For many freshmen, finishing (or starting) the Penn Reading Project's selected book is one of the least-enjoyable activities of New Student Orientation Week. But the Reading Project, for better or for worse, is a valuable way to connect on an intellectual level with the rest of the floor or parts of the House community, and it is frequently touted as an introduction to college-level reading and analysis.

When high-school senior Melissa Parratto chose to apply to Penn early decision, she was nervous about the more than $48,000 per year for tuition and fees. "I applied because Penn is an amazing education, and I had my heart set on it," said Parratto, who attends Dover High School in New Hampshire and was accepted to the College in December.

According to Jonah Berger, the popularity of a child's name depends on his or her parents' environment. Berger, a Wharton marketing professor since 2007, studies "how products, ideas and behaviors catch on and die out," he said. His main focus is the social aspect of decision making, with regards to popularity.

The men's fencing team captured the Ivy League Championship today, the team's first since the 2000-01 season. Penn defeated Harvard and Yale today by scores of 16-11 and 22-5, respectively. Today's victories capped an undefeated season for the Quakers. Many of Penn's fencers garnered All-Ivy honors; they were announced following the completion of the matches.

It might be hard to understand when someone who pulls an all-nighter and someone who got a full night's sleep get the same grade on an exam - but a new study by Penn's School of Medicine may explain the phenomenon. The study found the mechanism that shows how cellular changes in the sleeping brain are related to the formation of memories.

In raising $300,000 to build solar panels for a West African hospital, Kathryn Hall did more than solicit funds. She won national awards, appeared on television and 25 million bags of Doritos and even got Hollywood stars to join her cause. A 2008 College graduate and current student in the School of Medicine, Hall created Power Up Gambia after volunteering at the Sulayman Junkung General Hospital in The Gambia in summer 2006.

The second of the three students hospitalized last week with meningococcal infection was released yesterday, according to a Student Health Service update. One of the two students hospitalized over the weekend with flu-like symptoms was also released.That leaves only two students in the hopsital of the original five that were brought in - one infection case and one who had with flu-like symptoms.

Questions about 'Don't ask, don't tell' To the Editor: Clearly the matter of the continued military presence at Penn is an unsettling situation for nearly everyone, one which would be easily resolved if the federal government discontinues preventing LGBT people from serving openly in the military, something President Obama has pledged will happen.

Another heartbreaker for the Quakers, who lost their second game to the Big Green this season, 69-59, at the Palestra. With a Cornell loss to Yale this evening, a win could have been momentous for their standing in the Ivy League. Dartmouth forward Alex Barnett was solid if not dominating for the Big Green, with his backcourt posting strong supporting numbers.

As I walked to Fisher-Bennett last October, armed and ready to declare my major, I quickly mapped out my life. A B.A. from Penn, a semester abroad and a few extracurriculars should be enough for a decent start in life. But I slowed and thought to myself, "I can't just be an English major.

In 1960, when Mary Nixon moved onto Pine Street at age six, she never imagined that the mansion across the street would turn into a 10-story hotel. And yesterday, Nixon testified in front of the Zoning Board of Adjustment to say just that. She was one of 12 witnesses at yesterday's hearing for the opponents of the proposed hotel on 40th and Pine streets.

When Dartmouth takes the floor at the Palestra tonight, try to pay close attention. Look nice and hard at the Quakers when they're on defense, and you'll notice something. They might be looking out for their man, but keep your eyes locked on theirs, and you'll see that their peripheral vision is entirely focused on one guy.

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

Nothing jump-starts a season quite like a shot at revenge. The men's lacrosse team gets the opportunity to open its season on a high note tomorrow against Drexel, where local pride, retribution for last year's loss and season-opening momentum are all on the line.

Denis Kinane will become dean of the School of Dental Medicine beginning July 1, Penn President Amy Gutmann and interim Provost Vincent Price announced yesterday. "I'm very excited," Kinane said. "Penn's got a fantastic reputation, and I'm really looking forward to contributing.

The Penn women's basketball team and Dartmouth sophomore Brittney Smith are both moving in the right direction. Only three weeks after the Big Green (12-9, 7-0 Ivy) dominated the Quakers, 56-39, at the Palestra, Penn finds itself carrying the momentum of a season-high three-game winning streak into this weekend's road rematches with Dartmouth and Harvard (13-8, 5-2).

Penn is leading the way for research in nanotechnology. About 900 Penn-based innovations are listed on iBridge Network, an online forum to facilitate an exchange between researchers and companies looking to license new technology. The site was launched in 2005 by the Kauffman Foundation, one of the largest in the country that supports innovation and entrepreneurship.