U.S. News and World Report may say Penn is tied for sixth place, but it's number two for the quality of its students' note-taking, according to GradeGuru.com. GradeGuru is a Web site that lets students from any university post old notes and study guides from classes and get paid for them.

Last time Villanova senior Lisa Karcic made a visit to the Palestra, it was a dark day for Penn women's basketball. "Two years ago she shot the lights out here," coach Pat Knapp said. Unfortunately for Knapp and the Quakers, the scene at Villanova's Pavilion last year was even drearier.

The Dragons weren't more talented, more athletic or more prepared than Penn in their 66-64 home win at the Daskalakis Athletic Center yesterday. No, the difference came down to defensive intensity - Drexel had it, and Penn didn't. "Just disappointed in our performance tonight," senior guard Kevin Egee said.

Despite rumors that Alpha Chi Omega's annual Big Man On Campus philanthropy event was going to be canceled this year, the event is expected to occur as planned tomorrow evening. The participating students have signed a pledge not to consume alcohol during the pageant and several members of Alpha Chi Omega national headquarters will be present to supervise the event, said Wharton senior and Interfraternity Council President David Ashkenazi.

We all know what NSO involves - a healthy dose of hellos, welcome backs and of course, partying. Freshmen spend their days at University events that introduce them to Penn and its workings. But once 11:00 chimes in, off-campus houses fling open their doors to those hoards of students exploring the campus party scene for the first time.

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When Biology professor Paul Sniegowski came to Penn in 1997, he had little lecture experience under his belt. So he learned to teach the way many faculty members do: from each other. The process takes place through observations and discussions, in both formal programs and informal conversations.

Former Marketing professor Scott Ward pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to five child pornography-related charges, and he faces a possible sentence of life in prison. Ward, 66, admitted guilt to two counts of inducing a minor to engage in sex to create photos or videos, two counts of trafficking child pornography and one count of lying to State Department officials.

If you're out early enough this morning, you may just spot Tyler Bernardini walking down 33rd street, scarfing down a pregame meal. "Maybe a McGriddle," the sophomore guard said. It will be breakfast on the run as he makes his way to the Daskalakis Center for Penn's 10 a.

This past weekend, Fagin Hall was crowded with 80 extra nurses in the form of Girl Scouts, marking the second event this year that brought local troops to campus. The occasion, Girls Understanding Technology and Science, featured keynote speakers, merit badge workshops and breakout sessions with Penn student and faculty volunteers.

Most schools would consider sending eight wrestlers to the NCAA tournament a success. Not Penn. The Quakers did that last year, but because none of the eight became All-Americans, they wrote off the 2007-08 campaign as something of a disappointment. "We had a great [regular] season, but it didn't culminate in the success that we wanted," said first-year head coach Rob Eiter, who was a Penn assistant last year under current USA National coach Zeke Jones.

Amira Fawcett is an Engineering senior from Houston, Texas. Her e-mail address is fawcett@dailypennsylvanian.com.

In the penultimate Undergraduate Assembly meeting of the year, held on Sunday evening, sustainability was a main focus. During the open forum, no outside student groups brought forth issues, but several internal issues were discussed. College sophomore Alec Webley confirmed that renovations on DuBois College House will happen this summer and also announced the recent purchase of a new Web site domain name for the UA - a budget request that was approved at last week's meeting.

When crafting his offense this preseason, Penn coach Al Bagnoli conceived of a backfield that utilized the shifty Bradford Blackmon in tandem with the powerful Mike DiMaggio. "I think we've got a really nice one-two that hopefully are gonna cause people some problems," Bagnoli said in early September.

There's no tying in politics. Last week, the Undergraduate Assembly and Dartmouth's Student Assembly announced that the voter turnout competition between the two schools ended in a tie. Soon after the election, both groups realized they had no way to accurately determine which school had the highest number of students turning out to vote.

Retail options have greatly expanded in University City over the past decade - but not necessarily with just Penn students in mind. The stores and restaurants opening under the Radian this fall are representative of the area's growth in recent years, but some students still long for a wider range of retail offerings.

If you have time, head to Chinatown with your friends for dinner some time soon. Take a good look around over the next 12 months, because by December 2009, you'll see something very different: a casino in the Gallery. And once the casino shows up, it won't be long before crime and decay set in.