United States Olympic athletes often take up their sports at a young age, practicing for over a dozen years before competing at the Summer Games. Gymnast Shawn Johnson began perfecting her craft when she was three years old. Swimmer Michael Phelps got in the water at age seven.

When University City District Executive Director Lewis Wendell exited the subway station at 40th and Market streets for the first time three years ago, he was greeted by an unwelcoming scene. He contrasted the "uninviting" area with what is otherwise a "relatively vibrant city.

Recently published book The Dark Side by author and New Yorker writer Jane Mayer ties the work of Penn professor and psychologist Martin Seligman to interrogation techniques used by the CIA to extract confessions from detainees allegedly linked to al Qaeda.

In a press release on its web site, the University of Albany announced its basketball schedule for the upcoming season. And highlighting its non-conference home schedule is Penn, who will travel to Albany on Nov. 29 to take on the Great Danes. The meeting will be the first-ever between the two teams, though Penn holds a 9-1 record against America East opponents.

Psych professor Martin Seligman never condoned the use of his research in military torture - quite the opposite.

Owen Walker - the New Zealand teenager who admitted to hacking into the School of Engineering and Applied Science's server in February 2006 - was fined more than $11,000 Tuesday in a New Zealand court, according to The Associated Press. Walker, 18, who is better known online as AKILL, had earlier pleaded guilty to criminal charges, but was spared a conviction because he agreed to work with New Zealand police to solve computer crimes.

Fencing coach Dave Micahnik has one impressive resume. Three Olympic appearances and a National Championship as a competitor would be one thing. Tack on the 1981 men's and 1986 women's NCAA championship as a coach and that starts to catch people's eyes. Throw in coaching 40 All-Americans, a number of Olympians, a 664-202 coaching record and 34 winning records in as many seasons, and you get a true Hall of Famer.

PAMPLONA, Spain, July 12 I'm not one of those people that has a list of things to do before I die, but if I did I'm sure attending the Running of the Bulls would have been on it. Well after this past weekend, I can cross that accomplishment off of my hypothetical list.

Last March, Sen. Hillary Clinton spoke to a small crowd at Houston Hall about the housing crisis. That same month, Chelsea Clinton came to Wynn Commons to talk about issues relevant to students during the campaign. Almost a month later, Clinton held her final rally before the Pennsylvania primary at the Palestra with her family cheering behind her.

Graduate students in Penn's nine Ph.D.-granting schools will enjoy longer childbirth leaves and increased faculty support under two policies recently revised by the Graduate Council of the Faculties. The Graduate and Professional Student Association is "very excited," chairman Andrew Rennekamp said.

Penn is leading the way in learning how the mind works. The University is part of a consortium that received a $10 million grant for five years from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences to establish a 21st Century Center for Cognition and Science Instruction.

Las Vegas is typically known as "America's Playground," but for a group of Penn School of Nursing Nurse Practitioner students, it was the site of the culmination of months of hard work and diligent research. Graduate students Rebecca Hogan, Lisa Cantore, Ellen Clore, Amy Felix, Anne Grifo, Michelle Haimowitz and Megan Kinnear were awarded first prize for their research poster, "Assessment of the growth, nutrition knowledge, activity level and type 2 diabetes risk factors of children in the community," which they presented at the 24th Annual Pediatric Nursing Conference in Las Vegas.

Boycotting the U. of Perelman To the Editor: The renaming of Logan Hall to Claudia Cohen Hall is really an outrage because it was done without forethought. Perelman donates his money and expects something named after him or a member of his family. Why not rename the school as University of Perelman instead? Because that is where it's headed with Perelman's money.

At least one Penn athlete has participated in every Summer Olympics since the 1900 Paris games. And, thanks to two rowers, that streak will continue through to next month's Games. Tom Paradiso (Col '02) and Susan Francia (Col '04) qualified for the men's lightweight four and the women's eight, respectively.

According to a recent Standard and Poor's newsletter, Philadelphia Media Holdings, LLC -- the company that owns The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News and prints The Daily Pennsylvanian - has lately been experiencing financial difficulties.

For the 37 years that he has spent behind the wheel of a taxi, Ken Schwartz, supervisor for Quaker City Cab, Inc., has believed that "a rolling cab is always first out," he said. Even today with gas prices at all-time highs, Schwartz keeps his wheels spinning and air conditioning blowing.

Some Quakers alumni saw their dreams of Olympic glory fall short at last week's U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. Leading the group was 2004 graduate Brian Chaput, an NCAA champion in the javelin throw during his time as a Quaker. At last week's trials, none of the American javelin throwers obtained the Olympic 'A' standard of 268 feet, 4 inches.