If the Quakers hope to get past Ivy League volleyball heavyweights Dartmouth and Harvard this weekend, they'll have to start to change a disturbing trend this season: Of their 10 wins, only two have come against teams that are .500 or better. Even more telling is the overall records of the teams they've played.

Traveling downtown just got a bit less exclusive. The Octobus, a Graduate and Professional Student Assembly initiative that provides transportation between Penn's campus and 14th Street, was recently opened to undergraduates, giving another option for travel into Center City.

WILMINGTON, Del. - Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya was called to the stand by the defense yesterday, marking a pivotal juncture in a trial that has now lasted over a month. Malinovskaya is being tried a third time for the 2004 murder of Temple University graduate student Irina Zlotnikov, the then-girlfriend of Malinovskaya's ex-boyfriend Robert Bondar.

Riding its first 3-0 league start in three years, the Penn women's soccer team has adopted an "if-it-ain't-broke" mentality as the season barrels down the home stretch. So far, it's hard to argue with the results. Winners of four straight, including those three Ivy triumphs, Penn (9-2-1, 3-0 Ivy) hopes to stay sharp tomorrow afternoon at Rhodes Field in a pivotal Ancient Eight showdown with Yale (7-5, 2-1).

Penn's Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics will receive $4 million to continue research into infection therapies, according to a press release. "This award allows us to continue and expand our work in improving the use of antibiotics, incorporating the new tools of health IT," said Penn CERT director Brian Strom.

On the eve of homecoming and the official kickoff of Penn's capital campaign, the University Board of Trustees met yesterday at the Inn at Penn for their second round of meetings this year. The Board of Trustees is the University's top governing body and is responsible for major budget and hiring decisions.

The University's capital campaign kick-off this weekend is arguably the most important event in Penn President Amy Gutmann's tenure. But as the tents go up and officials prepare to reveal their multi-billion dollar goal for the campaign, the University remains demonstrably less public about another turning point from this semester: the abrupt departure of former Admissions Dean Lee Stetson.

Penn men's soccer coach Rudy Fuller knows things have to get better - and fast. Just when things were starting to look up this season, his team will now have to regroup tomorrow against Yale if it hopes to remain in contention for the Ivy League title. The Quakers' recent three-game winning streak, however, was short-lived.

Meet Mike McLeod. In the words of former SportsCenter anchor Dan Patrick, "You can't stop him; you can only hope to contain him." Yale's running back has rushed for 199 yards per game this season, and he's coming off of a career-high 276-yard performance against Lehigh last week.

Throughout the Quakers 59-28 thrashing of Columbia, their offense, special teams, and rush defense were nearly flawless. Yet they allowed Columbia quarterback Craig Hormann to pile up a career-high 417 passing yards, and during both halves, the pass coverage appeared to be the weakest part of the Quakers' game.

A 41-year-old woman not affiliated with the University was robbed Sunday near the intersection of 39th and Market streets, Philadelphia Police officials said yesterday.

PISCATAWAY, N.J., Oct. 17 - One attack, one breakaway, one shot - all can decide a soccer game. But after playing a tight opening 40 minutes last night at Rutgers and eventually losing 2-0, that doesn't make Penn coach Rudy Fuller or the rest of the Quakers feel any better.

NEW YORK -- Considering that the Quakers have scored a total of 101 points in their past two games, one could logically attribute the team's newfound success to its recent offensive explosion. At Columbia, the day undoubtedly belonged to senior tailback Joe Sandberg, who put together arguably the best game of his career.

Stop the whining To the Editor: In the fall break-shortening article ("Come fall 2009, freshman and sophomores can kiss their four-day weekend goodbye" 10/12/07), some comments from students and faculty reflect an unfortunate disassociation from life.

Senior Tim Kaijala is used to winning races. But Penn's middle distance standout, who finished first in the 800 meters last season at the Heptagonal Championships, did not even place in his most recent race. There are no 800-meter races in October. Rather than wait for outdoor track and field to start in the spring, Kaijala has taken his training to a new level as a member of Penn's cross country team this fall.

Mike McLeod just keeps getting better. The junior waited just two weeks to break his own Yale single-game rushing record, putting up 276 in a 23-7 rout of Lehigh that was actually the Bulldogs' second-closest game of the year and the first in which they trailed.

Economics professor and accused murderer Rafael Robb plans to use surveillance-camera footage at several locations he visited the morning his wife was killed in order to provide an alibi at his November trial, according to court papers filed Friday. In the papers, defense attorney Frank DeSimone outlines Robb's activities on the morning of Dec.