WEST CHESTER, Pa. A few inches shorter than most of the other players on the ice, but just a little bit sprier, No. 4 seemed to hold the hockey team together. The Utah Edge defenseman was putting on a bit of a show for the sparse crowd that formed at West Chester's Ice Line rink complex, but something about her was a little unusual.

Amira Fawcett is an Engineering junior from Houston, TX. Her e-mail address is fawcett@dailypennsylvanian.com.

To the untrained eye, the line between Class Boards and the Undergraduate Assembly is pretty blurry. The two groups do serve very different functions: While the UA lobbies administrators, the Class Boards focus on promoting school spirit. But many students often confuse the two organizations, especially during elections.

It's not often that the men's and women's track teams compete against each other. It's even rarer that they tie in a relay. And it's almost unheard of that the men's track team would simply brush off the result and eat pie next to its opponents. Penn's first-ever Pride Games, however, were not a place for arguing between groups divided by gender, race or, most importantly, sexual identity.

'Isn't she beeeeauutiful?" whispered the suited woman standing next to me. "There's just nothing like being in the presence of someone with that much charisma." We were caught in the middle of the pushing and crowding in Houston's Hall of Flags last Monday, flush from our meeting with Hillary Clinton herself.

Looking for a post-midterm stress reliever? Mental Health Awareness Week has plenty of offerings. Active Minds, Penn's mental health advocacy group, hopes to bring mental health issues to the forefront of students' minds by hosting everything from workshops and lectures to more hands-on activities, like chalking the walk and holding rounds of Quizzo at Cavanaugh's.

The Quakers are in the middle of a thoroughly tiring week. They will face Saint Joseph's at 3 p.m. today, and again tomorrow, after already playing four games totaling 36 innings the last three days. The Hawks (9-16, 2-4 Atlantic 10) are not in much better shape, though.

In an effort to channel some good old bulletin-board inspiration, the men's lightweight crew team picks daily quotes for the boathouse, chosen for their encouragement and insight. Dave Mannion's favorite? "It's from Ben Hogan," the sophomore rower prefaced.

Penn alum Dr. Arnold Eisen, current chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, addressed a full audience at Hillel yesterday, offering a sociological perspective on the current state of Judaism. He focused his speech on the importance of youth reinterpretation and redefinition of Jewish history, culture and text.

From class visits by Karl Rove to Los Angeles field trips, the Creative Writing Program plans to kick off the next academic year with an exciting array of new courses. During Dick Polman's journalism course on the 2008 Presidential Election, for example, students with a passion for both writing and politics will have the opportunity to track and critique the news as the election unfolds.

Put on some salsa shoes and get ready for a week-long fiesta. Latino Coalition, the umbrella group for all Latino groups on campus, is organizing the 26th annual Festival Latino from March 30 to April 5. Packed with events designed to entertain and educate the Penn community, Festival Latino is "a way for Latino students to bond and illustrate the diversity and richness of their cultures," said Wharton sophomore and chairman of the Latino Coalition Rami Reyes.

It's not an uncommon scenario. You're waiting in line for the $2.50 egg white sandwich at Bui's Food Truck, and an unshaven man in scruffed-up Timberlands, reeking of stale cigarettes, asks you for change. Sister, can you spare a dime? Will you help a brother out? God bless.

The New Zealand teenager accused of working with a Penn student to hack a Penn server in 2006 has pleaded guilty to all charges. Owen Walker, 18, pleaded guilty in a New Zealand court to accessing a computer system with the intention of dishonestly obtaining payment for the installation of adware, accessing a computer system without authorization and other related offenses, according to Computerworld, a New Zealand news site.

What is wrong with Penn's education, and how can it be fixed? These are the questions the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education wants students to consider during its annual education week. Wharton and College junior Zach Fuchs, chairman of SCUE, explained that education week, which runs from March 31 to April 4, will allow students to think critically about their education instead of just following the University curriculum.

Last week the University notified officials in the Asian American Studies department that their budget, which was decreased for this academic year, will likely remain at the same lower level for the 2008-2009 academic year. This decision, however, has received negative feedback from many students and department officials.

It's uncertain if Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya's recent motion to dismiss murder charges against her will succeed, legal experts say. Malinovskaya, who allegedly bludgeoned her ex-boyfriend's then-girlfriend to death in 2004, has already been tried three times, each resulting in a mistrial.

Students unsatisfied with campus dining and printing are in for a treat. The Undergraduate Assembly unanimously passed two proposals at Sunday night's meeting tackling complaints about inefficient dining halls and expensive printing. n With its Dining Proposal, which has been in the works since last year, the UA seeks to create a series of "baby steps" for Penn Dining to improve the quality of food and service.