My friends and I slogged our way over the Locust Walk bridge and down past Huntsman, moving just fast enough to still call it moving. We were near the back of the procession, behind the dental students who proudly hoisted their battle flag, a five-foot toothbrush.

Draping red and blue banners soared alongside a larger-than-life toothbrush, congratulatory balloons and, of course, students' spirits at Penn's Commencement ceremonies - held on what University President Amy Gutmann repeatedly called "a perfect day." The ceremonies, which mark the 251st in Penn's history, took place in Franklin Field on the morning of May 14.

Former Wharton professor emeritus Scott Ward was sentenced to 15 years in prison without parole and was also levied a $17,500 fine on May 11. Held without bail since his Aug. 27 arrest, Ward pleaded guilty on Feb. 20 to producing child pornography for importation into the United States.

Singing "Happy Birthday" and demanding the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility were on the agenda for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama during his first campaign visit to Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Alicia Puglionesi is a College junior from Havertown, Pa. Her e-mail address is apuglionesi@sas.upenn.edu.

For future generations, toupees and brush-overs may become a thing of the past. Dermatologists from Penn's School of Medicine announced last week that they were able to regenerate hair follicles in laboratory mice - leaving open the possibility that further research could one day remedy male-pattern baldness.

The search to find a replacement for departing Wharton Dean Patrick Harker is expected to be announced next month. A search committee is scheduled to announce a selection in June, though Leo Charney, spokesman for the Provost's Office, said that an interim pick from within the school may be selected in lieu of a permanent replacement.

Michael Nutter decisively won the Democratic Party's mayoral nomination on May 15, beating out four other candidates in a hotly contested four month-long election. And because Philadelphia hasn't elected a Republican mayor in nearly 60 years, his win against Republican Al Taubenberger in November is seen by many as a foregone conclusion.

Despite a 13-game winning streak and a No. 2 national ranking this season, the Penn women's lacrosse team is no blueblood in the sport. In fact, this year's appearance in the NCAA tournament is only the third in team history.

Turns out, you don't have to be a celebrity to give a university commencement address. Penn generally brings in a famed speaker from the outside to send off its graduates: Bono, Kofi Annan, Jodie Foster, James Baker. But Temple University in North Philadelphia doesn't have quite the same tradition and this year, seniors at Temple heard from Kathy Hirsh-Pasek.

School's out, but the work isn't over. Penn rowers, the victims of the three-season sport, have extended their stay well into May, competing in several events as well as their league championships, the EARC and EAWRC Sprints. All three teams - heavyweight and lightweight men and women - have placed in the top ten at their respective championships, with a fourth place and two ninth place finishes.

This year the Penn women's lacrosse team, in its best season in program history, earned its first ever Final Four berth, achieved its highest national ranking and went undefeated in the Ivy League for the first time. So it wasn't unexpected that the team would end the season on another historic note.

Anti-casino activists aren't going to let a little thing like a court injunction stop a referendum on casino construction in Philadelphia. A state Supreme Court injunction has temporarily removed a referendum to rezone casinos in Philadelphia off Tuesday's ballot, but activists will hold their own non-binding election to prove to Harrisburg that they won't just sit back and allow casino construction to take place.

As Penn prepares to expand eastward, officials are taking care of some on-campus housecleaning first. The University will complete a spate of renovation and construction projects this summer across campus in order to minimize disruption during the school year, said Frank Daly, Penn's managing director of design and construction.

Burglary May 5 - A female student, 18, reported that she left her room in Hill College House unsecured and returned to find her laptop, value unknown, stolen by an unknown suspect. Theft May 5 - An unknown suspect was observed by security cameras inside RadioShack removing merchandise without payment at about 1:25 p.

As student debt looms for some soon-to-be graduates, government agencies are stepping in to offer relief. A number of federal employers have programs that relieve student debt up to $10,000 a year for six years, and the program has been steadily expanding over the past five years.

With preliminary results for the Class of 2011 in, another new record could be in store.