Reading this guide is the first step towards becoming involved with student groups advocating for a better world. We’re excited for you to join our efforts at structural change.
Penn, however, isn’t. They’ll do just about anything to avoid having to change. Prior generations of students have witnessed their attempts to dilute, redirect, avoid, or punish radical action on campus. Penn continuously takes action against its own students and community members in order to preserve the control, power, and wealth of this institution. Here are some of their strategies, so you can name them and push back:
REDIRECT: When it is suggested that Penn harms West Philadelphia, Penn will use its paternalistic and actively harmful programming to deflect the criticism; for example, claiming that it can make up for its role in underfunding local schools with tutoring programs (see: article on PILOTs). They will attempt to redirect your energy into these programs that ultimately cannot even begin to undo the harm that Penn does to the neighborhood (like Civic Scholars).
TOKENIZE: Penn will pick student groups or leaders and use them to represent the concerns or opinions of entire communities on campus. After consulting with only a couple students, Penn will claim that any criticism originating from marginalized students is unwarranted, since students were “consulted.”
REFORM: When students suggest abolishing bastions of racism and sexism on campus, such as fraternities or Penn police, Penn will suggest that students advocate for increased diversity within those institutions and facilitate conversations about inclusion..
SURVEIL: Penn will surveil radical students by monitoring their Google Drives and sending Penn Police to student actions. In this way they ensure that students are forced into respectability to protect themselves from a punishment as harsh as police violence.
THREATEN: If all subtler moves fail, Penn will threaten students to inhibit their ability to work or cause them to receive negative press. Students who occupied offices as a form of protest were handed citations for disciplinary action (look into the Fossil Free Penn College Hall sit-in in 2017). This allows Penn to suggest students submit a proposal, which they can ignore as long as they would like, enabling a return to day-to-day functioning without change.
REMOVE: If a radical project is gaining too much traction on campus, Penn will work to displace the project, removing their ability to continue. For example, in the 1960’s, Black students, faculty, and staff were granted a space at 3914 Locust Walk to promote Black history and culture. This became the Society of Afro-American Students, or the “House of the Family.” However, due to what was perceived as growing “radicalism,” the University revoked their lease, eliminating the Black cultural hub on campus. This building later became Penn’s Department of Public Safety.
DELAY: Penn stalls any progress towards a change for so long that students cycle out by graduating, allowing the University to get away with maintaining the status quo. When the change is raised by a new group of students, Penn gets away with treating the change as a completely new suggestion and beginning the process again.
Each of these strategies aim to prevent radical action on campus. Penn sees that radical organizing can be devastating to their capitalist institution, so they do whatever they can to prevent this from happening. They will pretend that they are your friend, that they are benevolent and care about your concerns, that they will help you to achieve your goals for justice. Instead they will co-opt, water down, and render your attempts at change powerless. As Penn attempts to push radical students towards invididual rather than structural analysis of white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy and towards reformist initiatives rather than abolition, divestment, or any radical change, we join you in pushing back against their attempts – may we succeed together!
Penn Disorientation Guide 