The political circus is finally here. For the next four weeks, Pennsylvanians will find out what it's like to be at the center of the political universe as candidates prepare for the state's April 22 primary. During the week before spring break, Chelsea Clinton campaigned on campus at Wynn Commons for her mother, New York Sen.

The candidates are back for another round - on April 16, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will face off in Philadelphia during the 21st Democratic debate. The debate - hosted by ABC - will be held at the National Constitution Center in downtown Philadelphia.

The University's review of hiring practices came closer to an end last week with the Faculty Senate's decision to not include a statement disclosing criminal background as a prerequisite for faculty employment. For now, it's unclear what direction the hiring-practices review will take following the Faculty Senate's decision.

While Native Americans are a minority on Penn's campus, yesterday at Houston Hall they had a big voice. Six Directions, Penn's Native American interest organization, and Amnesty International co-presented a talk highlighting a movement to end violence against Native American women.

It may be the one class every Penn student has to take during his or her undergraduate education, but it's also the one class whose merits students can't seem to pinpoint. A foundation at many colleges across the nation, Penn's 50 to 60 writing seminars seek to transition the writing of incoming freshmen from "five-paragraph, SAT or free-form writing" to shorter essays with more peer revision, said program director Valerie Ross.

Despite weeks of research, students in one Electrical and Systems Engineering class are still pondering the best way to climb the fabled "Rocky steps" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Of course, their task is more difficult than it sounds: While climbing those stairs may be an easy trek for tourists, getting a robot to make the same jaunt isn't so simple.

Wharton received a gift from its alumni to support research in a less traditional field of business. Julie and Kenneth Moelis, both Wharton alumni, donated $5 million to the Wharton Sports Business Initiative, a program that aims to conduct research on sports business and provide education on the sports industry.

Staying at Penn over spring break? Well, if you're over 21, you can join the annual festival to celebrate Philadelphia's unique beer-drinking history. Philly Beer Week begins today with a special event on Sunday called The Brewer's Plate, which celebrates Philadelphia culture by offering a gourmet experience consisting of the city's finest food and drink.

Despite recent discussion nationwide about allowing licensed students to carry concealed weapons on campus, Penn does not plan on changing its existing policy. The University is "absolutely not" looking into revisiting its policy, which prohibits faculty, staff and students from carrying weapons or firearms on campus or in any Penn building, said Vice President of Public Safety Maureen Rush.

Crime rates for February saw a 26-percent increase from this month last year with year-to-date total crime up 12 percent from 2007. The main cause is an increase in general theft, which rose from 35 incidents in February 2007 to 55 in 2008, despite the Division of Public Safety's ongoing theft-awareness campaign.

Penn Electrical and Systems Engineering professor Nader Engheta received one of Penn Engineering's top honors on Wednesday. Engheta, who has been named one of the 50 most important leaders in science and technology in America by Scientific American magazine, was presented with the Heilmeier Faculty Award for Excellence in Research.

A Dental student was held captive in his apartment by armed robbers for about 12 hours earlier this week. One man, Justin Sheppard, 25, of Havertown, has been arrested in connection with the incident.

International students coming to the U.S. not only have to adjust to a new cultural, social and educational environment, but also to a more Americanized writing style. In an attempt to ease this transition, the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing started the Global English course last semester.

An unknown driver assaulted a Penn Police officer with his vehicle Wednesday afternoon, Division of Public Safety officials said. While directing traffic on the 3100 block of South Street, the Penn Police officer observed a vehicle accelerating around the corner at a high rate of speed.

One of Penn's most popular student organizations may be in jeopardy following the School District of Philadelphia's proposed implementation of stricter volunteer policies. The West Philadelphia Tutoring Project partners with local schools to provide one-on-one tutoring and mentoring opportunities with over 300 Penn students.

Philadelphia natives today have experienced their fair share of pride and pain - with regard to their city and their baseball team. Yesterday, author Mitchell Nathanson shared his ideas about the baseball team in front of a small crowd at the Penn Bookstore.

2:00pm - March 12th, 2008 Hillary Clinton kicked off six weeks of political attention for Philadelphia with a rally yesterday evening at Temple University. Before a cheering crowd of 3,000 to 4,000 supporters Hillary delivered a campaign speech that was decidedly short on mentions of her chief rival, Barack Obama, but big on populist promises to help the working class.