Universities are cathedrals of higher learning. While the congregants at St. Agatha's may be united through their faith in God, students here are united by their faith in Almighty Education. We place sacrifices on the altar (about 40,000 of them a year), beseech our prophetic professors for their wisdom and lay prostrate every Saturday night before the holy Trinity of Smokes, Blarney and Copa - Gloria in excelsis vino! Like congregations of faith, students devote a considerable amount of time and energy to serving others.

At Parkway Center City High School in Philadelphia last year, two shy students reluctantly enrolled in a pilot after-school debate program. After disappointing performances at a spring tournament at Drexel University, the two students went to the Philadelphia Debate Institute's week-long summer program.

Kory Gedin is nothing if not an opportunist. Gedin graduated from Penn last year as a two-time All-Ivy player after starting three seasons at linebacker for the Quakers. But only on Saturday did he end his final year of college eligibility as a part-time player for Wagner College in New York City.

When universities make things unnecessarily complicated, students pay the price. And complication is exactly what defines Penn's system for student payment. We can use Dining Dollars to eat at some on-campus dining locations, but not at others. Meanwhile, there's Penn Cash, which can pay for laundry machines, printers, on-campus dining and textbooks.

Six years ago, Harvey Friedman received a call that would alter his entire medical career. The Merck and Gates foundations had partnered with the government of Botswana to make HIV medications available, and they needed his help to distribute and train people to administer anti-retroviral drugs.

College sophomore Jenna Schwartz is usually well-stocked with Red Bull when she enters the library during midterms. But she's not always trying to stay up all night writing a paper - the energy drinks are for her peers. Promoting the drink is her job as a paid campus representative for Red Bull.

The prosecution argues that it was a fatal attraction. The defense calls this an empty argument. For three trials over the past two years, three different juries have slinked away from taking a unanimous stance. When it comes to Irina Malinovskaya, the Wharton undergrad charged with murdering her ex-boyfriend's girlfriend Irina Zlotnikov, the American justice system deems her not guilty by default - a result of three hung juries.

As Brian Grandieri was whisked away from the post-game press conference on Saturday, one thing was clear: This team is in serious trouble right now. The Quakers' 80-65 loss to Howard- yes, the same Howard that lost its first two games by a combined 109 points - prompted Grandieri to call out the rest of the team, questioning their effort level, desire and tenacity.

Penn men squashed by Red, Mustangs The men's squash team opened its season this Saturday in Ithaca, N.Y. with a doubleheader against Cornell and Western Ontario. The Quakers didn't get off to the start they hoped for, losing 5-4 to the Big Red and 7-2 to Western Ontario.

'Ok, people, we're going live, with simulated ammunition." So started my gun safety lesson last Wednesday at Philadelphia Archery & Gun Club in Southeast Philly. After last weeks's tragic crime, I was searching for anything that would make me feel safer on an increasingly dangerous campus.

Pat Knapp was in a bind Saturday night. His women's basketball team faced a Manhattan club that forced him to play a four-guard set - a configuration that ended in a 66-44 Quakers loss. With junior guard Kelly Scott still injured, he "really [didn't] have the guards we want[ed] in the lineup.

The University will implement a series of initiatives to supplement security on and around campus, officials announced in an e-mail to the University community late Thursday night.

Most Quakers fans arrived at the Palestra a few minutes after tipoff on Saturday. What a shame. They missed just about the only few minutes in which their team played well. After a 9-0 Penn run to start the game, Howard took complete control, outhustling and outshooting the Quakers in an 80-65 victory.

There's a new sheriff in town. Mayor-elect Michael Nutter announced Thursday that former Washington D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey will be Philadelphia's next police commissioner. Ramsey, a sometimes controversial media-savvy police chief, managed Washington, D.

The women's swimming team defeated Cornell 217-83, but fell to Princeton 113-184 in the home opener and the first meet of the Ivy season. Sophomore Melissa Gardel gave the Quakers (3-1, 1-1 Ivy) their first victory of the day, finishing on top in three-meter dive with 248.

It's not every day you come across a one-legged wrestler. But that's exactly what Quakers sophomore Rollie Peterkin faced in the finals of the 125-pound division at the Keystone Classic yesterday at the Palestra. Peterkin took down his opponent, Arizona State's Anthony Robles, in 1:13, earning one of two Penn championships on the day.

It took a while, but the Quakers that were expected to vie for the league title finally showed up. They scored early and often, while keeping Cornell off the scoreboard for 55 minutes, en route to a dominating 45-9 victory. "We just got whipped in all three facets of the game," Cornell coach Jim Knowles said.