Not too long ago, wide-eyed freshmen had a virtual guarantee, known if not spoken: Play football for Penn and an Ivy title ring will be yours. Nick Cisler saw that reality. He wanted to play for Penn - to win - so much that he swore off football near his Michigan home for the northeastern, non-scholarship brand.

After years of anticipation, it's finally happened. Penn announced today that it had closed on its purchase of the postal lands west of campus. It will collaborate with Brandywine Realty Trust on development of the area between Market and Walnut streets, which will feature a 40- to 50-story office tower on Walnut Street and a 25- to 30-story residential tower on Chestnut Street.

One daily routine for many college women has recently become much more expensive. Across college campuses, women have been witnessing rising birth control costs as many drug companies are no longer offering universities discounts due to government legislation.

The presence of an Advanced Placement class on a student's transcript may mean more than ever this coming admissions cycle. In January, the College Board hired the Educational Policy Improvement Center to review the syllabi of every AP class taught around world to make sure they all include the courses' requirements.

Assault July 29 - A 12-year-old boy unaffiliated with Penn reported that while riding his bike on the 3200 block of Chestnut Street he was assaulted by several other juveniles on bikes at about 8 p.m. The victim sustained cuts and bruises to his shoulder and arm and was taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was treated and released.

Nick Cisler never thought his summer job would lead him to calling Bingo numbers at a senior citizen's home. And he never thought he'd be getting tips on how to properly call the Bingo numbers. But that's where his position as a marketing intern with the Camden Riversharks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball took him.

There is a reason why the city of Philadelphia is in a crisis. You can blame countless organizations, lacksidasical policies and corrupt leaders, but what it comes down to is the cold shoulder that so many Philadelphians give to their city everyday. We, as a whole, are ignoring the problem.

Penn President Amy Gutmann will be traveling to Botswana at the end of this week to visit the Penn in Botswana program. The program combines students and faculty from Penn's Medical, Nursing, Wharton and Annenberg schools, among others. During her visit, Gutmann will meet with Botswanan President Festus Mogae, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health.

David Beckham's high-profile move to Major League Soccer in July has seen media attention for America's young league skyrocket in recent weeks. But Penn soccer fans, at least, have had something else to cheer for this summer. Former Quakers goalkeeper Danny Cepero and his MLS team, the New York Red Bulls, are in the midst of an exciting season with playoff and championship aspirations.

5BDollars News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch will pay for The Wall Street Journal. Murdoch plans to use the paper to compete with The New York Times and USA Today.Source: The Associated Press

Of a pair of alleged murderers - both former employees at the Au Bon Pain in Huntsman Hall - one awaits trial, while the other is still a fugitive. One employee, Samuel Scruggs, 46, did not appear for his arraignment in the Court of Common Pleas yesterday, so a not guilty plea was automatically entered for him, said Robert Marc Gamburg, Scruggs' lawyer.

Kinsey adds another All-Star honor to belt The Ivy League player of the year, Annie Kinsey, was recognized yet again last week, as she was named to the ECAC Division I Softball All-Star squad. Starting every game at second base, Kinsey was hitting .450 at the end of the Quaker's 2007 campaign, leading the Ivy League in that category.

Another suicide bomber blows up American soldiers. Another foreign country turns against the USA. Another damning report released from the U.N. Just another day in the news. With American foreign relations suffering from a low point, it seems that (as long as Bush is at the helm) no one outside the U.

Penn clocks in at No. 5 in the U.S. News & World Report's 2008 rankings of national universities, released today online. The position, for which the University is tied with the California Institute of Technology, marks a slight improvement from last year's standing at No.

Friends and neighbors of Ellen Robb have installed a garden gazebo in her honor outside of Roberts Elementary School in Wayne. Robb, who was found bludgeoned to death in her Wayne home last December, was an active volunteer at the school, and had a daughter attend there as well.

From the Constitution Center to cheesesteaks, Philadelphia has something to offer almost every resident and visitor. At least, that's the stance several publications are taking as they recognize the greater Philadelphia area as one of the country's best places to live.

Rudy Fuller can hardly believe how quick his 10 years at the helm of the Penn men's soccer program have gone. But Fuller takes some time out to speak about his quick turnaround from player to coach and also some of professional soccer's headline stories. Daily Pennsylvanian: You went on a vacation recently, what's your favorite vacation spot? Rudy Fuller: The shore.