Week in photos for week of September 11, 2006

With only two months remaining until critical elections take place across the country, current Penn students will not be the only ones considering whether to vote here in Philadelphia or in their home states. Recent Penn graduates who registered to vote in Pennsylvania while living in the city will also have to decide whether to cast a vote here - even though it may be illegal.

NEW ORLEANS - There's only one finished room in David Fountain's formerly flooded house in the Upper Ninth Ward, just a few blocks from the Habitat for Humanity construction site. But, oh, what a room. He's got a big color TV, Internet-connected computer, DVD player, VCR, camcorder, printer, CD player, some serious speakers and even a few old-fashioned turntables to spin records on.

Walk past Pottruck at 11 p.m. on just about any weeknight and you'll see scores of students burning calories on treadmills and stationary bicycles. But ten years ago, the Pottruck Health and Fitness Center didn't even exist, let alone have such accommodating hours.

An electrical fire ignited at a power-supply pole at 39th and Delancey streets yesterday evening, knocking out power and phone services for several residences on the block. No one was injured in the fire, and police officials say they do not yet know what caused it.

Pennsylvania has given $3.5 million to an organization that includes Penn for nanotechnology research. The grant is part of $11.1 million given to various institutions across the state for research in nanotechnology, the creation and study of devices between 1 and 100 nanometers in size.

The United States boasts the world's largest economy, its strongest army and perhaps the most diverse population in the world. But when it comes to its citizens graduating from college, America can't claim any similar superlative. The United States has slipped behind other nations in the numbers of students who finish their degrees, according to a report released by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, a California-based think tank.

Facebook.com is feeling some growing pains. The site will soon be open to anyone with an e-mail address, and college students have mixed feelings.

Here's a new spin on university rankings: Apparently, the best schools are the ones with champion ultimate-frisbee teams.

It started when former Penn student and current Harvard University junior Dhruv Singh wanted a classmate's opinion on his Penn econ homework. Frustrated because he couldn't find an online group where he could complain and solicit his classmates for help, Singh decided to do something about it: He created his own.

WILMINGTON, Del. - State prosecutors worked to recreate the scene of the crime for jurors yesterday in opening their first-degree murder case against Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya.

Tabard and Owls not secret enough for you? Check out an ancient enclave of the famous Freemasons at the Grand Masonic Lodge Temple in Philadelphia. Located across the street from City Hall at 1 North Broad St., the temple is one of three of its size in the world, said Andrew Zellers-Frederick, executive director of the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania

Penn may have slipped to 7th in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, but the University's perfect "gay point average" places it at the top of an altogether different list.

After six years of failed tries and much debate, Philadelphia has a smoking ban. Mayor John Street signed a bill yesterday that will prohibit smoking in almost all public places in the city. The ban goes into effect immediately and provides exemptions to a few sets of establishments.

Pennsylvania got a failing mark for the affordability of its colleges earlier this month, according to an annual "report card" by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, a nonpartisan think tank based in San Jose, Calif.

Penn has been ranked second in the nation among 25 "Best Neighbor" urban schools recognized for their contributions to their local communities. Created by New England Board of Higher Education president Evan Dobelle, the rankings take into account the length of involvement with the community, the amount of money invested, faculty and students in community service, K-12 school partnerships and resources donated by alumni, among other categories.

Tired of plain-old gas-fueled buses, some are advocating that SEPTA consider a new source of fuel - farm waste.