It's all in the numbers for Greek recruitment this year - and the numbers are looking good. The 2009 recruitment season attracted students in larger numbers than last year, in spite of concerns that, amid the economic crisis, the dues fraternity and sorority members must pay might deter students from rushing.

Nothing adds fuel to the fire of a fraternal rivalry like a little game of one-on-one. No blood, no foul. Usually the older brother will do whatever it takes to hold off his younger sibling. Columbia's freshmen point guard Steve Egee learned this reality all too well from growing up with his brother Kevin, Penn's senior two-guard.

Let's be blunt: Glen Miller's line about Remy Cofield, the one Penn used to break the news that he was leaving, was contradicted by Cofield himself. Miller's statement read, in part: "Remy has been dealing with some ongoing family situations, and has reached a point where he feels it is in his best interests to spend more of his time focusing on them.

Penn's funding from the state would decrease by 16 percent in Gov. Ed Rendell's 2009-10 budget proposal, which was released yesterday. The appropriation would fall from $46.4 million to $38.8 million, according to the state's budget Web site. The largest share of this allotment would go to Penn's Veterinary School, the only school of its type in the state.

Is a nose job medically necessary? Sometimes. What about a sex change? That has been the question raised recently by transgender individuals and their supporters. They contend that the University's lack of health care coverage for sexual-reassignment surgery violates Penn's non-discrimination policy.

In an effort to increase residential safety around campus after an armed home invasion and sexual assault on Dec. 19, the Division of Public Safety wants students to get to know their neighbors. DPS encouraged this community-based crime prevention technique, referred to as "Vertical Town Watch," during a meeting last week with University City landlords.

Mike Schnur is getting bored. In the men swimming team's final dual meet of the season, the coach is making his distance swimmers sprint and his breaststrokers swim freestyle. Schnur's explanation? Just for the hell of it. Today, the Quakers (6-5) will finish up their regular season at LaSalle (3-5) before the ECAC, EISL and NCAA championships.

According to Hillel director Jeremy Brochin, Penn Hillel received a $1 million donation to run and revamp Hillel, as well as to support students. Anna Dubin, wife of the late Irwin Dubin, made the contribution in memory of her husband, a Penn alumnus. The donation will be paid over the course of several years.

If President Barack Obama's stimulus plan passes the Senate this week, large research-based institutions like Penn will receive funding toward scientific research, in addition to financial aid and study abroad initiatives. The increased research funding will impact the entire University, said School of Nursing Dean Afaf Meleis, but the focal point will be the sciences.

After helping Cornell win its first Ivy League title in 20 years while earning league Player of the Year honors, what can Louis Dale do this year for an encore? How about increase his average by 1.0 to 14.8 points per contest while shooting .548 from the field (.

The Social Planning and Events Committee will unveil plans today for Spring Fling 2009 - scheduled for Apr. 17-18 - by officially announcing the theme and annual t-shirt design contest. The theme, "Some Flings Never Get Old," intends to evoke a taste of nostalgia through wordplay, explained College junior and SPEC Fling Co-Director Amber Calloway.

Recently, Georgia state Senator Seth Harp caused an uproar in the community of higher education by proposing that two of the state's historically black colleges be merged with predominantly white ones. Specifically, his resolution stipulates that Savannah State University and Albany State University (both historically black public schools) be merged with the predominantly white colleges, Armstrong Atlantic State University and Darton College, respectively.

Amira Fawcett is an Engineering senior from Houston. Her e-mail address is fawcett@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Penn's overall endowment had the largest percentage drop in market value among the top 20 funded universities in the 2008 fiscal year. Between July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008, it lost 6.1 percent of its value, or $401.9 million, falling to $6.2 billion from $6.

The presidential election might be over, but that doesn't mean Penn's on-campus political groups are taking it easy this semester. Despite shifting their focus off Washington politics, Penn Democrats and Penn College Republicans are both intent on staying active on campus.

"Poetry is what gets lost in translation," Robert Frost once mused. But ever since Alastair Reid "fell for" the Spanish language, he has sought not only to preserve the essence of the original works in his translations, but also to enhance them. Reid, a renowned Scottish writer and translator, gave a lecture last night called "Mysteries of Translation" in Claudia Cohen Hall as part of the Penn Humanities Forum.

Of the many provisions in the economic-stimulus plan recently passed by the House of Representatives and currently being deliberated in the Senate, a few in particular - increases in federal student-aid programs, extra assistance for researchers and funding for campus infrastructure - are designed to assist students and schools, and for those we should be grateful.