Congress may have awarded a record of nearly $2.25 billion in earmarked funds to academic institutions this fiscal year, but Penn will only see about $160,000 from the controversial grants. However, the University said it is not concerned by that small sum.

Yesterday, School of Arts and Sciences administration and officials in the Asian American Studies program met to discuss revisions to the proposed budget for the 2008-2009 academic year. The previously proposed ASAM budget would have been lower than those of past years, prompting an outcry by students and faculty alike that resulted in yesterday's talks.

At the AFL-CIO convention in Center City yesterday, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama made his case to the working class, largely through responses to parts of Hillary Clinton's speech there the previous day. Obama addressed Clinton's economic proposals - and her jokes - while still maintaining his characteristic campaign theme of change.

As many students observed in New Orleans this spring break, professor John DiIulio encourages students to learn outside of the classroom. DiIulio, one of Penn's foremost political scientists and director of the Fox Leadership Program, spoke yesterday alongside Graduate School of Education professor John Puckett to students in Houston's Hall of Flags as part of Education Week - an annual series of events organized by the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education.

Atop the narrow staircase leading to College Hall's Philomathean Art Gallery lies an intimate photography exhibit documenting the spring break trips of 300 Penn students. However, instead of the predictable beaches and bars, the captured images display moments from various Penn groups' community service trips.

The lawyer for Joseph Cho, the former Penn Law student facing charges of attempted murder, has requested that Cho undergo another psychiatric evaluation to determine if he is fit to stand trial. Cho was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing yesterday, but it was postponed after Peter Bowers, Cho's attorney, asked for the mental-health evaluation, according to Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Melissa Francis.

Don't be surprised to find a sealed envelope with a velvet bag and a gold-plated medallion under the door - it might just be an invitation to join the Kairos Society. Founded at Penn, the Kairos Society is a worldwide invitation-only entrepreneurial society.

Last fall, high-school senior Christine Li, of George Walton High School in Marietta, Ga., applied early action to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When she was deferred and later rejected, she turned her attention to Penn. And after Shams Ahmed, a senior at Cherry Hill High School East in Cherry Hill, N.

The Philosophy, Politics and Economics department is in the process of devising new courses for the major, although there will not be any significant changes in the core of the curriculum. Cristina Bicchieri, director of the PPE department, said PPE faculty are working with several participating departments to expand the number of PPE course offerings, but she added that "nothing is written in stone" and said the exact details will not be available for a few more months.

With his greyish white hair cropped neatly, navy blue suit and persuasive mannerism, Michael Wilson looked and sounded like a man of power in the business world. In fact, Wilson was just that, until he left the private sector to become the 22nd Canadian Ambassador to the United States.

A shake-up in the admissions office and a projected lower yield rate likely contributed to Penn's slightly higher acceptance rate this year, admissions experts say. Penn's acceptance rate increased to 16.4 percent this year, up from 16 percent last year. In contrast, the other Ivies - excluding Cornell University, which has yet to release its information - have all reported record low admissions rates.

Now, when you watch a video on YouTube, the clip's creator can gain insight into your identity. YouTube Insight - a free tool that allows users to view detailed statistics about the videos they upload - was released last week. Students who post videos on YouTube have reacted positively to the new feature, but they admit that releasing any more information about site visitors may violate users' privacy.

For thousands of Americans, the current credit crisis is a nightmare of potential home foreclosures and job layoffs. For Wall Street, it is a market tsunami of complex mortgage investment losses. But for Penn professors, the crisis is an extra opportunity to bring real-life financial examples to the classroom, where students are showing renewed interest in the current economic situation.

The typical "American-dream" family - complete with pet, SUV and soccer-mom - has in recent decades given way to an increasing number of divorced and single-parent families. As a result, colleges like Penn may have to rethink traditional formulas in financial aid and admissions.

What's in a name? A lot, professors say - in a course name, at least. As Advance Registration draws to a close, professors acknowledge that an eye-catching course title can make a big difference in enrollment - both in the number and types of students who end up taking it.

Polls for the 2008-2009 student government elections closed yesterday afternoon after record voter turnout, but results will not be announced until two violations filed yesterday are settled by the Nominations and Elections Committee. Both charges were filed regarding the Class of 2011 Class Board and Undergraduate Assembly races.

For many students in the College, Barbara Woodford has a voice and a face you know, but a name you probably don't. To many, Woodford is simply the middle point between you and a meeting with your academic advisor, but she may be the most important person at the College office in Logan Hall, ensuring things run smoothly and giving visitors their first impression of Penn's staff.