as well as the entirety of the Trump presidency. STEPHEN FRIED C’79 is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author who teaches at Penn and at Columbia, where he directs the Medical Journalism Workshop project. He is also Writer-in-Residence at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia & the Mutter Museum. JESSICA GOODMAN C’12 is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of young adult thrillers They Wish They Were Us, They’ll Never Catch Us, The Counselors, and The Legacies. She is the former op-ed editor at Cosmopolitan magazine and has held editorial positions at Entertainment Weekly and Huff Post.
Thursday, September 24 • 5:30 pm Kelly Writers House • 3805 Locust Walk or watch on YouTube
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Editorial | Why we’re losing trust in higher education The American public is losing trust in the institution of higher education. This trend has made headlines since 2015 — when Gallup first began tracking the issue — and the discourse seems to be revived with every follow-up report. Last month, the phenomenon was thrust back into the limelight, when it was referenced in United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon’s call to action for universities. The message is a far cry from the White House’s aggressive 2025 compact, though the documents do share similar priorities. The August letter frames itself as a response to America’s eroding trust in higher education, attributing the fault to universities which have “drifted from the principles that built up so much public esteem.” The solution, according to McMahon, is a careful and public reflection from university leadership guided by a series of questions. The inquiries span seven broad topics, including admissions, free speech, and intellectual pluralism, among others. As universities wrestle with how — or whether — to respond to these questions, we examine the national decline of confidence in higher education and evaluate the efficacy of federal suggestions to reinstill it. The numbers tell a clear enough story: Only 38% of U.S. adults say they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education, compared with 42% last year and 57% in 2015. While the degree of support varies across groups,
this decline in confidence is consistent across political parties and levels of educational attainment. It’s apparent that Americans are losing trust in our universities. And it’s a concerning trend. However, in McMahon’s proposed remedy for this public disillusionment, there are several fundamental flaws. The most obvious is the scope of issues it aims to address. While Gallup’s report identifies three main drivers of eroding trust in universities — politics, cost, and workforce preparation — the letter’s suggested reforms span a host of broad and seemingly irrelevant concerns. The message vaguely asserts that universities must prioritize “American students and faculty” and advises against the practice of American universities accepting “gifts with problematic conditions” from foreign nations. Both international enrollment and foreign funding are long-standing targets of the Trump administration; those concerns are nowhere to be found in public opinion research on trust in higher education. It’s clear that many of these suggestions have little to do with the restoration of confidence in universities and are instead poorly veiled attempts at fulfilling the president’s political agenda. Equally puzzling is the fact that many of the secretary of education’s purported objectives overwhelmingly contradict the actions undertaken by the federal government. Consider the issue of affordability, on which McMahon’s letter focuses extensively. It is a concern that
we have often highlighted, especially in the context of Penn’s most recent tuition hike. Our University is far from an anomaly, as national averages for tuition have swelled to 312.4% of what they were in 1963. But the federal government’s supposed commitment to the affordability of education rings hollow given how it slashed financial support for college students and graduates. In just the past year, the Trump administration has cut federal loans for low-paying degrees and eliminated former President and Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice Professor Joe Biden’s student loan repayment program. In the same vein, McMahon’s encouragement of “open-minded campus discourse” diverges drastically from Trump’s repeated assault on free speech at universities. Of course, the letter also prompts institutions to “guarantee that unruly and violent protestors do not harass students or disrupt classes” — effectively contradicting itself between sentences. It’s absurd to declare values of affordability and free expression while working within an administration that is actively attempting to dismantle them. Perhaps most egregiously, the letter’s very existence is entirely antithetical to its alleged goal of restoring confidence in higher education. The top reason Americans cited for their lack of trust in universities was the institutional promotion of political agendas. By publicly announcing plans to adopt federal priorities of nationalist education and
crackdowns on campus protests, aren’t universities doing just that? Americans don’t like federal overreach in academia. Last year, 57% of U.S. adults opposed increased federal oversight in university operations. In May, 62% of U.S. adults disapproved of the Trump administration’s approach to higher education. While the eroding trust in universities is undoubtedly driven by complex and varying factors, the path to rebuilding it certainly is not submitting to the arbitrary demands of political leaders. A trustworthy university is not one that capitulates to government pressure. Once higher education is beholden to political whims, the institution has severed itself from its defining purpose. In the true interest of restoring public confidence, our universities must focus on reforms that improve the accessibility and quality of higher education. And these changes should be made out of a commitment to the public, not in response to federal force. Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian Editorial Board who meet regularly to discuss issues relevant to the Penn community. This body is led by Opinion Editor Ingrid Holmquist and operates independently from the newsroom. Questions or comments should be directed to letters@thedp.com.
General education requirements have to go EDENLIGHTENED | Penn’s general requirements have turned intellectual exploration into academic optimization A few weeks ago, one of my teaching assistants asked our class a simple question: How many of you are here because this course fulfills a general education requirement? Almost every hand in the room shot up. Everyone laughed. There was something reassuring about the honesty of it. We were not necessarily there because the course had caught our attention or because we had some innate interest in the topic. We were there because somewhere on our Path@ Penn degree audits there was a missing check mark, and this class was the easiest way to get that green light. This amusing moment captured a contradiction at the heart of Penn’s general education requirements. They are supposed to broaden our horizons. Too often, they instead show us how to satisfy requirements as efficiently and painlessly as possible. Penn’s current curriculum requires students to complete Foundational Approaches and Sectors of Knowledge across a range of disciplines. The goal is admirable: a Penn graduate should leave with expertise across multiple fields. But what happens when this multidisciplinary ideal crashes headfirst into reality? Ask students how they plan to fulfill a sector requirement and the conversation is almost devoid of any intellectual exploration and entirely dominated by optimization. Which class has the lightest workload? Does this professor give a lot of A’s? Can this course double-count for another requirement? We trade recommendations for “easy requirements” the same way we trade recommendations for restaurants. This does not mean the requirements never work. In fact, my own experience is an argument for why Penn values them in the first place. Some of my general education courses have taken me into subjects I might never have explored as deeply otherwise. I have long been interested in Greek and Roman mythology, and the general requirement gave me permission to investigate that interest despite my demanding schedule. It provided the extra push to enroll in a class with professor Emily Wilson, where I was given the space to turn my curiosity into an academic pursuit. The class deepened
my interest to the point that I am now considering a classics minor, where I can encounter ideas far removed from what I initially expected to study at Penn. That is the strongest argument for general education requirements: it gives students both the reason and room to follow their curiosities to places they might not have gone otherwise. But there is another side to that bargain. For every student who discovers an unexpected interest, there is a student scrolling through sector-approved courses looking for the simplest way to satisfy a graduation requirement. And once students begin treating intellectual breadth as an obstacle to be navigated, the requirement can undermine the very curiosity it was designed to cultivate. Even Penn itself seems to recognize the problem. Beginning with a 120-student pilot drawn from the Class of 2029, the College of Arts and Sciences introduced College Foundations, a four-course first-year program designed to expose students to different modes of inquiry early in their Penn careers. The program’s Kite and Key courses, alongside a writing seminar and first-year seminar, allow participating students to fulfill six general education requirements in four courses. College Dean Peter Struck explicitly identified a weakness in the existing system, in which students can postpone general education courses, potentially discovering an interest only when it is too late to meaningfully pursue it. Penn has since gone further. In April, College faculty approved a new curriculum starting with the Class of 2031, replacing much of the existing structure with College Foundations, broader distribution requirements, and more room for electives. College students tend to view their majors positively but general requirements much more negatively, with many describing requirements as obstacles rather than aids to their education. The new system is intended to put curiosity closer to the center of course selection. That diagnosis is right. But I would take its logic further. Abolish general requirements altogether. Keep advising students to explore. Keep first-year seminars. Keep College Foundations for students who want a structured introduction to the liberal arts. Penn should
CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Columnist Eden Liu argues that general requirements undermine the curiosity they were designed to foster.
