New Orleans seems like three different cities. First, there is the eerily empty Ninth Ward. Across the canal, the French Quarter is astir with nightlife and recovering businesses.

Avery Lawrence is a College junior from Charlottesville, Va.

WILMINGTON, Del. - State prosecutors presented the available forensic and DNA evidence in the trial of Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya yesterday -- but there was not much to show. Yet prosecutors say there has been more emphasis on verbal testimony than on DNA because Malinovskaya, who is charged with first-degree murder, tried to leave the scene without a trace.

The voting booths have opened. For the next week, the Class of 2010 will have the chance to pick their representatives to Penn's student government, the Undergraduate Assembly. From some of the campaign slogans and Facebook.com ads, the whole process may not appear serious at first.

On Oct. 6, 1965, one of the most famous events in Jewish sports history occurred, and nothing happened. Sandy Koufax chose not to pitch Game 1 of the World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Minnesota Twins because it fell on Yom Kippur. This coming weekend, Jews will be celebrating their new year, Rosh Hashanah.

Students see a useful tool, administrators see a potential problem, and some entrepreneurs think they've found a very profitable idea.

Weekday afternoons, you'll find the Magic Carpet food truck perched on the corner of 36th and Spruce streets. The magic lamp emblazoned on its green awning tempts students with promises of cheap culinary delights and meatless Mediterranean marvels. Try the magic tofu meatballs, and you'll understand why the Magic Carpet has become the alternative street food option for Penn's vegetarian population.

The Jewish high holidays are a major fund-raising event for most synagogues and Jewish organizations. And now, Penn's Hillel is no different. Under a new policy enacted this year, Hillel will charge non-student members of the region's Jewish community $180 to attend services.

And you thought baking Pillsbury brownies was a piece of cake. According to the rabbinic definition of baking, you don't even need the mix. Last night, David Freidenreich, a fellow at Penn's Center for Advanced Jewish Studies, discussed a taboo against eating foods prepared by people who are not Jewish and how definitions have been changed over time, sometimes in counter-intuitive ways, to get around the custom.

Last night the field hockey team made it more clear than ever that Penn is indeed not Penn State. And the No. 8 Nittany Lions certainly had reason to be proud that they are not Penn. They pounded the Quakers 3-0 for Penn's second consecutive loss and its fifth defeat on the season as Penn State garnered its seventh consecutive win.

Amira Fawcett is a College sophomore from Houston.

After months of deliberation, the verdict on the Engineering School's accreditation status is in.

High-school juniors can exhale: Early decision at Penn is not going anywhere, the dean of admissions says.

Al Bagnoli's 100th career win started in style.

Wharton alumnus Robert Levy and his wife Diane Levy pledged $5 million to fellowships and social-impact initiatives, University officials announced this week.

The men's soccer team has not been kind to the Atlantic 10 this year.

College can be a bit different from sixth grade. Take student government, for example. Penn's Class Boards and Undergraduate Assembly actually matter, unlike their pre-pubescent counterparts. The UA, for one, allocates about $1.55 million in student funds.