After spending all day last Thursday in committee meetings that covered everything from budget and finance to student life, the University Board of Trustees spent their evening relaxing at a cocktail reception and dinner with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter in Irvine Auditorium.

If robots really are the way of the future, then Penn is lucky to have Professor Robert Ghrist on board for next semester. Ghrist, an applied mathematician who specializes in topology - the study of abstract spaces and shapes - was recently appointed as the Andrea Mitchell University Professor and the seventh Penn Integrates Knowledge faculty member.

Philadelphia Police have arrested two suspects in relation to a fatal shooting that took place early Sunday morning on the 3900 block of Market St. Tyree Musier and Jonte Slater, both 22, were arrested Sunday afternoon and charged with murder and related charges, Philadelphia Police Sgt.

The Lubavitch House has been a center for Jewish life at the University since 1980. However, recent picketing efforts by Philadelphia union workers have disrupted the House's $2.8 million expansion project. For the past two weeks, picketers from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union 98, have protested the use of non-union workers on the project, disrupting house activities, as well as residential life.

While to the average college student taking the SATs may just be a painful memory, for current high school juniors the experience may become considerably less stressful. Beginning in March 2009, students will be allowed to choose which of their SAT scores colleges see, the College Board announced last week.

A shot was fired in the McDonald's on 40th and Walnut streets the evening of June 28. Though no one was injured, two men were arrested and charged in connection with the incident. At about 5:30 p.m., police say that a male customer got into an argument with a McDonald's employee.

When students from last semester's Graphic Design Practicum course visit the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in the future, it may look pretty familiar. The 12 graphic design and architecture undergraduates spent the spring conceptualizing ways to make the Kimmel Center a more inviting and invigorating public space, and some of their designs are becoming reality.

Theft June 19 - A male unaffiliated with the University, 48, reported that an unknown suspect broke a window of his vehicle in a parking garage located at South Street and Convention Avenue and removed a GPS device at about 1:30 p.m. June 19 - A male unaffiliated with the University, 36, reported that an unknown suspect broke a window of his vehicle in a parking garage located at South Street and Convention Avenue and removed a laptop and personal property at about 2:30 p.

Penn students looking for something fun to do this weekend should look no further than Festival Pier where one of their own, College junior Stevie Roberts, will be playing alongside the Dropkick Murphys, Less than Jake, Goldfinger, Westbound Train, Suburban Legends and other School of Rock All-stars.

Just when it seemed there was no hope left for Wireless Philadelphia and its plans for digital inclusion, a group of local investors announced an agreement with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, City Councilman Bill Green and Wireless Philadelphia on Tuesday to take over operations of Philadelphia's Wireless Initiative.

Though a few students may have skeletons in their closets, someone seems to have left one behind this summer. A Campus Apartments manager discovered what he believed might be a human skull in an apartment at 249 S. 49th St. at about 1:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, according to Officer Jillian Russell.

Whether you own your own or are just renting one for the day, hybrid cars are all the rage this summer. Ever-rising gas prices mean that more people are choosing to rent rather than maintain vehicles of their own. To keep up with this increase in membership, car-sharing companies are looking to add extra vehicles to their systems - particularly those that are environmentally friendly.

Filming of the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen took place on campus last weekend, drawing large crowds of passersby struck by the Hollywood scene and hoping to catch a glimpse of the film's director Michael Bay and star actor Shia LeBeouf. "This is the first big studio motion picture that's been filmed on campus proper," said University spokeswoman Phyllis Holtzman.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em, because in three months you'll be out of luck. Last Friday, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell signed into law the Clean Indoor Air Act, which will prohibit smoking in most public places, such as restaurants, workplaces and certain parts of casino floors.

Eric Furda, Penn's incoming Dean of Admissions, recently made two senior appointments to the admissions office. Furda appointed Quenby Jackson Mott the vice dean and director of Undergraduate admissions and David Phillips the vice dean of admissions and director of information and management systems.

As go the Philadelphia suburbs, so goes Pennsylvania - or at least, that's what presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama seems to believe. With a town hall meeting held at Radnor Middle School in Wayne last Saturday, Obama signaled his dedication to winning not only the heavily-Democratic city of Philadelphia over presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, but the surrounding counties as well.

This fall, students will have yet another reason to stay glued to their Facebook page. In a new effort to better reach students, Blackboard, Inc. has created a Facebook application - already in use by over 400 universities - that alerts students about updates to their Blackboard accounts, Blackboard product director Greg Ritter said.