The men and women's squash teams have high expectations for the upcoming season; their quests to satisfy them begin tomorrow when they take on Cornell at Ringe Courts. The No. 4 women and No. 6 men open their seasons against the Big Red, whose men and women's teams are both ranked ninth in the preseason polls.

By Andrew Sweet The Daily Pennsylvanian The reigning Keystone Classic Champs are poised for their first test at home. On Saturday, the Penn wrestling team hosts nine squads which are looking to knock off the defending champs at the Palestra. American, Appalachian State, Boston University, Brown, Columbia, Duke, Mercyhurst, Rider and VMI come to town in hopes of success against each other and the No.

Last year, two students were arrested during Alpha Chi Omega's Big Man on Campus fundraiser. This year, the only law-enforcement officers who showed up - not counting security guards - were sorority sisters running the "Prison Break"-themed competition. A year after the annual fundraiser to raise money for Women Against Abuse ended in run-ins between students and police, this year's event was entertaining but safe.

Top area high-school students matched wits in a verbal battle on campus last night. The prize: $5,000 and a trip to the National Vocabulary Championship in New York. But Central High School junior Hannah Zickgraf proved too tough for her competitors. The event was run by the Game Show Network, which brought Dylan Lane - host of the Chain Reaction game show - along with giant TV screens, computerized podiums and an elaborate stage and lighting set-up to Harrison Auditorium in the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Murals have a place in Philadelphia and near Penn, but not in the core of campus.

ITHACA, N.Y. The record will show that Penn finished this football season at 5-5 and 3-4 in the Ivy League, identical to last year's record. It will also show that the Quakers lost its five games by a total of 15 points, with a 27-20 loss to Villanova being the worst defeat.

It wasn't always pretty, and it wasn't what Drexel did. But it was a win in the home opener and on coach Glen Miller's debut on the Palestra's home bench. Paced by 26 points from Mark Zoller, Penn struggled in the first half before opening up a double-digit lead and easing past Florida Gulf Coast, 97-74.

In 20 years in law enforcement, Peter Christ says he made drug-related arrests on a daily basis. Ever since he retired, however, he has been traveling the country to speak out against the so-called war on drugs - and to push for legalizing illicit ones. Christ spoke in Huntsman Hall Wednesday night to a crowd of about 40 people on behalf of the Penn Libertarians Association.

It's Wednesday night, and as usual, Mathilde Poussin has a long subway ride ahead of her, all the way from Penn's campus to the last stop on the Market-Frankford line. Her clothes are contemporary and her manner is unassuming; fellow passengers would probably never guess that zipped up inside the bag sitting next to her are swords, shields and a mask - the gear of a medieval fencer.

Glen Miller is ready to make his mark at the Palestra. For the first time in his career, he will hover over the west bench as the Quakers play their home opener against Florida Gulf Coast tomorrow night.

Penn's partnerships with two public elementary schools may face significant funding cuts as part of the proposed Philadelphia School District budget. A provision in School District CEO Paul Vallas' $70 million budget cut proposal would reduce district funding for the partnerships by 10 percent this year, and 50 percent next year.

The qualities that colleagues praise in Wharton Dean Patrick Harker may be exactly what the University of Delaware wants in its new president.

Say the words "Big Red" to yourself - what comes to mind? A fire truck? Your Asian study partner's face after one drink? A cinnamon-flavored gum? Those giant cylinders outside the high rises, perhaps? What doesn't come to mind is a college's mascot. And yet, this is exactly what our friends from Ithaca, N.

Forget the Big Apple - Penn students might want to give the City of Brotherly Love a chance after graduation, especially if they are seeking a job.

With the Philadelphia Police Department, getting a copy of your own police report can take nearly three months.

CHICAGO - Penn alumnus Mark DeRosa became the first major-league free agent to switch teams this offseason, agreeing Tuesday to a $13 million, three-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. A nine-year veteran who played for the Quakers from 1994-96, winning an Ivy title in 1995, he is expected to be the Cubs' everyday second baseman next season.

To use a punting analogy, Daniel Gold got a bad snap. Ready to start his third semester abroad from the University of Melbourne...