Yesterday the University announced plans to renovate Du Bois House beginning in March. The updates will be completed by fall of this year. The renovation is part of the administration's continuing efforts to improve the 11 college houses and Sansom Place East and West.

With the end of rush last week and the beginning of a new pledging season, there will be a large amount of traffic in and out of Greek houses. But in light of the wave of thefts that hit fraternity houses in the late summer and early part of last semester, potential residents could be harboring concerns about the general safety of Penn's chapter houses.

Many Americans are glued to their BlackBerrys - and President Barack Obama is, too. For students, Obama's use of the smartphone and other new media represents more than just an e-mail addiction - it signals his connection with the next generation. "Among the many molds that Obama is trying to break, him stepping into the 21st century with all the technology he's incorporating adds to his image as being modern and well-connected," College junior Megan Calpin said.

Last night, Pennchants, one of Penn's all-male a cappella groups, opened the Relay for Life Kickoff with a rendition of "Don't Stop Believing," vocalizing this year's theme: "Fighting Cancer is a Journey ... Don't Stop Believing." The Relay for Life Kickoff took place in Houston Hall's Hall of Flags at 7 p.

In the world of acting, not all colors are created equal - or at least that's how many people feel when ethnic roles are "whitewashed," or cast with white actors. Casting for extras in M. Night Shyamalan's Avatar: The Last Airbender took place last Saturday at the Spectrum, where protesters accused casting officials of such discrimination.

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Philip Florio is the Newman Center's new chaplain-director. He is the first Jesuit to hold the position, according to the Penn Almanac. Florio, who started in the position Jan. 15, succeeded Charles Zlock for the position. As chaplain-director, Florio will also serve as an assistant pastor at Saints Agatha and James Church on 38th and Chestnut streets.

In an effort to bring low-income students to selective universities like Penn, the QuestBridge National College Match program is helping 260 of the nation's brightest high school seniors pay for their college education. QuestBridge awards match scholars a full, four-year scholarship to any of their 26 partner schools.

God is in the trenches, or at least that's where Dr. David Gilman Romano is looking. Romano, senior research scientist at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, delivered an hour-long lecture last night describing the progress of his ongoing excavation of Mt.

Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence yesterday - except this time, it wasn't addressed to England. A protestor dressed in colonial garb read aloud from "The Declaration of these Citizens of Philadelphia of our Independence from Casinos" as part of Casino-Free Philadelphia's kickoff event.

Why are white people obsessed with girls with bangs? What's the deal with ugly sweater parties? Christian Lander has the answers. Lander, the best-selling author of the book Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Taste of Millions and creator ofProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 he famous blog by the same name, is scheduled to discuss his book at a signing at the Penn Boo

Next time students stroll down Hamilton Walk, they will pass a piece of architectural history. The Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratory and the adjacent David Goddard Laboratories were designated a National Historic Landmark two weeks ago by U.

Robert Carpick is used to doing experiments in his lab, but he's about to become the guinea pig for a new program. The Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics professor is among an inaugural group of eight faculty recently selected for the Penn Fellows program.

Next time students stroll down Hamilton Walk, they will pass a piece of architectural history. The Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratory and the adjacent David Goddard Laboratories were designated a National Historic Landmark two weeks ago by U.

An "energetic, dogged newsman" will speak at the Kelly Writers House today, according to Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and Penn artist-in-residence Dick Polman. These words describe Polman's longtime colleague and current Deputy Managing Editor for News and Multimedia at The Philadelphia Inquirer Vernon Loeb.

Fraternities and sororities pride themselves on being strong national organizations with traditions shared among every chapter on every campus. But Greek life at other colleges and universities can differ drastically from the atmosphere at Penn. Some Ivy League schools defer recruitment until sophomore year, some have many more students involved in Greek life - and some don't recognize it at all.

Winners of the DP's monthly photo contest