The two women's basketball games this weekend started off similarly. Their endings could not have been more different. One night after blowing a 16-point lead in a heartbreaking 67-58 loss to Cornell (6-9 2-0 Ivy), the Quakers (5-9, 1-2) played strong for all 40 minutes and cruised to an 80-62 victory over Columbia (3-12, 0-2).

Nonexistent guidelines for course coordination put students at a disadvantage.

In its season opener - head coach John Ceralde's first at the helm - the Penn gymnastics team finished last in a three-team meet behind Maryland and Towson. The Terrapins finished with 191.750, while the Tigers ended up with 189.225. Penn finished over eight points behind, at 181.

Despite seven first-place efforts from the women's track team and three from the men, both squads finished second of four teams last weekend. Tim Kaijala finished first in the one-mile run with a time of 4:09.79. Kyle Calvo crossed the line first in the 55-meter hurdles at 7.

While most late-night Philly Diner recollections may be a little hazy, memories of the former location are bound to fade as construction on the 3900 block of Walnut Street progresses this spring. Interior demolition began last week at the former homes of Philly Diner, College Pizza and other campus establishments, marking the official start to construction of housing and retail space that officials say could alleviate many of the housing problems students face today.

In a city in which 406 homicides took place last year, crime is shaping up to be the number-one issue in the Philadelphia mayoral race. Consequently, the election's four declared contenders - former Councilman Michael Nutter, state Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Phila.

Retired nurse Elizabeth Kendall has donated $1 million to her former employer, the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine officials announced yesterday. The donation will establish the John C. and Elizabeth Kendall Fellowship Fund in Radiation Oncology at Penn.

Once again, the No. 14 Quakers fulfilled expectations. With a 1-2 record this past weekend at the National Duals, the wrestling team maintained its position as a top-15 squad with a win over unranked West Virginia and respectable losses against top-ranked Missouri and No.

A small but vocal Columbia crowd came into Levien Gymnasium Saturday night fired up by memories of their team's nail-biting victory against then-Ivy-undefeated Penn last year.

In a city in which 406 homicides took place last year, crime is shaping up to be the number-one issue in the Philadelphia mayoral race. Consequently, the election's four declared contenders - former Councilman Michael Nutter, state Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Phila.

Alicia Puglionesi is a College junior from Haverton, Pa. Her e-mail address is puglionesi@dailypennsylvanian.com.

The number of students planning to rush sororities this year has stayed about the same as last year, but is still substantially higher than two years ago. Approximately 500 women registered for rush this year, up from about 480 last year, said Stacy Kraus, associate director for programming at Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs.

He's using YouTube, he's taking Facebook by storm. This alumnus wants to fix the high rise elevators.

As college students, we Quakers love free stuff. Free Nalgene bottles at a career fair despite no interest in the company? We're there. Free 'A's in "Ideas in Math" or "Sociology of Media and Pop Culture?" Welcome to two of the most popular courses at Penn.

For the first time since 2001, The Daily Pennsylvanian will be led by a staffer from the business side of the newspaper.

Ibrahim Jaaber and Brian Grandieri paced the Quakers with 17 and 14 points, respectively, as Penn defeated Columbia 69-43 in New York last night. The Quakers held the Lions to a 27.9% clip from the field, effectively thwarting their one-two punch of John Baumann on the perimeter and Ben Nwachukwu inside.

Nearly two months after facing the top team in the nation, the Penn wrestling team will head to Cedar Falls, Iowa, with the opportunity to gauge how it has grown as a team and on an individual level this Saturday at the National Duals. The No. 14 Quakers (2-2) will make their first team appearance since wrestling toward a third-place finish in the Las Vegas Duals in early December.