Over 200 students and faculty gathered on College Green last night to mourn the 32 victims of Monday's shootings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute

For the past week, about 6,100 city planners from around the country have flocked to Philadelphia to discuss the future of urban life. But even before these development gurus had packed their bags for home, they had managed to stir up controversy among the city's mayoral candidates that brings into question the economic growth of the city and Penn's plans for the future.

Think Philly's got nothing going for it? Think again. Design Philadelphia has been showcasing Philadelphia's local talent in the applied arts for the past two weeks, with over 60 events. It aims to give a platform for the city's designers, especially for the young and vibrant designers that Philly seems to specialize in.

These days, a Penn diploma will set you back a cool $180,000. Wait - make that $180,044.95. Plus tax. If members of Penn's graduating Class of 2007 want to flip their tassels at Commencement next month, they will have to wear required regalia purchased at the Penn Bookstore.

SAS officials revealed yesterday that Google was initially their first choice to replace the crash-prone Webmail server, but the school turned to Microsoft after negotiations stalled in mid-March.

Wharton senior and class president Andrew Kaplan said over 550 seniors have signed a pledge not to throw non-approved items - like eggs, ketchup and mustard - this afternoon at juniors walking down Locust Walk.

(The reporter recounts his experiences covering the Virginia Tech tragedy in Blacksburg, Va.) Standing on the edge of the crowd at Monday night's vigil, I asked Virginia Tech junior Kathryn White how she was coping with the previous day's tragedy. "It's getting easier every day," she said.

Homicides are up in Philadelphia, and though city and police leaders are working to reverse the disturbing trend, they say there is no quick fix.

The Social Planning and Events Committee elected its new executive board in a closed election on Monday night. Newly elected members are: n President: College junior Max Cancre. n Vice President: College junior Anna Raper. n Treasurer: College junior Tony Rizzo.

The controversial application for a new liquor store at 4237 Walnut St. has been denied by the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment, site owner Daniel DeRitis said yesterday. DeRitis said he will immediately appeal the decision. "We're not going to give up on it," he said.

It's Microsoft. The School of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School chose Microsoft over the other finalist, Google, to replace the crash-prone Webmail system, with a new service to be called "Penn Live," SAS officials will announce today. The choice comes after a long negotiation process that lasted well past the final Jan.

This year's Spring Fling can't have been that much fun - there were fewer parties busted than ever. But the event has been heralded by University officials as being safer and more sober than previous Flings, meaning thoughts of moving it out of the Quadrangle are likely to be shelved for the time being.

From Vietnamese hoagies - "the new Philly cheesesteak," as one student called them - to buckets of hummus and Chinese egg tarts, tables of food reflected the diversity of Penn's campus. Eighteen minority student groups gathered yesterday afternoon in Bodek Lounge, where the Houston Hall room was abuzz with music and conversation.

Three days later, Penn professors, graduate associates and residential advisors are asking themselves what they would have done in a similar situation.

A relaxed atmosphere, class evaluations, maybe some donuts: These are the traits that characterize the last days of class at Penn. But the bar may have been raised yesterday, when Malcolm Gladwell, bestselling author of The Tipping Point and Blink, and rising musical star Kenna appeared on campus to lecture at Sociology professor David Grazian's "Sociology of Media and Pop Culture" class.

A new U.S. Cultural Diversity requirement for the College of Arts and Sciences's Class of 2012 was unanimously approved at the faculty meeting on Tuesday. The requirement "aims to develop [student] knowledge of the history, dynamic cultural system and heterogeneous populations" of the United States, according to its proposal.

As colleges across the country review communication methods in the wake of Monday's massacre at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Division of Public Safety officials say they have been exploring new mass notification technology for over a year. DPS spokeswoman Karima Zedan said officials are examining comprehensive emergency notification systems that would allow them to send notices via a variety of methods - through cell phones, e-mail, PDAs and home phones and to both the Penn community and students' emergency contacts.