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.

Yesterday in the Arts Cafe of the Kelly Writers House, Judah Halevi's thousand-year-old poetry was brought to life through the passionate, musical voice of Ray Scheindlin. Last night, Scheindlin, a 1961 Penn alumnus, discussed and signed copies of his new book, The Song of the Distant Dove: Judah Halevi's Pilgrimage.

Many students participate in research studies to earn money or course credit. Others simply help out their parents. Child development researchers often study their surroundings - including their own children - in their work. Communication professor Deborah Linebarger was featured in The New York Times when she involved three of her four children in her child development studies.

When in Philadelphia, eat as the Romans eat. Capogiro Gelateria will be opening on the ground floor of the Radian early this April despite some initial "problems," according to Capogiro chef and owner Stephanie Reitano. Although she did not elaborate on the difficulties the company has been having, she specified that this restaurant will be different from Capogiro's other locations.

Almost exactly two years after 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro's untimely death in January 2007, his brother Nicanor placed 10th at his debut race at Gulfstream Park near Hollywood, Fla., Saturday. But two years later, Barbaro still has a positive legacy, said Dean Richardson, the surgeon who treated the thoroughbred.

It's not every day the university president stops you to chat about your plans for the night, but students at Johns Hopkins University hope to experience just that as current Penn Provost Ron Daniels takes the helm after three-and-a-half years at Penn. On March 2, Daniels will officially succeed current Hopkins President Bill Brody, who after a 12-year term will become president of the Salk Institute.

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The next time you're desperately searching for an answer for a grueling scavenger hunt on campus or simply want to know where the LOVE statue is located, you might turn to the kgb for help. The Knowledge Generation Bureau, or kgb for short, recently launched a mobile search service that claims it can answer any question- via text message.

An Do has seen many types of nail salons in her career - first in Vietnam, then on County Line and Henry Ave., and finally at 40th and Market streets. Her many incarnations as manicurist have seen changes. In Vietnam, where Do lived until 2005, people don't sit for pedicures; on County Line, clients often make appointments before they arrive and pedicures cost $26.

When a small group of people has a disproportionate influence over others' decisions, as political commentators do in an election, the impact is often attributed to the ability to persuade others through language and emotion. However, Computer and Information Science professor Michael Kearns found similar results by studying positioning in social networks.

When former Penn Economics professor Rafael Robb murdered his wife in December 2006, the entire city of Philadelphia followed the police investigation, the arrest and the court case in disbelief. And when Philadelphia Inquirer staff writer Rose Ciotta releases her first book Cruel Games: A Brilliant Professor, A Loving Mother, A Brutal Murder today, those who followed the headlines can read about the case from a new angle.

In Sunday's meeting, the Undergraduate Assembly discussed new proposals to improve undergraduate research, increase campus bike safety and add early-morning food options for Muslims during Ramadan. The UA passed the undergraduate research proposal, intended to increase collaboration between the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships and the UA.

A dozen undergraduates don't often spend their Saturdays at a suburban home with a professor from the medical school. It's even less common that students would join this professor on a weekend to study the Book of James. But for students involved in Penn Students for Christ, these meetings are customary.