Following the recent death of Philadelphia Police Sgt. Patrick McDonald, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has signed a stricter gun control law. The law imposes a mandatory 20-year sentence for shooting, or even attempting to shoot, a police officer. Additionally, the law includes provisions to cut down on straw purchases, in which legal buyers of firearms act as proxies for those who cannot legally purchase firearms.

After a nine-year absence from campus, FIJI is back. Last night, the 32 founding fathers of the Beta chapter of Phi Gamma Delta were unveiled in a pledging ceremony dubbed "Evening with the FIJIS" at the Sheraton Hotel on 36th and Chestnut streets. The Beta chapter was initially colonized at Penn in 1881, but fraternity members surrendered the chapter in 1999 following the death of an alumnus on Phi Gamma Delta property.

Casting director Paul Russell shared his personal "freak file" with an audience of aspiring actors and actresses last night at the Penn Bookstore. The portfolio of head shots and resumes exemplified some of the most heinous mistakes made by individuals hoping to break into the entertainment industry.

The United Minorities Council has hosted Unity Week - its signature celebration of diversity and cross-cultural awareness - in the late fall for at least 20 years. But this year, something is different: It coincides with a historic election featuring the first female and black presidential contenders.

It may not have come in a robin's-egg-blue box, but Penn officials are nevertheless thrilled about a recent $2 million donation from the Tiffany & Co. Foundation to the Botswana-UPenn partnership. Tiffany & Co. announced last week that it is granting the University $2 million to go toward building an HIV treatment center and research facility on the grounds of the Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana.

SPEC-TRUM announced last night that rising hip-hop artist Wale and R&B; producer and vocalist Ryan Leslie will headline its annual fall concert on Nov. 20. The acts have been compared to big names - Wale is often likened to Kanye West and Leslie has been called "the next John Legend," said College sophomore Ferrell Townsend, a director of the Social Planning and Events Committee to Represent Undergraduate Minorities.

The next U.S. President, says former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, will be "drowned in conflict" if he tries to face all his problems at once. Kissinger and former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin debated diplomacy, development and defense at the Impact 08 forum hosted by the Center for U.

A prettier Clark Park may be in the near future. With a local architect at the helm and newly unveiled designs, proposed renovations of Clark Park may begin as early as late spring. The park's pathways, lighting and center plaza will all get overhauls as part of a plan to revitalize the aging park.

For some professors, supporting Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama extends beyond the ballot box. Across the country, thousands of professors - several on Penn's campus - are advising the Obama campaign on a number of issues as part of policy committees.

Gay and straight students alike gathered for a candlelight vigil in Wynn Commons last night to commemorate the death of Matthew Shepard, who was brutally murdered 10 years ago for being gay. The vigil was hosted by Allies, an organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight students.

Waiting at the 38th Street crosswalk while you're late for class isn't the only horror on Spruce Street. Penn Dance and Glee Club's seventh annual collaboration, "Nightmare on Spruce Street," opens today in the Prince Theatre at the Annenberg Center. The Glee Club, founded in 1862 as an all male a cappella group, has toured over 35 different countries on five continents, while Penn Dance is experienced in its own right, with over 30 years of bringing modern dance to university audiences and beyond.

It has long been the norm for the University to deny funding to student political groups. So when the price tag for Republican presidential nominee John McCain's November 2007 visit to Penn came to nearly $5,000, members of the executive board of the College Republicans had to reach into their own pockets to help cover the costs, said College junior and College Republicans president Zac Byer.

37 + 19 = ? The calculation may not seem that hard now, but try doing it while drunk. That's the goal of Google Mail Goggles, a new feature for Gmail that requires users to complete a series of simple math problems before sending an e-mail late on weekend nights.

What do you get when you combine comic books, TV weathermen and the military? The premise for a vaguely funny joke? Possibly. But according to sixth-year graduate student Roger Turner, these three seemingly incongruous institutions actually have a shared history, dating back to the First World War.

Engineering senior Ryan Goldstein said he remains enrolled in the University and intends to graduate in the spring. On Tuesday, Goldstein was sentenced in federal court to five years probation, a $30,000 fine and one year in various forms of custody for his involvement in hacking into the School of Engineering and Applied Science'scomputer server in February 2006.

Students in one section of Math 104 were forced to retake an exam this month after the professor suspected cheating had occurred as students handed in their tests. According to several students in the class, the alleged cheating occurred on Wednesday, Oct.

It was a gloomy day on Wall Street yesterday as well as in the Annenberg Center, as a panel of Wharton professors delivered a bleak outlook for the current economic situation.