As many Penn students finalize term papers, child-rearing issues may seem far from their concerns. However, a large turnout of students from Penn Nursing, including future midwives, maternity researchers and other advocates, were all eager last night to discuss the child-birthing process, as well as social challenges and changes in maternity care.

Next week will mark an important milestone in minority student groups' continued push toward a comprehensive assessment of campus climate at Penn. Campus climate - which refers to individuals' levels of comfort at Penn in terms of their gender and gender identity, race, sexual orientation, religion and ethnicity - has been an important issue for minority student groups for at least the past 10 years.

An area caffeine staple will close its doors next month after more than 13 years on campus. Bucks County Coffee, located between 34th and 36th streets along Sansom Street will close on May 23. The store is one of three Buck's County Coffee shops in University City, along with a store at 40th and Locust streets and a kiosk at 30th Street Station.

If the thousands of students at Sen. Barack Obama's Philadelphia rally last Friday - and the thousands that came to the Palestra last night for Hillary Clinton's rally - are any indication, this year's primaries have seen a dramatic rise in youth involvement.

Although nearly two-thirds of Penn students are registered to vote in Pennsylvania, members of the third who won't go to the polls today say they don't mind the political frenzy that has overtaken the state over the last seven weeks. "It's actually really exhilarating," said College freshman Jenna Stahl, who voted in Ohio's Democratic primary.

The chants at Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's rally at the Palestra last night were not all that different from those at Barack Obama's Philadelphia rally last Friday. But instead of saying "Yes We Can," the crowd in the stands cheered, "Yes She Can.

The Ivy League as a whole is moving toward gender-neutral housing with Yale University's recent consideration of the policy. Penn has offered gender-neutral housing since fall 2005, after a gay male student who wanted to live with his female best friend raised the issue.

Penn is helping Philadelphia's top officials to become better leaders. Two weeks ago, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's senior administrators assembled at the Steinberg Conference Center on Thursday and Friday to participate in the University's executive education program, a two-day institute program to develop leadership and management skills.

What do Sumo wrestlers and schoolteachers have in common? Why do crack cocaine dealers live with their mothers? Steven Levitt has the answers. In continuing with his style of analyzing questions from an unconventional perspective, Freakonomics author Steven Levitt gave a lecture at the Penn Museum yesterday entitled "Beyond Freakonomics.

Yankee stadium was packed yesterday afternoon - but not with the usual baseball fans. Almost 60,000 people from all over the country gathered to attend a mass led by Pope Benedict XVI during his first trip to the United States as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Provost, Council of Undergraduate Deans and the Office of College Houses and Academic Services announced last week that Neil Shubin's Your Inner Fish: A Journey Into the 3.5 Billion-Year History of the Human Body will be the reading for the 2008-2009 Penn Reading Project.

We've long been told to drink eight glasses of water a day - but that may not be necessary. Penn researchers Stanley Goldfarb and Dan Negoianu reviewed research on water intake and concluded that there is no reliable scientific data to support the idea that drinking those eight glasses makes a person healthier.

The governor and mayor of Philadelphia aren't the only political leaders endorsing a candidate for the upcoming presidential primary. Last week, student government leaders at several Philadelphia universities, including Penn, Temple and Villanova Universities and Haverford College, jointly authored a letter endorsing Senator Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for president.

After graduation, most seniors are looking forward to stepping out into the real world alone. But this summer a group of six seniors will travel to New Orleans to try to make a difference - together. Inspired by an Urban Studies class that explores various models for revitalizing impoverished communities around the world, College senior Yasmin Radjy decided she wanted to turn her classroom lessons into reality down in the Big Easy.

A small fire broke out in Rodin College House Friday evening, causing no injuries but forcing residents to evacuate. A plastic container that was too close to the stove top while students were cooking caused the blaze, Rodin House Dean Ken Grcich said. The plastic caught on fire at about 8 p.

Between farmers' markets, sword fights, local sports leagues and flea markets, Clark Park is constantly abuzz with activity. This summer, a local theater company will provide even more action for students staying on campus with its third-annual free show in the park.

On one of the nicest days this semester, College Green was filled with guitar players, tie-dyed T-shirts and a solar-powered grill - all to celebrate the environment. Friday was Penn Environmental Group's fourth Green Fest, a twice-yearly celebration of sustainability and green alternatives for Penn students.