In a world that emphasizes political correctness, Nonie Darwish is not afraid to speak her mind - even if the ideas she expresses put her life in danger. Last night, as part of Penn Israel Coalition's Israel Advocacy Night in Huntsman Hall, Darwish spoke about what she sees as the threat of radical Islam.

U.S. Rep. Bob Brady isn't the only one facing challenges to his candidacy in Philadelphia politics. The congressman-turned-mayoral candidate is currently facing an attempt by rivals Dwight Evans and Tom Knox to end his candidacy over problems with his financial-disclosure forms.

For students at the Community College of Philadelphia, this spring break may not be so welcome. The local community college's faculty and staff went on strike last week, canceling classes for the school's 37,000 students. Union officials called the strike last Tuesday after a breakdown in negotiations about faculty and staff salary.

Even those audience members who had to stand for the entire two and a half hours of Norman Finkelstein's lecture last evening listened quietly and attentively, for the most part.

Despite contention among the student body, University officials are standing by their decision to bring the controversial Norman Finkelstein to campus, saying that funding does not translate into endorsement.

The University is now home to a center dedicated to the early detection and cure of ovarian cancer. The announcement of this facility, officially known as The Center for Research on Early Detection and Cure of Ovarian Center, was made on Monday. It will be directed by George Coukos, an internationally renowned gynecologic oncologist and research scientist.

Wharton junior Derek Zoch wants to improve football practice. And for Zoch, a kicker for the Quakers, that means spending the last few months putting the final touches on Quicker Kicker, a mechanical football holder that allows players to practice kicking a football as they would in a live game.

One side called it necessary to the advancement of science. The other compared it to killing nursing-home patients with an AK-47. Last night before an audience of about 80 people in the Bodek Lounge of Houston Hall, conservative pundit and author Ramesh Ponnuru and genetic-research advocate Eve Herold battled back and forth over the merits and pitfalls of embryonic stem cell research in "The Great Stem Cell Debate," sponsored by Penn for Life and Penn Students for Stem Cell Research.

This week, in addition to 40 regulars, about 65 other students showed up to this week's UA meeting to hear a controversial, last-minute proposal brought to the UA by Hillel and the Penn Israel Coalition. The proposal called for the University to withdraw its sponsorship, via the Political Science department and the Middle East Center, of tonight's visit by Norman Finkelstein, a professor at DePaul University, who is coming to speak as part of Palestine Awareness Week.

The City of Philadelphia decided this month to reduce the police presence at the MOVE house - originally installed to prevent the area from becoming a hotbed for violence.

Had you been researching Political Science professor John DiIulio last week on Penn Course Review, you would have seen that his "instructor rating" stayed in the three to four range. You wouldn't have known that some students consider him "the best professor they have taken at Penn.

A male freshman was injured at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house over the weekend and is currently undergoing medical treatment at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. After the injury, which occurred late Friday night, the student was taken by Philadelphia Fire and Rescue to HUP early Saturday morning, Division of Public Safety officials said.

There are still no new leads in the arson that gutted a house at 210 S. 41st St. in Jan., but the investigation of the fire will remain active for six months, Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker said. Police officials are currently reviewing interviews with residents to look for "any evidence that can point us forward to new witnesses or potential witnesses," Walker said.

Colleen Donovan and her roommates aren't desperate yet, but give them time - it's only March. The four College juniors signed a June 1 lease for a house on the 3900 block of Delancey Street, but, come June, none of them expects to remain in Philadelphia. With internships lined up in New York City and Washington, the girls are currently taking on the not-so-small problem of how to pay this summer's rent while they're out of town.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, who represented Pennsylvania in the Senate for 12 years, has joined the national law firm of Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott after failing to secure a third term in office in November. According to a press release, Santorum will provide business and strategic counseling services in the firm's Washington, D.

Long before her expected arrival, the audience had already packed the Kelly Writers House Seminar Room, buzzing with anticipation for Jamaica Kincaid's reading last evening. Best known for her lyrical prose that reflects the challenges of mother-daughter relationships and the effects of colonialism, Kincaid has written books including My Brother, Lucy, and The Autobiography of My Mother.

A 30-year-old male unaffiliated with the University was robbed at around 42nd and Sansom streets Thursday morning, Philadelphia and Penn Police officials said. The man, a taxi driver, parked his cab at about 7:00 a.m. and was walking toward his residence when he was approached by a male demanding money.