THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE - 100 Years of Women's Sports Katy Milkman Can Tell You How to Change Rico Worl's Postage Stamp Window on a World ...
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THE PENNSYLVANIA
JUL|AUG21
GAZETTE
100 Years
of Women’s
Sports
Katy Milkman Can Tell You How to Change
Rico Worl’s Postage Stamp Window on a World
Commencement Returns to Franklin Field
(Hey Day, Too, Sort of)
FOLLOW US ONLINE THEPENNGAZETTE.COM @PENNGAZETTE
THE PENNSYLVANIA Features
GAZETTE Century Club The Raven and Rico Worl
JUL AUG21
|
30 38
As the University celebrates 100 When the United States Postal
years of women’s sports, a Service tapped him to design a
handful of prominent former “Forever” stamp, Rico Worl C’09
student-athletes recall their athletic took another step in his metamorphosis
triumphs and hurdles—and the paths from cultural anthropologist to
they both followed and paved. commercial artist.
By Dave Zeitlin By Trey Popp
Choice and Change
44
We know what we should do when
it comes to leading healthier and
happier lives. But too often we
default to easier, more pleasurable wants.
Behavioral scientist and Wharton professor
Katy Milkman is determined to help us
change for the better—and for good.
By JoAnn Greco
COVER
Illustration by Jonathan Bartlett
Vol. 119, No.6
©2021 The Pennsylvania Gazette
Published by Benjamin Franklin from 1729 to 1748.
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More Sports
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& Culture
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THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Departments
VOL. 119, NO. 6
–––––––––––
EDITOR John Prendergast C’80
3 From the Editor | Star athletes, Native artist, expert “nudger.”
SENIOR EDITOR Trey Popp
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dave Zeitlin C’03 4 Letters | Guaranteed income pro and con, and more.
ASSISTANT EDITOR Nicole Perry
ART DIRECTOR Catherine Gontarek Views
PUBLISHER F. Hoopes Wampler GrEd’13
215-898-7811 fhoopes@upenn.edu 8 Notes From the Undergrad | Women helping women in STEM.
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR Linda Caiazzo
10 Alumni Voices | Atlanta, anti-Asian hate, and AAPI activism.
215-898-6811 caiazzo@upenn.edu
––––––––––– 12 Elsewhere | “one magnolia holds my childhood”
EDITORIAL OFFICES
The Pennsylvania Gazette
14 Expert Opinion | A fix for veterans disability claims’ broken system.
3910 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3111 Gazetteer
PHONE 215-898-5555 FAX 215-573-4812
17 Commencement | A socially distanced—but in-person!—celebration.
EMAIL gazette@ben.dev.upenn.edu
WEB thepenngazette.com 20 Moral Education | G. Richard Shell’s The Conscience Code.
–––––––––––
ALUMNI RELATIONS
21 Honors | Winners announced for President’s prizes.
215-898-7811 22 Student Life | Glee Club and Penn Sirens join forces.
EMAIL alumni@ben.dev.upenn.edu
WEB www.alumni.upenn.edu 23 Planning | Students, faculty, and staff must be fully vaccinated for fall.
–––––––––––
24 Technology | Joseph Turow on what your voice tells marketers.
UNIVERSITY SWITCHBOARD
215-898-5000 25 Leadership | Provost on leave of absence for health issues.
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NATIONAL ADVERTISING 26 Robotics | Penn Engineering’s X-RHex is ready for its close-up.
IVY LEAGUE MAGAZINE NETWORK Heather Wedlake
27 Penn Museum | Apologies issued over treatment of human remains.
EMAIL heatherwedlake@ivymags.com
PHONE 617-319-0995 28 Sports | Mentoring program; new AD Alanna Shanahan C’96 GEd’99 GrEd’15
WEB www.ivymags.com
Arts
CHANGE OF ADDRESS? Go to MyPenn, Penn’s Online
Community, at mypenn.upenn.edu to access and update 51 Calendar
your own information. Or contact Alumni Records,
University of Pennsylvania, Suite 300, 2929 Walnut 52 Museums | MASS MoCA maestro Joseph Thompson WG’87.
Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-5099; record@ben.dev.
upenn.edu; Phone: 215-898-8136; Fax: 215-573-5118. 54 Visual Art | Faculty in PMA new galleries debut New Grit: Art & Philly Now.
THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE (ISSN 1520-4650) is published
bimonthly in September, November, January, March, 56 Briefly Noted
May, and July by Penn Alumni, E. Craig Sweeten Alumni
House, 3533 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6226. Alumni
Periodicals postage paid at Philadelphia, PA, and addi-
tional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes 57 Eugene “Gene” Mopsik W’70 has a new career as a “Loxsmith.”
to The Pennsylvania Gazette, Alumni Records, Suite 300,
2929 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-5099. 59 Paul Stewart C’76 spent 28 years on the ice as hockey player and ref.
PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE COMMITTEE: David S. Graff C'79
WG'84 (Chair); Miriam Arond C’77; Jean Chatzky C’86; 60 Nikki Silver C’89 is a movie producer in search of “new perspectives.”
Dr. Alan Filreis, Faculty; Eliot J. Kaplan C'78; Randall
Lane C’90; Michael R. Levy W'68; James L. Miller W’97; 62 Events
Sameer Mithal WG’95; Steven L. Roth W'66; Robert E.
Shepard C'83 G'83; Joel Siegel C’79; Ann Reese CW’74, 62 Notes
President, Penn Alumni.
63 Alumni Weekend online again.
The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks
talented students, faculty and staff from diverse back- 70 Obituaries
grounds. The University of Pennsylvania does not discrimi-
nate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion,
color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or status as
a Vietnam Era Veteran or disabled veteran. 80 Old Penn | From the Organized Classes to ACLC.
Printed by The Lane Press, Burlington, Vermont
FROM THE EDITOR
Pushing It’s known that lacrosse
comes from a Native Ameri-
can game, and I also learned
recently that Native enthusi-
Along with Grit author and
psychology professor Angela
Duckworth Gr’06, Milkman
codirects the Behavior Change
for Change asm for basketball goes back
to the early 1900s. That fact
came up in senior editor Trey
Popp’s story, “The Raven and
Rico Worl,” on anthropolo-
for Good (BCFG) initiative.
