On a day when the world's attention was focused on Washington, D.C., members of the Penn community who were unable to make the 124-mile trip could still catch the inauguration action on Penn's campus. The University's official Presidential Inauguration Celebration Program began at 10 a.

Comedians may be more effective than politicians in addressing the tensions surrounding the current conflict in the Middle East. Noel Elgrably, Elham Jazab and Mike Batayeh, a group of Middle Eastern comedians who call themselves the Sultans of Satire, held a panel discussion Friday on the role of comedy in alleviating Islamophobia. The events were cosponsored by the Penn Middle East Center and the Levantine Cultural Center.

President-elect Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha, began their inaugural journey at 30th Street Station on Saturday morning. But unlike his other stops along the way, Obama did not hold a public event in the city. In his prepared remarks, Obama addressed the small gathering of ticketed supporters in a private room within the station, telling them it was fitting to begin his journey in Philadelphia because "it was here, in this city, that the American journey began.

Two separate leaks in a water line of the Quadrangle left residents without water for large parts of Tuesday and Wednesday - and plenty to say about it. The first water main break was identified last Friday, according to Jennifer Rizzi, a spokeswoman for Facilities and Real Estate Services.

By SARAH RYU Staff Writer ryu@dailypennsylvanian.com Faculty and staff are almost unanimous: the hiring freeze implemented by the School of Arts and Sciences is disheartening but necessary. Last December, in response to the current national economic crisis, SAS Dean Rebecca Bushnell sent an e-mail to SAS faculty and staff that entailed cost-cutting adjustments, such as departmental budget reductions and salary freezes.

The protests took place on College Green and Locust Walk.

The first floor of the Steinhardt Hillel building was flooded after a pipe froze and a sprinkler burst this morning, setting off the fire alarm.

"Just how valuable is Facebook "friendship?" Such is the question Burger King posed to Facebook users in its latest - but short-lived - advertising stunt. Calling it the "Whopper Sacrifice," the fast-food chain asked Facebook users to "de-friend" 10 people in exchange for a free Whopper.

As Gaza burned and violence by Hamas and the Israeli Defense Force added to the mounting death toll of the current conflict in the Middle East, Penn students gathered on Locust Walk and College Green yesterday in protest, solidarity or both. They carried signs: "End the Genocide in Gaza"; "Israel We Stand with You"; "Zionism=Racism"; "Free the Palestinians from Hamas.

As students straggled into the Penn Bookstore in the frigid cold yesterday, they were greeted by an unusual sight - a high-tech station full of sleek bicycles. Bike Share Philadelphia - an organization advocating for public transit via bicycle - held a demonstration station yesterday on the corner of 36th and Walnut streets to spread information about the cause and to let people try out their bicycles for free.

As gatherings of social workers go, last night's at Huntsman Hall was pretty unusual.

Wharton is turning a disaster into a learning experience. Following the eruption of the current economic crisis, the University approved a new course: "The Economic and Financial Crisis: Causes, Consequences and Policy Options." The course, which is pass/fail and earns students half a course credit unit, focuses on the intricacies of the economic situation.

These days, finding a balance between academics and economics is crucial. That balance motivated the museum's administrators to discontinue 18 research specialist positions at the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology last November, effective May 31.

The study abroad experience has become a rite of passage for college juniors across the country. But due to high travel costs, poor exchange rates and typical tourist expenses, many students fear they simply can't afford the experience. Instead of passing up an international education, however, resourceful students like College senior Ebony Thorne and 2008 Penn alumna Jennifer Leone have overcome financial burdens by turning to outside aid.

Although Mehdi Zakerian, human rights professor at the Islamic Azad University in Tehran, Iran, was invited to teach at the Penn Law School last year, he was unable to come when Iranian authorities detained him on suspicions of espionage around Aug. 15, according to Amnesty International.

Although many people look forward to a clean slate at the start of the new year, the Undergraduate Assembly hopes to continue efforts on past projects in the coming semester. UA Chairman and Wharton and College senior Wilson Tong outlined the goals of the UA for the upcoming semester, explaining that much of last fall's planning and project proposals will ultimately come into fruition this spring.

There is a such thing as a free lunch today - and burritos are on the menu. From 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Chipotle Mexican Grill will serve its 20-ounce award-winning burritos and a soft drink at no charge to celebrate its grand opening tomorrow. "We understand what's happening in the economy, so we're telling students 'c'mon, lunch is on us,'" said Chipotle spokeswoman Katherine Smith.