4.23
Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
From urban renewal to today, tracking the struggles of America’s cities
Equipped with SEPTA Key cards, Brent Cebul’s students are taking a deep dive into Philadelphia’s history, looking into the past and present challenges facing cities.
The ignorance of blackface
Historian Mia Bay discusses the history of blackface, its intent, and why it is still occurring in the 21st century.
University of Pennsylvania names School of Design in recognition of Stuart Weitzman’s lifetime commitment and support of Penn
The new name will be the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design.
Penn sophomore wins an Oscar
Claire Sliney is an executive producer of the short documentary “Period. End of Sentence.” that won an Academy Award on February 24.
The times and life of W.E.B. Du Bois at Penn
In 1896, Du Bois was appointed an assistant instructor at Penn and began his investigation of the Seventh Ward of Philadelphia—research that he would turn into his groundbreaking work, “The Philadelphia Negro.”
Egypt on display
Penn Museum opens a new Ancient Egypt exhibition to display artifacts and their conservation during its Building Transformation project.
Documenting refugees
A documentary film by Penn junior Sonari Chidi and a panel discussion at Perry World House focused on the depiction of refugees and immigrants in the media.
Oscar insights
At the Lightbulb Cafe, cinema studies senior lecturer Meta Mazaj speaks about the globalization of cinema and her Oscar picks in anticipation of the 91st Academy Awards.
Black feminism 101
Author and alum Feminista Jones joined Tanji Gilliam of Africana Studies in a discussion of her new book “Reclaiming Our Space,” examining how Twitter and modern liberation movements are all borne from black women’s words, struggle, and history.
A conversation with Kristen Ghodsee
In the second episode of Penn Today’s “Office Hours” podcast series, a casual chat with Professor of Russian and East European Studies Professor Kristen Ghodsee.
In the News
Chronicle of Social Change
Does your agency reflect the diversity of the community it serves? Why not?
Raekwon Burton, a grad student in the School of Social Policy & Practice, wrote about the lack of diversity in the field of social work.
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Smithsonian Magazine
If Thanos actually wiped out half of all life, how would Earth fare in the aftermath?
Lauren Sallan of the School of Arts and Sciences discussed the hypothetical results of a mass-extinction event, like the one depicted in “The Avengers” movie franchise. “I think humans would figure out a way to [survive], provided that not all of the ecosystems collapse,” said Sallan.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Eastern Pennsylvania's population growth bypasses western Pa.
Domenic Vitiello of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design weighed in on Pennsylvania’s shifts in population. “Pennsylvania remains very much a Rust Belt state,” he said. “But it’s heartening that we’re not declining as precipitously as we were in the 1970s or 1980s.”
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Time
The Mueller report is embarrassing for Trump, but it doesn’t call into question his 2016 win
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center was cited for her book Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President.
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Time
Why spicy food makes your nose run—and why it’s great for you
Paul Rozin of the School of Arts and Sciences explained why we enjoy eating spicy food, a kind of “benign masochism.” “People seem to enjoy pushing the limits of what we can take,” he said.
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