Coming to the field from a
background in computer sci-
ence, Milkman has helped
pioneer an approach using
We
do our share (maybe the greatest American squash gist-cultural preservationist- “mega studies” involving tens
more) of anniver- players of all time,” reflect in commercial artist Rico Worl of thousands of people and
sary stories in the their different ways on what it C’09, who draws inspiration dozens of separate experi-
Gazette, and they was like to be a generational from his own Tlingit back- ments to find the interven-
often come with a strong dose talent recognized much more ground and other Native cul- tions that work best at “nudg-
of “those-were-the-days” nos- widely off campus than on. tures, filtered through a ing” people toward desired
talgia. Not so much in associ- Track and field standout modern sensibility. behaviors. One such study
ate editor Dave Zeitlin C’03’s Ruthlyn Greenfield Webster The occasion for our story provided valuable information
cover story, “Century Club,” Nu’92 shares her return to was his being asked by the US for getting more people to go
on the progress of women’s international competition Postal Service to create a “For- for a flu vaccine, transferable
sports at Penn since the after age 35 (with plans to ever” postage stamp paying to the ongoing vaccination
founding of the Women’s continue till 90). homage to Tlingit culture, for effort against COVID-19.
Athletic Association in 1921. which he selected the figure This is also the issue in
We may smile at a quote
like one in the story from the Dave’s piece of Raven, a “canny shapeshift-
er” who sets the moon, stars,
which we report on Com-
mencement and Alumni
1930s about “opponent-host-
esses” inviting the Penn wom-
focuses in on and daylight, imprisoned in
boxes, free. But designs from
Weekend. The latter was again
a virtual affair (viewable at
en’s basketball team out for
tea after away games, but the
a handful of key his company, Trickster, have
appeared on silkscreen prints,
www.alumni.upenn.edu) but
Commencement returned to
candid comments that the
pioneering athletic stars pro-
players to tell clothing, stickers, skate-
boards—and basketballs.
Franklin Field. Attendance
was restricted to undergradu-
filed in the piece gave to Dave— the story. Back when she was in high ates who had followed COVID
and others he unearthed from school, Wharton’s Katy Milk- guidelines, while families and
old Gazette issues and other Dave closes out the piece man was a highly ranked ju- friends watched online (which
sources—make the obstacles with profiles of two players nior tennis player more inter- you can still do at commence-
facing women athletes at the who were central to chang- ested in that sport than she ment.upenn.edu). The most
University, and in college ing the fortunes of what are was in her classes, she told notable touch—for fans of tra-
sports generally, abundantly now two of Penn’s strongest JoAnn Greco, who profiles her ditions and the reworking of
clear. This was particularly teams—Diana Caramanico in “Choice and Change.” them to meet circumstances—
true before Title IX, but con- W’01 LPS’11, the only Penn bas- Though she was always a good came at the beginning of the
tinues on some level even ketball player to score more student, her teachers would ceremony when President
into the present in terms of than 2,000 points; and Ali De- have been surprised she Gutmann staged a mini Hey
the attention and prestige Luca C’10, who sparked the turned out to be a professor— Day, complete with canes and
generated by women’s sports women’s lacrosse team’s run of the James G. Dinan Professor hats, to get around the diffi-
compared to men’s. 11 Ivy League titles since 2007. of Operations, Information culty of graduating the Class
Dave’s piece focuses in on a (Those five are pictured on and Decisions, to be specific— of 2021 without having already
handful key players to tell the our cover, along with two much less a rising star in the officially made them seniors.
story: Field hockey and la- athletes of more recent vin- field of behavioral science and
crosse All-American and tage, star runner Nia Akins author of the bestselling How
Olympic medalist Julie Staver Nu’20 GNu’20 and basketball’s to Change: The Science of Get-
CW’74 V’82 and Alicia McCon- Kayla Padilla W’23, Ivy League ting from Where You Are to
nell C’85, “considered one of Rookie of the Year in 2020.) Where You Want to Be.
Jul | Aug 2021 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE 3
LETTERS
We Welcome
Debating guaranteed Letters
Please email us at gazette@ben.dev.upenn.edu.
income, shortsighted on Please note, due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
Gazette offices are closed until further notice and
we cannot retrieve postal mail at this time.
mRNA, in praise of Letters should refer to material published in the
magazine and may be edited for clarity, civility,
and length.
telemedicine (and May|Jun), something for nothing. The strategy
bad credit, and more. underlying the Democrats’ effort to grow
ever longer government tentacles with
programs like guaranteed income for all
is to build a permanent left-wing US gov-
What Nonsense ernment supported by dependent masses.
“Fighting Poverty with Cash” [May|Jun Michael Pschorr C’61, Santa Fe, NM
2021] is another cracked plank in the
wobbly Woke Progressive platform that A Better Safety Net: Negative Income Tax
has become the foundation of prevalent In an industrial society or a post-
thinking at Penn. industrial society there must be a safety
It’s hard to take seriously the recently net. The issue is how such a safety net
launched Center for Guaranteed Income should be designed. Since I have
Research. I long thought a university is believed for many years that the United
supposed to prepare young people to States should have a negative income
pursue life and vocations on their own tax, Dave Zeitlin’s article “Fighting Pov-
merits rather than inculcate them with erty with Cash” caught my attention.
expectations of “entitlement” to feed at A negative income tax should provide
the taxpayers’ trough? incentives for people to work. A negative
Conservative voices have long been income tax should provide only a mod-
stilled at Penn. Self-reliance, determina- “‘Fighting Poverty est amount of money. A negative income
tion to forge ahead on one’s own, critical tax should be designed to keep families
thinking, and recognition that life is a with Cash’ is another together; I believe that the Great Society
challenge have all been replaced by cracked plank in has failed to keep families together and
emphasis on shielding the delicate stu- in fact has caused families to break
dents from unpleasant experiences and the wobbly Woke apart. A public discussion of the nega-
indoctrinating them to seek the enticing
embrace of the Nanny State.
