Two weeks ago, Massachusetts residents voted strongly in favor of Question 2, also known as the Sensible Marijuana Policy Initiative, a measure that eliminates criminal penalties for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. Similarly, Michigan voters passed Proposal 1, an initiative eliminating state penalties for registered use of medicinal marijuana.

During his pediatrics clinical, Nursing senior Colin Plover discovered that hiding the needle is an important tactic when giving a child a shot. Like Plover, all nursing students need to fulfil a specific number of hours of patient-care clinicals in order to graduate, helping them gain hands-on experience.

Despite rumors that Alpha Chi Omega's annual Big Man on Campus philanthropy event was going to be cancelled this year, the event is expected to occur as planned this Thursday evening The participating students have signed a pledge not consume alcohol during the pageant and several members of Alpha Chi Omega national headquarters will be present to supervise the event, said Wharton senior and Interfraternity Council President David Ashkenazi.

Brandywine Realty Trust, with whom Penn is working closely to develop the postal lands, has indefinitely postponed work on an office complex next to Penn's territory because of the credit crisis, its CEO recently told reporters in a conference call. Penn officials say the announcement will not affect the University's own eastward expansion.

Another administrator is heading south. Next March, Provost Ron Daniels will leave to become the president of Johns Hopkins. In his short three years here, Daniels improved financial-aid efforts and research programs and played a central role in implementing parts of President Gutmann's Penn Compact.

There are many things I don't understand about the past: powdered wigs, the Puritans, Richard Nixon, disco. The full list is more extensive (though a lot is related to disco and Nixon), but perhaps most baffling to my 21st-century mind is the concept of scholarship before the Internet.

The Penn women's swimming team needed to claim the top two spots in the 200-yard freestyle relay in order to beat Columbia. Immediately after the start of the 16th and final event, Penn coach Mike Schnur began shouting: "That's an illegal start! That's an illegal start!" The Quakers finished second and third in the relay, losing the meet, 159-141.

Students and their families at Brown University are getting a little more time to pay their bills, as economic circumstances make financing an education a bit more difficult. The school announced on Oct. 31 that it would implement a new initiative during its advanced registration which would allow students with up to $7,500 of debt to pre-register for classes.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina, like any No. 1 team worth its weight in hype, has a bevy of offensive weapons it can use on any given night. But in its season-opening 86-71 win over Penn at the Dean Smith Center, the Tar Heels weren't going to take a chance of faltering in their season opener.

After managing the volatile atmosphere surrounding the 2005 presidential inauguration and managing the police response to 9/11 in the nation's capital, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey had advice to share with students in College Hall last Friday.

By KRISTA HUTZ Senior Staff Writer hutzkm@dailypennsylvanian.com CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Quakers fans were braced for the worst going into Penn's season opener against No. 1 North Carolina. What they got wasn't Penn's best, but still a respectable 86-71 loss to the Tar Heels.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Here is the story. Glen Miller took Penn to visit North Carolina, the creme de la creme of college hoops, and got within 10 points with under four minutes to play. Not too shabby. "Well, I mean, we're never pleased with a loss. And we made a lot of mental mistakes out there . " Miller is stingy; you almost have to pry a compliment from his mouth.

Almost two weeks ago, many in this country stood up and chanted, "Yes we can!" The more accurate claim might have been, "Yes, some of us can." Some of us can marry, that is. On Nov. 4, three states passed measures to ban same-sex marriage, and none has proved more controversial than California's Proposition 8.

Signs, banners and chants surrounded City Hall on Saturday afternoon, as thousands of same-sex marriage supporters rallied in opposition to California's ban on gay marriage. "Out of the closet, into the street," yelled protesters in unison as they circled the downtown building, cutting off traffic for nearly half an hour along Market Street.

Volleyball senior Stephanie Gwin had to wait until Senior Night to get her first start this season, but she wasted no time capitalizing on the opportunity. Sophomore Megan Tryon set her up on the first play of the Quakers' match against Brown, and the co-captain slammed a hard kill right down the middle.

Temperatures have dropped, Christmas decorations have arrived and finals are looming. Spring break has never seemed so far away. With four months until students can play in the sunny beaches of Acapulco or help rebuild homes in New Orleans, next semester's vacation plans should be in the back of everyone's minds.

A Gatorade shower in 40-degree weather never felt so good. Yesterday afternoon, coach Rudy Fuller happily had a cooler dumped on his head by his 2008 Ivy League Co-Champion Quakers. After 94 minutes in the freezing wind at Rhodes Field yesterday - in a match originally scheduled for Saturday night, postponed one day because of inclement weather - a winner had not been decided.