When President Barack Obama declared in his inaugural speech two days ago that "America is a friend of each nation ... and we are ready to lead once more," many hoped that a new era had dawned in U.S. foreign policy. With this in mind, Penn students and faculty members gathered yesterday in Houston Hall for an open discussion about the international challenges facing the Obama administration.

The efforts of coaches and a special vote in December helped put into place the men's and women's Ivy League lacrosse tournaments that will now determine the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament, according to Ivy League Executive Director Jeff Orleans.

One of two things could have cemented Penn's final resting place on the bottom of the Big 5 food chain: the 17 first-half points for Penn, or the nine-minute scoreless streak. The last twenty minutes, however, did show that it's still territory worth fighting for.

On a day when the world's attention was focused on Washington, D.C., members of the Penn community who were unable to make the 124-mile trip could still get into the spirit on Penn's campus. The University's official Presidential Inauguration Celebration Program began at 10 a.

Economic turbulence has encouraged many Americans to be more cautious, and universities are no exception. In 2001, the University developed PennConnects, a plan for campus development and eastward expansion. But after the economic downfall of the past year, the University plans to proceed more cautiously.

Recycle mania isn't just taking over on campus - it's taking Philadelphia by storm too. Over the last three years, the city has been working to improve its recycling rates, which have been the second-lowest among those of American cities. The first initiative was changing to single-stream recycling - putting all recycling into one bin that is the

Assault Jan. 14 - Devon Bond, 19, unaffiliated with the University, of the 100 block of Carton Avenue in Marlton, N.J., was arrested at about midnight for allegedly getting into a physical altercation with a Penn Police officer after allegedly attempting to leave Allegro's Pizza, located at 3942 Spruce St., without paying for his food.

Much has happened around here since January 2007. An exciting political primary battle, a sex change for Logan Hall and a championship for a city that could scarcely recognize the word. And yet, for all the unexpected news that made its way across the wire over the past 24 months, the following never did: Penn beats a Big 5 opponent.

Author, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou will be the keynote speaker for Women's Week, an annual collection of events celebrating women and their accomplishments organized by the Penn Consortium of Undergraduate Women. This year's Women's Week will be February 9-17.

The men's squash team better enjoy it while it lasts. Coming off of break, Penn's schedule featured matches against a number of weaker opponents. And after taking care of Amherst and Williams on Saturday, the No. 7 Quakers head to Franklin & Marshall tonight for their final match of the season against another team ranked outside of the top eight.

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

With the start of the new semester comes two familiar sights: girls in dresses and nametags waiting in alphabetical order on the sidewalk, and boys flocking across the street for free cheesesteaks, ice cream and barbeques. The first two weeks of spring semester are the primary time for fraternities and sororities to recruit new members through processes that differ dramatically from each other and from the Multicultural Greek Council groups.

After being named Ivy League Rookie of the Year as a freshman and first team All-Ivy as a sophomore, Jonathan Boym entered his junior season on the men's tennis team with high expectations. But after being sidelined for most of the year with a shoulder injury, he was forced to shift his focus to his upcoming senior campaign.

When I was in elementary school, my Sunday school teacher would always close with a heartfelt prayer for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Although I was too young to understand the complicated origins of their peoples' conflict, I knew enough to hope that their leaders could come to an agreement that might end the litany of suicide bomb attacks and retaliatory strikes that haunted the evening news.