Navigating college as a queer person can be particularly challenging, but we’ve written this article to break down some of the most important things to know.
Author Archives: penndisorientationguide
Penn’s Deliberate Neglect of Cultural and Ethnic Studies
When you’re at an institution with immense money and power, one would expect that every program and department would be given ample support. However, the reality is much more disappointing, with many programs going underfunded. In particular, Penn has a history of leaving its cultural and ethnic studies departments and programs behind and only giving them more support in moments when it can serve as a boost to its own image.
Inside the Fight for a Grad Student Union
research student employees at Penn face low stipends, unclear expectations of work hours, insufficient benefits and campus accessibility, a lack of protections for international students, all-too-common harassment and abuse, and an employer that falls short of serving the broader West Philadelphia community.
How Penn and Other Universities are Turning Teaching into Temp Work
Penn is not only a school; it is also a workplace for over 40,000 people – including faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers and instructors, graduate researchers and TAs, other student workers, healthcare employees, and subcontracted campus workers. What are the labor conditions of the tens of thousands of people whose work makes Penn work?
How Frats Get Away with Shit
Walk down Locust and you’re just as likely to see a fraternity house as an academic or cultural building. In fact, 25% of Penn students belong to Greek life. Greek life’s ubiquity continues to be a point of contention even after its tumultuous and problematic history.
FGLI Resources
Welcome to Penn! As a first generation and/or low income college student, please know that you are not alone. We, as a community, are here to support you.
Police Free Penn: A Year in Review
Police Free Penn is a young organization, but we are committed to unwavering solidarity with local organizers here in Philadelphia as we all fight for new realities for our communities and to the larger mission of liberation in our lifetime.
Penn and the Gestapo: The Case of Thomas “I don’t create the laws, I just enforce them” Homan
When Thomas Homan is on his deathbed, we all ought to remember him by his infamous quote, “If you’re in this country illegally and you committed a crime by entering this country, you should be uncomfortable. You should look over your shoulder, and you need to be worried,” and then we should dance on his grave.
Cultures of Capitalism and Mental Health at Penn
Whether we aspire to be elite workers in the industry of our choosing or CEOs, most students spend these four years accumulating accomplishments in hopes of increasing their hireability after graduation. This drive fosters the anxiety-inducing, dehumanizing question: what am I worth?
David Skeel and Penn’s role in U.S Colonialism in Puerto Rico
David Skeel is a Penn Law professor who serves on Puerto Rico’s Financial Oversight and Management Board, also known as the Fiscal Control Board (FCB). The FCB, referred to as ‘la junta’ by Puerto Ricans, was appointed in 2016 by Barack Obama to restructure Puerto Rico’s $70 billion debt stemming from it’s 2006 financial crisis. The FCB
Penn Disorientation Guide 