A best friendship might have little to do with common interests, longevity, or even proximity - it might just be the mutuality. This is the conclusion Penn psychologists Peter DeScioli and Robert Kurzban reached in their recent study exploring the cognitive aspects of human friendship.

I am pleased to report we have taken the first step toward reinventing the eastern edge of Penn's campus. Earlier this spring, construction was completed on the Weave Bridge, a beautiful new pedestrian span designed by Penn's own Cecil Balmond, the Paul Philippe Cret Practice Professor of Architecture.

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

They may be amateurs, but they proved they can play with the pros. The City 6 All-Stars - a compilation of the best college softball players at Philadelphia schools - held their own in an exhibition game against the city's Pro Fastpitch League franchise, the Philadelphia Force.

Nobody wants to get swine flu, and for good reason. With symptoms like fever, coughing, headache and possible death, the disease is the greatest threat to our health since the Great Meningitis Outbreak of 2009. But there is one thing people seem more afraid of than contracting swine flu - calling it that.

We all have our to-do lists, and incoming Provost Vincent Price is no different. As the first interim provost in the University's history chosen to permanently fill the position, Price already made his mark last Thursday when Penn President Amy Gutmann announced his selection - but he's not taking any chances on missing a beat.

Katherine Nathanson, an assistant professor at Penn's School of Medicine, describes testicular cancer as "an interesting cancer" because of its increasing incidence, its heritability and its overwhelming prevalence within a single age and race. Although potential funders have questioned the rationale of studying a relatively rare disease that has a cure, Nathanson has stood by her research.

Anna Aagenes was just a second away from automatically qualifying for next week's NCAA Track and Field Championships. Now, she'll have to wait a whole year before she can redeem herself. The junior competed at the NCAA East Regional Championships in Greensboro, N.

A former Penn professor has made her mark on religious history. Reverend Leslie Callahan was recently chosen as the new pastor for St. Paul's Baptist Church - located at 1000 Wallace Street in Philadelphia - making her the first female pastor in the church's 119 years of history.

Thanks to online social networking, Penn has had its fair share of flash mobs, including dance parties in Fisher Fine Arts Library and pillow fights on Locust Walk. But these seemingly light-hearted organized events took a turn for the dangerous when over one hundred youths swarmed South Philadelphia last Saturday.

The search for Penn's next provost is over: Vincent Price will take the reins as the University's 29th provost beginning July 1, Penn President Amy Gutmann announced this afternoon. Price is currently interim provost of Penn and a professor of communication in the Annenberg School.

While his team was unable to reclaim the Madeira Cup from Cornell this year, Penn men’s heavyweight rowing coach Fred Honebein is hoping that the Quakers can follow the blueprint to success their rivals followed.

Penn alumnus and governor of Utah Jon Huntsman Jr., was nominated by Obama as the United States ambassador to China, and Penn Law professor William Burke-White has been appointed to a policy position in the U.S. Department of State.

In an event marked by pop culture references, laughs from the audience and heartfelt moments, Google CEO Eric Schmidt led the 2009 commencement ceremony with a speech geared toward guiding new graduates in the current economic environment.

For eight members of the Penn men’s track and field team, it’s time to kick it up a notch.

With the help of an $18 million grant, one Penn researcher will lead the way in the development of new treatments for pancreatic cancer.

On May 19, former Philadelphia Inspector General Seth Williams won the Democratic primary for the upcoming Philadelphia District Attorney election, surpassing his four rivals with over 40 percent of the vote.