Read a free copy of The New York Times every day? Download music from Ruckus? You've got Provost Ron Daniels to thank for that. Daniels, who was named Johns Hopkins University's next president yesterday, was embraced by student leaders for the enthusiasm he brought to projects devoted to improving student life.

Provost Ron Daniels will leave Penn to become the next president of Johns Hopkins University, officials announced yesterday. Daniels, who came to Penn just three and a half years ago after serving as the dean of the University of Toronto Law School, will assume his new post in early March.

After last week's election, both Washington and Penn politicos are in a transition period. In Washington, President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to take office. At Penn, with the presidential campaign out of the way, on-campus political groups are focusing on their internal elections.

It's not easy being green, but Penn seems to be doing a pretty good job. While officials say there is always more to be done, compared with the way most U.S. institutions combat today's environmental challenges - from the high price of energy to the excessive waste produced in campus buildings - Penn is definitely at the higher end of the spectrum.

The science of sleep suggests that sheep are best left to the barnyard. Three panelists spoke last night in a seminar entitled "Sleep 101," a forum that addressed the mechanics of sleep and the impact its loss can have on the mind and body. The lecture, held at the Annenberg School for Communications and sponsored by both the Trustees' Council of Penn Women and the Penn Women's Center, featured speakers from Penn's faculty who covered a wide variety of topics pertaining to sleep and its implications on health.

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Business has been anything but usual for Tom Block lately. Block opened the Naked Chocolate Cafe near 34th and Walnut streets a little more than a week ago - but he hadn't expected that he would be almost overrun with business in such a short time. "We're having a lot of trouble keeping up," Block said.

With bike theft up this year and the South Street Bridge about to close for reconstruction, the Division of Public Safety is trying to increase awareness about bicycle safety. DPS is distributing brochures and attaching flyers with bicycle-security reminders to improperly secured bicycles.

America "Barack"-ed the vote. Now, will the new president Barack the world? Sir David Bell, chairman of the Financial Times and non-executive director of The Economist, certainly thinks so. "The world is unbelievably pleased about the outcome of this election," he said.

The city's police forces have been largely spared from Mayor Michael Nutter's wide-ranging budget cuts, which were announced last week in response to the city's projected $1 billion budget gap over the next five years. Though there will be about 200 layoffs citywide, none are planned for Philadelphia Police officers.

Minority engineers are taking steps to build a stronger, more diverse community at Penn. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences hosted a Minorities in Engineering gathering last night in the Towne building. The event, sponsored by Naked Chocolate, was organized by the Society of Women Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Queer Undergraduates in Engineering, Science and Technology.

Art, memories and a pair of gray-and-white striped pants took center stage at Hillel last night, as Holocaust survivor William Bernheim shared his experiences with the crowd. William, grandfather of College sophomore Taylor Bernheim, chronicled his journey from Poland, to the Lodz ghetto and ultimately to the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany.

This semester, College senior Rebecca Gerr could have been kicking back, enjoying her soon-to-be freedom from academic life. Instead, she chose to enroll in Portuguese 114 - Portuguese for Spanish speakers - where she spends one hour four days a week with her fellow estudiantes learning a new language.

Yesterday students may have noticed a few things they thought they had disposed of sitting on Locust Walk. In an effort to improve student recycling habits, the Penn Environmental Group partnered with Facilities and Real Estate Services to create two mountains - one of recycling and one of trash - in front of Van Pelt Library.

Provost Ron Daniels, who came to the University over three years ago, will leave Penn in March to become the president of Johns Hopkins University.

Driscoll Construction Company has been awarded a $67-million contract to reconstruct the South Street Bridge, Mayor Michael Nutter announced yesterday. Reconstruction of the bridge, which extends from 27th Street to Convention Avenue and connects University City to Center City, will begin with the demolition of the existing bridge in December and should be complete in two years.

After hearing friends who studied abroad rave about their experiences, College senior Hayling Price knew he had no choice but to follow in their footsteps. He considered Spain to further his language skills but decided the cultural element was more important.