Progressive platform tive income tax will no doubt suggest
additional public policy objectives that
Assistant Professor Amy Castro Baker that has become the a negative income tax should promote.
tries to convince us the solution to pov- I have read that the negative income tax
erty is to abolish it directly with guaran- foundation of prevalent would cost less than the Great Society. The
teed income. What nonsense. Since FDR,
every discerned social problem has got-
thinking at Penn.” Great Society would probably undermine
the policies that the negative income tax
ten the same reply from the left: throw The current struggle to fill jobs is was designed to promote.
other people’s money at it. greatly due to huge sums lavished on us People who received a negative income
She makes no mention that we all know all as federal stimulus payments, with tax would have to manage their money
$500 guaranteed income today will grow the result that many would rather stay responsibly. There might be concern about
incrementally tomorrow. And no men- home without the bother of working. the welfare of children whose parents mis-
tion of the cost to administer such give- Guaranteed annual income is just more managed money from the negative income
aways by a future cadre of more unelect- socialist pablum—great for crushing ini- tax, but if we do not establish a negative
ed government officials, who will then tiative, squelching innovation, destroying income tax, we will be stuck in the present.
fight hard to justify their sinecures. self-reliance, and glorification of getting Frederic H. Poor III C’69, Littleton, CO
4 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Jul | Aug 2021
Cash Payments as “Pump Primer” UBI Is a Win-Win-Win
I was ready to reject “Fighting Poverty Enjoyed “Fighting Poverty with Cash,”
with Cash” just from the title, but Amy however:
Castro Baker makes a valid case for A Universal Basic Income (UBI) should
using cash payments as a “pump prim- be seen as the progressive section of a new
er” for helping people take steps towards federal tax code. Currently, the poor face
employment and self-sufficiency that extremely high effective tax rates when
they otherwise couldn’t afford to take. they lose benefits by earning additional
Who knows? A program like this may be money. For example, a $2,000 raise might
like the VA College programs after World cause a $6,000 loss of SNAP (food) bene-
War II that returned something like $3 fits. On the other hand, while the rich face
in GNP for every dollar of cost. Her pro- “supposedly” progressive high tax rates,
gram definitely warrants expanded test- those rates are lowered by tax deductions
ing with different populations in differ- (70 percent of which go to the rich).
ent settings. Our current tax system is too compli-
Lewis R. Elin W’60 ASC’61, Chicago cated and inefficient. But a flat tax is a
political loser, since it is not progressive.
Not “Will It Work?” But “Is It Enough?” However, if you marry the flat tax with
Giving cash grants to impoverished an untaxed UBI for all citizens, the effec-
people to lift them out of poverty is a tive tax rates are more progressive than
notion that appeals, or surely should, to the current system.
every empathetic person. The cost of a UBI (at the Federal Pov-
The article asks: “Will it work?” In the erty Level, eliminating financial poverty)
narrowest sense—yes, it will likely work, would be $2.5 trillion. Because it would rate imposed upon the grant. These dis-
as long as the cash keeps flowing. Rath- go to all citizens ($10,000/adult and incentive effects are minor at first but
er, the key question is: “Will recipients $2,000/child), the poor would see a dol- grow at a nonlinear rate. Also, they grow
become economically self-sufficient?” lar-for-dollar replacement of safety-net with time. Even worse, grants had a
To my knowledge, public welfare pro- programs ($0.9T of $2.0T total) and the major impact upon family dissolution.
grams have never succeeded on a sig- rich would lose $1.6 trillion of tax deduc- The positive results reported to date
nificant scale in making the recipients tions. The poor would not be looking over from the Stockton, California, program
economically self-sufficient. And a prime their shoulders looking for welfare agents described in the article would, at best,
reason is they do not acquire the neces- trying to catch them with a husband or be applicable to a $1.25 trillion program
sary economic skills. under-the-table money. The middle class ($6,000 per US adult with no tax rate)
The aim “to see if guaranteed income would do better on net income. The rich that lasted only one year. (The program
can lift their residents out of poverty” is would pay more in taxes, but because the was a two-year program, but data for
too narrow. They must become econom- economy would be doing 2 percent better, only the first year has been reported.) It
ically self-sufficient, else they will likely it would be on higher incomes, for a net would be an error to generalize the
relapse. If self-sufficiency can be gain. Win-win-win. results to more ambitious programs. If
achieved, surely policymakers will listen. That’s my take. If you are interested, more there were a “tax” rate upon the grants
Successful or not, I applaud the noble can be found at: nedland.substack.com. (and/or unrelated income of lower-paid
effort. Nedland (Ned) Williams WG’76, Marblehead, MA workers), or if the grant amounts were
John S. Thomas CE’52, Bradenton, FL larger, the results would likely have had
Disincentive Effects Grow more work disincentives.
Losing and Unhealthy Mathematica Policy Research (MPR) Leon Taub W’68, Selbyville, DE
Helping people with government cash did a number of much larger and more
without requiring their attempts to look sophisticated studies of what they called Permanent Fix Needed
for work is a losing and unhealthy pro- a Negative Income Tax in the early I suggest that we (the federal govern-
gram. Jobs are available now with severe 1970s. They found, not surprisingly, that ment through its state agencies, perhaps)
shortages of goods because of lack of driv- the amount of work disincentive is adopt a “Guaranteed Allotment,” one that
ers sitting at home getting free money. directly related to the size of the pay- provides not only cash but a rigorous and
Oleg Dudkin ME’48, Berwyn, PA ment and inversely related to any “tax” appropriate application of job training,
Jul | Aug 2021 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE 5
LETTERS
childcare, housing, education, and med- Medical Center to check it out. The tech- about Abigail Powers. The Upstate New
ical care to all those in need. In this way, nology, though black and white, worked York community in question is my home
people would (should) be enabled to fine. Getting doctors, insurance compa- town of Moravia. The house where Abi-
(learn how to) care for their needs on an nies, and others to buy in has taken a gail and Millard Fillmore were married
ongoing basis. Greater success of such an bit longer. bears a plaque noting the event, and the
assistance program would be enhanced Keep up the great writing and editing! local elementary school is named for him.
by adding the dignity of work—with Kas Kalba ASC‘67 Gr’75, New Haven, CT Not only did Abigail Powers Fillmore
ample salaries and benefits—to the dis- install the first library in the White
tribution of cash payments. In addition, Credit Where (Not) Due House, she is also credited with installing
a socioeconomic safety net should be The Student Federal Credit Union’s the first bathtub there. For years, Moravia
established for those who experience program detailed in the article “Extra would commemorate this by having bath-
unforeseen difficulties and for those who Credit” [“Gazetteer,” May|Jun 2021] is tub races, with participants even coming
cannot achieve independence because of both fraudulent and immoral. from other states, some far away. It was
physical or mental disabilities. The program allowed participants to quite a spectacle to see teams of bathtub
Gail Harrison Roman CW’68, Stamford, CT take out a $1,000 shared secured loan in racers charging up Main Street.
