Author: Allie Fehr

Dear DPAA Community,

I am excited to take the reins as president of the Daily Pennsylvanian Alumni Association, following in the footsteps of Amy Gardner and Marty Siegel, who each did so much to strengthen this organization. I am grateful for the work they’ve done and will continue to do as we bring together ever-greater numbers of DP alumni to work with students and create an enduring network built around the experiences that we all share.

My interest in taking on this job is rooted less in fond memories of long nights at 4015 Walnut Street than in the landscape I observe as a journalist in 2023: a profession still struggling to embrace the potential of the digital changeover; a public ever-more skeptical about the value of journalism; and powerful institutions taking advantage of these problems to slough off any commitment to transparency or accountability.

The DP is fighting against these currents, and this generation of student journalists will go a long way toward shaping the role of journalism in society. They know, far better than we do, the social changes that define the emerging generation of readers. They understand, better than we do, the potential of multi-media technology to transform the delivery of news. And yet we, too, have a role to play in conveying to them the vital importance of an institutional media as a check on power.

To advance this cause, we are re-asserting our commitment to mentoring student journalists and critiquing their work; to helping them as they explore new ways of engaging readers; and to reaching across the generations to ensure that the DP is both an incubator of talent and a laboratory for innovation.

On the business side, we are proud to announce a newly recruited Strategic Business Advisory Board. This group of alumni with experience in overcoming managerial hurdles, creating and marketing new products, and implementing new financial models will provide crucial guidance and support to our business operations, ensuring we remain a sustainable organization for years to come.

We will also work to affirm and enhance our own identity as DP alumni, as we prepare to come together for a reunion to mark the DP’s 140th anniversary in 2024.

If you have ever thought of assisting the DP in any way – regardless of your level of involvement as a student – this is the time to step forward. It’s that rare moment of inflection when a person can make a lasting contribution to the fate of both an institution and a core value of society. We welcome any and all help, and look ahead to bright new horizons for journalism at Penn and beyond.

Sincerely,

Peter Canellos (C ’84)

Dear DP Alumni,

This week, the DP took the campus and sidechat by storm (again) with its reporting on two Penn dining halls found in violation of Philadelphia health code.

Street is getting ready to launch the March magazine, and analytics is finalizing a new metrics dashboard.

With that, here to another week at the Pink Palace 🥂

Is Remy the Ratatouille working at Hill Dining Hall?

This story by Jin Kwon revealing that two of Penn’s dining halls are not in compliance with Philadelphia’s health code generated the DP’s highest unique page view this year. It was viewed 10,293 times and had an average time on page of 4.23 mins.

Hot off the presses this week

Retirement funds for Penn faculty managed by company with billions in fossil fuel investments By Elea Castiglione

City Tap House to close University City location after 13 years By Jasper Taylor

Fried chicken restaurant Wishbone closes University City location after 10 years By Jared Mitovich and Molly Cohen

Editorial | A Message to Penn Administration Regarding Turkey and Syria By The Daily Pennsylvanian Editorial Board

Memphis Grizzlies coach, Wharton alum Taylor Jenkins visits Penn By Walker Carnathan

From Italy to Penn, men’s tennis Graziani brothers stick together By Chloe Hunt

From the El to DRL By Sejal Sangani

The Underground World of Philly’s Basement House Shows By Hannah Sung

We’re Both Thinking It: Let’s Turn This Coffee Chat Into a Crack-Cocaine Chat By Zach Whiting

Commons Lowkey Sceney Tonight! I See My One Friend Over There By Maya Kreger

Reasons to love DP this week:

Sophia Liu (along with design139) and Anna Vazhaeparambil (along with photo139) collaborated to create this gorgeous back page design in this week’s print issue!

Reasons to love Street this week:

1. The March magazines have arrived 👀 and the 34th Street team will be tabling on Locust Walk this coming week.

2. The toast has gained 25% in subscriber growth since the beginning of the semester!

Get to know your Board of Directors Alumni!

Introduce yourself!
I was the EIC of Street (and before that, managing editor + ego editor + copy editor). I’m currently an editorial director at Vox, overseeing our culture and features coverage.

Favorite DP memory
Late, late Wednesday production nights; launching UTB; getting gossip scoops.

Advice for students
Read everything!

Fun fact
I voiced a Teen Vogue video game.

Reach out to me
I’m always so happy to talk about journalism, moving to New York, or anything else that might be on your mind. My email is julia.r.rubin@gmail.com

Introduce yourself!
I was the Managing Editor, Summer EIC, and a 4-semester beat reporter. Also Past President of the DPAA. Today I am a professional keynote speaker and business coach with an expertise in customer experience and marketing.

Favorite DP memory
When Sports Editor Adam Rubin W’95 and I met Penn’s unannounced new Athletic Director at 30th Street Station as his train was arriving. No one would confirm Steve Bilsky was the choice but we knew it. He came up the steps, we introduced ourselves, and his first words were: “boy you guys are good“.

