22,950Iraqi Health Ministry's estimate of how many Iraqi civilians died violently in 2006.Source: The New York Times

Daniel Schwartz is a College freshman from Decatur, GA. His e-mail address is schwarm@sas.upenn.edu.

A cold afternoon from the field and ineffective defense off the dribble sent Penn to another loss on Saturday, as the Quakers closed out 2006 with a 94-85 defeat to Seton Hall at Continental Airlines Arena. After crashing back to earth in a 80-61 loss to Virginia Tech two days earlier, the Pirates (7-2) exploited a shaky Penn defense to go on a 13-3 run late in the first half.

A reflection on columnizing and life.

University presidents' paychecks are getting larger each year. And though her counterparts' salaries have been catching up over the last few years, Gutmann remains one of the most highly paid administrators among university leaders. In the 2004-2005 academic year, more than 100 presidents of four-year institutions received compensation packages of at least $500,000, a 53 percent increase from the previous year, according to a recent Chronicle of Higher Education survey.

Dear Ira Winston, IT officials and members of the administration, In case you aren't already aware, School of Arts and Sciences students are angry.

Unlike more recent campaigns to reduce crime on campus, the Nuisance Alarm Reduction Team prefers to keep a low profile. Their goal: Stop falsely triggered alarms from disrupting the academic lives of students throughout campus. And with the recent increase in the sophistication and number of alarm systems across campus, University officials say NART's job is more necessary now than ever.

After a tough loss, it can't be easy to wait 11 days to play again. It is even harder to get rid of that sour taste against a top-5 team. But that is the tall order the Penn Quakers face after a 94-85 loss to Seton Hall last week. Their method? A trip down to Tobacco Road to square off against No.

After the third Webmail crash in three days on Friday, School of Arts and Sciences technology officials say the problem may have finally been put to bed.

Through the first half last night, it looked as if the Quakers' inside game hadn't changed since it got beat up by Fordham for a 38-25 rebounding edge in a loss last game. On defense, Illinois-Chicago's big frontcourt manhandled the Quakers for 12 offensive rebounds against Penn's nine in the first 20 minutes.

Brian Grandieri has not built a reputation as a superstar. His knack for being in the right place at the right time has garnered far more attention than his occasional scoring outbursts. And the junior has been injured with an Achilles problem since last week, substituting a protective boot for shoes and forgoing practice until Monday.

Fordham's offense was in a rut before Saturday. The Rams were shooting only 39 percent from the field and 31 percent from three-point range. But all they needed was a visit to the Palestra. Marcus Stout knocked down five threes and Brenton Butler hit three as the Rams drained 12-of-21 from behind the arc en route to a 77-60 win over Penn.

The wife of a Penn professor was found murdered in her Main Line home late last week. The victim, Ellen Robb, was the wife of Rafael Robb, who teaches in the Economics Department. Her body was found Friday afternoon, and authorities told The Philadelphia Inquirer that, according to the autopsy, her death resulted from being beaten with a long, cylindrical object.

University alumnus Ralph Roberts and his son, alumnus Brian Roberts, have pledged $15 million towards a $144 million proton-therapy center scheduled to open in 2009. Other funds will come from the federal government, the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Penn will have to wait almost a full two weeks to try and get rid of the sour taste in its mouth, but that might be easier said than done. After being outclassed by Fordham on Saturday, the Quakers have a 12-day break for final exams before they have a chance to redeem themselves.

By Eric Karlan Staff Writer karlan@sas.upenn.edu Playing on the home court doesn't seem to be an advantage for the Penn women's basketball team. The Quakers continued their home woes on Sunday, when they fell to American 61-51. This was their fourth loss out of four games at the Palestra this season.

ELON, N.C. - Trailing late in the game, with their leading scorer on the bench, and a free throw percentage well under 60 percent, Penn seemed on the verge of being upset by 3-9 Elon. But Ibrahim Jaaber, without the assistance of forward Mark Zoller who fouled out with three and a half minutes remaining, helped guide Penn to a 66-64 win with two big plays on the offensive side of the floor that secured the slim lead for Penn.