student organizing – Page 2 – Penn Disorientation Guide

The Undocumented Experience at Penn

Penn prides itself on its “commitment to inclusion,” but when it comes to students living on the cusp of legality, how much does Penn really live up to its promise?

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 Harsh Reality of Discrimination at Penn

Underneath Penn’s progressive facade is an old-fashioned administration that upholds the bigoted values of many students and faculty.

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”

Sexual Violence at Penn

While events such as Take Back the Night are effective at raising awareness, more transparent policies, prevention education, and accessible resources are crucial to tackling the issue of sexual assault from its core.

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 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.

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