At some schools like the University of Southern California and New York University, rush occurs within days of arriving on campus freshman year.

University President Amy Gutmann will receive a leadership award from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania on March 3 at the organization's 22nd annual Take the Lead awards ceremony.

Engineering freshman Dara Elass wears long sleeves, pants and a burkha, a head scarf traditionally worn by Muslim women, every time she pays a visit to Pottruck. She follows traditional Islamic law, which requires that women cover up in the presence of men - even at the gym.

Last Friday, the chapter presidents of Penn's sororities and fraternities met with a team from the University to discuss next year's facilities budget for the Greek houses. Every year, each chapter meets individually with the University facilities team to discuss fixed costs, projected utilities, rent and any additional small projects that need to be done around the house for the upcoming academic year.

Data breaches and identity theft have become a prime focus on college and university campuses. A recent report by Educational Security Incidents found that the number of data breaches on college campuses rose 67.5 percent last year, compared to 2006. But at Penn, officials say, a number of measures are in place to protect data.

The second largest group of physicians in the United States sees evidence that marijuana can relieve severe pain and supports its medicinal use, according to a recently issued position paper. This paper from the Philadelphia-based American College of Physicians urges the federal government to acknowledge and sanction research into the plant's medicinal uses.

For some, the costs of studying abroad include more than just plane tickets, hostel fees and European bar tabs. With some study abroad programs in the Southern Hemisphere beginning as early as mid-July, students heading below the equator for fall semester will see their breaks cut in half and formal summer jobs and internships possibly impacted by their academic calendars.

Debate was in the air at Sunday evening's Undergraduate Assembly meeting, which ran for four and a half hours and had a significantly higher attendance than usual. About a dozen students, mostly from Lambda Alliance, the umbrella organization for all LGBT groups on campus, and ALLIES, an on-campus gay-straight alliance, were present to support the much-anticipated Blood Donor Discrimination Proposal, which was ultimately passed by the body.

Engineering junior Peter Beltramo couldn't help but look up and stare as he walked down Walnut Street last week. He walks this way often and has observed Penn's newest off-campus housing option, The Radian, take shape from the start. But while Beltramo says he has enjoyed watching the construction, he doesn't like what he sees.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System is doing a little spring cleaning, rearranging and remodeling this year. In addition to the expansive new Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine - set to open in June next to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania - Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse, located at 18th and South Streets, will also see some development and expansion.

Gong Xi Fa Cai! That's Happy Chinese New Year, to you. The Year of the Rat - also known as the Chinese year 4706 - began on Feb. 7, and residents of Chinatown in Philadelphia spent two weeks ringing in the new year in style. Chinese New Year is the most important of traditional Chinese holidays and is accompanied by parades, feasts and family reunions.

Penn Democrats will endorse a candidate for president next week, the organization announced yesterday - but there is still debate about whether it is too soon for such an endorsement, or whether the group should endorse at all. Penn Dems will hold an endorsement meeting on March 5 for all active members.

Having a roommate often means learning to live with differences in sleeping patterns and music tastes. For some, it can also mean getting used to someone else's eating habits. When living together with someone, dietary differences - such as being vegetarian or keeping kosher - require a degree of compromise between roommates to avoid potential flare-ups.

Last Friday at the second and final meeting of the Board of Trustees, Penn President Amy Gutmann announced that the "Making History" campaign is well on its way and will help fund the University's future loan-free financial aid initiative. The University has successfully engaged 1,800 alumni and has raised $1.

Elections are always competitive, but this year' presidential campaign has been exceptional. And as the battle intensifies, especially on the Democratic side, more and more celebrities, politicians and even companies are weighing in on the voters' decision.

When College freshman Clare Foran answers her geology professor's questions, it's not by raising her hand. She keys in the answer on a 'clicker' she brings to class. The electronic response pad, which all students in the class are required to purchase, transmits student answers to a computer which collates all the responses and displays them on a screen.