Elizabeth Grant, like many other Penn students, went to several Greek parties the first weekend in February. And like other students who had connections to the Greek system, Grant, a College sophomore, went to get a prophylactic dose of Ciprofloxacin on Feb.

The small room that will house the new Nursing Biobehavioral Research Lab in Claire Fagin Hall may not look like much, but for the researchers in the School of Nursing, it's a place to call their own.

College sophomore Hillary Ross, who is studying abroad in Barcelona next semester, said while she will be conscious of how much money she spends in Spain, the economy "was never going to prevent" her from studying abroad. "I may have to take out a bigger student loan for next semester to cover spending costs," she said, adding that her parents have been supportive of her decision.

In today's economic climate, financial uncertainty is problematic for many international students applying to U.S. universities for graduate study - and a Council of Graduate Schools survey released last week confirmed these concerns. Based on preliminary numbers of international graduate applicants, the survey found that doctoral applications increased over the past year, but master's applications decreased.

Despite receiving almost 23,000 applications and attracting students from all around the world, Penn is still not a "dream school" - at least according to The Princeton Review. Although Penn did not make the company's "Dream Colleges" list from its "Colleges Hopes and Worries Survey," administrators and college consultants say the rankings will not affect Penn's reputation.

With two weeks until Spring Fling, the Social Planning and Events Committee announced the design that will display the event's theme: "Some flings never get old." College freshman Yilu Zhang created this year's winning design, which features Ben Franklin sporting a pair of "Kanye shades," SPEC Spring Fling co-director and College sophomore Jayme Van Oot described.

Penn's Medical Emergency Response Team wants 1920 Commons to become an emergency base. Completely student-run, MERT responds to medical emergencies. "We are the first response, and we make sure the patient is stable," College junior and Chief Josh Glick said.

Nancy Nielsen, president of the American Medical Association, shared "sobering statistics" Tuesday in Huntsman Hall. In Nielson's lecture, "U.S. Health Care: Is 2009 the time for a Revolution?" she discussed the need for major health care reform in the U.S. The event was hosted by the Wharton Politics and Business Association, Wharton's newest student group.

Future changes in Rodin College House's demographics will be less about excluding freshmen and more about giving sophomores what they want. College Houses and Academic Services director Leslie Delauter explained that Rodin was chosen as the college house to pilot the changes not due to any issues involving freshmen, but rather due a need to accommodate the growing sophomore demand in high-rise living.

SEPTA has just made traveling in Philadelphia cheaper, faster and easier. In a press release, SEPTA announced that it will introduce a "One Day Independence Pass" and a "Family Independence Pass," which will be available for use on trains, trolleys and buses.

Hip-hop singer-songwriter and producer Akon has pulled out of this year's Spring Fling Concert, announced Penn's Social Planning and Events Committee last night. Due to the proximity of the event, alternative rock band Guster, originally scheduled to open for Akon, will take to the stage solo on April 17 at Franklin Field.

In an effort to stem the flow of alcohol into the Quadrangle in the weeks leading up to Spring Fling, Quad security guards have stepped up the depth of their searches of students' belongings. Slated to go into effect today, the new policy - which allows random strip searches of students who are suspected of carrying alcohol on their person - is meeting intense criticism from various groups on campus. Their objections range from privacy issues to fears that female Quad residents will be targeted.

A senior admitted to the hospital last week has been diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human strain of bovine spongiform encephalopathy - commonly known as Mad Cow disease. The disease is fatal, and there is no known treatment or cure.

In a controversial effort to provide a final bit of wisdom before students graduate, the Wharton School has invited New York financier Bernie Madoff to speak at this year's graduation ceremony. Madoff, former non-executive chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange, has recently become known for his elaborate Ponzi scheme for which he pled guilty to an 11-count criminal complaint in March. He will address Wharton's Class of 2009 via videoconference on May 17 at 5:30 p.m. at Franklin Field.

Wawa and the Division of Public Safety recently agreed to shorten Wawa's hours of operation in response to a fight that occurred last week between two intoxicated students inside the store. There are also rumors that the University is considering shortening the hours of 1920 Commons and Houston Market in response to security concerns, but Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush would not confirm these rumors.

There's something rotten in the State of Student Government. The pristine facade of last week's student government election was shattered last night as the Nominations and Elections Committee admitted that previously unacknowledged foul play had tainted the election.

In a surprise move, University officials announced that former Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson will return to Penn as the "Admissions Czar" to act as a consultant to Admissions Dean Eric Furda. This announcement came as a result of the increased acceptance rate for the class of 2013.