The smartphone has gone from being used as a communication device to more of a crutch. We use our phones to avoid making eye contact with people on Locust Walk, in line at the grocery store, and in the elevator.

Melanie Williams-Bethea, who was the director of financial aid at the Teachers College until last May, was charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, bribery and student aid fraud. 

In a thriller, senior guard Anna Ross dictated exactly how the script would end: with the ball in her hands. It was her last-second bucket that proved the difference as Penn eked past Villanova 79-77. 

The seasons of both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have been defined by a series of ebbs and flows. The men sit at 4-4, the women at 4-5, and both teams have blown out and been blown out by their competitors.

Of course, braving the sub-zero temperatures and seemingly endless bus rides was not purely for fun. This “vacation” was actually a NCAA-sanctioned international tour, which is allowed once every four years. And, with this being the lucky year, coach Jack Wyant took his squad north for the training retreat.

The year-long struggle to keep the Asian American Studies program alive has sparked conversations about the importance of ethnic diversity in Penn’s curriculum.

This year, RAs and GAs received four days of mandatory training beginning on Aug. 14, just before New Student Orientation on Aug. 22.

Call them the "Swaggy Six," or the "Super Sophs", or the "Bars Bunch"; no matter the alias, Penn gymnastics will be tough to beat this year due to a record-breaking crop of sophomores on the bars.

After back injuries during her sophomore year forced senior Emily Shugan to end her career as a gymnast, she has since leaped into a new role on the team: student assistant coach.

SARAH KHAN is a College freshman from Lynn Haven, Fla.

It's not that Nwokedi's impact on each game has diminished. Rather, coach Mike McLaughlin and the team have needed her to play a new role this season. And, according to McLaughin, the changes in the past few weeks have been due to her growth in that new role.

By the afternoon of Jan. 17, it was reported that prosecutors had persuaded a judge to remove the option of allowing Sam Woodward, 20, to get out on bail. 

Javice said her startup has saved an average of $7,000 in tuition for each student who has used the service. Since its launch, Frank has worked with over 200,000 families, according to the website.

Though most programs would hesitate to refer to a two-season title hiatus as a drought, the mentality for Penn gymnastics is clear. It’s “championship-or-bust time” for the Red and Blue, and the 2018 squad is more than ready to do so.

11 years. That's how long it's been since the last time Penn men's basketball defeated Temple in 2007 — which is also the year of the Quakers' last NCAA tournament appearance. Behind the superb play of sophomores Ryan Betley and AJ Brodeur, the Quakers are confident they can take their first win over Temple in a decade.  

For the Quakers, the only starter who was not previously a fixture in the starting lineup is junior forward Max Rothschild. After averaging 13.6 minutes per game and starting three games combined in his first two seasons at Penn, Rothschild has averaged 23.9 minutes per game this season, starting all 17 games. And so far, he has validated coach Steve Donahue’s decision to increase his role.

Kelly Writers House "writer in residence" Dick Polman moderated the event, which was the first stop on bestselling author Michael Wolff's national book tour.