Junior Kate Kosminskaya had never played doubles with Alexa Ely. But the No. 2-seeded duo made the most of their competitive debut, winning the Cissie Leary Tournament when Yale's top team withdrew. Kosminskaya and Ely knocked off the Bulldogs' second-best tandem, Stevi Petrelli and Vicky Brook, in Saturday's semifinals, 8-5.

After the post-game press conference at Lafayette on Saturday, Leopards coach Frank Tavani offered some words of encouragement. "You guys got a good football team," he said. "They're gonna be all right. It's two tough games, I know, but believe me." I believe him.

In Philadelphia news last month: a boycott of the Embassy Suites Hotel for unfair firings, the unification of the city's two major taxi unions and an illegal-immigration raid at a janitorial services contractor. These aren't exactly typical headlines in Philadelphia news media.

Want a cheaper outlet for movie rentals or book purchases? More Americans than ever are realizing just where they can find these services for free. Nationwide, public libraries are welcoming more visitors than they have in previous years to browse their collections.

After the excitement surrounding Stephen Colbert's week-long stay at the Zellerbach Theatre last semester, the Social Planning and Events Committee has decided to tap another Stephen for its annual fall show. Comedian, musician and Pennsylvania-born Stephen Lynch is scheduled to perform at SPEC's fall concert, officials announced today.

Students obsessed with Gmail, Google Calendar and Gchat will soon be able to add the "Google phone" to their arsenal. T-Mobile will launch the G1 phone - also known as the "Google phone" - on Oct. 22. And though analysts don't expect the same frenzy that accompanied the release of Apple's iPhone in June 2007, many say Google's strategy of open software may transform the wireless industry.

Last week, 2008 College alumnus Sujit Datta received the LeRoy Apker Award of the American Physical Society, the highest award that APS grants for undergraduate research. The award consists of $5,000, a certificate of achievement and a trip to the APS meeting, where the two annual student awards are presented.

A robbery was reported near campus early Thursday morning. Sean McLaughlin, 21, was arrested for allegedly grabbing a 21-year-old man from behind and attempting to rob him on the 200 block of S. 39th Street at about 12:30 a.m. According to Detective Mole of the Philadelphia Police, there were no injuries and the man was able to escape before McLaughlin took anything of his.

Playtime's over. While the rest of the Ivy League is enjoying another Saturday of tuneups against non-conference foes, Harvard, Brown, Yale and Cornell kick off their Ivy League seasons this weekend. More interestingly, tomorrow looks to be a "Separation Saturday" of sorts.

Attention female sophomores: you may be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship care of the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority, no strings attached. The scholarship, which is open to all "sophomore female leaders" regardless of Greek affiliation, hopes to reward one sophomore who has made a significant "contribution to the campus or local community," according to a letter accompanying the application.

Treating sex seriously To the Editor: In response to your recent article "Sex educators demystify orgasms" (9/24/08), it's good for people to discuss and raise awareness about female orgasms, but I think the manner in which it was presented is inappropriate.

The hundreds of cars, bicycles and pedestrians that cross the South Street Bridge every day are going to have to find new routes across the Schuylkill River when the bridge closes for reconstruction this fall. Which alternate routes will they choose? The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is funding a study to answer that question.

According to the Government Accountability Office, women are cheap. A report released in mid-August by the organization concluded that because federal agencies aren't properly monitoring pay equity and anti-discrimination laws, women still earn 80 percent of what men make.

By JESSICA BELL Staff Writer jbells@dailypennsylvanian.com Government officials are bracing for a large increase in the number of students needing financial aid, but Penn and its peer institutions are anticipating a smaller jump. Pell Grant - the country's most important student financial-aid program - may need an additional $6 billion in taxpayer dollars for the 2009-2010 school year, Bush administration officials warned Congress last week.

Alex Jacobson is a College junior from Los Angeles. His e-mail address is jacobson@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Lafayette's last-second 8-7 victory over Penn last year, which was as ugly as it was close, showed that the Leopards are not the flashiest of football teams. They play a slow-paced game, and their big, bruising offensive line is crucial in their run-first, run-second scheme.

Despite a 3.9-percent drop in Penn's endowment over the last year, the University is sticking to its current investment plan. Given the state of the financial market, outsiders and University officials agree that Penn's commitment to its long-term strategic financial goals is the best way to keep the endowment strong in the long run.