At Colgate University, there's a summer reading list that suggests five books before freshman year. At George Washington University, days of orientation are devoted to the subject of separation anxiety. But only parents need apply. These programs are examples of a growing array of university-run programs that help parents say goodbye to their new college freshmen.

Zeta Beta Tau will attempt to re-enter campus this semester, but the fraternity will look different than when it left two years ago, national ZBT officials say. "We're very intent as an organization on getting a quality group of guys," said Matt Tobe, director of expansion for the ZBT national organization.

The School of Arts and Sciences' Webmail has experienced its first technical hiccup of the semester, though New Student Orientation festivities may have caused students to overlook the glitch. SAS Webmail regularly runs updates from its software company, Sun Microsystems Inc.

Several cultural groups have gotten some new space in the ARCH building, but some say they'll take more if they can get it. "We're on a roll right now, so we want to keep that momentum going," Asian Pacific Student Coalition Chairwoman and College senior Mana Nakagawa said.

By DEENA GREENBERG The Daily Pennsylvanian Penn may have dropped to No. 7 in August's U.S. News and World Report rankings, but it barely made the top 40 in another publication. Washington Monthly, a left-wing publication that discusses politics and current events, ranked Penn at number 30.

Only several blocks from the lively corner of 40th and Walnut streets, the intersection at 40th and Market boasts far less impressive retail and activity. A collection of community stakeholders, however, is convinced that this does not have to be the case.

When college junior Amanda Dewundara logged onto Facebook.com yesterday morning, she quickly learned which friend broke up with a boyfriend, who declined what party invitation and what all her freshman buddies took pictures of during New Student Orientation.

Pouring rain put a damper on some events that were scheduled to occur yesterday. The Student Organization Fair that was scheduled to take place on Locust Walk has been postponed, with no decision yet as to if and when a make-up will be held. Wharton senior Corey Hulse, a New Student Orientation coordinator, said students interested in learning about clubs and organizations that are available at Penn should visit the NSO Web site, which has a listing of groups that would have been present at the fair.

Penn students are now only a mouse click away from all the free - and legal - music they can download. But they aren't supposed to have it yet. As news slowly spread over the weekend that Ruckus - a music downloading service spearheaded by the Undergraduate Assembly - is available, students began registering for the site, which allows them unlimited digital music from its library of 1.

Investigators uncovered child pornography in the Penn office of Wharton professor emeritus Scott Ward yesterday, piling fresh charges on top of allegations that he brought child pornography into the country. University Spokeswoman Lori Doyle confirmed that investigators found a CD containing more than 80 still images of sexual acts between a man believed to be Ward and a teenage boy.

Penn's School of Medicine ranked second in the nation in National Institutes of Health research and training grants received in the last fiscal year. The NIH awarded Penn 924 individual grants worth $399 million, a 1.4-percent increase from last year and a record sum for the University.

Thanks to a newly reformatted SAT exam, the national class of 2010 saw the sharpest drop in scores in 31 years. Students entering college this fall have an average SAT score that is seven points lower than that of the previous class. The decrease consisted of a five-point drop on the critical reading section and a two-point drop on the math section.

Touching on both poetry and the threat of terrorism, University President Amy Gutmann welcomed the Class of 2010 to the Penn community with a message to stay passionate. Convocation for incoming freshmen and transfer students - at which they are formally recognized as Penn students - took place on a muddy College Green last night and was followed by a dessert reception at Wynn Commons.

Think that new kitchen in Harnwell is nice? Try an outdoor heated pool. Luxury living is becoming the standard for many students as universities cater to demands for privacy and higher-quality spaces. And some schools have gone way beyond what Penn provides to meet that demand.

Philadelphia police are investigating the murder of Army veteran and Penn student L'Salle Harvey, but have yet to make any arrests or discover a motive. Harvey was gunned down at 3:10 a.m. on Thursday while riding his bicycle on the 2200 block of North 31st Street.

The candidates for Pennsylvania's contested Senate seat sat inches apart from one another to battle out the issues Sunday morning on Meet the Press. The debate - covering issues from the Iraq war to birth control - lasted an hour, and the candidates had plenty of material to fill it.