a frozen account they couldn’t access. David B. Zwirn C’64 L’67, New Paltz, NY
No Thanks to Penn for mRNA Advances Then, the SFCU made monthly payments
I recently read the article “The Vaccine to repay the loan and any accumulating Get Past the “Struggles”
Trenches” [May|Jun 2021]. Initially, I interest on the customer’s behalf, report- in Coverage of Black Alumni
was quite proud and reminded myself ing these to credit agencies to allow the The Mar|Apr 2021 Pennsylvania
that this is another instance where Penn customer to increase their credit score. Gazette delved into many facets of Afri-
did amazing innovative work only to The “borrowed” money never leaves can American history, from the “Breaking
lose the credit for work done. One exam- the SFCU’s custody. The interest is never Barriers” of Marty Vaughn as “Penn’s first
ple that comes to mind is the ENIAC really charged or paid by the “borrowers” Black starting quarterback” [“Sports”] to
developed at Penn. either. The whole process is a sham the creation of a new center to “under-
However, as I read the article, I realized meant to deceive while unjustifiably giv- stand the African American struggle”
that Dr. Katalin Kariko worked on the ing students a “perfect” credit history. [“Gazetteer”] to the Rosenwald schools’
mRNA technology despite the lack of sup- Credit scores need to be earned through contribution to African American educa-
port by Penn bureaucracy. Her lonely quest actual behavior over time, not awarded tion [“Black Education Before Brown”].
for advancement of science, supported by arbitrarily simply to accomplish a social The compilation of stories about African
Dr. Drew Weissman, is not something that justice goal. Americans in this and most Gazettes con-
Penn can take credit for. This article really Paul Price D’77, Chadds Ford, PA tinue to patronize Black alumni by not
whitewashes the sordid behavior by Penn taking opportunities to expand upon
and its staff, as I later learned through a Picture Perfect outcomes. The Gazette must get past the
quick search on the internet. Penn should Thanks to the editors for carrying the “struggles” of African Americans to
be ashamed and should publish a mea extraordinary aerial photograph of describe the many positive outcomes of
culpa and profusely thank Dr. Kariko. Penn’s not-so-little corner of West Philly a Penn education.
Young S. Nam EE’85 WG’89, Vienna, VA by Greg Benson [“Gazetteer,” May|Jun Why is this important? Unless the
2021]. It brought back many memories. Gazette broadens its delivery of the out-
No, This One Was Better And not just of the campus. The photo comes and accomplishments of its gradu-
I know the Mar|Apr issue received put Penn in the context of the city across ates, it perpetuates stereotypes and per-
kudos [“Letters,” May|Jun 2021], yet the Schuylkill. I could even spot my area spectives that narrow the true breadth of
think the May|Jun issue is the best I have of Panama Street, where I lived as a the contributions of its Black graduates.
read (starting in the late 1960s). I espe- senior, and Taney Park, where my son Penn’s Black alumni are representing
cially liked the articles on guaranteed played Little League, in the 1990s. their alma mater and country well. We
income (“Fighting Poverty with Cash”) Noel Hynd C’70, Culver City, CA deserve to be portrayed in our totality
and telemedicine (“Webside Manner”). with pride and not simply by our “strug-
It’s high time that telemedicine has More Fillmore First Lady Firsts gle.” Do Better. Do more.
caught on. The first video connection I was delighted to read the article Helen F. Giles-Gee CW’72 GEd’73 Gr’83,
between hospitals was in Nebraska in “Framing First Ladies” [“Arts,” May|Jun Philadelphia
1968. I remember visiting the Omaha 2021], especially the first paragraph
6 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Jul | Aug 2021
VIEWS P.8
Notes from the Undergrad
P.10
Alumni Voices
P.12
Elsewhere
P.14
Expert Opinion
Illustration by Martha Rich GFA’11 Jul | Aug 2021 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE 7
VIEWS Notes from the Undergrad
and news stories, in our families and
communities, at the top of tech compa-
nies—are predominantly male.
I took my first computer science class
during my first semester of college. I
didn’t even know how to run a program,
let alone write one. I spent many office
hours feeling overwhelmed by all the
things I didn’t know and didn’t even
know how to ask about. But the first
friend I made that year was a girl who was
just as confused as I was. We attended
office hours together and spent a memo-
rable 24 hours in a dorm basement grind-
ing out our final project. By the end of the
semester, I was hooked on computer sci-
ence. Yet it still took me another nine
months to convince myself to switch my
major to computer science. At the end of
my sophomore year, I became a teaching
assistant in an introductory computer
science class—but I still felt imposter syn-
drome. I was convinced that everyone
knew more than I did, and that I was un-
derqualified for every internship I applied
for. Even four successful years at Penn did
not wipe away my doubts. Only when I
secured a software engineering job at a
large tech company after four years at
Penn did I begin to consider myself a ‘real’
programmer. This change in how I viewed
myself was not the product of any new
material I mastered, but of my belated
realization that many of the talented com-
Math League Dropout puter scientists I look up to struggle with
similar doubts and insecurities.
Until I sat down recently to think about
Reflections of a computer science outsider. this, I hadn’t quite realized that only one
By Olivia O’Dwyer of the 21 STEM classes I’ve taken at Penn
has been taught by a female professor. A
single professor, my freshmen year, for a
In
seventh grade, a boy I liked told me, despite my facility with math and half-credit laboratory. Yet I remember
me it was weird for me to do math science. I had no idea what it was, and that limited encounter vividly. She spoke
league. So I stopped, because I the notion of pursuing something I about her children and connected to stu-
wanted him to like me. I resumed didn’t know if I’d be good at scared me. dents in a way I’ve very rarely felt in
in high school a few years later, but by I don’t think I felt weird doing math other classes. When it struck me that I
that time my self-consciousness had so- league or intimidated by computer sci- never had another female professor after
lidified, cementing doubts that would ence because I was a girl. But I believe her, I was so shocked I had to double-
follow me for the rest of my education. that far fewer boys feel this way growing check my transcript.
