Penn's School of Medicine ranked second in the nation in National Institutes of Health research and training grants received in the last fiscal year. The NIH awarded Penn 924 individual grants worth $399 million, a 1.4-percent increase from last year and a record sum for the University.

On the first day of school (for you suckers who - unlike me - couldn't avoid Wednesday classes), it's fitting to welcome you all to another exciting year of Penn sports. Good to see we're off to a flying start with the three Quakers teams that have started their seasons going a combined 0-3-1.

Investigators uncovered child pornography in the Penn office of Wharton professor emeritus Scott Ward yesterday, piling fresh charges on top of allegations that he brought child pornography into the country. University Spokeswoman Lori Doyle confirmed that investigators found a CD containing more than 80 still images of sexual acts between a man believed to be Ward and a teenage boy.

Penn students are now only a mouse click away from all the free - and legal - music they can download. But they aren't supposed to have it yet. As news slowly spread over the weekend that Ruckus - a music downloading service spearheaded by the Undergraduate Assembly - is available, students began registering for the site, which allows them unlimited digital music from its library of 1.

Pouring rain put a damper on some events that were scheduled to occur yesterday. The Student Organization Fair that was scheduled to take place on Locust Walk has been postponed, with no decision yet as to if and when a make-up will be held. Wharton senior Corey Hulse, a New Student Orientation coordinator, said students interested in learning about clubs and organizations that are available at Penn should visit the NSO Web site, which has a listing of groups that would have been present at the fair.

When college junior Amanda Dewundara logged onto Facebook.com yesterday morning, she quickly learned which friend broke up with a boyfriend, who declined what party invitation and what all her freshman buddies took pictures of during New Student Orientation.

David Anderson is a College senior from Denver. His e-mail address is dga@sas.upenn.edu.

I begin this new academic year at Penn grateful to be a part of a University community so joyfully infused with the desire to learn and the commitment to serve. Thanks to our dedicated move-in and New Student Orientation teams - who did a fabulous job helping new students navigate the transition to life at Penn-our campus is bustling with more creative energy and camaraderie than ever.

If the Penn women's soccer team's season opener against Rice was going to come down to a battle of the goalies, the Quakers may have looked like clear underdogs. After all, Penn freshman Cailly Carroll had yet to play a collegiate game, while Owls goalkeeper Amy McClintock had three years of college soccer and a full month of the 2006 season under her belt.

Only several blocks from the lively corner of 40th and Walnut streets, the intersection at 40th and Market boasts far less impressive retail and activity. A collection of community stakeholders, however, is convinced that this does not have to be the case.

By DEENA GREENBERG The Daily Pennsylvanian Penn may have dropped to No. 7 in August's U.S. News and World Report rankings, but it barely made the top 40 in another publication. Washington Monthly, a left-wing publication that discusses politics and current events, ranked Penn at number 30.

Several cultural groups have gotten some new space in the ARCH building, but some say they'll take more if they can get it. "We're on a roll right now, so we want to keep that momentum going," Asian Pacific Student Coalition Chairwoman and College senior Mana Nakagawa said.

The School of Arts and Sciences' Webmail has experienced its first technical hiccup of the semester, though New Student Orientation festivities may have caused students to overlook the glitch. SAS Webmail regularly runs updates from its software company, Sun Microsystems Inc.

Two games into their season, the Penn field hockey team still has yet to get on the scoreboard. The Quakers (0-2, 0-0 Ivy) looked to get off to a good start during opening weekend, but instead they fell to Syracuse 1-0 and then struggled in their second game against Ohio State, losing 4-0, at the Blue Hen Classic hosted by the University of Delaware.

Zeta Beta Tau will attempt to re-enter campus this semester, but the fraternity will look different than when it left two years ago, national ZBT officials say. "We're very intent as an organization on getting a quality group of guys," said Matt Tobe, director of expansion for the ZBT national organization.

At Colgate University, there's a summer reading list that suggests five books before freshman year. At George Washington University, days of orientation are devoted to the subject of separation anxiety. But only parents need apply. These programs are examples of a growing array of university-run programs that help parents say goodbye to their new college freshmen.

Charlie Allen, who manages the CVS at 43rd and Locust streets, has begun to stock an item not usually carried by drug stores - ping-pong balls. Allen said that his decision to carry the balls, essential for the popular drinking game Beirut, is a result of the store's recent increase in business from Penn students, stemming from a shuffle in drug stores around campus.