enthusiastically encourage students to venture outside their majors. It just should not dictate precisely how they do it. Give students those credits back as electives and let them decide what breadth means for themselves. Some students might spend all of them going deeper into their major, and others might build an unofficial second concentration in history or music. Someone might take completely unrelated courses simply because they sound interesting. Another student might construct an education far broader than anything a checklist of sectors could produce. And yes, some students would choose not to broaden their education at all. We should let them. University students are already trusted to choose majors that may shape their careers, select extracurricular commitments, and determine what they want to do with their lives. It is patronizing to assume that without requirements, Penn students cannot be trusted to construct worthwhile educations. More importantly, for students who do not buy into the purpose of general education, there already exists an escape hatch through course optimization. You can
require a student to enroll in a natural science course, but you cannot require them to be curious about natural science. If their only objective is satisfying a requirement with the easiest available class, we’ve accomplished something administratively, but perhaps very little educationally. As someone for whom general education has worked, I am grateful for classes I might never have taken otherwise. But an education cannot be designed around mandating the thirst for knowledge. The purpose of a liberal arts education should be to cultivate curiosity, not to substitute it with a checklist. Penn can show students doors they never knew existed and encourage us to walk through them. But it cannot drag us kicking and screaming through those doors. For the liberal arts project to work, we have to walk through them ourselves fully prepared to embrace what we sign up for. EDEN LIU is a College junior studying philosophy, politics, and economics from Taipei, Taiwan. His email is edenliu@sas.upenn.edu.
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OPINION 5
Why do pre-meds choose to suffer? DEW TELL | On the evil pre-med and jaded engineer Attending a STEM lecture at Penn is a bleak experience. Entering the chemistry building, you’ll scour the hall for an acquaintance and shuffle to their row. As you unfold your seat and maneuver the tiny wooden desk onto your lap, you two will exchange (un)pleasantries, commiserating about the problem set questions you don’t understand and disparaging the professor for their boring teaching. Breathing in the cold, dry air, you’ll put up a good fight, trying to pay attention to an hourlong lecture on atomic orbitals. And once the clock strikes 1 p.m., you’ll let out a restrained sigh and vie for the nearest exit. That is, of course, after making sure to groan to your friend one last time about how little you’ve retained from the past hour. College students are not known for their optimism. In fact, the Penn academic experience is often imbued with a constant sense of doom. Though we may be a busy student body, we will always make time to complain. This attitude is not unique to premed or other STEM students, but it is special in that many of us treat complaining like a god-given right, as opposed to an indulgence. Let me be clear: a STEM degree is not an easy undertaking. Classes move quickly, with dense material that students are expected to know in depth. The format of lectures is forced to emphasize content over conversation, making the learning experience isolating, with few opportunities to connect with others. Still, it’s the attitude toward these STEM classes that can truly make them unbearable. The academic experience of subjects like chemistry, biology, and neuroscience feels so far removed from the intellectual questions that guide them as disciplines, treating them instead like training modules. As a pre-med student, I can attest that we often see academics simultaneously as an end-all and a means to an end. The way we speak about a prerequisite class is limited strictly to its content’s acute benefit to us in the short-term future. The immediate reward for learning the material is a GPA boost, with poor performance being treated as a moral failure. Later on, it might be fruitful to know the information once it appears on the MCAT or if it shows up again in medical school. But the knowledge itself never seems to be intrinsically valuable
outside of its connection to school, research, or volunteering. It’s as if we approach each tenet of medicine and science as a stepping stone, stripped of its intrigue and inherent worth, rid of the passion that any foundational scientist would have brought to their research. Instead, science education for pre-med students is framed like an intense-butunavoidable suffering. This environment feels opposite to much of the humanities, including the English class I’m taking this semester: “Witchcraft and the Occult.” In this class, full of both pre-med students and English majors, the exchange of ideas is lively. Discussion centers tangible questions and genuine curiosity, while maintaining a commitment to its original purpose of inspiring intellectual thought. Leaving class, I don’t feel the desire to jeer at the professor or
feign boredom. Instead, I actively want to turn to a peer and revel in the day’s learning, excited to return for the next session. Ironically, an intimate space like this is what a STEM major might deem their semester’s “fun class,” in the context of their more rigorous science classes. But as budding scientists and medical professionals, why can’t our science coursework be just as fun too? The world of medicine and science is ever in need of new minds and more attention, especially in the face of a physician shortage. It is a good thing that so many of us want to enter it. It is also an opportunity for upward mobility and a space of great prestige, hence its popularity among Penn students. But I’d also like to think that many of us are here because of a longstanding, childlike curiosity, developed while gazing out at space and inspecting
the design of nature. Along with our time and effort, we must invest and reignite our passion into the sciences. What good are we really doing for the field by choosing it begrudgingly? STEM education needs to reemphasize the human curiosity that has driven it thus far. In classes dealing with such paramount questions as the fundamental dynamics of the world, there must be more space to entertain curiosity for curiosity’s sake. And as a bonus, a chemistry lecture might not be so unbearable either. DEW UDAGEDARA is a College sophomore studying neuroscience and English from Long Beach, Calif. His email is dewdunu@sas.upenn.edu.
CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Columnist Dew Udagedara investigates the lack of intellectual interest in STEM and pre-med circles.
Penn’s friendship industrial complex PENN UNSAID | How friendship has become another bragging point I can no longer remember a time when “let’s get dinner” felt more like a beginning and less like a conclusion. Usually muttered after a group project or a walk after a shared class, this phrase is known by Penn students as the ultimate empty promise. For the new students who are still open to making genuine friends, this concept can be confusing. But as a senior, I’ve finally accepted what some students may deny: Penn students have a lot of friends, but not a lot of friendships. We like to speak about Penn as a lonely place where we become too busy with recruiting and
coursework to make friends. But Penn isn’t just a solitary place because students don’t have friends; sometimes they’re lonely because they have too many. I’ve noticed that whenever I talk to someone here, they usually make a point to emphasize their abundance of friends. Last weekend, they got dinner with an old friend or drank at Smoke’s with four other people. Half the time, it can feel like the main motive of the conversation is proving to their classmates that they’re not in their dorm all day. Anywhere else, I would doubt anyone who claimed
CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Senior columnist Lindsay Muneton argues that Penn’s culture of friendship is driven more by quantity than quality.
