Besides merely serving as a distraction in that political science class you now realize was a mistake signing up for, perhaps that iPhone or BlackBerry will actually give you the power to drop the class on the spot. At Stanford - and more recently, Duke - that choice will soon be available to students on campus.

After two quiet losses Wednesday in which Penn scored just three runs in two games against Temple, the team is no doubt looking for the bats to show up. This weekend's doubleheaders against Cornell (27-7, 6-2 Ivy) could be just the opportunity the Quakers (9-20-1, 4-4) need to erase any lingering bad memories of the Temple games.

The 10-0 Penn women's lacrosse team wasn't always at the top of the Ivy League. In fact, in coach Karin Brower's 10 years with the program, the Quakers have only beaten Ivy League rival Dartmouth twice - in each of the last two seasons. So tomorrow at noon on Franklin Field, Brower will hope that her third time is still the charm.

It does not take an economics major to understand how bad things are right now. If you need an indicator for the health of the economy, talk to any senior about their plans for next year, and you will see everything from desperation to exasperation. For those of us who grew up during the boom years of the post-Cold War era and have never seen a rainy day, the harsh reality of this economic downturn (and its direct effect on us) has come as a great shock.

The Quakers will have plenty to think about on their lengthy bus trip up to Ithaca, N.Y. this weekend. As they trudge northward on the way to a pair of doubleheaders against Cornell, they will no doubt be wondering how they can lift themselves from the rut they are in - the one that has seen them fall to 0-8 in the Ivy League.

The rollout of the Apple iTunes Music Store three-tiered pricing system last Tuesday has already drawn criticism, copycats and apparent declines in sales rankings among some of the top 100 songs. In January, Apple had announced it would soon begin selling all DRM-free songs with the introduction of the new pricing levels of $.

The men's tennis team knows it can't take home the title every year. So when they host Ivy rivals Dartmouth and Harvard this weekend, the Quakers (9-9, 0-3 Ivy) will be competing for something more than a trophy. "It's all about pride at this point," senior captain Jonathan Boym said.

On April 1, Rabbi Michael Uram entered the Eastern State Penitentiary - the penitentiary on Fairmount Avenue that has housed the likes of Al Capone and Willie Sutton. He was there to dedicate the Alfred W. Fleisher Memorial Synagogue, a chapel built in the 1960s and restored and renovated for use today.

According to a new study, black students who are either first- or second-generation American are overrepresented at selective colleges and universities, compared with those whose families have resided in the United States longer. This overrepresentation may stem from stereotypes - such as that immigrant blacks are smarter or work harder.

Harvard University admissions announced its plans to cut down on travel outreach last month, and now Penn plans to do the same. Dean of Admissions Eric Furda said he expects "to scale back in the fall" and find "more cost-effective ways of recruitment than planes, trains and automobiles.

When Council chairwoman Anna Verna brings down her gavel, the Philadelphia City Council hearing is in session. Council hearings allow members to ask questions of the mayoral departments regarding the budget on which they will ultimately have the final vote.

Universities across the nation are combating wastefulness and focusing on sustainability, but only one will be able to take home the title of America's Greenest Campus. The America's Greenest Campus contest is the first national competition among colleges to reduce their communities' carbon footprints.

This year, Penn sent congratulatory letters to 3,926 students out of the 22,939 that applied - an acceptance rate of 17.11 percent. But last year, the acceptance rate was (gasp!) 0.10 percent lower. A minute fraction of a percent, but unfortunately many students - and this newspaper - seem to think such an increase in acceptance is a "situation.

Men's lacrosse can't win the Ivy League tomorrow at Brown, but the opportunity for an upset is still very much in the cards - again. After nearly toppling No. 2 Princeton Tuesday at home, the Quakers (2-7, 1-4 Ivy) will make a quick turnaround, heading to Providence, R.

Daniel Schwartz is a College junior from Decatur, Ga. His e-mail address is dschwartz@dailypennsylvanian.com

Elizabeth Grant, like many other Penn students, went to several Greek parties the first weekend in February. And like other students who had connections to the Greek system, Grant, a College sophomore, went to get a prophylactic dose of Ciprofloxacin on Feb.

Ivy League lacrosse is in Samantha Bird's blood. Penn's senior attack comes from a line of women's lacrosse players. Bird's older sister, Courtney, graduated from Princeton last year, while her younger sister, Georgia, is currently a freshman on Dartmouth's roster.