In response to intensified conflict in the Gaza Strip, the University announced last week that it will not permit students to study abroad in Israel and the West Bank through Penn-approved exchanges this semester. Ten Penn students planned to study in Israel or Palestine this semester.

Five years and nearly 35,000 lawsuits later, the Recording Industry Association of America is stopping its legal war against individuals for file-sharing activities. The announcement comes as a relief for many students who worried about facing fines; however, the University has not yet determined how it will affect its policies, if at all.

For many freshmen, today isn't just the beginning of a new semester - it's the start of their introduction to the Greek system on campus. Penn's fraternities and sororities are putting on their best show for prospective members, offering free food and a good time spread out over a wide variety of events.

For colleagues, family and patients alike, Penn trauma director John Pryor, a major in the Army Reserve Medical Corps who died Christmas morning on his second tour of duty in Iraq, was "nothing but a role model, both as a surgeon and as a human being." So said Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Surgery and Interim Trauma professor Patrick Kim, who worked with Pryor for 10 years.

Gotham Book Mart was a literary landmark in New York City until it closed in 2007 - but now, its collection of about 200,000 books and manuscripts will be available to the public once again. The University announced last month that an anonymous donor bought the Gotham Book Mart's collection, which is worth several million dollars, and donat

The United States' $10 trillion national debt may be costing the nation, but College freshmen John O'Malley and William Son aren't too unhappy: they gained $500 from it. The two are the winners of a student video contest hosted by Students Face Up to the Nation's Finances, a project of a national campaign to raise awareness about the federal deficit called Facing Up.

For the class of 2012 and later, students' course-loads have been and will continue to be a little more diverse than those of previous classes. This year, the College of Arts and Sciences implemented a new requirement for all classes after 2012: "Cultural Diversity in the U.

Goodbye, plastic bottles. Hello, water. In response to Penn's commitment toward increasing environmental sustainability, Dining Services collaborated with the Penn Environmental Group to replace bottled water in McClelland in Ware College House and Hill Express in Hill College House with "Quench machines": environmentally friendly water coolers.

As police continue their investigation of Engineering sophomore Ryan Smith's fall from the Quadrangle this weekend, Smith's family and friends say they do not believe the incident was a suicide attempt. University spokeswoman Lori Doyle confirmed yesterday that the student is Ryan Smith, an Engineering sophomore from Rose Valley, Pa.

The South Street Bridge had only been closed for five hours, but people on the west side of the Schuylkill were already anxious about the effect of the closure on their work commutes. The bridge closed at 9:30 a.m. yesterday so Driscoll Construction Company could begin its projected two-year reconstruction of the bridge.

Friends and family gathered at St. Mary Magdalen Roman Catholic Church this afternoon to say a final good-bye to Engineering sophomore Ryan Smith. Packing the parking lot of both the church and its nearby parish school, they clustered around the central isles of this newly constructed building, some crying quietly to themselves, others silent as if deep in thought.

Many students returning to rooms in the Quadrangle yesterday afternoon found their sinks dry. At around 12:45 p.m. facilities turned off the water in the Upper Quad due to "a substantial leak in the water line," residential services administrator Paul Forchielli wrote in an e-mail to residents.

Penn trauma director John Pryor, a major in the Army Reserve Medical Corps, died Wednesday in Mosul, Iraq, after suffering wounds from mortar rounds near his living quarters, according to a Department of Defense statement.

He may only have 42 days left as President of the United States, but George W. Bush still knows how to arrive in style. President George W. Bush made a trip to Philadelphia on Saturday for the unveiling of his portrait at the Union League and for the Army-Navy football game.

A week ago, students sat down to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with their loved ones. But many of the people responsible for producing that meal have not been able to enjoy the company of their families for many years. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers - which seeks to improve conditions for a Florida farming community - last Friday gave a presentation in Irvine Auditorium that illustrated the plight of these laborers.

Assault Dec. 2 - Melissa Green, 19 and unaffiliated with the University, was arrested on the 3900 block of Market Street at 10 p.m. for allegedly assaulting a woman, 51 and also unaffiliated with the University, during a dispute. Nov. 30 - Phong Le, 26 and unaffiliated with the University, of the 1600 block of 15th Street, was arrested on the 100 block of 40th Street at 1:30 a.

The Wharton School and the School of Arts and Sciences have created a program in which students can receive both an MBA and a Master's of Environmental Studies, the University announced last week. The program allows students to complete both degrees in two and a half years, spending three semesters in residence at Wharton.