The second-degree murder charge for Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya should be dropped, the defense argued yesterday, in light of the circumstances surrounding the 2004 bludgeoning of Temple University graduate student Irina Zlotnikov. Defense attorney Eugene Maurer brought a motion asking Judge James Vaughn to forbid the jury from considering the charge because the murder must have been premeditated, which would only leave first-degree murder as an option.

Penn's strategy for raising the remainder of the money for its $3.5 billion capital campaign is fairly standard, experts say. Although finance consultants vary on how much a university should raise during the quiet phase, they generally agree that Penn was ready to take the next step in the campaign.

What would you do with $128,990? Student Activities Council board members could give the money to help improve student groups- - if only they could get their hands back on it. Each year, SAC, a branch of student government, is given $700,000 with which to fund and supervise about 200 students.

Ira Harkavy, the founder and head of the newly renamed Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships, has ten million new reasons to be happy. Earlier this month, CCP received a $10 million donation from its new namesakes, Edward Netter, a 1953 College alumnus, and his wife, Barbara.

Six thousand feet above sea level, on the flanks of the Peruvian Andes, a remote community of organic coffee farmers still follow the ancient Incan philosophy of Ayni. But this week, soft-spoken farmer Beltran Leguiacutea Masias is experiencing Ayni on a far broader scale: meeting the people who buy his coffee from Fair Trade shops across the world, in Philadelphia.

Penn doctors are giving some patients a second chance at life. School of Medicine professor Lance Becker and his team are researching a medical procedure that can reduce the amount of brain damage caused when a patient's heart stops. Even a 10-minute cutoff to oxygen can cause irreversible injury to the brain, said Vinay Nadkarni, who teaches at the Hospital of the University Pennsylvania.

When it comes to capital campaigns, the University has a history of reaching some hefty goals. Since Ben Franklin's first fundraising efforts to establish the University, Penn administrators have embarked on six capital campaigns, including the campaign launched Saturday night.

Communication between Penn, other local universities and community groups on gentrification and affordable housing issues will be a key issue in the coming years, the man who will likely be the next mayor told West Philadelphia residents last night.

Philadelphia has become increasingly well-known for its murals, and for their effects on the community. And with mural culture an established part of Philadelphia, Penn has increasingly seen itself joining in.

What was supposed to be a dialogue among three national experts on terrorism yesterday turned into a fractured, and at times raucous, event. However, it still offered the audience a diverse set of views on issues surrounding terrorism, with Ian Lustick, Stephen Gale and Daniel Pipes speaking about "What Today's College Students Need to Know About Terrorism.

Former Neurosurgery professor Tracy McIntosh's lawyer has filed a petition to halt McIntosh's Dec. 21 court-ordered resentencing for a 2002 sexual assault.

Sometimes it seems as if the Harvard-Princeton-Yale triumvirate is taking over the Ivy League. And now it might actually happen - in a huge online war strategy game where teams of Ivy League students attempt to conquer the entire geographic region of the Ancient Eight on behalf of their schools.

During its first meeting after fall break, the Undergraduate Assembly had a full plate of issues to discuss last Sunday night. Among other issues, the UA discussed the College Republicans' and Muslim Student Association's awareness weeks, the student-unfriendly rates for the Radian apartments and potentially free printing for students.

The School of Nursing community came together last Friday to hear about the school's current conditions. Nursing Dean Afaf Meleis delivered the annual state-of-the-school lecture, speaking about the school's progress over the last year, recalling its achievements and outlining its goals for the future.

As Penn begins the public stage of its largest-ever capital campaign, donors have more questions on their minds than how much to give. At a brunch Saturday for Benjamin Franklin Society donors - those who donate $2,500 or more annually to the University - many expressed concern and curiosity over the departure of former Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson, who suddenly resigned in late August.

Saturday night was slated to be a key moment in Amy Gutmann's tenure as president: the kickoff of the largest capital campaign in Penn's history and the unveiling of the postal-lands development, which is set to transform the face of University City. But beneath this spirit of celebration and under the red and blue spotlights surrounding College Green, alumni remained mystified and angry at Gutmann's handling of the departure of former Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson.