Sitting in synagogue services, mingling with musicians and reviewing restaurants are all in a day's work for some undergraduate researchers at Penn. Far from the traditional laboratory work that research is widely considered to be, a day of research at Penn is shaped by student interests and passions.

Domenique Wilson, the suspect in the home invasion and sexual assault at 44th and Spruce streets last December, waived his right to a preliminary hearing on a number of criminal counts that include an attack on three students at Lock Haven University. Wilson is scheduled for arraignment on April 27, according to the Clinton County District Attorney's Office, and will enter a plea at that time.

"Our customers used to want a big shopping bag with our label on it to carry around after their purchase. But now, they just want a simple brown bag," pronounced Roxanne Paschall, Senior Director of Merchandising of Bottega Veneta. "It's like they don't want to flaunt their wealth anymore," she said.

Joan Didion's National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Year of Magical Thinking, speaks of the difficulties of coming to terms with the death of one's loved ones. As part of the yearly Fellows program at the Kelly Writers House, Didion read excerpts from her latest nonfiction novel, which details an account of the year following her husband's death.

Although interest in Arabic language programs is increasing around the country, the number of U.S. students opting to study in Arab countries still remains relatively low, according to a report issued by the Institute of International Education. The challenges that prevent U.

Opponents to the proposed Philadelphia casinos are up in arms about Mayor Michael Nutter's recent statement that the City will create "no barriers" to their development. But the Mayor's Office maintains that legally, there is no other choice.

The ever-looming danger of phoning an ex, a boss or any of the several people in their phone books most people would not call sober only increases with their level of intoxication. The release of two iPhone applications that allow users to block themselves from calling certain contacts for a set amount of time will help remove the potential repercussions of drunk dialing.

This afternoon, 3,926 high-school seniors will receive exciting news as they read their Penn acceptance letters online. Penn accepted the nearly 4,000 students out of a pool of 22,939 applicants --- an overall admit rate of 17.11 percent for the class of 2013.

The Undergraduate Assembly looked to implement tangible change this past Sunday as many members are currently up for re-election by their peers. Most notably, the UA passed their New Student Orientation Night-Time Activities Proposal, an initiative the assembly has pursued since passing the "NSO Fraternity Safety Proposal" last fall.

Last night Michael Oren, a New York Times best-selling author and the CBS Middle East expert, spoke to a standing-room-only crowd in the Shotel Dubin Auditorium at Hillel's Steinhardt Hall. In a talk sponsored by Penn Hillel, Oren described four existential crises Israel presently faces to a crowd of both students and local residents alike.

If you want to fit in at Penn but want to try something different than rushing a fraternity or singing a cappella, consider research. Though research is typically associated with graduate students in lab coats, at Penn and peer institutions, undergraduate interest in research seems to be on the rise - and it's taking many different forms.

Art is the latest subject of an ongoing trend to become more environmentally friendly at Penn. For the next three weeks, world renowned sculptor Patrick Dougherty will work on an all-natural sculpture approximately 22-feet tall at the Morris Arboretum, Penn's historic public garden and educational center.

"Cancer never sleeps, so tonight neither will we." This was the motto of the 1,774 participants in Penn's 2009 Relay for Life this weekend. This year's Relay for Life, an annual event that raises money for the American Cancer Society, involved 171 teams and raised over $150,000.

It was in a conversation with a friend that 2007 alumnus Cho Kim, now a graduate student in the School of Social Policy and Practice, heard about the Davis Projects for Peace Foundation. Kim took one day to formulate his idea to win the $10,000 grant and one more day to write the proposal for the foundation, which grants students funding for projects to be implemented this summer. He received the award on March 16.

Grabbing a quick meal before class or going to dinner with friends is now easier for many students with thinning wallets. Local restaurants and businesses are offering students recession specials in an effort to bring in more business at a time when financial concerns are a priority.

The collapse of Ruckus has left the Undergraduate Assembly searching for a new way to legally distribute music on campus. Choruss, a new blanket licensing system that bills universities based on the amount of music students download and distributes the money to content owners, could potentially make that goal happen.