this level of popularity. But here, it’s rare to hear the opposite. My problem does not stem from students’ attempt to make friends, but the non-attempt to create long-lasting friendships. Think of the first day of class: if someone isn’t there with a friend, they’re scrambling to find an acquaintance or stranger to befriend. By the end, they’ve asked for your number; maybe they want to hang out, but most likely they’re adding you to their personal collection of class friends. A college brochure might indicate classes to be the source of longlasting friendship, but there’s nothing long-lasting in what is inherently transactional. Here is where Penn’s friendship industrial complex comes into play. Instead of taking the time to form a few valuable and fulfilling friendships, Penn students make people into plans. The same way that they overcommit by interviewing for an eighth club, they overcommit by promising significant personal time with the 80th person. There are students here who have people for different parts of their lives, but they lack a consistent person for every part of their life. We should admit that sometimes the problem isn’t the absence of time, but the absence of motivation to invest time in becoming intimately familiar with someone. Nevertheless, I can admit that Penn is not the kind of school where people get by on pure luck. Depending on someone’s choice of study, they can be more or less booked by a combination of class time, exam prep, and interviews. At Penn, maybe the difference between an A and B in a class is having the right study group, the right project partner, and the right discipline to know when to be alone. But we have this tendency to play up our sociality, so that sometimes none of us can tell the difference between students with friends and students with friendships. And once everyone has received the memo, it’s pretty difficult not to internalize this one
underlying concept: nobody else is alone, but me. Students might claim that this system works best for their schedule, but I would argue it’s this secret insecurity that underpins their actions, not optimization. See, we pride ourselves on being the school of self-starters, full of future CEOs, entrepreneurs, and leaders. But becoming this kind of person does not come without its drawbacks; a successful person can be the most connected person while simultaneously being the loneliest in the room. And in a school of future leaders, we become a school of lonely people. Consequently, I’m not here to judge the person who has a thousand friends they can get dinner with on any given day, because even if nobody will admit it, we have all either been or tried to be those people at some point. Nobody wants to eat their gross food alone in the dining hall, and everybody wants to have weekend plans with someone. But the point should not be to add more people to your Google Calendar for the appearance of connection when taking the chance to learn about someone would do the actual job. It’s easier said than done, but we shouldn’t be afraid to invest time in another person. It’s easy to get caught up in the fear of rejection and our lack of time, but it’s much more preferable to have a few close friendships than a hundred distant friends. You will not die if you ask to hang out with people outside of class or invite them over to your apartment. You might not be the person who has 20 people at your birthday dinner or 200 to invite to your housewarming, but you could be something better. You could be the person who says “let’s get dinner” and actually means it. LINDSAY MUNETON is a College senior studying sociology from Bergenfield, N.J. Her email address is lmuneton@sas.upenn.edu.
First years: Here’s what you should say ‘yes’ to CONTRIBUTION | Why you shouldn’t treat college as a fresh start I definitely did not peak in high school. I went to two or three parties maximum. I put all of my free time toward participating in extracurriculars, leading projects, or learning new skills and instruments. I gave little attention to trendy outfits, dressing in sweaters and hoodies paired with the same burgundy yoga pants or Brandy Melville sweatpants. I told myself I’d focus solely on academics in high school, and wait to peak in college. In the summer months following my senior year of high school, I may have spent more time building a more mature and trendy persona in preparation for college life than researching the academic opportunities at Penn. I’ve justified this by instilling in my mind the importance of social exploration in college, as I believed it to be the point where my life “really begins.” It’s the newfound independence combined with a youthful glow that makes the college era unique to me. While anxiously waiting for move-in, I developed a habit of doomscrolling on social media and consequently curated my feed to include nonstop “advice for incoming college freshmen” tip videos. There was a recurring central piece of advice among them (whether stated directly or not): say “yes” to everything. Attending parties, campus events, and clubs was no longer optional. I was adamant about participating in every activity Penn had to offer. As someone who has always been on the more introverted and soft-spoken side, I knew that internalizing this “say yes to everything” mantra would also imply that I adopt a more outgoing personality that I had never felt as familiar with. However, this idea of essentially rebranding myself into a social butterfly is something I’ve welcomed with open arms. Penn being 3,000 miles away from my hometown made transforming myself into a whole new person in college seem absolutely achievable and even
exhilarating. But framing the beginning of college as a complete fresh start is not only inaccurate — it also neglects acknowledgment of the value behind significant aspects of your past. Self-reflection, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined as engaging in “careful thought about your own behavior and beliefs.” Reflective practices can have many mental health benefits that lead to personal growth. When it comes to navigating friendships, considering your past experiences and interactions with others can help you identify relationships that are healthy for your self-growth and thus worth keeping. Reflecting on your past is also important for setting tangible goals that will help you improve in your future. If past experiences are overlooked, you can expect to keep making the same mistakes and not make a real change to your bad habits. As I build new friendships with various peers at Penn, I’ve decided to additionally prioritize reflection. I thought about habits I’d let go of, such as trying to be everyone’s best friend and depending constantly on gaining acceptance from others. I also thought about things I’d like to keep: good organizational habits, my monthly budget tracker, my insatiable drive for social justice, and certain high school friendships. Throughout the summer, I put in the effort to maintain the friendships that I see myself carrying through college. After making a list of just a few close friends, I made plans with each of them to meet up and hang out before we left for college. I had a deep late-night car talk with one of my closest friends, which ended in a vow between us to continue being there for each other during and after the next four years. I promised my friends FaceTimes, text updates, and a time-lapse of my dorm move-in. Goodbye began to feel less like a great separation, and more like a “see you later”
that wasn’t a robotic valediction, but rather had a genuine connotation. My friends and I acknowledged that we would grow throughout college, yet still committed to holding onto our connection in a way that wouldn’t be overbearing and would complement our propensity to explore and meet new people. Maintaining relationships I value instead of pressuring myself to replace them with new college friendships has provided me with a solid support system as I integrate into early college life. Knowing that I have people already in my corner, getting acclimated to the college social scene isn’t as isolating or
intimidating. You are not becoming a new person in college; rather, you are building on the memories and relationships of your past that made you who you are in the present. As you say “yes” to new experiences, also say “yes” to growing — not abandoning — your authentic self and relationships. CARINA THOMAS is a College first year studying sociology from Berkeley, Calif. Her email is carinath@sas.upenn.edu.
CATHERINE FAN | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Contributor Carina Thomas explains why reflecting on the past is just as important as embracing new experiences in college.
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Viral dorm room video lands Penn sophomore $100K brand deal Marcus Hirschman was one of six students invited to compete in Xfinity’s vertical reality show ‘Best in Class’ UNA CUTRONE Staff Reporter
Months after a TikTok featuring his Quad dorm room went viral, College sophomore Marcus Hirschman won a six-figure sponsorship on a reality series. Hirschman, who uses the pseudonym Marcus Quinn on social media, was one of six students invited to compete in Xfinity’s vertical reality show “Best in Class” for a chance to win a $100,000 brand deal. The show, which concluded on Sept. 10, was designed specifically for college influencers on Instagram and TikTok. The latest phase of Hirschman’s social media journey began when he recorded the process of decorating his 80-square-foot room upon arriving at Penn. “I’m a big believer that your space is kind of an extension to who you are,” Hirschman said in an interview, explaining that he started arranging the dorm by “prioritizing functionality” and then “went crazy on aesthetics.” “During New Student Orientation, people would know me as the small dorm guy just because there were photos circulating of my dorm,” he added. Hirschman, who began creating online content at 9 years old, achieved campus recognition early on. Near the end of his first year, that extended beyond Penn’s campus when a TikTok video of his dorm went viral — receiving over one million views. Later in the summer, he was offered a spot in the vertical reality competition. “When this opportunity ultimately arose, I could not believe it,” Hirschman said. “Everything happened so quickly.” The show filmed over four days on a set in New Jersey and brought together six young content creators from different universities to compete in social media challenges. Each five-minute episode followed the contestants teaming up to create videos on a specific topic. The end of each episode concluded with the host, influencer Katie Feeney, announcing the winning video. Director Zane, whose team executed the
TUITION, from front page students living off campus and away from home have a cost of attendance of $97,444. “The University has a longstanding and deeply held commitment to making a Penn education affordable for students and families across the income spectrum,” a University spokesperson wrote in a statement. “That progress reflects Penn’s continued expansion of financial aid since the University began its transition to all-grant financial aid in 2008.” The cost of attendance has risen steadily for all undergraduate students. Students living on campus saw a 48.3% increase, compared with 54.4% for students living at home and 45.9% for students living off campus. Generally, those expenses have increased faster than local inflation. From 2016 to 2026, the undergraduate cost of attendance grew between 38% and 39% based on the category of student, while the Consumer Price Index in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington area increased by just 32.13%. Across all student groups, tuition hikes were the primary reason for increases in cost of attendance.
