Three months ago, ten Wharton freshmen sat in a circle in the basement of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. Back then, they were little more than polite strangers. Yet now, after a semester of working together as a Management 100 team, this group has become closer on a more personal level.

With a bit of luck, the Van Pelt night scene may get a whole lot livelier. After a push from members of the Undergraduate Assembly's Facilities Committee, Van Pelt administrators agreed to extend hours until 2 a.m. through reading days and finals. And to help students beyond finals period, the UA is currently in talks with the library administration about extending Van Pelt hours until 2 a.

The departure of former Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson has shown how much power Penn President Amy Gutmann wields, raising questions about the role of the Board of Trustees in checking the president's power.

The number of minority graduate students is up - but the social and academic support for those students isn't keeping pace. Minorities, women and international students made up most of the two-percent growth in graduate students this past year, according to a recent report issued by the Council of Graduate Schools.

When College freshman Ben Epstein is asked what he would like to do after graduation, he says he wants to write. But on a campus where career paths like business and pre-med take center stage, such interests are often dismissed as dead-end hobbies. "People say 'that's nice, but impractical,'" Epstein said.

College freshman Michael Tomback ran outside as soon as he saw it. He spun in circles. He took photos. It was finally snowing. For Tomback and many other freshmen from warm climates, last week's snowfall was not only the first of the season - but the first of their lives.

The University announced a new financial aid policy Dec. 17, launching an initiative that will eliminate loans from all undergraduate financial aid packages within two years. Beginning in September 2008, undergraduate students with family incomes under $100,000 will receive loan-free packages, according to a University press release.

The "Making History" campaign is living up to its name, Penn administrators say. With $1.69 billion in the bank, the five-year fundraising effort is already at over 48 percent of its $3.5 billion goal after being launched publicly this past October.

For some students, Greek life starts before they reach college. Ninety years ago, 11 Jewish students at West Philadelphia High School founded what later would become an international organization that united Jewish high school boys from all over the Western hemisphere.

Twenty days. That's how long the Recording Industry Association of America gave Lindsey, a College junior, to decide if she wanted to pay a little or a lot. After receiving a pre-litigation letter in mid-November from the RIAA accusing her of illegally downloading 1,927 songs, Lindsey - who asked that her real name be withheld for privacy reasons - had less than a month to research her options.

By Priyanka Dev Staff Writer devpr@sas.upenn.edu With half the year gone already, the Undergraduate Assembly is hopeful that the next semester will bring tangible results to its big plans. The UA's Mid Year Report - released yesterday - lists over 40 initiatives that members introduced or worked on this past semester, but UA leaders say students will have to wait to reap the benefits.

Robbery Nov. 30 - A female unaffiliated with the University was reportedly approached on the 4000 block of Locust Street by several suspects who knocked her to the ground, kicked her and took her identification and credit cards at about 1:30 a.m. Assault Dec.

A lawsuit was filed Jan. 11 against the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania on behalf of the family of Anne Ryan, a College sophomore who died of meningitis on Sept. 9th. Attorney Thomas Kline of Philadelphia law firm Kline & Specter has said that HUP misdiagnosed Ryan with a viral infection when she visited the emergency room three days prior to her death.

On Wednesday night, the Asian Pacific Student Coalition elected a new board, with College junior Benjamin Alisuag serving as chairman. The APSC serves as an umbrella organization for 20 student groups on campus. The group acts as a liaison between the Asian Pacific community and the University administration.

Penn President Amy Gutmann has announced a general timetable in the search for a new dean of admissions to replace Lee Stetson, the former dean who resigned mysteriously at the beginning of the semester. Gutmann said the search is proceeding on schedule, and a list of finalists should be complete by the middle of next semester.

Last night's student government address featured presentations by student leaders set to chart-topping hits like Pras' "Ghetto Supastar" and Mandy Moore's "Candy" - but the event wasn't all fun and games in the Nomination and Elections Committee's fifth annual State of the School Address.