Uncategorized – Page 2 – Penn Disorientation Guide

History of Organizing Last Year at Penn

A lot happened last year. September 9/4-9/10: Disorientation Week A collective of student activists published the annual Penn Disorientation Guide and hosted a week of educational and community events in collaboration with Penn and Philadelphia organizations. 9/22: Palestine Writes Literature Festival A collective of Palestinian writers and allies welcomed hundreds of visitors to Penn’s campusContinue reading “History of Organizing Last Year at Penn”

For Palestine: Vignettes from the Encampment

A Genocide is ongoing in Palestine. A Genocide. A Genocide is ongoing in Palestine. It has not ceased and does not cease if we look away, and the University of Pennsylvania, with all its power continues to look away. It has not condemned Israel, and it has not divested from Israel. For this, Penn isContinue reading “For Palestine: Vignettes from the Encampment”

Tying it All Together

Antiwar demonstrators following the Penn marching band during Hey Day in 1972. Students rallied to protest the U.S.'s involvement in the Vietnam War and Penn's role in funding the war effort. In a black and white photo, students with signs and a megaphone confront band members playing their instruments. Photo courtesy of Penn Archives.

We hope that, rather than being demoralized by Penn’s lengthy list of faults recorded in these articles, the DG inspires you to partake in collective action, and that the resources you can find at the end of this guide help you with your efforts. In the wise words of activist Mariame Kaba…“let this radicalize you rather than lead you to despair.”

A Fragmented Oneness: Investigating Penn Hillel, Pro-Israelism, and the Jewish Experience

Penn Hillel is an organization for the Jews that are in positions of authority, and one that is not for the Jews that question it. Penn Hillel fragments the oneness of the Jewish people by means of indoctrination and status.

Editors’ Letter

Penn students protest the construction of Meyerson Hall on campus. These protests were one of the many free speech cases that the University has dealt with in its history. Other instances include the “water buffalo” incident, race-based protests and, more recently, Occupy protests. Photo courtesy of The Daily Pennsylvanian.

The Disorientation Guide is an annual project that attempts to paint an honest picture of life at Penn.

A Recent History of Organizing at Penn

The Penn community rallies in response to injustice on- and off-campus. Among some of the most notable events that occurred in the past year were pushes for unionization from multiple groups, organizing against Penn’s role in gentrification, large protests regarding climate justice, and student protestors facing disciplinary actions and arrests from the University.

The Ongoing Fight for RA Unionization at Penn

by an organizer with United RAs at Penn On March 14, 2023, the residential advisors (RAs) of Penn’s college houses filed for unionization, a historic first for student workers. The unionization effort was an inevitable response to Penn’s relentless and shameless mistreatment of its workers. We intend to use our collective power to create aContinue reading “The Ongoing Fight for RA Unionization at Penn”

Tying it All Together

Hopefully, now at the end of this guide, you have a clearer understanding of Penn as an institution. You’ve seen how Penn’s foundation was dependent upon displacing indigenous peoples and using enslaved labor, how it exploits its workers today, how it fails to meet the needs of its students, how it intensifies racial inequalities, and how it deprives us all of an environmentally sound future.

Editors’ Letter

Welcome to the Disorientation Guide (DG), where you get to read about all the things Penn doesn’t want to tell you.

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.