As posted on CarePages, a HUP Web site where patients' families can post messages and updates. First, on behalf of myself, Beverly, Emily, and Colin, we want to thank everyone here today and the hundreds of our friends, Ryan's friends, and our family who have focused their thoughts and prayers towards Ryan and our family over the last week.

For many freshmen, today isn't just the beginning of a new semester - it's the start of their introduction to the Greek system on campus. Penn's fraternities and sororities are putting on their best show for prospective members, offering free food and a good time spread out over a wide variety of events.

After getting knocked down by a better team, it's good to have an inferior one to bounce back against. That was how the men's squash team felt, as it rebounded from an 8-1 thrashing at the hands of No. 3 Yale to dominate No. 14 Brown by the same score. "It's refreshing to be able to go from a bad performance to a pretty good performance," junior Mark Froot said.

Women's tennis coach Mike Dowd will resign effective December 31. Assistant coach Sara Schiffman, a 2006 Penn graduate who was a captain for the Quakers both her junior and senior years, will be interim head coach through the spring semester. "I have made the difficult decision that I need to step down at the end of the month as head coach of women's tennis," Dowd told Penn Athletics.

Students made the lives of underprivileged Philadelphia residents a little bit warmer this past Sunday night at the Hillel Soup Kitchen. Over 80 guests showed up at Hillel's Warm Winter Evening this weekend to take part in a charity dinner and raffle put on by the Hillel Soup Kitchen and the University City Hospitality Coalition.

Engineering sophomore Ryan Smith passed away early Thursday morning following injuries suffered in a fall from the Quadrangle on Saturday. Matt Waller, spokesman for the office of the Vice Provost for University Life, said Smith passed away about 3 a.m. at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Yale's home fans were making a lot of noise at the women's squash match against Penn on Saturday, but the Quakers stole their thunder. Tuning out the spectators, the No. 2 Quakers prevailed, 5-4, giving No. 5 Yale a loss in the Bulldogs' first match of 2008-09.

Desperate for a win, the Penn basketball team soothed its wounds with a 78-67 victory over Campbell on Tuesday night. It was just the second of the season for the Quakers; their other came against Monmouth back on Nov. 22nd. "When you go out and work hard everyday in practice and you're trying to compete, it's a relief and you feel good about that," Miller said.

Penn men's and women's fencing coach Dave Micahnik describes himself as a perfectionist. As a recent inductee into the U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame, Micahnik is always looking to improve his teams' performance. On Saturday and Sunday, both teams began their seasons at the Philadelphia Multi-Meet in Hutchinson Gymnasium.

Penn trauma director John Pryor, a major in the Army Reserve Medical Corps, died Wednesday in Mosul, Iraq, after suffering wounds from mortar rounds near his living quarters, according to a Department of Defense statement.

He may only have 42 days left as President of the United States, but George W. Bush still knows how to arrive in style. President George W. Bush made a trip to Philadelphia on Saturday for the unveiling of his portrait at the Union League and for the Army-Navy football game.

A week ago, students sat down to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with their loved ones. But many of the people responsible for producing that meal have not been able to enjoy the company of their families for many years. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers - which seeks to improve conditions for a Florida farming community - last Friday gave a presentation in Irvine Auditorium that illustrated the plight of these laborers.

Assault Dec. 2 - Melissa Green, 19 and unaffiliated with the University, was arrested on the 3900 block of Market Street at 10 p.m. for allegedly assaulting a woman, 51 and also unaffiliated with the University, during a dispute. Nov. 30 - Phong Le, 26 and unaffiliated with the University, of the 1600 block of 15th Street, was arrested on the 100 block of 40th Street at 1:30 a.

The Wharton School and the School of Arts and Sciences have created a program in which students can receive both an MBA and a Master's of Environmental Studies, the University announced last week. The program allows students to complete both degrees in two and a half years, spending three semesters in residence at Wharton.

Janice Dow is a College sophomore from Los Angeles. Her e-mail address is dow@dailypennsylvanian.com.