I didn’t take a computer science class up, for many reasons. The math and tech It started me thinking about other
in high school; it never even occurred to figures we see all around us—in movies things. Of more than 20 tech-job inter-
8 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Jul | Aug 2021 Illustration by Tracy Walkerviews I’ve been through—anxiety-induc- pulled me up with them. I hope I have was for me, though it was almost too late
ing occasions in which you are often done the same for some of them. Wheth- by the time I recognized it—to tell girls:
asked to code the solution to a problem er it is spoken aloud or honored in quiet No, math league can be for you, and screw
on the spot while explaining your thought observance, we can only have one motto: any boy who tells you otherwise.
process to the interviewer—only two were your success is my success. It is this way When I think about the time I quit
conducted by a female. I remember enter- because it has to be, to survive, to be math league, it breaks my heart. And it
ing those interviews and feeling some- happy, to learn in a meaningful way. I makes me angry. I do not blame myself
thing in me relax, though in the moment feel an unspoken, immediate bond with for quitting. I’d been programmed by
I didn’t know why I felt that way. any woman who’s reached out to me for society to believe that making that boy
Over the course of three tech intern- help or has admitted to me they’re strug- like me was more important than exer-
ships, each of which found me working gling. I’ve been there, I tell them. I know. cising mastery of math. I do not even
on a 10- to 20-person team, I’ve never And you will make it through. blame the boy for throwing out a
had more than two female collaborators. But if our society wants to capitalize on thoughtless comment; he could not have
In my first tech internship, there was the full range of talent possessed by girls known how much damage it would do.
not a single woman in the office apart and young women, we need to do this We are all complicit in this, and we can
from me. In my second, the only other better. That project must include univer- all do better in addressing the problem
women were fellow interns. sity decisions about who is sent into class- and creating spaces that are welcoming
It took further reflection for me to real- rooms to teach. It should inform tech and inclusive to everyone.
ize that I’ve never had a female boss or company decisions about who conducts
manager. And when I think up the chain job and internship interviews. We must Olivia O’Dwyer EAS’21 graduated in May
of command, I’m not sure if I’ve ever had create environments where being a wom- with a major in computer science and a
a female superior. At one company I an isn’t an anomaly, it’s normal. Maybe minor in creative writing. She is a software
worked for, someone had created a then there would be no need—as there engineer in Boston.
2048-style sliding puzzle game featuring
the faces of the company’s executives. It
was intended, as far as I could tell, as a
lighthearted attempt to get the interns
familiar with the company’s leadership.
Not one of the faces on the tiles was
female.
As I look back, what disturbs me most
is how little any of this disturbed me at
the time. These absences blended into
everything else that I registered as nor-
mal: the standard operating procedure,
nothing out of the ordinary. I never
looked at my syllabus and thought, “Oh,
another male professor.” It would have
been like entering a classroom and find-
ing it remarkable to see another black-
board. Wow, 15 in a row!
Fortunately, there is another side of
my personal experience in computer sci-
ence at Penn. It consists of the women www.alumni.upenn.edu/momentum2021
who have been in the trenches with me,
grinding away at assignment after as-
signment, lifting me up, sending words
of encouragement, making me ginger
tea, waiting in the office hours queue
with me, helping me during my own of-
fice hours as a TA. These women have
Jul | Aug 2021 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE 9VIEWS Alumni Voices
piece-rate wages in an unventilated gar-
ment factory alongside other immigrant
women. When factories closed, we
bought second-hand machines to per-
form the work at home. For much of my
childhood, my sister and I assisted our
family with industrial sewing.
In those days, my parents charged my
sister, several years older and tall enough
to reach the foot pedal, with the actual
machine. They assigned me, who they
viewed as small but capable and nimble-
handed, with the lighter tasks. By the
time I was seven, I could confidently sus-
pend a bolt of fabric, and steadily feed it,
inch by inch, into the curved metal chute
of a Juki machine, where my mother
would coax it with a double needle to
shape an inverted collar, waist band, or
cuff of a sweatshirt. Cotton dust hung in
the yellow lamplight as I let these reams
slide through my fingers, with the ma-
chine whirring in my ears like a shaky,
oversized lawn mower. By the end of
After Atlanta these nights, our hair appeared as if
dusted with a layer of fine snowfall.
We structured our lives around work,
I clicked one news link after another, at first yet strived for ordinary ways to tran-
not realizing what I was feverishly searching for. scend it. My father and I took breaks to
teach ourselves English by listening to
By Hoa Tu Duong Sammy Takes a Bath on Saturday Night
and other cassette tapes borrowed from
On
March 16, 2021, I was working tails of the slain. For days, I sought the the local library. As I grew into middle
from my home office when I predictable profiles that typically follow school, I dragged my books to the base-
opened the news and saw mul- horrifying events like this. I found no trace ment and propped them on a discarded
tiple versions of the front-page of the things the dead usually left behind: music stand so I could study while we
headline, Atlanta Murders of Asian no name, age, profession, religion, chil- worked. Our willingness to accept low
Women. I stared, stunned by the words. dren, or loved ones. No abruptly truncated wages despite worsening conditions un-
They stirred a deep, unsettling sadness dream, not even a grainy, smiling photo derscored our vulnerabilities. By coin-
and fear within me, and simultaneously incongruous with the moment. Yet the cidence of circumstance, any one of
a surprising observation: I had never gunman’s face haunted me everywhere. us—my mother, my sister, myself—fit the
seen sustained national media coverage I imagined the women’s lives by reflect- phenotype of the women violently si-
of violence against Asian Americans in ing on my own past. My family arrived in lenced in the Atlanta shootings.
my lifetime. I was drawn to the news the US in 1980 from a Malaysian refugee On March 19, national newspapers pub-
with a relentless sensation of seeking. camp, where I was born after the war in lished the victims’ names: Soon Chung
I clicked one news link after another, at Vietnam. Through the Refugee Resettle- Park (74), Hyun Jung Grant (51), Sun Cha
first not realizing what I was feverishly ment Program, our group of seven land- Kim (69), Yong Yue (63), Delaina Ashley
searching for. I kept seeing the same ge- ed in the north woods of Maine, and one Yaun (33), Paul Andre Michels (54), Xiajie
neric photos—the parking lots of Gold month later, we moved to Reading, Penn- Tan (49), and Daoyou Feng (44).
