Scientists often joke that, instead of having a genie grant three wishes, they'd just prefer three grants. Well, scientists engaging in interdisciplinary research might not have to bother with the genie anymore. The National Institutes of Health Roadmap for Medical Research announced last week funding of $210 million over five years for nine interdisciplinary research consortia nationwide.

After last season's kicking woes, head coach Al Bagnoli came up with a simple plan. If the Quakers brought in enough kickers in the offseason, he figured, at least one was bound to succeed. So, instead of recruiting one standout talent, Bagnoli added three freshmen to a potential kicking corps that already included Derek Zoch, whose ineffectiveness last season cost him the starting role; A.

When the Covenant - the red, cylindrical statue on Locust Walk - was erected in 1975, students called it "obnoxiously spastic" and reminiscent of "cosmic soda straws." Now, students just call it the Dueling Tampons. And that's what 1996 College graduate Matt Rosler calls his Web site: Duelingtampons.

WILMINGTON, Del. - It was deja vu all over again as the third murder trial for Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya began yesterday at the New Castle Co. courthouse.

Looking at the Quakers' defense on paper, it makes sense that a 5-2 is the set of choice. The 6-foot, 285-pound Naheem Harris clogs the middle from the nose-guard position, defensive end Mike Marinelli provides size and speed over the tackles and co-captain Joe Anastasio fortifies the linebacker position.

Newsflash: Bringing your A-game in a round of Halo doesn't translate to an A on your Econ midterm. In a recent year-long study, researchers surveyed incoming freshmen at Berea College in Kentucky and found that students who brought video-game systems to school earned a lower GPA than their non-gaming classmates.

Yale at Georgetown Yale tailback Mike McLeod is used to plowing over one or two defensive linemen. Georgetown hopes that eight will be a few too many. The Hoyas' eight-man front and spread-option offense are two unique challenges for Yale in its opener.

When it comes to funding construction, America's biomedical-research colleges may be approaching the perfect storm. Nationwide, medical schools have continued to engage in ambitious expansion projects with the expectation that federal funding will help foot the bill.

To the most casual Penn football fans, Kelms Amoo-Achampong is nothing more than the hyphenated mouthful that sits atop the Quakers' roster. To those who follow the team a bit more closely, he is the more-than-competent backup to first-team All-Ivy running back Joe Sandberg.

As the Cornell field hockey team visits Penn tomorrow, the squads find themselves facing two very different scenarios. The Big Red (3-0, 1-0 Ivy) are tied for first among the Ivies and remain the only Ancient Eight team undefeated overall. Meanwhile, the Quakers (1-4, 0-1) are tied for last, and only have a better overall record than one other Ivy team, Yale, at 0-2.

When deciding on the best strategy for Penn's new-look offense this season, Quakers coach Al Bagnoli took a cue from the past. "We're probably going off closer to what we were with [former offensive coordinator] Andy [Coen] with motion, shifting, people out of the backfield," Bagnoli said of the offense, mentioning there would be an emphasis on "a much more open, no-huddle, up-tempo" style this year.

With the season opener fast approaching, there's quite a bit on the minds of Penn football fans. Who will kick? Will the new offense produce? Is Coach Lake still alive? Well now, it's time to address the questions and let the betting begin. Straight from Las Vegas, here is the official 2007 Penn Football bettors' guide.

The road is often unkind to lost travelers. A three-game road trip to begin the season left the men's soccer team winless, with its early-season questions in goal and on the back line still unanswered. This weekend, however, Penn (0-3-0) looks to get its season back on track with a homestand - against Hartwick (3-1-0) tonight and La Salle (1-2-0) on Sunday as part of the Penn Soccer Classic.

Robert Irvin is glad he now has passing plays in his head, rather than butterflies in his stomach. The junior is not the same quarterback he was as a rookie last season, and will get his first chance to prove that at Franklin Field against No. 25 Lafayette tomorrow.

Penn volleyball coach Kerry Carr has a prime scouting opportunity this weekend. When she takes her team to the American Volleyball Tournament in D.C., four Ivy League teams will be on display. It's a Patriot-Ivy League showdown as Penn, Columbia, Cornell and Harvard will face off against Army, Navy, American and Lafayette.

Penn's Division of Public Safety has released a traffic advisory due to ongoing construction on the Annenberg School for Communication. Lane closures near the construction site began Wednesday morning. The closures are expected to last between two and three weeks.

"If you have somebody in your dorm who's a blowhard-and this is off-the-wall-carry one of those army-recruitment posters and tell them: 'Sign up-you can even use my pen.'"