A 21-year-old man, unaffiliated with the University, will face charges after allegedly lying to police about being the victim of a shooting. Police responded to a report of a "person with a gun" near 40th and Market streets at about 11:35 a.m. yesterday, according to Division of Public Safety spokeswoman Stef Cella.

Tomorrow, Penn School of Design students will travel to the heart of Amish Country to learn about Philadelphia's regional food system. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Professor Domenic Vitiello will lead the Farm to City bus tour to Lancaster County, Pa., where students will visit area farms, distribution sites and the Lancaster Central Market.

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that Aetna, the third-largest health-insurance company in the U.S., agreed to reimburse more than 73,000 students at over 200 colleges nationwide for underpaying student claims. The company, which serves as the health care provider for the Penn Student Insurance Plan, underpaid more than $5.

Students enduring freezing wind, rain or snow while waiting for Penn Transit may be in for a shorter wait thanks to the recent installation of a GPS tracking system. Operational since September last year, the service enables students to check when the shuttle or bus they are waiting for will arrive at the desired transit stop.

UMOJA, the umbrella organization for 26 black student groups, elected its new board last week. The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with College sophomore and newly-elected planning and facilitating chairman Ryan Jobson and College sophomore and newly-elected correspondence chairwoman Erica Holland.

"Poetry is what gets lost in translation," Robert Frost once mused. But ever since Alastair Reid "fell for" the Spanish language, he has sought not only to preserve the essence of the original works in his translations, but also to enhance them. Reid, a renowned Scottish writer and translator, gave a lecture last night called "Mysteries of Translation" in Claudia Cohen Hall as part of the Penn Humanities Forum.

The presidential election might be over, but that doesn't mean Penn's on-campus political groups are taking it easy this semester. Despite shifting their focus off Washington politics, Penn Democrats and Penn College Republicans are both intent on staying active on campus.

The Social Planning and Events Committee will unveil plans today for Spring Fling 2009 - scheduled for Apr. 17-18 - by officially announcing the theme and annual t-shirt design contest. The theme, "Some Flings Never Get Old," intends to evoke a taste of nostalgia through wordplay, explained College junior and SPEC Fling Co-Director Amber Calloway.

Penn's overall endowment had the largest percentage drop in market value among the top 20 funded universities in the 2008 fiscal year. Between July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008, it lost 6.1 percent of its value, or $401.9 million, falling to $6.2 billion from $6.

If President Barack Obama's stimulus plan passes the Senate this week, large research-based institutions like Penn will receive funding toward scientific research, in addition to financial aid and study abroad initiatives. The increased research funding will impact the entire University, said School of Nursing Dean Afaf Meleis, but the focal point will be the sciences.

According to Hillel director Jeremy Brochin, Penn Hillel received a $1 million donation to run and revamp Hillel, as well as to support students. Anna Dubin, wife of the late Irwin Dubin, made the contribution in memory of her husband, a Penn alumnus. The donation will be paid over the course of several years.

In an effort to increase residential safety around campus after an armed home invasion and sexual assault on Dec. 19, the Division of Public Safety wants students to get to know their neighbors. DPS encouraged this community-based crime prevention technique, referred to as "Vertical Town Watch," during a meeting last week with University City landlords.

It's all in the numbers for Greek recruitment this year - and the numbers are looking good. The 2009 recruitment season attracted students in larger numbers than last year, in spite of concerns that, amid the economic crisis, the dues fraternity and sorority members must pay might deter students from rushing.

Penn's funding from the state would decrease by 16 percent in Gov. Ed Rendell's 2009-10 budget proposal, which was released yesterday. The appropriation would fall from $46.4 million to $38.8 million, according to the state's budget Web site. The largest share of this allotment would go to Penn's Veterinary School, the only school of its type in the state.

The White Dog Cafe has changed hands, but don't expect much else to change about the 26-year-old restaurant on Sansom Street. A contract between founder Judy Wicks and new majority owner Martin Grims will ensure the restaurant will continue its "socially-responsible business practices," Wicks said.

Despite the shaky economy, the University of Pennsylvania Press has had a successful year so far. While other university presses have faced declining sales in recent years, book sales are up 8 percent this year at Penn Press. In fact, says Director Eric Halpern, sales have actually increased by 20 percent over the last three years.

Midterms and papers are coming up, and students will be heading to Starbucks more than ever. But according to a new study, that extra latte may actually be beneficial to your health. According to research published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease last month, a group of Danish and Swedish researchers found mid-year consumption of coffee diminishes the risks of dementia and Alzheimer's disease later in life.