Spa, Aromatherapy Spa, or Young’s Asian sylvania—one of the poorest small cities Instead of reporting on these women’s
Massage—in articles featuring scant de- in the nation. There my mother toiled on actual lives, I noticed a troubling story-
10 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Jul | Aug 2021 Illustration by Camelia Phamline empathizing with the killer while lege. My first trip overseas. You’re on that while our struggles are not the same,
fetishizing the victims. “He does claim mute, my colleagues emphatically ges- they are profoundly interconnected.
that it was not racially motivated,” ex- tured in the video link, and asked me to This led me to Asian American Studies
plained a sheriff ’s captain, relaying the begin a moderated business negotiation. (ASAM) faculty, who helped me access an
perpetrator’s statements at face value. While running errands: The day a American story that I could stand at the
“He apparently has an issue, what he con- middle-school boy hit me with rocks in center of, rather than the periphery. I mar-
siders a sex addiction … a temptation for my backyard. When I instinctively raised veled that I had completed high school
him that he wanted to eliminate,” he con- my hands to protect my face, he shat- without encountering the barest historical
tinued. “He was pretty much fed up, kind tered the perfect jade bracelet my moth- fact or reference to Asian Americans. For
of at the end of his rope, and yesterday er had given me as an heirloom. After- the first time, I learned the policies span-
was a really bad day for him.” wards, I collected the shards of green ning from the Chinese Exclusion Act
The precise profession of the victims— stone that had collapsed around me and (1882) to Japanese American Internment
who are described as elderly cleaners and hid them in my coat closet. during World War II (1942) to the role of
cooks in Korean-language newspapers— While making dinner for my kids: A uninterrupted US militarization in Asia
remains unclear. What is brutally clear is man four times my age waving a dollar ever since. This curriculum could help all
this: this man blamed an entire group of bill from his rolled down car window, students contextualize these policies
women for his problems and went on a masturbating and laughing, Me Love You against the broader sweep of US history.
premeditated killing spree to get rid of Long Time. Fie dolla, Fie dolla, Sucky As a sophomore, I led the Asian Pacific
them. By elevating his perspective, the Sucky! I was in the fourth grade, walk- Student Coalition, which represented 14
media and police effectively recapitu- ing home from school. diverse groups that collectively accounted
lated the erasure of the victims and pro- A boy leaning from a playground rail- for 25 percent of Penn’s student body.
moted a stereotype that endangers us all. ing to spit on me, calling me Chinky Alongside faculty and staff, we advocated
After Atlanta, I slept fitfully. I tried to Chink. His mother, watching nearby, for the establishment of a center respon-
bury my initial grief and replace it with adding: Because that’s what you are. sive to the unique needs of AAPI students.
joyful remembrances, but my mind The high school teacher who repeat- In 2000, Pan-Asian American Commu-
flooded involuntarily with scenes I had edly asked, Are you going to write this nity House (PAACH) opened its doors,
spent a long time repressing. Over the essay in English, or in some other back- with priorities to launch an Asian Pacific
following days, they resurfaced— wards language of yours? American Women’s Leadership Initiative,
In the car on the way to school drop-off, After a youth punctuated with these create a formal partnership with ASAM,
waiting for the light to turn red: That kinds of encounters, I arrived at Penn in and provide counseling and psychological
encounter with a group of five men my the summer of 1997, eager for a fresh per- services on site in the evenings.
first year in Philadelphia. I was walking spective. I joined an intensive four-week This year marks 21 years of PAACH as
through a crowded Penn Relays event academic session preceding new student a cultural resource center.
when a circle tightened around me, I felt orientation. The program provided an Atlanta reminds us that the issues that
hands grabbing my body, tearing at my essential gift: mental and emotional mobilized Asian American students in
clothes, and the words spat in my face: I space unfettered by financial anxiety to 2000 remain equally salient today. These
never fucked a Korean bitch before. focus on academics and form unencum- challenges take on renewed urgency
Focusing on the present, I checked the bered friendships. It solidified my convic- amidst increased reporting of violence
rearview mirror and saw my children’s tion that comprehensive institutional against AAPI, and an incomplete nation-
faces—cheerful, expectant. I parked at support is a necessary precursor to suc- al reckoning on race during a global pan-
their school, walked them to the en- cess for first-generation college students, demic. With this in mind, I will continue
trance, watched them recede to class- and especially those from underrepre- trying to transform America into a place
rooms. I slid back into my seat, smoothed sented geographies and backgrounds. where we can all live without fear of rac-
down my hair, my skirt, turned on the During that year, I gravitated toward ism and exploitation—a place where we
ignition and turned up the volume. inclusive spaces. The Albert M. Greenfield don’t have to search so hard to find the
While logging into an online meeting: Intercultural Center became a haven for humanity of Asian Americans.
The evening two men followed me to my me and countless students. Its dedicated
hotel room after dinner. They grabbed staff offered meeting spaces, advisors, and Hoa Tu Duong C’01 is a founder of the Pan-
my arms, knocked my head into the wall, programs to promote cultural pluralism. Asian American Community House at the
dragged me across the floor. I was on a There I met student leaders from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a public
University-affiliated study tour, post col- United Minorities Council, and learned policy and strategy consultant.
Jul | Aug 2021 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE 11VIEWS Elsewhere
The South
By Sophia Al-Banaa
southern drawls disguise
spitting words
the earth sighs
water melon cut
tobacco drenched saliva.
its breath loosening chunks of spanish moss
open by bare hands
pink flesh lined in white spills black seeds onto the countertop.
a man takes out a red handkerchief to wipe away
i dreamed of erasing every pulsing linoleum Piggly Wiggly from memory
plucking away the y’all embedded in each sentence & crevice
of my brain.
at sunset,
cicadas sing a lullaby,
lemons growing beside the splintered porch blister & rot on cracked concrete.
one magnolia holds my childhood
echoed through the voice of a great uncle asking if my father built bombs in his madrisa a land of reddened sand
far from the scattered sharp seashells here anticipating vacationing feet.
i drank coke floats in haunted diners,
vanilla ice cream clouding a cup of crystalized brown carbonation a girl,
unaware of cavities blooming between her front teeth.