Advice for students
Take advantage of everything the DP has to offer. I was a News guy but I wrote Sports articles, a 34th Street cover story, and even got a photo credit with one of my articles. The skills I learned at the DP — writing, editing, managing people — have served me well for my entire career. One thing I neglected to do? Connect with any alumni. Today that is SO much easier with iPhones and LinkedIn and Twitter. The alumni of the DP are second-to-none and they WANT to hear from current students.

Fun fact
I once delivered a pizza to Michael Jordan — a sausage and pepperoni from Domino’s!

Reach out to me
I want to invite any student to reach out to me, but also to any alum. Here’s the deal: When I have money to contribute, I give it to the DP — not Penn. When a Penn student calls me, I’ll respond if I can. When a DP student calls me, I will drop everything to respond. I am not the only one who feels that way!

That’s it for this week!

Signing off,
Jesse Zhang

Dear DP Alumni,

This week, the DP took the campus and sidechat by storm with its sex survey, Street wrapped up production for its March magazine, and UTB satirized Amy Wax.

Business staffers also worked hard across the board with many exciting progress, to be highlighted below.

Here to another week at the Pink Palace 🥂

The DP Sex Survey

The Data stories desk, working with social media, design, and marketing, collected 1,008 responses with their sex survey and took Penn by storm.

Big shoutout to Kira Wang, Jared Mitovich, Molly Cohen, Diamy Wang, Lilian Liu, Madison Smith, Imran Siddiqui, and anyone else who contributed to the story!

Hot off the presses this week

Penn to face retaliation complaint involving alleged sexual misconduct by former CAPS director By Katie Bartlett

Economics department offers new math sequence for majors in place of MATH 1400, MATH 1410 By Yash Rajpal

Court grants Penn Museum request to bury remains of Black Philadelphians By Dedeepya Guthikonda

Lexi Boccuzzi | When “Let’s Be Casual” replaces “Be Mine”

Alex Baxter | Patagonia privilege: The on-campus housing rip-off

15 questions with … Trevor Nelson, a Penn diving senior By Valeri Guevarra

100 days of misery for Philadelphia sports By Sean McKeown

Amy Waxed?? Ok Amyyy, Who Are You Seeing Tonight? By Justine Orgel

“Hey, Don’t Do That Please.” Penn Security Meekly Says to Army of Rabid Jaywalkers By Adrian Rafizadeh

Business

Shoutout to Madison Smith and the marketing department for doing a great job promoting the sex survey and assembling the readership survey!

Shoutout to Grace Dai and the Analytics department for making the analytics report more concise and easy to read!

Shoutout to Bach Tran and the engineering staffers for adding the crosswords tab and newsletter tab to the DP’s website!

Shoutout to Kristen Li and the Product Lab department on getting a head start on summer at Penn and coming up with a new collaborative idea with Engineering…exciting stuff to come!

Shoutout to Akanksha Tripathy and the Consulting team for consistently working to secure new clients for the DP!

Shoutout to Zain Qureshi and Katherine Ross for assembling the ginormous DP budget so that all of us can have what we need to keep up the good work!

Shoutout to the entire Street team for completing the production of its March magazine!

Follow our newly launched DP sports Instagram!

That’s it for this week!

Signing off,

Jesse Zhang
139th President

Dear DP Alumni Association, 

I am excited to be reaching out at the top of our esteemed organization’s 139th year. I recently attended meetings with current students and the banquet and awards celebration with other alumni leaders. I must say that I was not only impressed by the new student’s leadership poise and focus but happy to see that the spirit of the DP is alive and well in 2023; and with in person being the expectation and norm once again, the bonds formed and impacts created by the DP experience will only strengthen. 

As alumni, we all understand the importance of a strong and independent student press in fostering a robust and diverse campus community. To accomplish that, we need more than your generous financial support. That is why I am calling on all alumni to support student journalism at Penn by volunteering your time and expertise where you can. We are particularly in need of alumni who can assist with specific editorial and design needs, business media mentorship, and those who have a passion to support our students’ diversity and inclusion efforts. As well, we are looking for volunteer support for the planning of alumni programs, events and gatherings. Finally, we’d like to know if you are willing to have students contact you directly with questions that may have, regarding everything from journalism issues to career counseling.

In addition, we are ALWAYS seeking alumni who are interested in serving as board and committee members. As DPAA leaders you will have the opportunity to shape the direction of our world-class alumni network and community and make a real impact on the lives of current students.I urge all alumni to consider how you can support student journalism at the DP and to fill out the Alumni Engagement Interest Form or reach out to me if you are interested in getting involved. Together, we can ensure that our students have the resources and support they need to thrive as journalists and as members of the Penn community.

Warm regards, 

Marty Siegel

Interim President 

The Daily Pennsylvanian Alumni Association