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Penn Loves Your Trauma Until They Don’t: Mackenzie Fierceton’s Story

Students at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia rallied in support of Mackenzie Fierceton, a former Penn undergraduate student, who was accused of falsifying information about her background, on the school’s campus on April 13, 2022. Photo courtesy of Kimberly Paynter (WHYY)

Mackenzie Fierceton is a Penn graduate and former foster youth who received a Rhodes Scholarship. Last year, she was manipulated and abused by the University and lost her scholarship. Now, the Penn community demands justice.

Penn Can Do More to Support FGLI Students

Picture shows a brown desk with a blue and red sign reading "Office of Student Financial Services." While resources exist, many believe that Penn does not provide enough support for FGLI students, especially in dealing with the psychological consequences of imposter syndrome. Photo courtesy of The Daily Pennsylvanian

Despite receiving varying degrees of financial aid, many FGLI students still struggle with their economic circumstances at Penn. Only 3.3% of students at Penn are from America’s bottom 20% of family income, while 71% are from the top 20% and 19% are from the top 1%. As a result, low-income students can feel extremely isolated.

A Recent History of Organizing at Penn

Less than a week after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, Penn students walked in solidarity across campus to show solidarity between the University community and Ukraine. A poster reads "Slava Ukraine Heroem Slava" among other phrases. Photo Courtesy The Daily Pennsylvanian

Over the past few years, the Penn community has rallied in response to injustice on and off campus. Every movement deserves to be discussed, but here are some of the most notable examples.

Why Can’t Penn Talk About Palestine?

We believe it is about time to start talking about Israel and the way our school is helping to perpetrate human rights violations in the OPT. Here’s what you should know about divestment, a popular and nonviolent movement to fight for equality in Israel.