Because professors select the textbooks students must buy, they are caught in the center of a debate over book prices and industry practices. Experts say professors are increasingly concerned about what students shell out but must balance easing financial burdens with finding high-quality materials that complement their courses.

Total crime on and near campus for both the summer months and the year-to-date is lower than last year. Year-to-date crimes in the Penn patrol zone dropped from 616 reported incidents in 2007 to 579 in 2008, a 6-percent decrease. The summer crime rate showed an even greater drop with a 21-percent decrease in incidents between 2007 and 2008.

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, a Scranton, Pa., native, is often referred to as "Pennsylvania's third senator" for his strong ties to the state. Last Friday morning, it was obvious why, as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee spoke confidently to nearly 200 invited guests at the Ironworkers Union in Northeast Philadelphia.

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

The new face of Student Health Service is just what the doctor ordered. Thanks to the new facilities at 3535 Market St., SHS can handle more patients any day. The new space more than doubles the number of patient rooms and gives clinicians, nurses, administrative staff and other employees more room to go about their respective business.

With Hurricane Hanna wreaking havoc on the Northeast as the Penn field hockey team readied for its contest against Rutgers, the Quakers had a decision to make. Instead of canceling the game - and likely never facing the Scarlet Knights this year - they opted to play through torrential rain on Saturday.

Builders and developers nationwide are increasingly targeting universities to profit from a fast-selling college product: off-campus housing. By focusing their efforts on selling upscale, mixed-use apartments to the general public, developers have capitalized off the growing demand created by a record number of students enrolling at universities across the country.

What a difference an extra week of preseason makes. With the Ivy League loosening its restrictions on preseason men's soccer practice from seven days to 14 this year, the Quakers appeared confident and ready to embark on their road trip against Marquette and DePaul.

While enticing people to visit a liquor store might not seem like a challenge on a college campus, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is launching a major effort to get more Pennsylvanians over age 21 to do just that. In the coming year, the PLCB will be re-branding its 621 stores to "create a whole new shopping experience for Pennsylvania consumers," Patrick Stapleton, chairman of the PLCB, said in a statement.

'Donde esta la tortuga?" I would ask my friend. "La Tortuga esta en el agua," she would matter-of-factly reply. Such was the extent of my command of the Spanish language during the three-week trip I took to Spain last summer. For those of you who are similarly unfamiliar with the language, this question-answer phrase is translated as, "Where is the turtle?" "The turtle is in the water.

With the installation of new laundry machines in all of the College Houses, student will no longer need to save up their quarters - laundry will be free for the next two years. Housing Services recently signed a new contract with Equipment Marketers, a commercial laundry equipment distributor based in New Jersey.

No wonder Penn volleyball captain Kathryn Turner is talking about a steep learning curve. Not only does the Ivy League have an abbreviated preseason schedule - a disadvantage against non-conference opponents who have already played matches by now - but the Quakers haven't won a season opener since 2004.

From beat boxing to African drumming, if you have a performing-arts talent, Penn has a group for you. But with over 40 groups that are part of PAC in addition to other performing arts groups on campus, how do you get the scoop on which dance troupe or a cappella group to join? Freshman Performing Arts Night, sponsored by the Performing Arts Council, showcases many of Penn's dance, theater, a cappella, comedy, spoken word and other musical groups on campus in one night.

About 15 minutes before most students returned to Philadelphia, they were instructed to return their tray tables to the full upright and locked position. Better advice would have been to carry them off the plane: Trays on Penn's campus have begun to make themselves scarce.

Refocusing the drinking discussion To the Editor: President Gutmann notes that she has not seen conclusive evidence confirming the claim "that the higher drinking age causes increased levels of binge drinking" ("Gutmann: Drinking-Age debate needed" 8/28/08).

Megan Tryon will make her presence known at the Palestra today, when the Penn volleyball team opens its season. But her prowess stems from other playing surfaces: Over her long athletic career, the sophomore setter has also demonstrated her skills in the sand and on the pitcher's mound.

In the past, acceptance into college was, for the most part, a black-and-white issue: The letter started with either words of congratulations or a regretful "We are sorry to inform you." But this year things didn't always end there. Many colleges - including Penn - accepted a large number of students off their waitlists, a trend some experts say is likely to continue in the near future.