NIH, from front page they’re actually going to pick the grants.” The proposal was paused earlier this month, when Trump signed a stopgap spending bill to keep the federal budget funded. The bill funds the federal government through December, after which the OMB’s plan would be revisited. According to Cell and Developmental Biology professor Kenneth Zaret, under the policy, federal administrators who “don’t necessarily know about the science” would make key decisions.
RANKINGS, from front page Emory University and the University of Washington. The School of Engineering and Applied Science moved down five spots to No. 26 for undergraduate engineering programs that offer a doctorate.
production, emphasized the significance of the undertaking in an interview. “They were competing for a $100,000 Xfinity deal here,” he said. “The stakes are as high as they get.” Zane was “extremely impressed” by the competitors’ performances despite the pressure they faced, adding that he “did not expect six students who have never been on a big production like this to handle it so well.” In the fourth episode, Hirschman worked with contestant Trenton Sandler to create a cooking video. “I think it actually really worked out that we got paired up for that because neither of us had any clue how to cook,” Sandler said in an interview. “Instead of one person just taking over, we struggled through it together.” He explained that the relationship between competitors was friendly and supportive, saying that the six “became really good friends in just a couple of days.” Mackenzie Fullam, another of the show’s contestants, wrote in a statement that she “clicked instantly” with Hirschman, adding that “there’s never a moment where he doesn’t make me laugh.” Hirschman noted that one difficulty of being on the show was anticipating the reactions of people he knew. “There was a ‘get ready with me’ challenge, and in that challenge, I put on blue lipstick and this fluffy coat,” he explained. “During the whole entire process of filming that challenge, I felt a little insecure and nervous about what people back home would think.” The reception from his friends and family, however, was “overwhelmingly positive.” “When he was announced as the winner, I couldn’t have been happier for him,” Fullam wrote. As part of his sponsorship, Hirschman will continue to work alongside Xfinity for the upcoming months. He explained that winning the sponsorship has “opened up so many new opportunities” for him to
PHOTO COURTESY OF XFINITY/ROCK STUDIOS
Hirschman poses in his first-year dorm on Sept. 9.
work with Xfinity. “I never considered myself a consistent content creator before the show,” he said. “Now, I feel like winning has given me the motivation to post more frequently and pursue this mini career on the side.” While he admitted that it can be challenging to manage content creation alongside academic responsibilities, Hirschman said that “making videos
doesn’t feel like a job most of the time.” Back on campus, he has not experienced “backlash,” although he noted the presence of “some sort of stigma” around student influencers at Penn. “I have felt this discourse firsthand, and it can be discouraging at times,” Hirschman added. “But for me, social media has always been a place for me to share my love for the things I do.”
Penn’s tuition rose from $43,838 in the 2015-16 academic year to $65,670 for the current academic year. These changes represent two-thirds of the total cost of attendance increase for on-campus students, and just over 70% of the total increase for all off-campus students. In March, the University Board of Trustees approved a 3.9% increase in undergraduate tuition costs for the following academic year. For students living in University City but not at home, rising housing costs were the secondary driver of cost of attendance increases. In 2015, those students faced housing expenses of $9,060. This year, on-campus students paid a minimum of $13,644 while those living at home were estimated to pay $12,978 — increases of 50.6% and 43.2%, respectively. Penn did not disclose housing cost estimates for off-campus commuter students. The only category in which costs decreased over the timeframe was personal expenses, which fell slightly from $2,024 in 2015 to $2,008 in 2026. The majority of Penn undergraduates — more than 6,000 students in the 2026-27 school year — are living on campus. That figure includes the entirety of first-year and second-year undergraduates who are required to live at the University, as well as 1,320 juniors and seniors.
For the 2026-27 academic year, on-campus students pay an estimated $99,082 before financial aid. On-campus students are also spending an estimated minimum of 4.9% more on housing than students living off campus but not at home. On-campus students spend 65.6% more than students living at home and 14% more than students living off campus but not at home on food and dining expenses. All students are expected to spend the same amount of money on books and supplies, as well as on personal expenses. Transportation costs for students living on campus and off campus — but not at home — are the same, while students living at home are expected to pay 62.6% more. The cost of attendance reflects the amount paid by students not receiving any financial aid, which represents slightly more than half the undergraduate population. For the 2024-25 school year — the latest data available — 4,575 full-time undergraduate students were given aid. The average financial aid package was $73,338. In recent years, Penn has significantly expanded its financial aid programs. In 2024, the University raised the income threshold for families eligible to receive full tuition scholarships from $140,000 to $200,000. Penn also began excluding the value of the primary family home among assets when
determining aid. “The University has a longstanding and deeply held commitment to making a Penn education affordable for students and families across the income spectrum,” a University spokesperson wrote in a statement. “Over the past decade, Penn’s average need-based grant has grown faster than the cost of attendance, in both percentage and dollar terms.” Penn awarded nearly $300 million in undergraduate financial aid for the 2024-25 year, with $17,813,841 coming from federal grants, $2,701,977 from state grants, and $4,416,536 from third-party sources. All financial aid awards are grant-based, and Penn offers no aid based on merit. According to the spokesperson, the average need-based grant for first-year students receiving aid rose 62% within the timeframe. As a result, the average cost after aid is lower today than it was a decade ago. “That progress reflects Penn’s continued expansion of financial aid since the University began its transition to all-grant financial aid in 2008,” the spokesperson added. “The University remains focused on ensuring that a student’s financial circumstances are not a barrier to accessing a Penn education.”
“It would be a huge stake in the heart of the United States’ ability to discover fundamental aspects of biology and medicine that would cure diseases and help people,” Zaret explained. The OMB began seeking feedback on its proposal this summer. By July, over 50 Penn community members had publicly commented that the new rule would harm research efforts across the country. At the time, one professor said that they were in “shock, frankly, that a political system would see fit to propose taking on unprecedented control of the scientific process.” The NIH is also seeking public comment on a plan to change how it reports peer-review results to
grant applicants. Currently, after proposals are submitted to the NIH, they receive an overall impact score, and the top 50th percentile scores enter further review. Once review is complete, applicants receive summary statements that include critiques, criterion scores, notes on project applications, and a final score. Under the proposed changes, the top 25% of grants would be labeled “most competitive,” the middle quartile as “competitive,” and the bottom 50% as “not discussed,” and applicants would no longer receive final scores or percentiles. Despite the uncertainty in the status of federal funding at Penn, Zaret has no plans to change the long-term goals of his lab.
“I would not try to placate what I would anticipate an unknowing administrator might decide,” Zaret said. “I would never do that. I think the best thing for the country is for me to continue to try to be as creative and inventive as I can with my research, and let that be the guide.” Weiss said the uncertainty has made it difficult to plan. Although she is nearing the end of her academic career, she is concerned about an upcoming grant renewal. “At the moment I’m okay,” Weiss said. “But I don’t know what’s going to happen in the near future. I have another grant under renewal right now that I have no idea what’s going to happen. We just don’t know. It’s just a big black box.”
