Who knew that hanging out with girls could be so stressful? College freshman "Jane," for one, did not. Jane has spent the last two weeks walking around in heels - for four hours straight, at times - bedecked in black pants and fancy dress shirts in order to impress the sisters of the sororities that she is rushing.

The avalanche of national media coverage surrounding the murder case of Economics professor Rafael Robb likely won't detract from Penn's admissions numbers - and, in fact, it could even help, one expert says.

Theft Jan. 11 - A University employee reported that his bag, containing a laptop worth an unspecified amount of money, was stolen after he placed it outside of Cosi on the 100 block of S. 36th Street. Jan. 10 - A male University employee reported that his laptop was stolen while still in its packaging from under his office desk on the 3700 block of Spruce Street.

Cynics who contend that lawyers are morally insensitive now have a study to back them up.

The University's number of Early Decision acceptances for international students reached an all-time high this year, and admissions officials say it's a product of Penn's emerging popularity abroad.

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is now stable and comfortable despite a setback in his recovery last week, doctors announced yesterday. Doctors discovered last Tuesday that the horse had a bad reaction to a cast put on his left hind foot on Jan. 3, according to a press release from Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine.

Soon after one plan for graduate-student government drew heavy debate, a new plan is bringing the issue back to the forefront. At a Graduate and Professional Student Assembly general-body meeting last night, Graduate Student Associations Council representative Roger Turner - a fourth-year School of Arts and Sciences graduate student - presented a proposal for graduate-student-government reform.

Some Engineering students will get the chance to extend their expertise to a far-flung locale - but which locale is still being contested. The Penn chapter of Engineers Without Borders - an organization devoted to developmental projects across the globe - is in the final stages of a competition that will determine the group's next international project.

In a city in which 406 homicides took place last year, crime is shaping up to be the number-one issue in the Philadelphia mayoral race. Consequently, the election's four declared contenders - former Councilman Michael Nutter, state Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Phila.

Retired nurse Elizabeth Kendall has donated $1 million to her former employer, the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine officials announced yesterday. The donation will establish the John C. and Elizabeth Kendall Fellowship Fund in Radiation Oncology at Penn.

In a city in which 406 homicides took place last year, crime is shaping up to be the number-one issue in the Philadelphia mayoral race. Consequently, the election's four declared contenders - former Councilman Michael Nutter, state Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Phila.

While most late-night Philly Diner recollections may be a little hazy, memories of the former location are bound to fade as construction on the 3900 block of Walnut Street progresses this spring. Interior demolition began last week at the former homes of Philly Diner, College Pizza and other campus establishments, marking the official start to construction of housing and retail space that officials say could alleviate many of the housing problems students face today.

One issue in the SAS Webmail switch is often overlooked: Can either Google or Microsoft be trusted to handle important student information?

The results are in: A recent Undergraduate Assembly survey on condoms shows that, when it comes to that special moment, Penn students reach for "America's Most Trusted Condom." The findings of the survey, released Sunday night, reveal that Trojan-brand condoms - and not the Lifestyle condoms that the University freely distributes - are Penn students' protection of choice.

Dec. 22 At 1:45 p.m. on Dec. 22, Penn Economics professor Rafael Robb had a phone call to make. Ten punches into his cell phone later, he had dialed the non-emergency number of the Upper Merion Police Department. "I just came home and found my wife murdered on the kitchen floor," he told the police dispatcher.

Penn The record-breaking 40 inches of snow that hit Philadelphia in January 1996 did more than close roads and cancel flights - it shut down an entire University for two days. John Fry, Penn's Executive Vice President at the time, closed the campus on Jan.

Wild fraternity parties may be commonplace on most weekends, but, during rush, they can spell nasty consequences. On Thursday, Sigma Alpha Mu threw a rush party during which attendants say alcohol was served, and, on Saturday, another SAM rush party was broken up due to noise complaints.