If you haven't had it happen to you yet, it's probably because you just haven't been around here long enough. It's a question I dread, even home in Penn-centric Long Island. "Where do you go to school?" Often, it takes a long time to explain what exactly the University of Pennsylvania is, and where it is located, and most importantly, that it is not the same place as the very large school in State College, Pa.

During the final rounds of the last two NCAA 133-pound championships, one area made the difference for Matt Valenti. It was the senior's ability to ride his opponent in both of the bouts to garner the same result - a national title. "When you're able to ride somebody like I did for a full period, it really starts to take the wind out of the guy," Valenti said.

Fred Honebein learned everything he needed to know from Mike Spraklin in 16 words. "Technique will get you inches, training will get you meters, and motivation will get you miles," Spraklin, who was Honebein's coach during his time on the national team, said.

After the firestorm that characterized the removal of former heavyweight rowing coach Stan Bergman and the hiring of Fred Honebein to the position, things have seemed to cool off around Boathouse Row.

A 30-year-old male unaffiliated with the University was robbed at around 42nd and Sansom streets Thursday morning, Philadelphia and Penn Police officials said. The man, a taxi driver, parked his cab at about 7:00 a.m. and was walking toward his residence when he was approached by a male demanding money.

Long before her expected arrival, the audience had already packed the Kelly Writers House Seminar Room, buzzing with anticipation for Jamaica Kincaid's reading last evening. Best known for her lyrical prose that reflects the challenges of mother-daughter relationships and the effects of colonialism, Kincaid has written books including My Brother, Lucy, and The Autobiography of My Mother.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, who represented Pennsylvania in the Senate for 12 years, has joined the national law firm of Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott after failing to secure a third term in office in November. According to a press release, Santorum will provide business and strategic counseling services in the firm's Washington, D.

20Percent of the world's 10,000 freshwater fish and plant species that are either extinct or endangered. Source: The Associated Press

Colleen Donovan and her roommates aren't desperate yet, but give them time - it's only March. The four College juniors signed a June 1 lease for a house on the 3900 block of Delancey Street, but, come June, none of them expects to remain in Philadelphia. With internships lined up in New York City and Washington, the girls are currently taking on the not-so-small problem of how to pay this summer's rent while they're out of town.

With every winter workout, every early morning and every stroke in the water, the men's heavyweight and women's rowing teams are combatting uncertainty with confidence. Confidence. That's the key word that's been offered up by both men's coach Fred Honebein and women's coach Mike Lane.

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

This week, in addition to 40 regulars, about 65 other students showed up to this week's UA meeting to hear a controversial, last-minute proposal brought to the UA by Hillel and the Penn Israel Coalition. The proposal called for the University to withdraw its sponsorship, via the Political Science department and the Middle East Center, of tonight's visit by Norman Finkelstein, a professor at DePaul University, who is coming to speak as part of Palestine Awareness Week.

The recent events at West Philadelphia High School highlight why the city has trouble keeping good teachers.

Princeton head coach Joe Scott has left the university to take over the same position at the University of Denver, sources told ESPN.com today. The report indicates that Scott will be introduced as the Pioneers' next coach at 5 p.m. tomorrow after three years with the Tigers.

Strengthen standards To the Editor: We are writing to express our frustration and concern over the Political Science department and Middle East Centers' co-sponsorship of the event featuring Norman Finkelstein. There is no question, however, that the student groups sponsoring the event have every right to host him.

The City of Philadelphia decided this month to reduce the police presence at the MOVE house - originally installed to prevent the area from becoming a hotbed for violence.

Had you been researching Political Science professor John DiIulio last week on Penn Course Review, you would have seen that his "instructor rating" stayed in the three to four range. You wouldn't have known that some students consider him "the best professor they have taken at Penn.