Penn also entered the rankings for Most Innovative School this year. According to the U.S. News website, this category is determined by making the “most innovative” changes to academic curricula, student life, facilities, and other factors. The College of Arts and Sciences is preparing for a transition to a new undergraduate curriculum that will take effect next fall, its first overhaul since 1987. In April, College faculty voted to implement the program for the Class of
2031. Penn is also carrying out several major construction projects on campus, including the new Platt Student Performing Arts Center and renovations to 1920 Commons and David Rittenhouse Laboratory. For its 2027 rankings, U.S. News implemented updates to its methodology. Specifically, the publication introduced an “Earnings by Major” metric, evaluating graduates’ salaries four years after
graduation, particularly among those who received federal financial aid. In March, Penn Career Services’ annual PostGraduate Outcomes report showed a slight decrease in the mean and median starting salaries for the Class of 2025. Graduates that year had a median starting salary of $103,418 and a mean starting salary of $101,125. In 2024, U.S. News ranked Penn No. 10, its lowest showing since 1997.
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Sports FOOTBALL, from back page turnover. Penn’s offense relied heavily on its runpass option offense, with Teodecki making reads to decide whether to hand the ball off or find a receiver downfield. From the Bucknell 26-yard line, Teodecki faked the handoff and dropped back to pass. But before he could get the ball off, he was hit from his blind side, and the ball fell straight to Bucknell defensive back Nate Olson, who returned it for a pivotal pick-six. For roughly the next 22 minutes of game time, the two sides had a scoring drought. Coming out of halftime, Bucknell looked to replicate Teodecki’s success by putting in freshman quarterback Emmett Dowling, but the Quakers’ defense forced two straight three-and-outs to open the third quarter. On crucial third downs, the defensive line was quick to pressure and forced punt after punt. By the end of the third quarter, the defense allowed zero thirddown conversions all game. Their exceptional performance included a pick by sophomore linebacker Luke McIlhon, who read the curl route and jumped the pass to give Penn the possession at the Bucknell 21-yard line. “I just saw them drop back to pass,” McIlhon said. “I could see some guys breaking in, and I knew something was coming behind me, so I just kind of sat there expecting it, and [it] worked out in the end.” “I think we did a really good job when the ball was in the air,” Santos said, praising the defense for coming into the game “prepared.” Meanwhile, Teodecki and the offense did enough to put Penn comfortably ahead. The freshman fired a bullet for a 25-yard completion, then followed it with a quick slant to keep the drive going. Facing a 3rd-and-10 in the end zone, Teodecki found senior tight end Dante Barone wide open on a run-pass option play for a touchdown, putting the Quakers up 20-7 after Mason Walters’ extra-point attempt was blocked. In the next drive, the Bison marched down the field near Penn’s end zone, but facing a crucial 4th-and-13 conversion, senior defensive lineman
YAELLE DE OLIVEIRA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Then-sophomore running back Donte West carries the ball against Princeton on Nov. 22, 2025.
PICKS, from back page Saturday, an over-reliance on Teodecki against Lehigh may cause them to fall short. Lehigh’s scoring offense has done incredibly well, with players like senior running back Luke Yoder giving them the No. 1 rushing offense in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. In Lehigh’s last matchup against Dartmouth, Yoder rushed for 150 yards. By contrast, junior running back Donte West recorded 39 rushing yards. Although Penn shines in their defensive capabilities, limiting Bucknell to 124 total yards last Saturday, it’s only the Quakers’ second game of the season. Lehigh is playing with a much more experienced squad with a veteran coach, returning starters, and a longer season. If they’re able to hold it down on the defensive line, the Quakers may have the potential to upset the Mountain Hawks — but only time will tell.
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four quarters. “I really want to give a shoutout to Nick Della Jacono, our defensive coordinator,” Santos said. “That was the first game that he ever called defensively … really proud of him, the whole defensive staff.” “We’re built on juice, so we try to keep the energy
up the whole game,” said McIlhon. “If you have more energy than the other team, you’re bound to win.” Penn football will be opening up the home front next weekend at Franklin Field, where it looks to strengthen its non-conference record against Patriot League foe Lehigh.
2.1 rushing yards per attempt last week against Bucknell. If the Quakers can mitigate this threat even a little bit, Lehigh will have trouble putting as many points on the board. The Penn offense, in contrast, has the stage set for a markedly improved performance. Sophomore kicker Mason Walters missed a field goal and had an extra point blocked against Bucknell, but I’d expect a rebound performance from last year’s second team All-Ivy kicker. One would also hope that Teodecki will have more opportunities to show off his arm against a Lehigh defense that has allowed nearly 250 passing yards per game. I think the Mountain Hawks’ inability to get their game off the ground will cost them, narrowly, against Penn, letting the Quakers get their 150th season off to a 2-0 start.
victory for the Mountain Hawks. The key to Lehigh’s success has been their dominance of the run game on both sides of the ball. The Mountain Hawks lead the FCS in rushing yards per game and sit just outside the top 10 in rushing yards allowed per game. Still, Penn’s defense was spectacular against the run last week, and despite the small sample size, the Quakers’ defense leads the nation in rushing yards per game and ranks fifth in the country in yards per rush, respectively. If Penn’s defense can hold firm, Teodecki could find success through the air against a Lehigh passing defense that has been subpar, and the Quakers will keep this one close.
think that’s asking a little too much.
