Guest Columns

Chapin Lenthall-Cleary | The Penn administration farcically mistreats new student clubs

Guest Columnist Chapin Lenthall-Cleary argues Penn administration imposes numerous onerous hurdles upon new clubs that reinforces a harmful system of exclusivity.

Jonathan Klick | More of a declaration than a constitution

Guest Columnist Jonathan Klick comments on the pennforward.com petition to re-center Penn hiring and admissions on academic values as opposed to ideology and demographic diversity. 

Scott Bok | Penn’s next search for a president will be different

Guest Columnist and former Chair of Penn’s Board of Trustees Scott Bok calls for difficult questions to be answered before launching a search for the University’s next president.

Sam Rudovsky | Don't punish "proxy speech"

Guest Columnist Sam Rudovsky responds to Penn Professor Claire Finkelstein's op-ed in The Washington Post.

Nili Gold | Our faculty’s visit to a changed Israel

Guest Columnist Nili Gold recounts her experience on the recent Penn faculty trip to Israel.

Omar Khoury | The hate I felt on campus

Guest Columnist Omar Khoury recounts the hate he felt eight years ago by a prominent member of Penn’s community.

Abdulrahman Bindamnan | As a Penn alumnus, I am with former President Liz ‎Magill

Guest Columnist Abdulrahman Bindamnan argues ‎that the resignation of Liz Magill was bad news for free ‎speech.  ‎

Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine | Announcement statement of Palestinian solidarity chapter formation

Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine writes to announce their formation: a collective of those who support the teaching and research mission of the University, including faculty, lecturers, staff, and graduate employees.

Letters to the Editor | Reflections from alumni on Penn's recent leadership

Several Penn alumni reflect on Penn’s response to recent events, including the Palestine Writes Literature Festival, the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, the withholding of alumni donations, and responses from Penn’s administration to these ongoing crises. 

Jason Hagler | Penn’s audacious mediocrity on climate

Guest Columnist Jason Hagler argues that Penn’s current climate plan is the climate change equivalent of “hopes and prayers.” We need to hold the university to higher standards, because if the university actually tried, it could make a difference. 

Penn Chavurah | Penn is censoring Jewish-led criticism of Israel

Leftist Jewish student group Penn Chavurah argues that Penn has censored the screening of the film Israelism this fall, demonstrating Penn’s disregard for free speech, Jewish safety, and Palestinian human rights. 

Evan Golinsky | There is only one solution?

Guest Columnist Evan Golinsky identifies dangerous indifference present in the Palestinian liberation narrative on campus and suggests how effective discourse can be achieved in spite of this. 

Selma Farsakh | IDF on Locust

Guest Columnist Selma Farsakh describes walking down Locust as a person who has lived in Israel-Palestine.  

David J. Shapiro | Amy Wax, Liz Magill, and Hypocrisy

Guest Columnist David J. Shapiro argues that the University’s response to the Palestine Writes Literature Festival and the pro-Palestine rallies calling for “resistance” and “revolution” demonstrate that Professor Wax is the victim of selective prosecution and an insidious double standard. 

Penn Democrats | Why you should vote this year

Penn Democrats urge the Penn community to vote on Nov. 7 in light of recent United States Supreme Court decisions and efforts to dismantle our fundamental rights.   

Alex Baxter | "Never again, for anyone"

Former Columnist Alex Baxter reflects on the past month’s impacts on Penn’s sense of unity, and urges the community to stand up for justice. 

Lala Mustafa | A nation on defense: Dismantling misinformation against Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Guest Columnist Lala Mustafa explains the history of the Azerbaijani people in Nagorno-Karabakh in light of recent conflict in the region.

Benjamin Nathans | Liz Magill, free speech, and hostile takeovers

Guest Columnist Benjamin Nathans explains why Liz Magill should not resign and calls on Penn not to fall victim to a hostile takeover that limits free speech and debate. 

Daniel Gurevitch | Hatikvah: Our hope is not yet lost

Guest columnist Daniel Gurevitch discusses the importance of finding hope during today’s situation in Israel and Gaza, emphasizing the importance of trusted collaboration and the interdependence of people.  

David Koff | Why Penn should allow all voices, even voices of hate

Former columnist David Koff shares a story from his undergraduate experience in the 1990s, when a controversial speaker accused of antisemitism was allowed to speak on Penn’s campus.