It was no surprise that inviting the son of the Democratic vice presidential nominee to campus during election season would spark student interest. So when 1991 alumnus Joseph "Beau" Biden spoke Monday as part of the College Alumni Mentoring Series, he let students know he was "happy to talk about Barack and Joe" as well as his own path to becoming attorney general of Delaware .

The Philadelphia City Planning Commission unanimously recommended yesterday that the city's Zoning Board of Adjustment approve plans to build an 11-story hotel at 40th and Pine streets. For the past year, the hotel has been a source of contention between developers and local residents.

Crime is down nationwide and in Philadelphia, according to the FBI's annual crime report for 2007. This week, the FBI issued its annual Crime in the United States report, a compilation of crime statistics for the nation, states and individual agencies. The report also includes arrest, clearance and law-enforcement employee data.

Uncertainty and confusion over this week's financial meltdown drew more than 1,000 students to Zellerbach Auditorium last night to hear Wharton professors' take on the situation. Penn students were shocked to hear on Sunday that Bank of America would acquire Merrill Lynch & Co.

When students apply to Penn this fall, the admissions office will not print out their essays, grades or test scores. Instead, their applications will form the basis of a digital file that will stay with them throughout their years at the University. Admissions officers will manage student applications on Penn's new digital media imaging system - Oasis.

The annual ritual of freshmen elections began yesterday as students gathered at the Office of Student Life to formally declare their candidacy. Freshmen from all four undergraduate schools are represented with 23 students from the College, 20 from Wharton, eight from Engineering and one from Nursing.

The second Undergraduate Assembly meeting of the year was spent mostly on member suggestions for improving student life and internal business. With freshmen elections around the corner, many students who are running for a seat on the UA attended the meeting to learn more about its work.

Biden, a last name that may have meant very little to most college students just a month ago, is now a surname on the tip of everyone's tongues. Joseph "Beau" Biden, a 1991 College alumnus, Attorney General of Delaware and son of Vice Presidential nominee and Delaware Sen.

One of the hottest debate topics for the upcoming presidential election has been the choice between universal or free-market health care insurance. However, health care is just damage control, according to contributing doctors of the TV series "Unnatural Causes" on PBS.

When College junior Cameron Clark looks back on this fall semester, he will fondly remember fine dinners paired with appropriate wines in the company of friends. But these memories aren't from Philadelphia, where the minimum legal drinking age is 21. Instead, they are souvenirs he is accumulating during his semester abroad at the Universite Lumiere Lyon in France.

While some Hillary Clinton enthusiasts are still deciding whom to vote for in November's general election, Penn for Hillary has thrown its support behind Barack Obama. "We decided over the summer that we would try to fold into Penn Dems and Penn for Obama," said Penn for Hillary co-chairwoman and College senior Julie Siegel, who is the former Spin editor for The Daily Pennsylvanian.

With new crime-mapping Web sites, students and Philadelphia residents can keep track of area crimes, all without leaving their computers. One such site - ucrime.com - was launched about a month and a half ago. Ucrime.com provides crime maps, data and alert for more than 100 colleges across the country.

Penn's six branches of undergraduate student government and six minority and cultural coalitions recently began a collaboration to diversify student government. The effort was prompted by a decline in minority participation that leaders of different organizations have noticed.

The cost of energy is spiraling beyond the reach of many Pennsylvanians. Forty-three percent of residents and 59 percent of businesses are having trouble keeping up with recent energy-cost increases, according to the statewide environmental advocacy group PennFuture.

The doctor is in, and she wants you to vote for Barack Obama. On Saturday night, actress Kate Walsh - best known for playing Dr. Addison Montgomery on ABC's Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice - stepped out of her Hollywood role to voice her support for Democratic presidential nominee Sen.

Along with four other colleges and universities around the country, Penn President Amy Gutmann pledged Friday to create an additional 400 civic-service opportunities for Penn students. The new opportunities will help prepare students for service in a variety of fields, expand the reach of Penn's service programs and enhance the intellectual impact that civic engagement already provides, she said.

From the birthday cake to the African violets, the 90th anniversary celebration of the Gamma chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority was truly "a glorious affair." That was the name of the celebration of DST's "90 years of excellence" that took place last Saturday in the Bodek Lounge.