12 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Jul | Aug 2021 Illustration by Jeff Koegelgameela / beauty
By Sophia Al-Banaa
in a shop of cherry blossom scented lotions
& greasy hands, a saleswoman holds my face
between perfectly manicured fingers:
“your beauty is that of an Arab lady.”
she sees through my mourned memories
in a room of polished women,
skin free from scars.
my aunt rubbed nivea crème
into her henna stained palms,
never wearing makeup, her wrinkled
cheeks carrying the deaths of husbands
& her son’s dreams that fell like tea leaves
sinking in the scratched cups
she sipped from quietly
sighing ya Allah,
& i always wondered
if she wanted more
than what prayers grant.
Sophia Al-Banaa SPP’19 is a Kuwaiti American, Muslim woman who has
spent her life between Kuwait and South Carolina but now lives in
Philadelphia, where she is a social worker and therapist.
Jul | Aug 2021 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE 13VIEWS Expert Opinion
Wounded Warriors VA said it could find no record of that
service and rejected his claim. Mote ap-
pealed the decision in 2013, but he died
Veterans denied disability claims are thrown later that year. His widow then contin-
ued the fight for disability payments. But
into a deeply broken system. They deserve she too passed away before the claim
better—and a solution is within reach. could be resolved.
The system for resolution of VA dis-
By Richard Rosenbleeth
ability appeals is a national disgrace.
Thousands of veterans die before their
appeals are heard. Roughly 22 die by
suicide per day, according to a study re-
leased by the VA in 2013 that found—like
other studies—that veterans take their
own lives at a higher rate than the gen-
eral population. Many more suffer un-
necessarily. Mote’s case is just one dis-
turbing example of how unreasonable
delays affect veterans and their families
who have waited years for resolution of
their disability claims.
To lodge an appeal, veterans must file
a Notice of Disagreement to the VA. The
VA must then issue a Statement of the
Case. On average, the Statement of the
Case takes 500 days to be issued. At
that point the veteran has 60 days to
appeal, which takes 37 days on average.
Then the appeal must be certified—a
process that typically takes 773 days.
But the bureaucratic marathon has an-
other lap: 321 days, on average, for the
appeal to be docketed with the Board
of Veterans’ Appeals.
In total, from the Notice of Disagree-
ment to a decision by the Board of Veter-
ans’ Appeals, the process can take more
than five-and-a-half years. Yet incredibly,
even this is not the end for many veterans.
Some cases are remanded to the VA for
further proceedings by the Board of Vet-
erans’ Appeals or the courts, which in-
In
November 2010, Wayne Gary Mote volves further delay. In such cases, the
filed a claim with the US Depart- total delay can stretch to seven years.
ment of Veterans Affairs (VA) ask- If there is any doubt about the human
ing for disability payments due to cost of this broken system, it was dis-
the heart condition he had developed solved by a recent estimate by the VA
from exposure to Agent Orange. He said Inspector General that 7 percent of
he had flown several classified missions cases are “resolved” by the death of the
in Vietnam and produced affidavits from veterans. As of earlier this year, some
fellow veterans to support his claim. The 425,000 appeals were outstanding.
14 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Jul | Aug 2021 Illustration by David HollenbachThese disability claims relate to ser- concluded that mandamus (when a vidual cases, it did not achieve the broad
vice-connected injuries/illnesses for higher court directs a lower court or of- due process relief that veterans deserve.
which the government offers compensa- ficial to take action) was the appropriate Courts have been reluctant to deal with
tion based on a rating system. The VA remedy. So the lawsuit sought a writ of due process relief on a class basis for two
decides eligibility and amount. Veterans mandamus and a finding that the delay reasons: a determination by some judg-
depend on these benefits for basic neces- is unreasonable and violates due pro- es that courts lack sufficient statutory
sities such as food, clothing, housing, cess. The Veterans’ Court denied relief, authority over the VA; and the conclu-
and medical care. Their delay in obtain- whereupon an appeal was taken to the sion that Congress is the proper entity
ing them is not new. Rising numbers of US Court of Appeals for the Federal Cir- to address the problem.
claims stemming from the wars in Iraq cuit. That court reversed the Veterans’ It is clear now that broad court relief
and Afghanistan exacerbated the situa- Court and changed the mandamus stan- to fix the delay problem is not feasible.
tion—just as many experts had feared at dard, granting highly significant relief The fight for them, begun in 2006, must
the outset of these conflicts in the early to veterans in individual cases in Martin be continued by other means.
2000s. A panel of Ninth Circuit judges v. O’Rourke (2018). Given the current state of play, a single
found, in Veterans for Common Sense v. Broader due process relief to all veter- proposal promises substantial improve-
Shinseki (2012), that veterans were be- ans was not granted, however. The case ment—whether it is implemented by the
ing denied due process—but the full was remanded to the Veterans’ Court for Board of Veterans’ Appeals or Congress
Court later reversed the panel and the further proceedings applying the new itself. Either one of those bodies could
Supreme Court opted not to consider mandamus standard. In a concurring fix the problem by adopting our pro-
the appeal. opinion, Judge Kimberly A. Moore laid posal for a system of arbitration for ap-
For years, I have led an effort to reduce out the moral stakes. “The men and peals that remain outstanding for one
this unconscionable delay. I first pro- women in these cases protected this or two years. This could be accom-
posed an Alternative Dispute Resolution country and the freedoms we hold dear; plished by Congress amending an exist-
program similar to the highly successful they were disabled in the service of their ing statute, or the board amending one
Philadelphia Judge Pro Tem program as country; the least we can do is properly of its rules. It is a simple fix.
a way to speed up decisions. The Amer- resolve their disability claims so that The VA’s motto is “To care for him who
ican College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) they have the food and shelter necessary shall have borne the battle and for his
agreed to provide Fellows as Judges Pro for survival. It takes on average six-and- widow, and his orphan.” In practice, the
Tem to handle appeals to the Board of a-half years for a veteran to challenge a department falls far short when it comes
Veterans’ Appeals. The board rejected VBA determination and get a decision to the hundreds of thousands of veter-
this approach, citing the absence of on remand. God help this nation if it ans who lodge good-faith appeals to its
statutory authority for such a system took that long for these brave men and decisions. Some have said the VA’s poli-
even though the requisite rule changes women to answer the call to serve and cy is “Deny until they die.”
