You can buy books, pay your bills or order clothes online. So why can't you register to vote? Political groups like Rock the Vote offer easy-to-use Web sites which include printable forms, but many states - including Pennsylvania - still require residents to mail in voter registration papers.

When it comes to picking a PIK professor, the requirements are stiff, and the stakes are high. PIK, or Penn Integrates Knowledge, professors hold joint appointments in two departments in two schools in the University. They teach courses and direct research within their interdisciplinary field, collaborating with colleagues and students in both schools.

By ELIZABETH RUBIN Staff Writer elizr@dailypennsylvanian.com Matt Amalfitano was the only Jewish student in his high-school graduating class of 300 in Hagerstown, Md. So for the College sophomore, the strong Jewish community at Penn was a significant factor in his decision to enroll.

The School of Arts and Sciences announced this week that the College of General Studies will be renamed the College of Liberal and Professional Studies next Tuesday with the hopes of better reflecting the school's mission. According to executive director of CGS Kristine Billmyer, the project has been in the works for approximately 18 months.

The federal government is in trouble. No, not for the usual litany of reasons concerning diplomatic blunders abroad, lack of unilateral credibility or a skyrocketing deficit. This time, it's about Boomsday - the looming retirement of thousands of baby boomers from the government.

Loftstel, a combination of "loft" and "hostel," is a house that provides temporary housing for guests - often students - who need a place to stay for anywhere from a night to six months. In addition to Philadelphia, it has locations in New York City, Los Angeles and Washington, D.

There are some things you see in life that you can be absolutely certain you will never witness again. Watching a 10-foot-tall papier mache woman give birth would qualify. So would seeing the King of Pop hurdle and flip at 40 miles per hour or hearing someone say, "No, I think the other cheesesteak mobile was faster."

Facing match point against Bowling Green on Friday, junior Anne Magnuson rose high above the right side of the net and slammed a cross-court kill to keep the Penn volleyball team alive. The Quakers had already turned a 22-17 first-set deficit against Fairfeld into a straight-set win earlier that day.

The Undergraduate Assembly met last night for the first time this semester under the leadership of new chairman College and Wharton senior Wilson Tong. A handful of freshmen who are interested in running for a UA seat attended the meeting and raised issues that they thought needed to be addressed after only a few weeks on campus.

The Division of Public Safety says changes to the walking-escort system are prompting positive feedback about the service. Beginning in November, DPS required Allied Barton security officers to carry visible photo IDs and give students a service card with their names and an e-mail address for feedback.

Normally I wouldn't waste my time perusing a site like Juicy Campus, because it's just a bunch of anonymous kids gossiping and venting anger. But when a fit of boredom recently brought me to the site, I discovered something I never expected. One of Penn's posts, "Ghetto Tours on Campus," caught my eye.

From Stanford to Syracuse, new professors flocked from across the country to teach at Penn this year. But no matter where they come from, the people who get up and lecture to undergraduates each semester have gone through a rigorous selection process and training to meet the University's high standards.

Just 23 minutes into the Penn men's soccer season opener on Friday night, Quakers sophomore Loukas Tasigianis set off a scuffle when he took down Marquette's Matt Stummer . Penn captain John Elicker and Marquette forward Anthony Colaizzi ran in to break it up.

In 15 matches last season, Penn midfielder Natalie Capuano tallied only three goals on 16 shots. But with juniors Jessica Fuccello and Jess Rothenheber - the team's leading scorers last season - absent due to injury, senior captain Capuano stepped up with two goals on Sunday and led the Quakers to a 3-0 win over Robert Morris.

As the Class of 2012 arrives on campus, they will be thrust into a bewildering new environment with little to no operational knowledge. What food trucks to go to (Yue Kee and Magic Carpet), what classes to take (Creative Writing) and where - or more importantly where not - to go within West Philadelphia? As usual, the University has provided information on this last question to incoming freshmen through an imposing presentation of the Penn patrol zone.

The PennCard software is getting its first makeover in six years, but its impact will be felt mainly be PennCard administrators, not card carriers. The new software will mainly help the PennCard office handle what Business Services spokeswoman Barbara Lea-Kruger called "idiosyncratic" situations that come up occasionally.

Because professors select the textbooks students must buy, they are caught in the center of a debate over book prices and industry practices. Experts say professors are increasingly concerned about what students shell out but must balance easing financial burdens with finding high-quality materials that complement their courses.