As the start of the semester approaches, the Undergraduate Assembly is gearing up for what board members promise will be an eventful year. After getting back from a summer spent traveling through China and Capitol Hill, respectively, UA Chairman Jason Karsh and Vice Chairman Wilson Tong sat down for a chat with The Daily Pennsylvanian.

After five years, Penn is revamping its main Web site. The site, www.upenn.edu, now contains one large photo that covers the page, changing upon repeated access to the site. It also includes prominent text describing "Penn values," as well as a link to a new page called Penn Digest that describes current news and events on campus.

Cynthia Clark had been crying for hours. Holding a sign that read "I really am 25, just ask for ID," the under-five-feet-tall New York native stood in the downtown Wachovia Center with one goal in mind: landing a spot on American Idol.

The presence of an Advanced Placement class on a student's transcript may mean more than ever this coming admissions cycle. In January, the College Board hired the Educational Policy Improvement Center to review the syllabi of every AP class taught around world to make sure they all include the courses' requirements.

Assault July 29 - A 12-year-old boy unaffiliated with Penn reported that while riding his bike on the 3200 block of Chestnut Street he was assaulted by several other juveniles on bikes at about 8 p.m. The victim sustained cuts and bruises to his shoulder and arm and was taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was treated and released.

One daily routine for many college women has recently become much more expensive. Across college campuses, women have been witnessing rising birth control costs as many drug companies are no longer offering universities discounts due to government legislation.

It looks like the market for online Ivy League gossip just got a little bigger. Ivygateblog.com has heretofore been the only mainstream Web-based outlet for people wanting to get their fix of the latest higher education insider jokes and shenanigans. Now, though, it will have to contend with a new blog known as Off the Record.

From the Constitution Center to cheesesteaks, Philadelphia has something to offer almost every resident and visitor. At least, that's the stance several publications are taking as they recognize the greater Philadelphia area as one of the country's best places to live.

Friends and neighbors of Ellen Robb have installed a garden gazebo in her honor outside of Roberts Elementary School in Wayne. Robb, who was found bludgeoned to death in her Wayne home last December, was an active volunteer at the school, and had a daughter attend there as well.

A gun shot was reported on the unit block of South 40th Street on the night of Aug. 15. Philadelphia Police received a 911 call from a person claiming that a gun had gone off during an attempted robbery, according to Penn Division of Public Safety spokeswoman Karima Zedan.

Penn clocks in at No. 5 in the U.S. News & World Report's 2008 rankings of national universities, released today online. The position, for which the University is tied with the California Institute of Technology, marks a slight improvement from last year's standing at No.

Of a pair of alleged murderers - both former employees at the Au Bon Pain in Huntsman Hall - one awaits trial, while the other is still a fugitive. One employee, Samuel Scruggs, 46, did not appear for his arraignment in the Court of Common Pleas yesterday, so a not guilty plea was automatically entered for him, said Robert Marc Gamburg, Scruggs' lawyer.

Penn President Amy Gutmann will be traveling to Botswana at the end of this week to visit the Penn in Botswana program. The program combines students and faculty from Penn's Medical, Nursing, Wharton and Annenberg schools, among others. During her visit, Gutmann will meet with Botswanan President Festus Mogae, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health.

A preliminary hearing for a man accused of sexually harassing a woman in Van Pelt Library earlier this month was postponed yesterday morning. The hearing, which determines whether the case will go to trial, was rescheduled to Aug. 9 because the victim didn't appear in court.

Drilling and filling a tooth isn't something most kids know how to do, but high school sophomores and juniors participating in the Penn Summer Mentorship Program are honing skills just like these. Sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the School District of Philadelphia, the mentorship program offers study for four weeks on Penn's campus in six different academic fields: dental medicine, education, nursing, law, medicine and engineering.

Burglary July 16 - At about 8:20 a.m., a 42-year-old man unaffiliated with the University reported to Philadelphia Police that someone entered a house on the 4200 block of Walnut Street while it was under renovation. No force was used, and power tools were removed.

Eber Devine, accused of sexually harassing a woman in Van Pelt Library, has had many previous encounters with the law throughout his lifetime, including various instances at Penn. Devine, 38, of the 1700 block of North Lambert Street, is facing eight charges relating to his alleged sexual harassment of Conshohocken resident Aleshia Endy in a third-floor study room of Van Pelt Library July 3.