The youth of America are looking to the 2008 presidential candidates for a change in policy and fiscal responsibility. We will no longer support the culture of deficit spending and pork-barrel legislation, as we will have to bear that burden, crippling our future and America's economic might.

In the world of higher ed, hosting a presidential debate is like hosting the Olympics. That's why many students on campus were disappointed a month ago when the Democratic primary presidential debate went to Drexel instead of Penn. As for the reason why, the University continues to fall back on the Irvine excuse.

The Penn wrestling team had hoped for success in the desert, but it came home with a valuable lesson instead of hardware. The No. 22 Quakers placed two wrestlers at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational en route to a 14th-place finish after taking third at the event last year.

It's not often that Penn is called a "real underdog" at anything. But those are the words members of the Penn Environmental Group use to talk about the University in next semester's RecycleMania, a 10-week contest sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, designed to promote waste reduction.

At the last Undergraduate Assembly meeting of the semester, members tied up loose ends on housing, course offerings and free newspapers before winter break. Major topics from yesterday night's meeting include: n Engineering sophomore Charles Slominski and Wharton senior Azim Munivar gave an update on the returning students housing application process.

'Let's just calculate the discount rate and then we can dance." My Advanced Corporate Finance group minimizes the Excel worksheet and lets loose. It's 2 a.m. in Huntsman and passersby stare. (Yes, it is weird that we're breaking it down in a study room, but it's also weird that you're 19 and pretend you're Gordon Gekko.

VILLANOVA, Pa., Dec. 1 - Well, it's been worse. Against Villanova on Saturday, the Penn women's basketball team scored 26 points, the third-lowest output in team history. In a game that will take a place in the record books, the Quakers were handed a 66-26 loss by the sharp-shooting Wildcats (6-1).

Coach Pat Knapp and his team might want to look for a fallout shelter, because when they face Villanova (4-1) tomorrow, it'll be bombs away. Tomorrow, Penn will have to deal with a squad that has already developed a reputation of being a huge three-point threat.

How badly do they want it? When the men's squash team plays host to Yale and Brown this weekend, its desire will be put to the test. The Quakers (0-2, 0-1 Ivy), who remain winless this year after two early-season losses to Cornell and Western Ontario, will look to rebound when they face off against the Bulldogs (0-0) and the Bears (0-1, 0-1) at friendly Ringe Courts this weekend.

Look through the Villanova men's basketball roster and you'll find every player is from the Northeast or mid-Atlantic. Every player except Frank Tchuisi. Tchuisi [TWEE-see] hails from another continent altogether: Africa. "I was born in Douala, Cameroon," said the 6-foot-8 forward, who still bears a heavy accent.

One did a Napoleon Dynamite-inspired dance to Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat." Another busted out the same moves as Justin Timberlake in "Sexyback." No, not at a Saturday-night fraternity party - at an Engineering class. Freshmen in the Electrical Systems Engineering introductory lab course ESE 112 showcased their talent yesterday through biologically inspired hexapedal robots in the First Annual ESE 112 Dance Recital.

Avery Lawrence is a College senior from Charlottesville, Va. His e-mail address is lawrence@dailypennsylvanian.com.

2007 College alumnus Stephen Danley was one of at least 40 American students to receive the Marshall Scholarship for 2008. Danley, former co-captain of the men's basketball team, will travel to Oxford next year to earn a Masters of Philosophy in the university's comparative social policy program.

This weekend the Penn women's squash team will compete against some familiar faces as it battles Yale, Brown, and Columbia over a two-day span. Some of Penn's competitors are former teammates. Coach Jack Wyant and freshman Annie Madeira became familiar with some of Yale's competitors over the summer working on the Junior National team.

Grateful students and proud donors gathered last night in Wynn Commons, with financial-aid recipients interacting with the people who have made their education possible. The event also served as an opportunity for Penn President Amy Gutmann and other administration officials to call attention to Penn's ongoing capital campaign and encourage donations to Penn's financial aid programs.

After a disappointing loss this week to Lafayette, the men's basketball team won't have to wait for a chance to atone thanks to a quick turnaround. Unfortunately for the Quakers (2-5), atonement will not be easy to come by as they travel to the Main Line to take on Villanova in this season's Big 5 opener tomorrow night.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced the indictment of Engineering junior Ryan Goldstein yesterday for his alleged involvement in a global computer-hacking conspiracy. Goldstein was arrested Nov. 1 and charged with computer-fraud conspiracy, to which he pled not guilty.