Penn 20, Lehigh 24 — Glen Finnie, Sports reporter Penn football looks to improve its record to 2-0 this Saturday in what looks to be one of the most difficult games of the Quakers’ season. In their first game of the year, Penn football earned a 20-7 victory over Bucknell. The game was full of firsts for Teodecki, who led the way with two passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and 284 all-purpose yards. The Quakers’ debut under Santos started strong with two first-quarter touchdowns, and the defense remained rock-solid through all 60 minutes to start the year with a win. Lehigh has been an unstoppable force, off to a 4-0 start and outscoring their opponents by an average of 21 points. However, they struggled for the first time last week against Dartmouth, who were 26 yards away from winning the game at the end of a narrow 24-20
Penn 24, Lehigh 20 — Daniel Obstgarten, Sports reporter The Quakers will play host to the undefeated, seventh-ranked FCS team on Saturday. Fortunately, coach Rick Santos has the right cards up his sleeve to take the Lehigh Mountain Hawks down from their perch. Ironically, the Mountain Hawks are a run-first offense; they’ve put up nearly 300 ground yards per game, and their sophomore quarterback Derek Morgan attempted only 13 passes in his first career start last week against Dartmouth. I’d imagine this will be a problem for Lehigh, as the Quakers allowed only
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Raashed Hall rushed Dowling from the snap to force a turnover, effectively sealing the win for the Quakers. “We tackled. We got pressure on the quarterback, created a turnover, so really proud with the defense,” said Santos. From start to finish, the defense showed up for all
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31 “___ Like It Hot,” 52 Emily who wrote 1 2 3 4 American crime “People We Meet on 1 U.S. doctor’s org. 13 14 comedy film Vacation,” which 4 “___ you go!” 16 17 32 Threatening words was adapted into a 7 Colleen who has 35 “Do ___ others as Netflix film faced controversy 20 you would have them 55 Casino action over her books 23 56 Men’s ___ 13 State led by Gov. do ___ you” 37 Made an angry face 60 Annual event Newsom 26 27 28 where celebrities’ 14 ___-Rida, Spring 39 Social media 33 outfits are often the 32 Fling 2026 performer subcommunity notorious for its focus 15 Not late 37 promotion of certain 64 Believed 16 Common pet43 novels...or where 65 More profound related allergen 7-Across, 52-Across, 66 Covering 18 Watches 45 46 68-Across, 67 Place to park shepherds? 51 2-Down, and 1768 Rebecca who 20 Airport friskers wrote “Fourth Wing” 55 22 Familiar name for Down got popular? 43 Thousand ___, 69 Language suffix actress Vardalos of 60 61 62 California 70 Netflix show “My Big Fat Greek 44 Garrett of “Off starring Penn 65 Wedding” Campus” Badgley (who visited 23 Numbers in 68 45 Display Penn’s Campus last binary code 47 Singer Swift, to semester) 24 It can be amber 17 Ali known for her fans DOWN or silver her STEMinist 50 Kiddos 1 Invoice abbr. 26 A blue one is romances, including 51 Descendants of 2 Sarah who wrote called when a “The Love MP3 Players the “A Court of patient goes into Hypothesis” (which Thorns and Roses” cardiac arrest is now a movie) book series 29 Soaked 19 Exam for jrs. 3 Tall, in España and srs. 4 Old enough 21 Chinese 5 Aviator ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 6 As of this moment philosopher Lao___ 7 Flowers used to https://puzzleme.amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword-pdf A C T T R E B E K 24 Member of a make beer S AM R E D F L A G S A R I B E N E F I T I N G 8 ___ way or another American dynasty OW L E V E N S I L I E 9 Cooperstown Hall founded on the fur trade and real estate WH I T E L I E D E A L T of Famer Mel HO S E S P L U S S E S 10 Word before and 25 “You’ve grown up so much!” A L L S T A RG AME after “á” 26 Sin/___ = tan T E E T I A R A P A C 11 Rapper who 27 Tolkien monster L E N D C O L O R T O starred in “8 Mile” Print
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VOLLEYBALL, from back page supporting Penn’s 3-2 victory over the Rams. Kerstetter’s efforts on the court wouldn’t go unnoticed, especially after an even stronger showing in the Quakers’ 3-0 victory over Lafayette — the program’s first shutout victory of the season. Kerstetter earned tournament MVP honors for her valiant efforts, while Pollock and senior outside hitter Zada Sanger were named to the all-tournament team.
Each game includes a “spangram,” which is a challenge word that connects two sides of the board and hints at the remaining words in the puzzle.
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Penn 28, Lehigh 35 — Grant Han, Sports reporter After Penn’s dominant performance last week against Bucknell, it’s hard not to feel a tad bit optimistic about the Quakers’ potential outlook this season under Santos’ new look defense and an explosive debut from Teodecki. Unfortunately, I believe that the onegame hype train ends this Saturday afternoon. The Lehigh Mountain Hawks team that the Quakers will soon be lining up looks dangerous and is in the middle of a sizzling four-game winning streak. The key threat to look out for is Yoder, who amassed a whopping 569 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, and an average yards per carry of 6.5 so far this season. Holy moly. And that’s not even mentioning their defense, who look especially well equipped to deal with the Quakers’ dynamic rushing attack. Fortunately, the Mountain Hawks’ passing attack has been pretty quiet as of late, being held to under 90 yards in the air for both of the last two games. If the Quakers want any chance of winning, they’ve got to dominate the trenches for all four quarters, and I just
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48 “Eureka!” 49 Title turtle in a Dr. Seuss book 51 Retro tech. co. 53 Sodas featured in “M*A*S*H” 54 ___ Island 56 Battles 57 Hideous 58 “___ shoo,” sound for a snore 1/1 59 “___ Brute?” 61 Eur. country that’s home of Neuschwanstein Castle 62 Mo. full of fools 63 Lionized zodiac sign?
Dominant outing against Rider at the Palestra Rider (1-8) didn’t stand a chance as the Quakers established a standard of dominance on their home court. Junior outside hitter Ellie Siskin established the pace with three service aces, while the Quakers’ front row set up an unanswered eight-point run to establish an early lead over the Broncs. A few defensive and service errors from Penn soon gave Rider some momentum to fight back in the set. A handful of unanswered point streaks from the Broncs were able to reduce the Quakers’ lead down to three, but the Red and Blue weren’t done yet, rallying points before securing the set with a big block from freshman hitter Skylar Greene. The Red and Blue kept the pressure on in the second set. Kerstetter notched two back-to-back aces early on for a five-point unanswered streak, forcing the Broncs to take a timeout as they trailed 11-4. The Broncs struggled to find their footing as junior setter Emery Moore and sophomore setter Nathalie Tsai connected with their front row for several kills to bring the Quakers to an 11-point lead twice in the set. An offensive error by Rider sealed the second set for the Quakers, 25-13. Kerstetter attributed much of the team’s success to the play of the setters. “I have full faith when I’m swinging that the setters know who to set and where the block is going to be,” Kerstetter said.
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Penn 24, Lehigh 27 — Rachel Berliner, Sports reporter With both the Quakers and the Mountain Hawks coming off thrilling wins last week, this upcoming game will be a question of who can leverage their team’s energy to best execute the necessary technical skills. Penn is still feeling the excitement of last Saturday’s 20-7 win against the Bucknell Bison. Not only did this game open the 150th year of Penn football, but it also marked the start of Santos and Teodecki’s careers as Quakers. Although he ultimately finished with a 53% pass completion, Teodecki had a strong start with 197 yards in the air and 87 rushing yards. Sophomore wide receiver Luke Johnson and Page added to a strong offense with six receptions and a 37-yard touchdown, respectively. Lehigh is entering this Saturday’s game with the hopes of adding to their four-game winning streak. This team, currently undefeated and ranked first in the Patriot League, might have just enough momentum to match the Quakers’ energy. On Sept. 19, the Mountain Hawks defeated Dartmouth in a 24-20 game. Despite Dartmouth’s lead in the third quarter, the second half of the game saw strong offensive efforts from Lehigh with a 27-yard field goal from kicker Connor Poole and Yoder’s game-winning touchdown. Lehigh’s field goal unit might be the team’s decisive strength against Penn during this upcoming game. With Lehigh’s formidable offensive force, the game will be a challenge for the Quakers, but it’s nothing that 150 years of Penn football pride can’t handle. With their foot on the gas, the Quakers quickly closed the third set with several kills. Sanger led the charge with 10 kills on the night. The Quakers would go on to close out the third set with a 14-point lead at 25-11, earning their second clean sweep of the season and the program’s sixth-straight win. Upset victory over Rutgers rewrites program history Coming off their second defeat of the season against St. John’s (10-3), the Quakers were eager to re-establish their win streak. The cards seemed to be stacked against Penn for the second match of the Jack Kaiser Volleyball Invitational. After all, they were facing Big Ten stalwart Rutgers (9-3), and the Quakers had never defeated a Big Ten program in straight sets. But just as records are made to be broken, history is meant to be rewritten. The Scarlet Knights and the Quakers kept it close, with each team scoring at least 17 points per set. Penn took advantage of an early lead during the first two sets, maintaining the momentum despite back-and-forth attempts from Rutgers. Although the Quakers stumbled during the third set, they weren’t deterred going into the fourth. A backand-forth rally ensued as the Quakers and the Scarlet Knights stayed within one point of each other until a four-point serving run from Garner brought Penn to a critical match point. A kill from junior middle blocker Adell Murray sealed the deal, securing a 3-1 victory for the Quakers. The upperclassmen led the way on the front lines, with Sanger putting up a career-high 14 kills and 16 points, while Murray tallied a career-high 17.5 points. After notching the first win over a Power Four program in 16 years, the Quakers will begin conference play on the road against Ivy rival Princeton (2-6). Despite being picked as the preseason favorite, Princeton is currently ranked at the bottom of the conference standings. The Quakers have a chance to prove themselves once again this season by notching their first victory over Princeton since 2024.
