Students frantically clacking away on laptops and texting on BlackBerries are increasingly common sights in Penn lecture halls. Some educators fear the advent of new technology signals the collapse of written expression. But others consider it a new frontier of communication that gives students more practice and pleasure in writing.

Twenty percent of college students - a total of 1.7 million individuals - lack health insurance and racked up $120 to 235 million in uncompensated medical bills, according to a recent report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Of those who are insured, there was a great disparity in the quality of their coverage, the report found.

Life in a new city can be a challenging experience for any young college graduate. It's even more difficult when that city is on a different continent and doesn't even have so much as a street sign for guidance. Such was the experience for Jareau Wade, a 2007 Engineering alumnus who returned to Penn last week having spent much of the last year working a dream job that has tested the skills he learned as a Quaker - teaching much of what he learned at Penn to students at a startup school in Ghana.

After sweeping yesterday's doubleheader, 3-2 and 6-2, Harvard pitcher Shelly Madick gave Penn's Annie Kinsey an affectionate tap at the postgame handshake. The two California natives began playing against each other in high school, competing on both school and travel teams.

Cigarettes, foie gras, and college kids. Some city restaurants are banning all three - after certain hours, that is. Even on Penn's campus, too many food and entertainment venues prohibit the underage college crowd from strolling in and nursing a Coke once the clock tolls for bedtime.

As the University marches toward a sustainable future, Penn continues to make LEED certification a major initiative in its newly constructed buildings. But while institutions continue to strive for this goal, they are realizing that in order to build green, they must shell out some green in the process.

For Wharton freshman Alex Hill, the trek to class every morning takes about an hour - by SEPTA. Hill, who lives in Oxford Circle in Northeast Philadelphia, is one of about 175 Penn freshmen who currently live at home in or around Philadelphia and commute to campus every day, according to director of business services Barbara Lea-Kruger.

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

The University was awarded its highest credit rating ever by credit rating agency Standard and Poor's last month. S&P; upgraded Penn's credit rating from an AA to AA+, the second highest rating possible, in its annual evaluation. "It reflects favorably on our financial and institutional reputation," Vice President of Finance and Treasury Stephen Golding said.

They say that the best things in life are free. But you don't have to tell the Penn baseball team that. After sweeping Harvard yesterday in a road doubleheader that saw seven errors, three walks and three hit batsmen by the Crimson, it's a truism that the Quakers keenly appreciate.

When the Quakers emerged from the locker room last Thursday and trotted onto Franklin Field for another evening of spring football practice, they did so without their helmets and shoulder pads. The team usually dons those before it hits the turf, even in the spring.

Brown men's basketball coach Craig Robinson is westward bound. According to The Corvallis Gazette-Times, Robinson has accepted the head coaching job at Oregon State, where he will succeed Jay John. John was fired on Jan. 20 after leading the Beavers for five-and-a-half years.

It's been more than three months since this year's first presidential primary - but despite the long, still-contested race for the Democratic nomination, Penn students and political groups are still interested and motivated. Most pundits predicted a quick primary season, expecting the nominations for both parties to be wrapped up after 22 states voted on Super Tuesday.

Twelve Nursing students made Penn more vocal on the national scene at the 56th annual National Student Nurse's Association convention at Grapevine, Texas earlier this month. Nursing freshman G.J. Melendez-Torres became the first Penn student to be elected to the NSNA national board.

Daniel Schwartz is a College sophomore from Decatur, Ga. His e-mail address is schwartz@dailypennsylvanian.com.

How does coconut-braised chicken and a trio of Nutella-filled marshmallows sound for dinner at 1920 Commons? That was on the menu last Friday evening when 30 family members, curious Penn undergrads and law students trying to score points with their professors gathered to witness Penn Law professors duke it out in the third-annual Iron Chef competition.

Against Yale on Friday, the Penn women's tennis team found itself tied 2-2, winning two of the first three singles matches after dropping the all-important doubles point. The Quakers needed to take two of the remaining three matches in order to leave New Haven, Conn.