Girl Scouts represent more than just campfire songs and brownie uniforms. Susan Miller, history undergraduate advisor, launched her new book Growing Girls: The Natural Origins of Girls' Organizations in America at the LGBT Center yesterday evening, in which she discusses the importance of organizations such as Girl Scouts.

Festive African rhythms played throughout Houston Hall yesterday, welcoming all Kwanzaa observers. Organized by UMOJA, yesterday's Kwanzaa feast emphasized the importance of unity and togetherness among members of the black community on campus. Kwanzaa, as introduced at the event by Wharton alum Daina Richie, reflects the importance of "family, community and culture.

This year, the Grinch has a new name: Facebook. The social-networking Web site has ruined the holidays for many users whose private online gift purchases were publicly displayed on the Facebook.com News Feed, inspiring potential lawsuits and a massive wave of online protest.

The next major contributions to stem cell research may be made at Penn. The Institute of Regenerative Medicine, which was established on Nov. 27 by Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Ron Daniels, will research the potentials in stem cell biology. The institute's research will be used to develop new therapies to treat a broad spectrum of diseases including cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

It has taken a "media mix" to publicize Penn's plans for eastward expansion into the postal lands said University spokesman Tony Sorrentino. But after weeks of PowerPoint presentations and distributing brochures, University officials feel their best publicity tool may just be warming up - the project's 150-page Web site, which they hope will help people broaden their understanding of Penn's future and its past.

Instead of spending $40,000 a year, you can now take a course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for free from the comforts of your own home. MIT has now made 90 percent of its courses available online, as part of the school's OpenCourseWare program, which began in 2000.

With a new multi-million-dollar endowment, the Robert A. Fox Leadership Program is about to get a whole lot foxier. Robert Fox, a 1952 College alumnus, and his wife Penny Grossman Fox, who graduated from the School of Education in 1952, announced their gift of $10 million to support and expand the School of Arts and Sciences program, which will bring the family's total contribution to the program to $23 million.

Could "gay shame" ever take the place of "gay pride?" It did in the past. Professor Heather Love appeared at the Penn Bookstore last night to discuss her book, Feeling Backward: Loss and the Politics of Queer History, which highlights the importance of remembering the dark and lonely past of the gay and lesbian community .

Parents looking for lodging in University City while visiting their children could soon have a more affordable option if the proposal for a new off-campus hotel is approved by local organizations and the University's Board of Trustees. A coalition made up of Campus Apartments, private developer Tom Lussenhop and the real-estate company Hersha Hospitality are in the process of developing and approving a plan to lease a site from the University on the corner of 40th and Pine streets.

The Latino Coalition elected its new board for the upcoming year last night in Huntsman Hall. An umbrella organization for Penn's 23 Latino-interest student groups, LC tackles a broad range of issues including Latino faculty recruitment and increasing admission of Latino students.

Twice in the past seven months, a Penn Police officer has used deadly force against a perpetrator - the only two such occasions in Penn Police history. The situations that led to these incidents - a shooting at Club Wizzards in late November and an April carjacking - reflect a trend of growing violence against police officers, both in Philadelphia and nationwide.

Alum accused of ID theft turns self in Edward Anderton, a 2005 College alumnus, and Drexel University student Jocelyn Kirsch turned themselves in at Philadelphia Police headquarters yesterday to face new charges. The couple, accused of a massive identity-theft scheme, have now been charged with burglary and theft.

Crime in the Penn Patrol zone increased slightly in 2007 compared to last year, with the biggest jump occurring in thefts. Total crime increased year-to-date by six percent, according to the Division of Public Safety. Statistics for the month of November show a 20-percent increase in total crime compared to the same month last year.

The alleged exposure of a security guard to a Penn student after he walked her home one night does not seem to have affected the number of people using the escort service, the Division of Public Safety has reported. Current walking-escort numbers are "running pretty much neck-and-neck" with escort use prior to the exposure, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said.

Penn Student Agencies has added a host of new services for Penn students to utilize. PSA general manager Aviva Hirschfeld will now offer a notary service from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays or by appointment. Notarized signatures are often required for legal documents like drivers' licenses and house deeds.

Strobe lights, music, karaoke and chocolate fondue - sounds like a party! Add Penn President Amy Gutmann and a student dressed as a cardboard dreidel and you have last night's Hanukkah candle lighting at Hillel. Penn Hillel celebrated the first night of the Festival of Lights with a party for the University community.

Video games and homework aren't always mutually exclusive. One-hundred-fifty students at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering took an innovative new class on video games this semester, playing them on various consoles designed to provide students with a technical and historical foundation for games.