NOAH JEONG | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Penn volleyball celebrates on Sept. 26, 2025.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN
SPORTS 9
Penn women’s cross country shows out at Haverford Mainline Invitational Penn’s top seven female runners all placed within the top 30 JAVIER ST. REMY Deputy Sports Editor
The Penn women’s cross country team had quite the showing in its second meet of the season. In a 5-kilometer race where some key contributors didn’t lace up, the Quakers still managed a secondplace finish as a team. Of the eight Penn women who toed the line, junior L’Mio Edwards finished as the Quakers’ top scorer with a blistering 17:56.0, a personal best. It was her first race of the season, and she established dominance early. The junior stayed with the top pack for the duration of the race, never wavering off her hot pace. “I mean, honestly, she’s just a special athlete kind of all around, like she’s great on the track,” women’s cross country coach Matt Gosselin said. “I’ve kind of challenged her to continue to be a better distance runner. And what we said leaving the last outdoor season was [that] being the best 5K runner that you can be in cross country will help you on the track as well. And I think she took that on as a challenge.” Edwards finished as the Quakers’ low stick and fourth overall. Senior Kelly Murray also finished within the top 10 with a time of 18:06.6, good for 10th overall. “So our strategy was to have something left in the tank for the last mile and to try to go by people in the last mile,” Gosselin said. “We want to be a team that finishes really well always, and so the idea was to be really disciplined in the first two miles of the race so that we could really attack the last mile.” Perhaps no runner executed this race strategy better than senior Camille Jordan. After not starting off amongst the top runners in the field, Jordan gradually worked her way up into the top 15. A final surge by the senior propelled her into 11th place overall while she notched a new personal record of 18:10.1. The Red and Blue ultimately finished second as a team, only beaten by the Villanova Wildcats, with Penn’s top seven runners finishing in the top 30. Although the race featured a mix of Division I and Division III athletes, it served as the season opener for six of the eight Quakers. Gosselin viewed the race as an important step in gauging fitness as the Quakers gear up for their biggest meet yet, the Paul Short Invitational. “Obviously we’ve done a lot of really good workouts, but you don’t always see everything in
SPRINT, from back page to give sprint football a try during his junior year. “As someone who didn’t have the opportunity to play in high school because I was a smaller guy, it seemed exciting that there was a sport available for me,” he said. Over the course of the semester, Marwaha learned what it’s like to be a varsity football player. He described going through a “large learning curve” to know where to be during practice drills, or how to complete stretches and workouts that he’s never done before. “It requires you to be focused during practice,” he added.
COURTESY OF PENN ATHLETICS
Edwards competes on Sept. 17
workouts. You need to compete to really see where you’re at. So, it’s good to kind of get one of those good tests as we go into some of the bigger meets,” Gosselin said. “Paul Short is a big one for us. We go there almost every year, and the regional meet is there every year. So we want to have a good experience with that,” he added. On the men’s side of things, only three Quakers competed in the four-mile race, all of whom made
their season debuts. Penn men’s cross country used this meet as a way to work out some of their middledistance runners and get them more accustomed to longer distances. “Today was very valuable,” coach Steve Dolan said. “The three guys we raced today … they’re more middle distance oriented, so we wanted [them] to come out today and push themselves for four miles to work on their fitness for the fall and get stronger. And I definitely think all three guys accomplished that, so
that was really good.” Of the three athletes who laced up their shoes on the men’s side, sophomore Joseph “Tiago” Socarras and freshman Brody Watt made their collegiate debuts on the grass. Watt’s debut was the highlight of the race, as he finished 17th overall and first for the Red and Blue with an impressive time of 20:04.4. Next, the Quakers will take a trip to Bethlehem, Pa. on Oct. 2 to compete at the Paul Short Invitational hosted by Lehigh.
“People see the NFL on TV and they’re like, ‘Oh, how hard can it be? You just run and catch the ball,’ but there’s so much more that goes into putting a football team together,” Marwaha said. The learning came with many fun moments, too. Marwaha recalled his first practice, struggling to pull his jersey over his shoulder pads. Eventually, one of the seniors had to show him how. “It was a little embarrassing,” he said jokingly. “But that was a fun memory for sure.” Throughout the season, Marwaha bonded with his teammates, particularly his mentor, 2026 Engineering graduate Jake Wang. From Wang, Marwaha learned the “basics” of football and how to grind through the intense practice drills. While he expected he could be judged for being a walk-on, that wasn’t the case. “The guys are really nice. Everyone’s rooting for
each other,” Marwaha said. “The team is most excited when a walk-on … makes a big play during practice,” he added. “I was really surprised at how welcoming people were and how willing people were to teach you.” Johnson echoed the same about training with the walk-on players. “They’re always bringing really good energy, and they’re just really good guys,” Johnson said. “We love having them on the team.” For those stepping onto the field for the first time, there is plenty to learn, but they are not expected to figure it all out on their own. Dupont said the team takes the time to teach new players the basics and make sure they understand how to play the game safely. “We will teach the fundamentals,” said Dupont. “We’ll teach the techniques that will keep them
safe.” In the end, playing a varsity collegiate sport is not going to be easy. It requires spending many hours with the team and pushing yourself to perform at a high level on the field while managing academics. But Dupont has a clear priority. “We’ll always have their academics first, never second,” Dupont said. “Academics will always be first, and then football will always come second.” “You will be worked, but it is very rewarding,” Marwaha said. It can be intimidating to walk on a football team. There are new teammates and coaches to meet, and a new environment to adjust to. If you are new to the game, there are plenty of rules to learn, too. For Marwaha, though, the answer is simple. “Give it a chance,” Marwaha said. “You’ll never know if you don’t try.”
