The ties between the Virginia and Penn basketball programs seem endless. One connection includes a then-sophomore forward who made a lot out of his 12.4 minutes per game under Fran Dunphy. That would be Ryan Pettinella - now Virginia's powerful 6-foot-9 starting center.

On Monday, Nov. 19, the College Republicans hosted Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) for a presidential town hall. Visiting the school with him were Governor Jon Huntsman of Utah and John Lehman of the 9/11 Commission. We were elated by the student response to this event - we had to turn away over 100 people from Zellerbach Theatre, which had reached its capacity at 980.

Penn's Graduate School of Education announced a new program earlier this month that will prepare teachers for public secondary-school education in Mandarin Chinese language and culture. The 10-month program is designed for students with an undergraduate background in Chinese languages, culture, history and literature who are seeking a Master's degree in education and faculty recommendation for certification from the Pennsylvania Department of Education in secondary education.

Division of Public Safety officials said yesterday they have no major security changes planned for the area around 38th and Chestnut streets, the site of two shootings in the last month. In an interview yesterday, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said DPS had already made a temporary increase in security in the area after the shooting of a Philadelphia Police officer at Koko Bongo Oct.

Sunday night there was another fatal shooting just off Penn's campus. This shooting was at that fine Penn institution, Club Wizzards, conveniently located next to Koko Bongo and only a block from Penn's Jerry Lee Center of Criminology. Koko Bongo and Wizzards (the extra Z is for Zest!): Your one-stop shop for all your murder and mayhem research needs.

After stressing about the way his team has played the past week, maybe coach Pat Knapp can finally relax. "It's a big difference a week makes," Knapp said. The women's basketball team beat what sophomore guard Sarah Bucar called "a quality team" in Loyola-Maryland, 70-57 Sunday at the Palestra.

Loretta Sweet Jemmott, director of the Center for Health Disparities Research at the School of Nursing, received The Baxter International Foundation's 2007 Episteme Award earlier this month. Jemmott earned the award for researching and developing strategies to reduce HIV risk-associated sexual behaviors among African-American, South-African and Latino youth and adults.

Penn was heading in a downward spiral. The Quakers had just gone 0-3, putting up 65 points against a Howard team that surrendered 110.5 points per game in its first two. But with the pressure on, freshman point guard Harrison Gaines responded like a grizzled veteran.

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

Coming into the season, the Penn women's basketball team had defeated Big 5 rival Saint Joseph's only once in 32 games. That pattern continued last night as the Hawks cruised to a 63-46 victory over the Quakers (1-3).

Economics professor Rafael Robb pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Montgomery County court this morning. Robb, 57, admitted to having killed his wife, Ellen, in the couple's Upper Merion home on Dec. 22, 2006. Rafael Robb said in court that he killed Ellen Robb with a chin-up bar after the couple had an argument about whether their daughter, Olivia, would return from an upcoming vacation before the end of Christmas break.

Penn students are famous for their supposed political apathy. But, last night, nearly 1,000 students made their way to Zellerbach Theatre to hear Republican senator and presidential candidate John McCain speak and answer questions. Throughout the event, a crowd waited eagerly outside the doors, hoping some students would leave so they could hear some "straight talk.

The Quakers can now take that sigh of relief after getting their first win last night. But they'd better not take too long exhaling, because No. 23 Virginia comes to town Friday to take on Penn in the first round of the Philly Classic. The date kicks off a markedly difficult stretch in Penn's nonconference schedule, in which it plays the Cavaliers, either Seton Hall or Navy the next day, then Villanova and North Carolina a week later.

The InterFraternity Council will have to elect a new president after College junior Matt Dwyer resigned due to personal issues less than a week after being elected to the post. Dwyer, the current president of Alpha Tau Omega, would have assumed his post after the spring rush.

Assault Nov. 11 - A female employee was hit on the back of the head by a male suspect while she was walking westbound on the 3800 block of Spruce Street at about 12:00 a.m. Wharton senior Seamus Scanlan, 21, of the 300 block of S. 39th St. was arrested and charged with assault.

The executive committee of the Student Activities Council elected Wharton and Engineering junior Eric Van Nostrand as their new chairman earlier this month. SAC is responsible for dispersing funds to the over 200 student groups on campus and serves as a liaison between student groups and the University administration.