were eminently possible. protect. We owe them more.” President Joe Biden Hon’13 can dem-
In 2008, the then secretary of the VA After remand, several of the claims on onstrate real substance behind the sup-
agreed to pilot a Pro Tem program as appeal in the Martin case were settled. port he has articulated for Americans
proposed. Yet a veterans organization The Mote case remained unresolved. who serve our country in uniform by
representing claimants declined to par- After that case was remanded, the Vet- directing his new VA secretary, Denis
ticipate on the grounds that the veterans erans’ Court failed to apply the proper McDonough, to take up this fight on
benefits system was a non-adversarial mandamus standard, and a second ap- their side.
system, and this program would change peal was taken to the Federal Circuit.
that. So the pilot program was never That appeal was once again decided in Richard M. Rosenbleeth W’54 L’57 is a retired
implemented. Thereafter, the VA and favor of Mrs. Mote. The case was again partner at the Philadelphia law firm Blank
veterans organizations resisted further remanded to the Veterans’ Court on Sep- Rome and a former chair of its litigation de-
proposals that aimed to address their tember 28, 2020, and thereafter the VA partment. He is a fellow of the American Col-
objections. Congress did enact some pro- granted Mote disability benefits. In a lege of Trial Lawyers and the International
cess changes in recent years, but these perverse demonstration of the system’s Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is a proud
show little sign of improving delays. defects, Mrs. Mote passed away before “Mungerman,” having played football at Penn
Finally, in 2016, the ACTL brought a she could receive them. under the legendary coach George Munger. A
lawsuit against the VA Secretary on be- Although the litigation was successful version of this essay appeared in the Penn
half of 12 veterans. In that process, I in achieving relief for veterans in indi- Law Journal’s Winter 2021 issue.
Jul | Aug 2021 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE 15Panama City, Panama
The Penn Wharton Club of Panama is a true pandemic
revival story. Our club was founded 20 years ago, and since then
has aimed to bring together graduates of all Penn disciplines and
schools, to foster a thriving Penn Community in Panama. In 2021, we
relaunched our club as a Penn Wharton Alumni Club, to broaden the
scope and access to resources for our member base of over 150 alumni.
Since the onset, we co-created activities to build awareness of Penn
through events open to both alumni and the general public. We are
passionate about bringing “The Power of Penn” to our country, and
rather than sit still during our stringent lockdown, we brought
renewed energy to our club in 2020. Led by our former club president,
Ramiro Parada (E ’94), we offered a public online forum to propel
conversations around the importance of reopening economic
activities as Panama navigated the initial stages of the global pandem-
ic. Our highest aspiration is to continue to bring important conversa-
tions to the forefront, that inspire action for the greater good.
Another key goal is to contribute to the lifelong learning experience
of Penn alumni through programs, lectures and other activities. We
offered an interactive event, led by our first Penn Club president and
honorary board member, CE Maurice Belanger, (WG ’66), titled “2020
US Election & The Dollar,” with special guest Larry MacDonald.
More recently, we enjoyed a Red & Blue “Smokey Joe’s Craft Beer Tasting.” This event was led
by current board member, Peter Stanziola (C ’06), and included sending craft beer kits to
members to share in a casual “Zoom” atmosphere.
To involve younger generations and spread the word to future Penn applicants, we’ve launched
a YouTube series, “Pennamanian.” Led by board member, Juan Carlos Ortega (W ’20), and current
student Miguel Heras III (W ’22), the series features distinguished alumni, as well as students.
Some of our guests have included a finance expert, an award-winning film director and producer, a
young management consultant, and an experienced dancer and social entrepreneur.
Our newly renovated board of directors is filled with enthusiasm, love for Penn, and openness
to involve all of our members as we continue to grow our presence in Panama and beyond. You can
become involved or reach out to us by emailing pennclubofpanama@gmail.com.
Photos: Felix Tchverkin/Unsplash and Penn Wharton Club of WhartonGAZETTEER P.20
Business Ethics
P.22
New Voices in Glee
P.24
(Too) Smart Speakers
P.28
Mentoring for Athletes
Tearing Down Walls, Within and Without
A resilient Class of 2021 was encouraged to pair “humility and
ambition” as it moves on after a year of challenges and sacrifices.
Photo courtesy University Communications Jul | Aug 2021 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE 17GAZETTEER Commencement
In his invocation, Univer-
sity chaplain and vice presi-
dent for social equity and
community Charles “Chaz”
Howard C’00 began “with
just two words: thank you.
Thank you for this class.
Thank you for this day.”
Gutmann acknowledged the
challenges and sacrifices this
graduating class has navigated.
“Learning online, masking up,
remotely singing with Counter-
parts or playing with the Penn
Band, marching for justice,
[and] missing milestones so
that others may enjoy more
life. … We’re at the threshold of
a bright future thanks to your
everyday acts in solidarity with
and for others,” she said.
“O
ur seniors have a
problem,” began
Penn President
Amy Gutmann at
the start of the Uni-
versity’s 265th Commence-
ment ceremony on May 17.
Looking over Franklin Field
at the first large gathering on
campus since the pandemic It was a markedly smaller
began, Gutmann explained crowd than in years past—
that due to the postpone- the stands were devoid of
ment of last year’s in-person friends and families, who
Hey Day, “I cannot declare instead watched via
you graduates because I livestream at commence-
didn’t have the chance to de- ment.upenn.edu. Only grad-
clare you seniors.” uating seniors who abided by
“But we can fix this,” she Penn’s asymptomatic testing
continued, instructing them protocol were invited to at-
to open the red bags under- tend the ceremony, with corded messages from the Drawing comparisons to the
neath their chairs, which chairs on the field placed six families of the graduates Class of 1919, which graduated
contained the iconic walking feet apart. (Commencement and a performance by the amidst the influenza pandem-
cane and flat-brimmed hat ceremonies for graduate and Penn Band aired on a screen. ic and the close of World War
that the junior class tradi- professional schools re- Outgoing chair of the board I, Gutmann quoted a line from
tionally receives. After snap- mained virtual only.) of trustees David L. Cohen their yearbook that read: “It
ping off a piece of their hats But the day was not lacking L’81 delivered an opening will always be remembered
(more sanitary than the cus- in pomp and circumstance. proclamation, and graduat- that as the class advanced, it
tomary biting), the students As members of the Class of ing senior Henry Platt C’21 helped those who followed.”
were declared seniors. 2021 took their seats, prere- sang the national anthem. She added of the Class of 2021,
18 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Jul | Aug 2021 Photos courtesy University CommunicationsYou can also read
