There will always be some who spin stories to ask for money, but there are 4,000 Philadelphians who are homeless tonight. Many of these people are veterans or victims of the recession; some suffer from addiction or mental illness.

I was saddened, if not surprised, by the University’s plans to demolish 400 S. 40th Street in order to build apartments on the site

Dubbed a “future star for Sri Lanka” by the country’s national newspaper at the age of 12, Vimuktha De Alwis has only just begun to show his potential with the Quakers.

Over the last year, the junior forward has transformed from cautious sixth-man to assertive superstar.

Coach John Ceralde’s freshmen are joining a squad with high expectations following a season in which the team won the Ivy Classic and the ECAC Championship.

Last year, Penn completely overhauled the housing application system, changing the way students apply to live on-campus by moving everything online to a site called My Home at Penn. One of the main critiques of the process last year concerned the points-based system.

The company currently owns a portfolio of nearly $200 million of real estate comprising 145 properties across the country.

When only one of Penn’s residence houses — Sansom Place — offers graduate student housing, it isn’t difficult to see that on-campus housing options for graduate students are limited.

Housed at the School of Social Policy & Practice, the Center for High Impact Philanthropy was established in 2006 by SP2 Dean Richard Gelles and a group of anonymous Wharton alumni.

The University sold $300 million worth of bonds that will mature in 100 years, otherwise known as century bonds, at an historic low interest rate of 4.674 percent.

Every year, a number of employees of Penn — including staff, faculty and administrators — take classes at the University either for credit or just to learn something new.

It’s just before 7 a.m. on a cold sunny morning when I arrive at Penn’s South Bank, where I am greeted by three of the puppies I had met two months ago at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center’s grand opening.

Last week, UMOJA — the umbrella organization for black student groups on campus — elected College sophomores Abrina Hyatt and Meron Zeru as its new planning and facilitating co-chairs.

Although it’s been over seven months since the vote to unionize, members of PSOU are still negotiating new contract details with AlliedBarton to help improve labor conditions for guards.

The recent escalation of the Gaza-Israel conflict presents uncertainty to those scheduled to participate in the Taglit-Birthright Israel trip planned for late December.

So here’s a toast to all the people, places, institutions and cultures that have contributed to my metamorphosis over the last four years.

It’s time the United States reviews its position on the war against drugs in Latin America.