Natives at Penn held its 15th annual powwow at Houston Hall on Sunday.

The April 26 event was co-hosted by the Albert M. Greenfield Intercultural Center and ran from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Programming — free and open to the public — featured performances and artwork by Indigenous groups and vendors. 

In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, College first-year and Natives at Penn powwow committee member Brendan Bell wrote that the event provides “great outreach to the Philadelphia community and the Penn community.”

“While the pow wow is for the Penn community to experience a glimpse of the native community in Philadelphia, the event is also for [the] native community to come together and have fun,” Bell added.

The Grand Entry, a traditional opening procession featuring flags and music, ushered in the day’s programming at noon. Scheduled activities took place each hour of the event, with exhibition and intertribal dancing interspersed throughout the afternoon.

According to Bell, the event created a space for a wide range of Indigenous communities to gather. He added that the powwow was the first time he has been “surrounded by a diverse array of native tribes and communities in a collective space.”

The event offered attendees “a chance to support Native artists and creators” by engaging with and purchasing their work. 

The powwow hosted 11 Native and Indigenous vendors who each donated an item to the event’s raffle. There were also informational booths where attendees could learn more about Indigenous communities.

Natives at Penn also held a fundraiser supporting Kākoʻo Mai — a nonprofit launched in March by the Hawaiian council to coordinate emergency relief efforts for communities affected by flooding earlier this year. The group collaborated with the Penn Hawaiʻi Youth Foundation on the fundraiser and invited its members to perform hula, a traditional Hawaiian dance, during the powwow.

Bell, who is from Hawaii, expressed that this initiative was a “nice way” to include his culture “within the broader native community in Philadelphia.”

Natives at Penn has hosted a spring powwow at the University annually since 2010, reviving a tradition that had not taken place at Penn since 1993.

Beyond the powwow, Natives at Penn hosts Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations, supports undergraduate and graduate programming, and participates in intercollegiate events — such as the Ivy Native Conference.

Bell also emphasized the role of the Greenfield Intercultural Center — which houses Natives at Penn — as a space intended to foster belonging. He wrote that the center “is meant to be every Penn student’s home away from home.”

Programming included a senior goodbye for graduating members of Natives at Penn.

Penn Violence Prevention hosted its annual Clothesline Project on Tuesday to highlight the impact of interpersonal violence.

The College Green display featured colorful shirts that members of the Penn community had painted with individual stories of interpersonal violence. The April 21 event was planned to coincide with Sexual Assault Awareness Month. 

Reema Malhotra Phillips, PVP’s associate director for education and student support, told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the event is a “physical representation of survivorhood” and showcases “what it means to support someone who has experienced interpersonal violence.”

“It’s really important — not only to raise awareness of interpersonal violence within our communities — but to let folks know how different types of interpersonal violence can impact someone,” Malhotra Phillips continued.

Each shirt color corresponds with a different type of interpersonal violence. White, for example, represents death due to violence, while pink, red, and orange represent survivors of rape or childhood sexual abuse. The project aims to provide an “avenue for people to courageously share their stories” with the community, according to its description.

The display featured shirts, which PVP provides for attendees, from each annual clothesline event since the organization began hosting the initiative in 2022, according to Malhotra Phillips. She added that PVP organized this year’s display in collaboration with the Facilities and Real Estate Services, the Penn Women’s Center, and Wellness at Penn.

“We wanted there to be a yearly way for folks to engage with this content in a safe way,” Malhotra Phillips explained.

The Clothesline Project is a national initiative meant to “increase awareness of the impact of violence against women.” It began in 1990 with 31 shirts displayed in Cape Cod, Mass. Since then, it has grown to include over 500 displays across 41 states and 5 countries.

Malhotra Phillips emphasized the importance of such events in helping people “truly understand what the impacts of interpersonal violence could be for someone.” 

“I want Penn students to know that it is okay to seek out help, no matter how small you may think the issue is,” she added.

PVP held several other events this month to raise sexual assault awareness — including a “Well, What Were You Wearing” art installation and “Teal Day of Action” on April 7. It was also involved in organizing the University’s annual Take Back the Night march earlier this month in collaboration with Penn Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention. 

Penn Dhamaka won the Desi Dance Network national circuit last weekend, marking the first time the University’s all-male South Asian fusion dance team has secured the title.

The April 18 victory capped a season of consistent first- and second-place titles for Dhamaka. The national circuit was hosted by DDN Inc., a platform founded in 2014 to support South Asian performing arts through competitions and conventions.

For Dhamaka members, the win represents a culmination of long-term planning amid a highly competitive national landscape.

“It’s something we’ve all dreamed about,” College senior and Dhamaka co-captain Krishna Khawani told The Daily Pennsylvanian, describing the win as “the highest level of achievement that you can get in South Asian competitive dance.”

The DDN circuit operates through a season-long structure. According to College sophomore Aditya Bala, teams first submit audition videos to individual competitions. Each competition typically selects around eight teams to advance, ranking each based on performance.

This story was originally published on April 16, 2026 on Penn Today.

