With so much media attention focused on the upcoming presidential election, it's easy to forget that Congress is also turning over. That's just as well, since rampant gerrymandering has severely reduced the competitiveness of many congressional elections in Pennsylvania, leaving voters with few real choices or decision-making influence.

Engineering senior Ryan Goldstein said he remains enrolled in the University and intends to graduate in the spring. On Tuesday, Goldstein was sentenced in federal court to five years probation, a $30,000 fine and one year in various forms of custody for his involvement in hacking into the School of Engineering and Applied Science'scomputer server in February 2006.

In his Oct. 3, 2008 column, Mordechai Treiger raises a very valid question: "Why save New Orleans?" He claims that New Orleans, because of it precarious geologic location, is in danger of succumbing to the forces of nature and therefore will unavoidably be destroyed.

Activists are rattling the University's cage about animal experimentation. A small protest last weekend on the corner of 34th and Walnut streets reiterated complaints that community members have with the University's research methods. The protestors echoed the concerns of Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN), an animal-rights group, which claims that Penn is one of the worst universities when it comes to animal research.

What do you get when you combine comic books, TV weathermen and the military? The premise for a vaguely funny joke? Possibly. But according to sixth-year graduate student Roger Turner, these three seemingly incongruous institutions actually have a shared history, dating back to the First World War.

37 + 19 = ? The calculation may not seem that hard now, but try doing it while drunk. That's the goal of Google Mail Goggles, a new feature for Gmail that requires users to complete a series of simple math problems before sending an e-mail late on weekend nights.

It has long been the norm for the University to deny funding to student political groups. So when the price tag for Republican presidential nominee John McCain's November 2007 visit to Penn came to nearly $5,000, members of the executive board of the College Republicans had to reach into their own pockets to help cover the costs, said College junior and College Republicans president Zac Byer.

Waiting at the 38th Street crosswalk while you're late for class isn't the only horror on Spruce Street. Penn Dance and Glee Club's seventh annual collaboration, "Nightmare on Spruce Street," opens today in the Prince Theatre at the Annenberg Center. The Glee Club, founded in 1862 as an all male a cappella group, has toured over 35 different countries on five continents, while Penn Dance is experienced in its own right, with over 30 years of bringing modern dance to university audiences and beyond.

Lacrosse, eh? They may not have infiltrated the sport the way Eastern Europe rules women's tennis, but Canadian high schoolers are getting a closer look from NCAA men's lacrosse programs throughout the nation, coaches say. It's a trend that is reintroducing Canada to the outdoor game - which originated near the Great Lakes - and creating new incentives for Canadian players to make themselves known in the U.

For Natalie Capuano, it's no heat, no sleeves, no problem. The senior captain started the women's soccer team's 3-0 win over Rider last night looking a bit silly, bare-armed in the cold. But as the sleeves stayed off through halftime, she led by example. "Nat's just tough," said sophomore Sarah Friedman, who leads the team with 22 points.

The scoreboard read 0:00, but the first half of the Penn field hockey team's game with Temple was anything but over. The Owls had committed a penalty, giving the Quakers one final play. On the ensuing corner, Rachel Eng found midfielder Kelsey Tahan in the circle.

Jennifer Lesser is a College junior from Minneapolis, Minn. Her e-mail address is lesser@dailypennsylvanian.com.

For some professors, supporting Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama extends beyond the ballot box. Across the country, thousands of professors - several on Penn's campus - are advising the Obama campaign on a number of issues as part of policy committees.

A prettier Clark Park may be in the near future. With a local architect at the helm and newly unveiled designs, proposed renovations of Clark Park may begin as early as late spring. The park's pathways, lighting and center plaza will all get overhauls as part of a plan to revitalize the aging park.

Gay and straight students alike gathered for a candlelight vigil in Wynn Commons last night to commemorate the death of Matthew Shepard, who was brutally murdered 10 years ago for being gay. The vigil was hosted by Allies, an organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight students.

Four robberies were reported on or near campus over the weekend and early this week, marking an unusually high number of violent incidents in the area. On Monday night, Kasim Brown, 26 and unaffiliated with the University, was arrested in connection with a robbery at the World Café Live, located at 3025 Walnut Street, a little before 11 p.

We're nearing the end of October, Fall Break has come and gone, so that can only mean one thing - it's almost Halloween! That may be the first event which comes to most students' minds - my own costume is waiting impatiently to make its debut - but before Halloween week rolls in, some students find themselves playing host to mom and dad.