University alumnus Ralph Roberts and his son, alumnus Brian Roberts, have pledged $15 million towards a $144 million proton-therapy center scheduled to open in 2009. Other funds will come from the federal government, the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Penn will have to wait almost a full two weeks to try and get rid of the sour taste in its mouth, but that might be easier said than done. After being outclassed by Fordham on Saturday, the Quakers have a 12-day break for final exams before they have a chance to redeem themselves.

By Eric Karlan Staff Writer karlan@sas.upenn.edu Playing on the home court doesn't seem to be an advantage for the Penn women's basketball team. The Quakers continued their home woes on Sunday, when they fell to American 61-51. This was their fourth loss out of four games at the Palestra this season.

ELON, N.C. - Trailing late in the game, with their leading scorer on the bench, and a free throw percentage well under 60 percent, Penn seemed on the verge of being upset by 3-9 Elon. But Ibrahim Jaaber, without the assistance of forward Mark Zoller who fouled out with three and a half minutes remaining, helped guide Penn to a 66-64 win with two big plays on the offensive side of the floor that secured the slim lead for Penn.

The events were not scored. Not all of the runners participated. The meet did not count. So the question is, why does anyone care? In reality, not many people do, aside from the team and the coaching staff themselves. However, the New Year Invitational, held in Princeton, N.

For students at Cornell University, keeping in touch with Mom and Dad is becoming a whole lot easier.

After two mistrials in Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya's murder case, there is still no indication whether she will be retried for a second time. Mary Burnell, a Malinovskaya defense lawyer, said the prosecutors in the case have not contacted them about a third trial, although immediately after the trial they had announced their intention to retry.

Early-decision applicants have earned the boost they get during the admissions process.

For the second year in a row, Penn will head to the Research Triangle to take on a top-5 Atlantic Coast Conference opponent. After losing at then-No. 1 Duke a year ago, the Quakers will find themselves 10 miles up Tobacco Road in Chapel Hill, N.C., where they will face No.

The best and worst of the fall semester.

At the start of the holiday season, Nursing freshman Kayla Guarneri wasn't dreaming about snow or eggnog. Instad, she was thinking about the looks on local children's faces when she gave them the gifts they'd been begging Santa Claus for. Guarneri is one of about 20 student volunteers who dressed up as elves or Santa Claus and delivered 125 Christmas presents - most of which were purchased by Penn students - to children at two nearby low-income Catholic schools yesterday morning.

Letters to the Editor

If the Association of American Medical Colleges gets its way, more minorities will soon be applying to medical schools. The AAMC recently launched a campaign to encourage Latino, black and Native American undergraduates to apply to medical school in greater numbers.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Congratulations are in order for Ibrahim Jaaber, who scored a career-high 32 points in Penn's loss to Seton Hall on Saturday. As notable of an accomplishment as that is, it never should have been achieved. Not even close. If you ask Penn coach Glen Miller, he will tell you, "We don't have trouble scoring points, we share the ball.

Strikes Bowling Lounge was robbed at gunpoint yesterday morning in what the owner believes may have been an inside job.

The holidays are right around the corner, and the Penn basketball team certainly looked like it started the winter vacation early in its loss to Fordham on Saturday. Perhaps the Quakers have been pulling too many all-nighters as the semester winds down, but the sharp Rams squad left no room for error and easily exploited Penn's lackadaisical play.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Five minutes into the game, Penn was making No. 2 North Carolina's defense look like Swiss cheese. The Quakers' perimeter offense, typically with four players outside the three-point line and one at the high post, used motion and sharp cuts to the basket to open up a 15-8 lead over the Tar Heels at the Smith Center.