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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
VOL. CXLII
NO. 22
ALEC GUPTE | DESIGN ASSOCIATE
There are 15 sprint football teams in the country. One is at Penn Penn’s sprint football team welcomes athletes, including walk-ons, from a variety of backgrounds SOO YOUNG YOON Staff Reporter
What does a college football player look like? In a traditional sense, you might guess someone huge. A 300-pound lineman, perhaps. Or a 6-foot-6, 265-pound big guy like Rob Gronkowski. Football, in many ways, has been defined by athletes known for their large stature. But, in 1934, Rutgers football coach George E. Little wanted a different kind of football, a league where smaller players could compete at the collegiate level. His solution was to create a new conference that had a weight limit of 150 pounds. And, with Little’s idea, Penn created the Eastern 150-Pound Football League alongside six other member schools. Throughout the decades, other schools joined the league, evolving from a regional conference to the Collegiate Sprint Football
Headed into conference play, Penn volleyball is on a roll The Quakers ended nonconference play with an 8-2 record, including the first win in program history over a Big Ten opponent ELLIE CLARK AND ANGEL GALLARDO AGUILAR Sports Editor and Staff Reporter
Penn volleyball’s season is off to a stellar start. Despite coming into the season projected to finish fifth in the Ivy League, the Quakers (8-2) have outperformed expectations. The Red and Blue, led by sophomore libero Addison Pollock and sophomore middle blocker Haley Kerstetter, have only dropped 13 sets on the season so far, good for second in conference standings. Going into conference play, the Quakers are averaging 13.38 assists per set, which puts them 10th in the nation. Pollock has also made a name for herself on the national stage, averaging 5.45 digs per set for second in the NCAA. The season started out slow with a hard-fought 3-2 defeat against Stony Brook at the Kristen Dickmann Invitational. The Quakers turned the disappointment into momentum, fueling a six-game win streak over the following weeks — the program’s longest streak since 2019. “We’re always just looking for consistency, and I think tonight was just a really consistent team effort,” coach Tyler Hagstrom said of the team’s victory over Rider. “We feel like when we play at a high level that we can do some great things, and that’s what we want to do.” Here are the greatest moments from the Quakers’ season so far. Quakers win Leopard Invitational, Kerstetter named tournament MVP Tournaments are the bread and butter of non-conference play. At the Leopard Invitational, hosted by Lafayette College (6-6) in Easton, Pa., the Quakers swept the Leopards to secure the tournament title. Penn faced Quinnipiac (1-10) for the opening match of the tournament. The Quakers were in sync on both the offensive and defensive sides of the court, with junior outside hitter Jenna Garner holding it down on the front line, posting 15 kills and 18 digs on the game. Pollock led the way on the back court, recording a career-best 34 digs. Although Kerstetter put up a career-high eight blocks during the first game, she began to hit her stride in the Quakers’ second match against Rhode Island (5-7), posting a career-best 16 kills with seven blocks. Pollock had another career day with 28 digs and 11 assists, See VOLLEYBALL, page 8 SEND STORY IDEAS TO DPSPORTS@THEDP.COM
League. Today, sprint football is one of 33 varsity sports Penn students compete in. “This is a varsity sport,” said coach Jon Dupont, who is in his first season leading the team. “We have access to all of the amazing athletic facilities that every other varsity sport team here has.” Last season, Penn sprint football went 2-6 on the season and 0-3 in conference play, recording wins against St. Thomas Aquinas and Molloy. The Quakers opened the 2026 campaign with a 27-6 conference loss against defending CSFL champion Navy on the road. Like all varsity sports, the sprint football team has a recruiting process. The team brings in roughly six recruited players each year, but the
rest of the roughly 50-person roster is made up of walk-ons who discover the program after arriving at Penn. Senior defensive back and captain Josh Johnson first encountered the sprint football program during his junior year of high school. During a football camp at Penn, one of the coaches introduced the program, explaining the weight limit and how, besides that requirement, the rules are the same as traditional football. “Wow, this sounds like something I would love to be a part of,” Johnson, a two-time All-CSFL firstteam honoree, remembers thinking. Although many players on the team played football in high school, students don’t necessarily need a background on the gridiron to reach out to the
The picks are in for Penn football’s home opener against Lehigh The Daily Pennsylvanian Sports department predicts how the Quakers will fare against the Mountain Hawks THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN SPORTS DEPARTMENT
Penn 17, Lehigh 35 — Ellie Clark, Sports editor The Mountain Hawks are steamrolling every opponent they take on, and the Quakers are next in line. Despite some chaos leading up to the game with a last-minute change in the pick for starting quarterback, Penn football managed to find their footing against Bucknell last Saturday. Sparks of greatness were evident in freshman quarterback Miles Teodecki’s 37-yard pass to fellow freshman wideout Mason Page. Although rookie offensive mistakes were made on the gridiron, a veteran defensive line made quick work of the Bison, limiting Bucknell’s offense to 124 yards and six first downs. However, Lehigh is a far, far more threatening opponent than their Patriot League comrade. The No. 7 Mountain Hawks enter Franklin Field looking to build upon their undefeated season. I could do some reverse fortune-telling to prove that the Quakers will come out on top after Lehigh’s near-loss to Dartmouth last Saturday, but their uncharacteristically weak performance was likely a fluke. Lehigh has the run game with running back Luke Yoder, who’s ranked second in the nation for rushing yards on the season. They’re able to play the long game
and move the ball down the field, ranking third in the nation on third-down conversions. Although Teodecki and the Quakers will likely manage to get some points on the board for their first home contest, I suspect the walk back to the locker room won’t be a happy one. Penn 30, Lehigh 34 — Anshika Sinha, Sports reporter Fresh off a 20-7 win against Bucknell, Penn football wants to continue their undefeated season by beating the Mountain Hawks. Lehigh is currently 4-0 in their season, having maintained comfortable leads against Holy Cross, Georgetown, William & Mary, and Dartmouth. The Quakers outpaced Bucknell in their season opener, with Teodecki accounting for all three touchdowns. Penn established a strong lead at the bottom of the first quarter with two touchdowns, one with 3:23 remaining and another with 0:38 remaining. Bucknell got their first points on the board with a pick six off Teodecki’s blind side, but the Quakers were able to shut down the Bison’s attempt to reclaim the game. Despite the Quakers’ strong performance last See PICKS, page 8
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Then-junior defensive back Josh Narcisse attempts a rush at Lehigh on Sept. 27, 2025. ONLINE AT THEDP.COM
team. While previous experience in football, flag football, or similar sports can help, the team also welcomes athletes from other sports backgrounds. “If they played a varsity sport — swimming, wrestling, basketball, any sports in high school or at any point in their life where they’ve competed and want to spark that competitive fire back up. … This is a great opportunity to do that,” Dupont said. “We’re always looking to add student-athletes who are interested,” he added. “Any form of communication is a great way to contact and reach out to me.” Senior wide receiver Mudit Marwaha knows what it’s like to try out. Though football had never seemed like an option in college, Marwaha decided See SPRINT, page 9
Penn football begins Rick Santos era with 20-7 win over Bucknell A dominant defense and two touchdowns from freshman starting quarterback Miles Teodecki led the game from start to finish SOO YOUNG YOON Staff Reporter
Fall is here, and with it a new football season for Penn. Following a surprise change at the quarterback position days before, the Quakers opened their season with a comfortable 20-7 victory over Bucknell in Lewisburg, Pa. For freshman quarterback Miles Teodecki, Saturday’s game marked his first collegiate start. It was also the first game with new coach Rick Santos at the helm, marking the beginning of a new era for Penn football in its 150th season. After winning the coin toss, Penn (1-0) set the tone with instant defensive playmaking. Roughly two minutes in, junior defensive lineman Connor Martin got a huge sack on Bucknell quarterback Chris Dietrich to force the Bison (1-3) out. For the next few minutes, the two teams exchanged punts before the Quakers began attacking the ground. From the shotgun, Teodecki snapped the ball, scanning his receivers, then scrambling for 16 yards down the middle. Soon, Teodecki and junior running back Donte West took turns carrying the ball and charging through the defense, leading to a 36-yard run by Teodecki on a crucial 4th-and2. Penn capped off a ground-heavy drive with a one-yard run for a touchdown by the freshman quarterback. After Penn’s defense forced a quick three-andout, Teodecki showed his dual-threat ability, as he went 2-for-3 in the air for 48 yards. His success on the ground on the previous drive forced the Bison secondary to play closer to the line of scrimmage, anticipating another rushing attack. Instead, Teodecki stepped up in the pocket and fired a 37-yard dot to freshman wide receiver Mason Page over the Bucknell defense for a touchdown, putting the Quakers up 14-0 in the first quarter for the first touchdown pass of his collegiate career. However, early in the second quarter, the Bison quickly got on board following a costly Penn See FOOTBALL, page 8 CONTACT US: 215-422-4640