With one of the two leading contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination a woman and the other an African American, this year's primaries represent a number of firsts for American politics. After Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and the other contests thus far, New York Sen.

It's hardly the calm before the storm. Florida has become a pivota-l -- and competitive - race in pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination. As Floridians vote today, they are effectively determining who goes to the playoffs on Feb. 5, when 22 states hold their primaries.

To stay on campus or move off? That is the question of the moment. Whether 'tis nobler to suffer the hand holding and formalities that surround on-campus living or end them by joining the off-campus exodus. Before I begin, let me disclose a little bit about myself.

They went for the beads. They left for their lives. Amidst a hotly disputed election and the deadly violence that followed in its wake, five Wharton MBA students and a professor spent two weeks in Kenya this winter break. The group is working through the Global Consulting Practicum, a Wharton course in which students consult for international firms.

After his team's Jan. 15 loss at Seton Hall, Penn women's basketball coach Pat Knapp boldly predicted when his team's double-digit losing streak would finally end. "Next game," said the fourth-year coach, whose squad has lost 10 straight games by an average of 20.

The campaign for the United States presidency is reaching a feverish pitch. And as the group of Democratic and Republican candidates diminishes, the level of swift-boating and misleading statements will only continue to rise, according to Brooks Jackson, director of the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit whistle-blowing organization FactCheck.org, which is run through Penn's Annenberg Public Policy Center.

The Undergraduate Assembly held its first meeting of the spring semester last Sunday night in Houston Hall, updating members on a number of ongoing issues and proposals and introducing new business. As is traditionally the case, the UA hopes to bring to fruition this semester many of the projects and proposals initiated during the fall.

It's a common complaint among math and science students that their grades are lower than those of their peers in humanities classes. And it turns out the figures back up their feelings - 63 percent of students in humanities courses get As compared to only 40 percent in the natural sciences, according to College of Arts and Sciences data from 2004-05.

Leave two engineers alone with a large brush, two bottles of water, a sensor and a pile of wood and the results may be impressive. Engineering seniors Elyse Newman and Francesca Lattanzio developed a "smart trash can" that automatically sorts recyclables that people place on a track.

After beating Drexel's Omar Laalej last season, Penn's Jonathan Boym neglected to shake his opponent's hand. Drexel coach Tricia Udicious called the episode "embarrassing," and then-Quakers' coach Mark Riley ultimately forced Boym to return to the court and conform to tennis etiquette.

Mechanical problems and rising gas prices might make that trip to Center City a little more expensive. According to the Philadelphia Parking Authority, a potential price increase in cab fares could raise the cost of an average cab ride from $9.15 to $9.87, a 72-cent increase.

A man robbed the Commerce Bank located at 38th and Walnut streets yesterday afternoon and got away with an unspecified amount of money, according to Det. James Horm of the Philadelphia Police. The robber did not display a weapon and no one was injured in the incident.

The National Institutes of Health has failed to adequately investigate financial conflicts of interest of researchers, which can potentially lead to skewed and unreliable results, according to a recent report by Daniel Levinson, the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Daniel Schwartz is a College sophomore from Decatur, Ga. His e-mail address is schwartz@dailypennsylvanian.com.

He has been called the "architect" of the White House, has stirred up some of the most controversial debates in recent years, and now he's coming to Penn. Karl Rove, political strategist and former deputy chief of staff to President Bush, will speak to the Penn community at 8 p.

The appointment of a new dean of admissions will likely not affect the way potential applicants and admissions counselors view Penn, admissions experts say. Because the admissions dean is only one component of the administrative team, it's unlikely that the appointment of Eric Furda, who was selected for the position Jan.

Despite rumors circulating around campus and on the Internet, Penn administration confirmed earlier today that the 2008 Commencement Speaker will not be Emeril Lagasse. "I have no idea how that rumor started," said University Secretary Leslie Kruhly, said.