This Wednesday, members of Penn's Panhellenic and MultiCultural Greek sororities will travel to Alexander Wilson Elementary School to make each student's winter a littler bit cozier. This project is run by Operation Warm, an organization that works to provide brand-new winter coats to school children all over the country.

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.

The state of Pennsylvania recently approved a $2 million loan to the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation for the construction of a proposed hotel complex on 40th and Pine streets. Both the hotel developers, as well as state and local officials, hope the hotel - slated to be an extended-stay facility for families of patients in area hospitals - will serve as an economic catalyst in West Philadelphia.

Defense lawyers and prosecutors agree that 2005 alumnus Edward Anderton is fully culpable for helping organize an identity-theft scam in which he and his ex-girlfriend stole about $119,000. But at a hearing Friday, the two sides were at odds about whether Anderton's remorse or the severity of his crimes should be the main factor in his sentencing.

Edward Anderton, a 2005 Penn alumnus who engaged in a massive identity-theft scam with his former girlfriend, will be sentenced today in federal court. Anderton and his then-girlfriend, Jocelyn Kirsch, pleaded guilty this summer to the same charges. However, lawyers say that doesn't necessarily mean Anderton will receive the same sentence Kirsch did at her October hearing.

The Food Network's Bobby Flay is "looking into" opening a Bobby's Burger Palace in the Radian, according to a senior leasing representative at Madison Marquette, the property manager Penn hired to lease the retail space in the Radian. The representative, who was not authorized to disclose the information, emphasized that no lease has been signed, but one may be signed in the coming month.

On Nov. 4, most were happy to avoid a repeat of election night 2000 - the winner was clear. The outcome of Penn's voting competition with Dartmouth, however, is not as clear. Although Penn initially claimed a win, Penn and Dartmouth student government leaders decided to call a tie earlier this week, according to Undergraduate Assembly chairman and College and Wharton senior Wilson Tong.

In her latest book Between Keys, '83 College alumna Suze DiPietro spiced up her rock and roll past with an unusual twist of blood-sucking intrigue. At the Penn Bookstore last night, DiPietro described her personal inspiration for the novel and her transition from Penn grad to rock and roll band member to vampire murder mystery novelist.

While the current economic crisis has left many people scrambling, one group of Penn students is finding a way to reap the benefits. The first Penn team to compete in the College Fed Challenge made it to the semifinals last weekend. If they advance, they will have the opportunity to win up to $15,000 in prize money for themselves and the Economics department.

As advanced registration comes to an end this weekend, students are busy skimming the course booklet for classes that satisfy both their requirements and their curiosity. For students in Penn's more pre-professional schools - Nursing, Engineering and Wharton - getting a liberal-arts education while following a more structured curriculum can present a challenge.

Look for 1,100 backpacks to be spread across College Green today. These backpacks represent the 1,100 college students who commit suicide each year. The event, Send Silence Packing, is part of the 5th National Active Minds conference, which is being held on campus today and tomorrow.

It could soon take just the swipe of a card to ride the subway. SEPTA took the first steps toward revamping its fare-collection system by requesting proposals for an electronic "smart card" payment system last week. The new system, which officials say could be completed within two years, will allow SEPTA passengers to wave a pre-loaded "smart card" to ride the subway.

The name Harry Potter often sparks nostalgia among students. Many recall waiting by the mailboxes on their 11th birthday anxiously awaiting an acceptance to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but on Sunday the disappointed masses have an opportunity to live out their childhood fantasies.

The trauma unit at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is not for the faint of heart. Engineering sophomore Kathryn Downes learned that the hard way last weekend. While participating in the Penn Women's Biomedical Society program that gives students the opportunity to shadow HUP trauma doctors, she was asked to cut a victim's suture - the wire used to sew up a patient's wounds.

Students wanting to try their hand at firearm simulation training or learning how to defend themselves are in luck. Today the Division of Public Safety will hold an open house from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. as a way for Penn students to meet Penn Police and learn more about what the Division of Public Safety does.

With the effects of climate change, the most sought-after resource in the future might not be oil, but water. Best-selling author and Anthropology professor at University of California, Santa Barbara Brian Fagan spoke last night at the Penn Museum, urging an audience to heed the warnings of past struggles with climate change and the dangers of drought.

In the year that I've covered this election, Pennsylvania remained a constant force in the presidential race. Each candidate - John McCain, Hillary Clinton and President-elect Barack Obama - aspired to be the resurgent underdog in Pennsylvania in the image of Rocky Balboa.