Despite weeks of research, students in one Electrical and Systems Engineering class are still pondering the best way to climb the fabled "Rocky steps" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Of course, their task is more difficult than it sounds: While climbing those stairs may be an easy trek for tourists, getting a robot to make the same jaunt isn't so simple.

For the men's tennis team, spring break will signify more than just a week without classes. With a three-match road trip in California on tap, it will also mark the annual switch from indoor to outdoor courts. "Normally it's a tough transition," Penn coach Nik DeVore said.

After months of inclement weather, infield puddles and indoor practices, the Penn baseball team is finally headed for greener pastures - if only for one week. The Quakers (0-1) flew to Boca Raton, Fla., last night, where they will play out an eight-game spring break slate over the next eight days.

It may be the one class every Penn student has to take during his or her undergraduate education, but it's also the one class whose merits students can't seem to pinpoint. A foundation at many colleges across the nation, Penn's 50 to 60 writing seminars seek to transition the writing of incoming freshmen from "five-paragraph, SAT or free-form writing" to shorter essays with more peer revision, said program director Valerie Ross.

For the wrestling team, the last four months of bouts, pins and takedowns all comes down to this weekend. Starting tomorrow and finishing up Sunday, the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association will hold its conference tournament at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.

It's the biggest concert of the biggest party of the year at Penn - and Ludacris and Gym Class Heroes will headline it. The Social Planning and Events Committee announced Monday that the rapper and indie hip-hop band will take the stage at this year's Spring Fling concert at 8 p.m.

For years, scientists have been devising ways to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy - the most common and serious form of the disease - without actually replacing the mutated gene that causes it. That approach may soon pay off, as researchers start testing the most promising of such techniques.

It's that time of year again - spring break, of course - when students flock off campus to more exotic locations around the globe. The one thing they all have in common? They'll all be feeding whatever economy they happen to find themselves in. Not that that's any different from a normal week at Penn.

Former Wharton professor Scott Ward, currently serving a federal prison sentence for child pornography, is facing new charges for allegedly transporting and shipping child pornography and lying to authorities. Ward, 56, allegedly shipped images of himself engaged in sexual activity with a 16-year-old boy, according to an indictment filed today by U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan.

Becca Edwards notched a hat trick against North Carolina last weekend, but that's not why she's been the center of attention among her lacrosse teammates. When she joined the Quakers, the attacker had never experienced jetlag. The native of Flourtown, Pa.

The Penn Environmental Group had extra special plans for the last night before spring break. Environmental activists Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger presented a lecture on new ways of approaching the issue of global warming last night in Huntsman Hall.

While their classmates are throwing back shots of tequila over spring break next week, eight Quakers will be taking their shot at college fencing's highest honor at the NCAA Championships in Columbus, Ohio, from March 13-16. But according to coach Dave Micahnik, Penn's biggest challenge won't take place on the piste.

Priscilla des Gachons is a College sophomore from Paris, France. Her e-mail address is pgachons@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Talk about learning quickly: The softball team will play more games this spring break than it has year. Penn (2-2 ) will travel to Orlando, Fla., to take part in the Rebel Spring Games. They will play 10 contests over six days, with just one day off. Their opponents include seven different teams from all over the country: Cleveland State, Butler, Tenesee-Martin, Indiana-Purdue, Robert Morris, Monmouth and Wisconsin-Green Bay.

He might be moving on to Division-I football, but quarterback John Hurley may have already seen more time in the limelight than he will in his four years of college. Hurley, a marquee member of Penn football's Class of 2012, was the signal-caller for St. Xavier of Cincinnati, which finished 2007 ranked No.

Contrary to most predictions at the beginning of this year's presidential primaries, Pennsylvania now matters - in fact, it could effectively determine the outcome of the Democratic race for President. Political analysts initially predicted that the Democratic primaries would be decided on Super Tuesday, Feb.

Does the FDA's policy of banning males who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood violate Penn's non-discrimination policy? Absolutely, but so do comedy troupes that don't allow women and a capella groups that exclude men. The University also sanctions registered parties where only people past a certain age can drink (blatant ageism) - unless one of their friends is conniving enough to figure out how to remove a bracelet.