One Penn professor is working to fill in longtime holes in Southeast Asian history. Archeology professor Joyce White hopes to find the once-inaccessible keys to opening up the region's history through a research project in the southeast Asian state of Laos, where she will return to in March.

Pizza was a little different yesterday at Kings Court/English College House. On the standard college staple, the cheese, pepperoni and sausage were replaced with non-dairy products like soy cheese, soy meat and layers of vegetables. That dish was part of the dining hall's bi-annual entirely vegan dinner last night, in celebration of College Veg Pledge Day.

What makes you you? What gives a city like Philadelphia its identity? Those were the questions posed last night at the official launch of the Franklin Institute's newest exhibit, "Identity: An Exhibition of You." To kick off the event, mayor-elect Michael Nutter gave a keynote address in the museum's historic Franklin Hall about "The Identity of the New Philadelphia," one of the first speeches he has given since he was elected Nov.

Four days until Caturday. That's Saturday for those who haven't yet caught on to the latest phenomenon to dominate the Internet and student lexicon - LOLcats. That's LOL for "laugh out loud." LOLcats are funny pictures of cats with captions attributed to them.

By 2010, a new fitness center, three full-length fields, Palestra Green, 12 additional tennis courts and a new softball stadium will invigorate the eastern edge of Penn's campus. That's only the beginning of Penn's three-phase facilities campaign, though.

An AlliedBarton security guard exposed himself to a female student after he escorted her home Monday night, Division of Public Safety officials said yesterday. The guard offered to escort the student from 38th and Sansom streets to her house, near 41st and Locust streets, at about 9:00 p.

The University's review of hiring and admissions practices, originally slated to be finalized this fall, has been delayed indefinitely because of Faculty Senate concerns about requiring faculty hires to disclose criminal backgrounds. A Faculty Senate committee is in the midst of discussing the possible ramifications of a self-disclosure question, which would potentially be posed to all prospective faculty members.

Philadelphia Police released a detailed account yesterday of the sexual assault of a female student on the 4000 block of Spruce Street. Philadelphia Police Special Victims Unit Capt. John Darby said that, after going to sleep shortly after 3:30 a.m. Monday, the victim, 20, was awoken by a male lying on top of her holding a sharp object to her neck.

Nearly a dozen Drexel University students have been robbed just north of the school's campus over the last month, though Philadelphia Police arrested one juvenile male Friday who is linked to some of the muggings. There have been a total of 11 robberies between Market and Spring Garden streets and between 31st and 36th streets since October, Philadelphia Police Sgt.

According to one journalist, Israel is farther from achieving peace with its neighbors than ever before. Jerusalem Post reporter Herb Keinon spoke with students last night at Hillel about current affairs in Israel and the Middle East, emphasizing the upcoming Annapolis Summit, a U.

Montgomery County prosecutors say the controversial testimony from two mental-health experts in the murder case of Economics professor Rafael Robb should not be subjected to a hearing about its admissibility. But legal experts say a Frye hearing - which is used to determine if novel scientific evidence is reliable enough to be permitted in court - can apply to testimony from psychologists and psychiatrists.

A female Temple University student was physically and sexually assaulted earlier this month inside one of Temple's main academic buildings, raising questions about the role of camera surveillance and open access in university buildings. Between 6 and 7 p.

With meetings getting increasingly shorter, the Undergraduate Assembly is trying to improve efficiency during meetings while still addressing a wide range of issues. Some topics from last Sunday's meeting include: n The UA Housing Committee is working with Housing and Conference Services to improve the housing-application process.

How do you say Locust Walk in Taiwanese? Some of Penn's 3,484 international students may be able to tell you. Penn ranked No. 10 out of 20 schools for hosting the highest number of foreign students in the academic year 2006-2007, according to a report published yesterday by the Institute of International Education.

Penn President Amy Gutmann raked in $777,692 in total compensation in 2005-06, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education's annual survey released yesterday. The total placed Gutmann second among Ivy League leaders, only trailing Yale University's Richard Levin, who earned $869,026.

As Mayor-elect Michael Nutter prepares to assume office in January, he hopes to change the way things operate in City Hall. Running a campaign against corruption and Philadelphia's rising murder rate, Nutter promises a break with the past and fresh new ideas to revitalize the city.

An AlliedBarton security guard exposed himself to a female student after escorting her home last night, Division of Public Safety officials said today. The guard escorted the student from 38th and Sansom streets to her house on the 300 block of S. 41st St.