As builders working on the new Music Building yesterday were ready to add the final beam to the roof, University officials hosted a traditional "topping-off" ceremony to honor their work over the past eight months. The newly renovated building, which is on schedule for completion by the end of 2009, will include 15 offices and three classrooms in addition to two recording studios, practice rooms and a computer lab.

Penn began the seventh inning trailing the Delaware Blue Hens 4-3, with Delaware's bottom three hitters coming to the plate. Freshman pitcher Chris McNulty walked the seventh-place hitter, gave up a double to the eighth, walked the ninth and the first, and then gave up a grand slam to Delaware's Ryan Cuneo.

The Undergraduate Assembly looked to implement tangible change this past Sunday as many members are currently up for re-election by their peers. Most notably, the UA passed their New Student Orientation Night-Time Activities Proposal, an initiative the assembly has pursued since passing the "NSO Fraternity Safety Proposal" last fall.

Tradition is the name of the game here at Penn, but we should realize that the best traditions are those that maintain their heritage while being relevant in the present. This year, more than ever, it was clear to us that Hey Day had to be carried out with an openness to change.

Joan Didion's National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Year of Magical Thinking, speaks of the difficulties of coming to terms with the death of one's loved ones. As part of the yearly Fellows program at the Kelly Writers House, Didion read excerpts from her latest nonfiction novel, which details an account of the year following her husband's death.

Although interest in Arabic language programs is increasing around the country, the number of U.S. students opting to study in Arab countries still remains relatively low, according to a report issued by the Institute of International Education. The challenges that prevent U.

Opponents to the proposed Philadelphia casinos are up in arms about Mayor Michael Nutter's recent statement that the City will create "no barriers" to their development. But the Mayor's Office maintains that legally, there is no other choice.

The ever-looming danger of phoning an ex, a boss or any of the several people in their phone books most people would not call sober only increases with their level of intoxication. The release of two iPhone applications that allow users to block themselves from calling certain contacts for a set amount of time will help remove the potential repercussions of drunk dialing.

This afternoon, 3,926 high-school seniors will receive exciting news as they read their Penn acceptance letters online. Penn accepted the nearly 4,000 students out of a pool of 22,939 applicants --- an overall admit rate of 17.11 percent for the class of 2013.

Heading into the top of the ninth inning with an 11-8 lead in the second game of a doubleheader against Harvard yesterday afternoon, it looked like the Quakers were finally ready to put a close on their first Ivy League win. But their fortune changed quickly as the Crimson's Matt Rogers homered to left center to pull Harvard within one.

After a heartbreaking loss to rival Princeton, the men's tennis team was able to bounce back for a convincing 6-1 win against Army at Levy Tennis Pavilion yesterday - but suffered a casualty in the process. Junior Alex Vasin - who has had a turbulent history with coach Nik DeVore that included a leave of absence for two months last season - confirmed that he has quit the team.

Spring Fling concert tickets went on sale yesterday - did you line up to throw down $30? From my own casual observation yesterday morning, there was no line in sight at the Social Planning and Event Committee's table on Locust (aside from the line of Dzine2Show models posing on trash cans).

It's almost hard to take him seriously, this skinny fellow in pink and turquoise spandex. He is shirtless, his hair is spiked with gel and he boldly claims to hail from "the projects of Neverland Ranch." But in the South Philly venue known simply as "The Arena" - a hotbed of that blue-collar, indulgent but damn-if-it-ain't-entertaining art form known as professional wrestling - the man called Pinkie Sanchez takes a tone that belies his flamboyant persona.

Ilana Millner is a College junior from Washington Crossing, Pa. Her e-mail address is millner@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Last night Michael Oren, a New York Times best-selling author and the CBS Middle East expert, spoke to a standing-room-only crowd in the Shotel Dubin Auditorium at Hillel's Steinhardt Hall. In a talk sponsored by Penn Hillel, Oren described four existential crises Israel presently faces to a crowd of both students and local residents alike.

If you want to fit in at Penn but want to try something different than rushing a fraternity or singing a cappella, consider research. Though research is typically associated with graduate students in lab coats, at Penn and peer institutions, undergraduate interest in research seems to be on the rise - and it's taking many different forms.

Last year, one message was beamed at our generation: vote. We heard it from celebrities, politicians, campus leaders, family members and friends. We were told over and over again that this moment was our chance to prove all the naysayers wrong and to show that we're not suffering from a collective apathy that threatens our futures and the future of America.