This summer, more than $650,000 of the money Penn has received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or the economic stimulus plan, was put toward funding 30 summer research experiences for high school teachers, as well as high school and college students.

Letter from Executive Editor Juliette Mullin

Penn President Amy Gutmann looks forward to the upcoming school year.

The Undergraduate Assembly's late-night events during New Student Orientation were intended to curb heavy drinking, but many students have said that this year's NSO involved just as much drinking as in past years.

As an alternative to working for an established firm, these alumni have launched their own companies or become involved with family businesses. Ultimately, this alternative permits recent graduates to depend less on the currently erratic economy and pursue other interests.

Each year during New Student Orientation, LGBT Center Director Bob Schoenberg leads a group of students in a proseminar that takes the form of a tour of Philadelphia's Gayborhood.

As fall descends on Philadelphia, prepare to get frozen - frozen yogurt, that is. Starting this month, students will be able to satisfy their sweet tooth at both Sprinkles, a frozen yogurt eatery, and Insomnia Cookies' new location in Houston Hall.

When the class of 2010 enters Franklin Field in the spring for their commencement ceremony, they will be surrounded by about 57,500 recycled plastic bottles - or at least caps and gowns made from them.

At every convocation, the University president and provost welcome a class of freshmen even brighter and more ambitious than the preceding one. This year was no different.The class of 2013 was formally welcomed to Penn yesterday at 7 p.m. in the Palestra.

New Student Orientation is one of the most exhilarating and exciting experiences at Penn. In fact, it's the only time it's okay to friend hundreds of complete strangers on Facebook you claim you met at a party.

As students head back to school, Penn officials have released more details about the University's plans to prevent and manage an H1N1 epidemic at Penn.

In retrospect, Shiv Kapoor, a Wharton freshman from New Delhi, decided that having a roommate would have made his move-in experience to Riepe College House a little easier.

While the Sierra Club's "Cool Schools" ranking of "eco-enlightened" universities ranked Penn 45th out of 135, the school's sustainability experts believe Penn is significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Having won the Ivy League title in 2007, the Penn women's soccer team was nothing short of disappointed with last season's fifth-place finish.

With a new season kicking off this weekend as the Quakers host Temple, La Salle and Villanova in the Big 5 Tournament, coach Kerry Carr knows that improved blocking, especially by the middle hitters, will be the key to success in 2009.

According to Vet School Dean Joan Hendricks, this year the school anticipates a cut ranging from 16 to 24 percent of its budget in fiscal year 2009. The school is currently preparing for a 24-percent cut, which would entail reducing its former $42-million budget by an estimated $11 million.

Amid the sea of freshmen and returning students, transfer students find it especially difficult to secure on-campus housing.