Dancing in unison, rehearsing lines, practicing instruments, harmonizing together: These experiences are a window into the vibrant world of student-run performing arts groups at Penn. With the Platt Student Performing Arts House supporting more than 70 active groups ranging from dance, vocal, and instrumental music to comedy, theater, and spoken word, Penn students have myriad opportunities to hone their creativity, gain practical experience, and enrich their college education through the performing arts.

“Performing arts groups function like academic labs or varsity teams: Rehearsals are spaces for experimentation, problem‑solving, and growth,” says Rachel Wenrick, Penn’s inaugural executive director for the arts. “Students learn how to manage time, handle constructive criticism, and push past comfort zones, all while balancing demanding coursework. The performance itself is the visible result of weeks—or months—of invisible labor.

Led by director Laurie McCall, the Platt House provides a dynamic hub for student groups to engage in the creative process of practicing their skills and preparing for performances. The value of group-based artistic expression is embedded in Penn’s culture: Nearly one in five Penn undergraduates are involved with performing arts. These collaborative activities empower participants to continually evolve into well-rounded students, citizens, and leaders.

Penn’s Pan-Asian American Community House hosted its fourth annual mural unveiling on Wednesday.

The April 8 event featured speeches by several PAACH team members and an appearance from Penn President Larry Jameson. The mural, made by PAACH Associate Director and Filipino studies lecturer Vicky Faye Aquino, was created to celebrate United States’ semiquincentennial and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May.

“The entire point of these unveilings is to build this community and create a safe space for people to feel like they belong in any sort of way,” PAACH programming assistant and College sophomore Kelly Chen told The Daily Pennsylvanian.

At the event, Aquino explained that the artwork was meant to “highlight” Penn’s “thriving” South Asian and Central Asian communities.

“We want them to be more visible — not just through words or events — but literally through art and thought,” Aquino told the DP.

This story was originally published on March 30, 2026 in The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Writer: Can Doga Bolukbasi

The Penn Hindu and Jain Association hosted its annual Holi festival at College Green on Friday.

The March 27 event was organized in collaboration with Penn’s Spiritual and Religious Life Center to celebrate the Hindu festival and was open to all students. Holi featured live performances from several Penn dance teams, included a DJ, and involved students throwing colored powder to celebrate the arrival of spring.

In an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, College sophomore and HJA Vice President Nikhil Pochana expressed the importance of “celebrating things that you did growing up with people who you met at Penn.”

“One of the biggest things about Penn is its diversity, and this gives one of the perfect opportunities for us to showcase our culture with people who are not necessarily from that background,” he said.

The over two-hour event began with free T-shirt distributions to Penn undergraduates, followed by an introduction to the event by HJA. Five dance groups — Penn Raas, PENNaach, Penn Dhamaka, Penn Masti, and Hype Dance Crew — performed before bags of colored powder were distributed to attendees.

This story was originally published on March 25, 2026 in The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Writer: Moukthikadevi Kanakala

The week is comprised of nine events, many of which will be co-hosted by student groups and Penn organizations. Ahead of the programming, The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke to members of the PAGE team about their goals.

“Our goal is to get as many people energized as possible,” College junior and PAGE Chair Ashley Kim told the DP. “Gender Equity Week is really open to everybody and all lived experiences.” 

Programming began on Monday with a zine-making dinner hosted in collaboration with the LGBT Center, followed by a Safe Sex Trivia Night co-hosted by PennFems and Penn Women’s Center. College first-year and PAGE Programming Chair Fernanda Portales said “it was really nice to see” people “willing to collaborate, start talking, and share about their lives” during the dinner. 

Tuesday’s events included a Sustainable Period Workshop hosted with Penn Reproductive Justice — aimed at providing education on and distributing menstrual products — and a free Plan B distribution in partnership with the Women’s Center.

“Gender Equity Week is a great way of familiarizing yourself with the resources and the overall events that we try to have for the Penn community,” Portales said. “These events can bring you so much learning, whether or not you identify with the student body that we usually represent.”

Kim added that collaboration was a central focus in planning this year’s programming. PAGE partnered with multiple campus groups, including the Cultural Resource Centers and Penn’s minority coalition groups — commonly known as the 7B — to highlight various aspects of gender equity.

This story was originally published on March 16, 2026 in Penn Arts & Sciences.

Godsey, who grew up in the foothills of Appalachia, has gained new ways of connecting with their roots as a linguistics major at Penn.

“I do come from a place that is more cows than people, and Philadelphia is chock full of people,” says Luke Godsey, C’26, a linguistics major from Science Hill, Kentucky. After arriving at Penn as a Spanish and Biology double major, Godsey was drawn to linguistics; the work, especially research they did on Appalachian dialects to combat harmful stigmatizations, helped them feel more seen. In a particularly notable moment, Marlyse Baptista, President’s Distinguished Professor of Linguistics, reached out to them to join her research team. It was so influential that Godsey is now working toward a doctoral program in linguistics.

Outside of their studies, Godsey enjoys crocheting, quilting, and working at Penn’s Women’s Center, where they collaborated with a coworker, Tryphena (Vena) Zarief, C’25, to establish an art program called “What’s your Story?” that awards grants for students on campus.  As their future unfolds, Godsey hopes to continue connecting with people and learning their stories: “I’ve just really learned the beauty of people.”