One of Penn's unstated institutions, Floyd Johnson has danced his way through traffic for a decade. The Penn policeman - who has been directing cars and waltzing across the intersection of 36th and Walnut streets since 1997 - is set to retire in January 2008, denying the campus of one of its most enduring characters.

By David Bernstein Staff Writer davidkb@sas.upenn.edu Freshman guard Darren Smith's torn labrum wasn't supposed to derail Penn's game plan against La Salle last night, but it almost did. He had missed several practices after suffering an injury to his shoulder against Seton Hall last month, and didn't log any minutes in the first half after being labeled day-to-day by coach Glen Miller.

Deciding course schedules based solely on times ignores the unique night courses Penn has to offer

Penn might not have played too many games like this in the last four years. But that doesn't mean Ibrahim Jaaber hasn't. The senior guard played plenty as fast as this one at Penn and in his previous basketball life. "Playing in the parks back home - that's the pace we play at," Jaaber said.

Want to get up close and personal with sophomore class president Brett Perlmutter? Looking for a stop watch that counts down until spring break? Then head over to Penn09.com. Launched by the sophomore class board on Tuesday night, the site - which is open to anyone and does not require a login or password - features details of upcoming sophomore events, photos and announcements.

If you missed New Year's Eve, want to learn how to turn vegetables into animals or just want to see papier-mache lions parade around in front of the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, mark your calendars. Penn will hold its 26th annual Chinese New Year celebration this Saturday at the Museum, ringing in the Year of the Pig with area residents, honored guests and special events all day long.

If you've ever craved a caramel macchiato or a chai tea latte at 2 a.m., your prayers have been answered: Starbucks on 34th and Walnut streets is now open all night long. On Jan. 8, the local Starbucks officially became the first 24-hour location in all of the Philadelphia metro area, and only the fourth of this type in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey regions.

Stephen Schultz is a College senior from Massillon, Ohio. His e-mail address is sno@sas.upenn.edu.

What does a team do against a severely overmatched opponent? If that team is Penn men's squash, it pushes down on the gas pedal just as hard as ever. This Saturday, the No. 4 Quakers (6-0) will head to nearby Lancaster, Pa. to face No. 17 Franklin & Marshall (6-6).

By Molin Zhong Staff Writer molin@sas.upenn.edu Bend, but don't break. It's a regularly used cliche, but in this case it also describes the men's and women's fencing teams. Coming into the Philadelphia Invitational Multi-Meet against Rutgers, Johns Hopkins, and Vassar, tomorrow at Haverford, Pa.

The end of last semester left the United Minorities Council - the umbrella organization for dozens of Penn's minority groups - without a leader. On Wednesday night, however, after a two-hour election, the group finally found the person it was looking for: College sophomore Efe Johnson.

By Samuel Mondry-Cohen Staff Writer smondryc@sas.upenn.edu Men's track heads to New York on Friday for the Great Dane classic, and they could care less about winning. Because track's season rests solely on their final meet, the team is free to concentrate on other goals for the remainder of the season.

Defending clubs To the Editor: Regarding Alex Weinstein's column about Penn club sports ("No experience necessary," 1/11/07) doing a disservice to the Penn community: As the coach of club baseball when Weinstein tried out, I do not understand what he is complaining about.

37.3Million people who tuned in for the season premiere of American Idol on Tuesday.Source: The Associated Press

Good things are worth waiting for, as the expression goes. And West Philadelphia High School has been waiting for a long time. But the school finally got its wish last week, when the city's School Reform Commission declared that ground would be broken this fall on a new West Philadelphia High School campus, to be completed by the first day of school in 2009; the school has gone a century without a new building.

Gov. Edward Rendell has a new "Prescription for Pennsylvania." Before a packed audience in the School of Nursing's Fagin Hall yesterday afternoon, Rendell introduced a new health care reform program, which promises to redefine how the state addresses public health.

In the Quakers' 93-92 win over La Salle at the Tom Gola Arena last night, junior guard Darnell Harris gave Jaaber one more challenge and struck some serious fear into the healthy Penn student section.