he Wharton School has awarded the Dean's Medal to Oscar Arias, president of Costa Rica. The Dean's Medal is the highest award given by Wharton. It was created in 1983 to recognize leaders in business, public service and academia who have successfully used their managerial talents to make a positive impact in people's lives.

For many Penn students, summer is the time to kick back, relax and bask in the warm weather. But not for everyone. This summer various Penn students are staying in Philadelphia in order to give back to the community. Joe Meissler, a rising College sophomore, spends his summer days raising money for cancer research by playing guitar for the Philadelphia-based ska band, The Brasshole Fiasco.

hat do Jerome Allen, Tim Begley, Ira Bowman, Michael Jordan, Mark Zoller and Ibrahim Jaaber have in common? They were all Quaker basketball greats, for one. But they also all hailed from either New Jersey or Southeastern Pennsylvania, and they were all recruited by Fran Dunphy.

he Wharton School has awarded the Dean's Medal to Oscar Arias, president of Costa Rica. The Dean's Medal is the highest award given by Wharton. It was created in 1983 to recognize leaders in business, public service and academia who have successfully used their managerial talents to make a positive impact in people's lives.

After weeks of anticipation, I finally made it off the waiting list for a free Birthright Israel trip through Oranim: Let Israelis Show You Israel. I was excited for this incredible opportunity - my chance to explore the Jewish holy land, meet new people and inhale a vibrantly historic culture that still thrives today.

Herbert Levine, Economics professor at Penn from 1960 to 2006, died Sunday, succumbing to complications from leg surgery after battling prostate cancer for the past 15 years. Levine was 78. Receiving his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University, Levine specialized in Soviet economics and his insights were "in demand during the period leading up to the dissolution of the Soviet system," according to a written statement by fellow Economics professor Lawrence Klein.

On Feb. 9, it seemed like the debate would be over. That's when City Council took the logical step of banning trans-fat-based frying oils in restaurants, with a full ban of trans fats to go into effect on Sept. 8, 2008. A number of groups lauded the decision, pointing to a similar ban in New York City and arguing that the health benefits it would provide for area restaurants would greatly outweigh any downsides.

Let's face it: I landed a Capitol Hill internship this summer, but I don't exactly spend my days rubbing elbows with the House leadership or shaping U.S. policy. Instead, much of my time is spent answering an onslaught of constituent calls for Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.

Assault June 7 - John Cameron, 43, of the 1700 block of Yewdall Street, was arrested for allegedly striking a complainant inside a vehicle at around 9:20 p.m. The complainant was not affiliated with the University. Auto Theft June 5 - Forday Komara, 31, of Upper Darby, was arrested for allegedly taking a vehicle from Penn Tower Parking at around 11: 20 p.

Models, bottles, good weather, and college basketball. Yes, the true Penn fan can have it all this winter break in sunny Florida. Early details of next year's schedule are starting to come out, and it looks like the Quakers will be enjoying part of their winter down south.

Internationalize the University. Improve its financial standing so that necessary reforms can be enacted. Facilitate coordination between the various graduate and undergraduate schools. These were the goals, and some of the greatest successes, of former Penn President Martin Meyerson, who lost a battle with prostate cancer on Saturday.

For the first three days of the NCAA Men's Golf Championship in Williamsburg, Va., last week, one player seemed to be the center of attention. He was patted on the back by coaches, interviewed by magazines and TV networks, and cheered by fans. Who was this man in the spotlight? Was it then-leader Kyle Stanley of Clemson? Rob Grube of Stanford? Eventual winner Jamie Lovemark of the University of Southern California? The right answer, in fact, is freshman Quakers golfer Chance Pipitone.

There are a lot of adjustments to make after graduating Penn. The hardest? Coming to terms with the fact that you will never have another summer vacation. It was a nice run while it lasted, of course. Like a lot of Penn students, I imagine, I kept pretty busy in between the school years before college.

Martin Meyerson, Penn's sixth president, died of prostate cancer Saturday at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. He was 84. Meyerson, who served as president from 1970 to 1981, saw Penn through a severe fiscal crisis and set about uniting a sometimes fractious faculty and student body, helping to lay the groundwork for the University's meteoric rise in prestige and in national college rankings under successors Sheldon Hackney and Judith Rodin.

All the Quakers wanted to do last weekend was row, row, row their boats - intensely and consistently - down the Cooper River. But by the time the Penn light- and heavyweight crew teams departed from the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta in Camden, N.