A wedding, much like Thanksgiving, gives us one of those rare opportunities for everyone, friends and family alike, to come together and enjoy each other's company. As no small bonus, a wedding allows us to celebrate the time-honored traditions of union and love.

Even though many students are qualified to enroll in postsecondary schools, they may decide not to earn a college degree. In a recent study conducted by the Institute for Higher Education Policy and supported by The Education Resource Institute, students and guidance counselors cited the high price of college tuition and insufficient financial-aid opportunities as the main reasons many students choose not to enroll in college.

Albany was the almost team - the team that, as a No. 16 seed in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, found itself up by 12 with 12 minutes to play against No. 1 Connecticut. The Great Danes would lose their lead within six minutes and eventually fall, 72-59. They became, at least for a few days, a national story and the poster child for overcoming long odds.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The men's basketball team trailed Albany by just three points at the half but couldn't keep up its strong play, ultimately losing, 73-63. For the second time in as many games, the Quakers were overmatched by their opponent's backcourt. The Great Danes' duo of Anthony Raffa and Tim Ambrose combined for 41 points on 15-for-25 shooting from the field.

By HANNAH GERSTENBLATT Sports Editor-elect hannahgb@dailypennsylvanian.com It seemed as if the women's basketball team's moment had finally come. There was a little over a minute to play against Saint Joseph's, and the Quakers were down by only three, with a chance to shake off their Big 5 demons of seasons past.

A fire at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house early yesterday morning was caused by an electrical overload, according to the Division of Public Safety. The fraternity house, located at 4040 Walnut St., was evacuated at about 3:30 a.m. when brothers reported seeing smoke billowing from a second-floor bedroom.

Thanksgiving isn't until tomorrow, but Penn Medicine is already in the spirit of giving. Last night, Penn Med unveiled the Clyde F. Barker Transplant House, a "home away from home" for transplant patients' families during and after transplant surgeries. "The transplant is one of the most graphic acts of giving," said Ralph Muller, chief executive officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Penn students may soon find they have a lot more in common with their grandmothers. Starting next semester, students will be able to rent small shopping carts - commonly known as "granny carts" - and canvas bags from Harrison College House as part of the pilot program of a new Undergraduate Assembly initiative headed by the Sustainability, Safety and Facilities Committee.

The Palestra, like many sports arenas, frequently plays the song "Jump Around" to get the home crowd into the game. But in the Penn men's basketball team's 85-73 home loss to Penn State last night, it looked like the visitor, not the host, had taken the s

The Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is the latest to be affected by the financial crisis. Museum director Richard Hodges announced in a memo last Friday that the museum would discontinue 18 "research specialist" positions that have been part of the curatorial departments and the Museum Applied Science Center for Archaeology, in addition to disbanding the MASCA division as a whole.

UPDATED: Nov. 26, 6:45 p.m. Jack Siedlecki announced his retirement as Yale football coach on Wednesday after 12 years at the helm. He will stay with with the school as an assistant athletic director. "I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished over 12 years," Siedlecki said in a statement.

When you're down by 25 at halftime, what ensues will inevitably be prettier than what you've just seen. Penn's 85-73 loss last night to Penn State was no exception. The Quakers took a 25-point deficit down to a 10-point one, and it could have been seven had Zack Rosen's open three not rimmed out.

"What was the source of the following phrase: 'government of the people, for the people, by the people?'" Your choices are: the "I Have a Dream" speech, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution or the Gettysburg Address. If you don't know the answer, don't fret - I missed it too (It was the Gettysburg Address).

Most proposals that have come out of Congress over the last several months have been divisive. But there's one most students can agree upon: a requirement, passed as part of the Higher Education Act's reauthorization, that the FAFSA be simplified. It should be.

Janice Dow is a College sophomore from Los Angeles, Calif. Her e-mail address is dow@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Medical Ethics and History and Sociology of Science professor Jonathan Moreno was named to President-elect Barack Obama's transition team. Moreno will serve as a co-leader for the Department of Health and Human Services review team, which will examine the department as a whole in order to provide incoming employees with necessary information.

Center City may be getting brighter - but not everyone is happy about it. Some groups in the city anticipate negative effects of Commercial Entertainment District zoning, which lifts some parking constraints and allows for rooftop, revolving, electronic or flashing signs.