Unlike chains that crowd campus, House of Our Own, The Last Word Bookshop, Penn Book Center, The Marvelous and Avril 50 were all created by a character with a unique vision. They continue to flourish even in the face of tough economic times by offering not only specialized products but also specialized knowledge.

On Sunday night, the UA announced that it would present a resolution for its University-wide alcohol policy review on Nov. 20. One of the major aims of the policy is to make registering on-campus parties easier for student groups.

On Monday, Penn for Life hosted Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput at Houston Hall to discuss the Catholic Church’s view on abortion, as well as the importance of political advocacy for the pro-life movement.

Monday night’s joint talk, held in Huntsman Hall, was hosted by the Chinese Students and Scholars Association at Penn (CSSAP) and featured speeches by Zhen Fund founders Xiaoping Xu and Victor Wang and UBS China Chairman and Country Head David Li.

A recent ranking jointly released by the Lawrence Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the Wharton School and the Center for Political Accountability aims to ensure that elections in the United States are a question of politics, not sponsorship.

At Monday night’s speaker presentation hosted by Penn Friends of Israel at Huntsman Hall, an audience of about 60 sat in to listen to Weinberg, a member of the Israel Defense Forces who was invited to talk from a soldier’s perspective on ethics in the Israeli military.

The Nursing School hopes to continue building international ties by appointing two students, Nursing sophomore Natalie Ball and Nursing doctoral student Lisa Hilmi, as global health ambassadors. Both students provide guidance for international students and alumni, increase global health awareness on Penn’s campus and aim to spark interest for global outreach.

From Nov. 4 to Nov. 6, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology held an annual Ivy Summit, where graduate student government leaders from all eight Ivy League schools and MIT gather at one school to share ideas about how to enhance the welfare of graduate students.

The Undergraduate Assembly is under investigation by the University for hazing. The case is being reviewed by the Office of Student Conduct, which acts on behalf of the University in matters of student discipline.

Since many students were affected by last week’s storm, Penn’s Office of Admissions extended its early decision deadline from Nov. 1 to Friday, Nov. 4.

The state’s Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement made a “minor patrol,” visiting three local bars — the Blockley Pourhouse, Drinker’s West and Cavanaugh’s Restaurant & Sports Bar.

At a meeting in September, a NACAC committee formed in 2010 to research the annual rankings made a series of recommendations to U.S. News.

1990 Wharton graduate Richard Gay, the executive vice president of Strategy and Operations for MTV and VH1, part of the MTV Networks division of Viacom, gave the keynote speech to conclude Penn’s first Media and Entertainment Week.

Alumni and students alike came together this Saturday in a full room in the Arts, Research and Culture House for a screening of 1980 Wharton graduate Mitch Teplitsky’s documentary, Soy Andina.

Overall, October saw a significant decrease in crime. Compared to 102 crimes in October 2010, this October saw only 67 crimes total, including crimes against persons and property. INTERACTIVE: October crime 2007-2011

On the heels of several Occupy Philadelphia demonstration on campus, members of the new student group OccupyPenn held a teach-in on Friday to educate others on their movement. GALLERY: Photos of OccupyPenn teach-inGALLERY: Occupy Philly protests Romney fundraiser

On Sunday afternoon, Oscar-nominated actor James Franco strode onto the stage of Irvine Auditorium as over a thousand Penn students greeted him with enthusiastic cheers.