Allison Britt

Piercing a woman with copper needles may seem like a strange mating ritual, but for the ancient Greeks, this action was part of a love spell. Classical Studies professor Peter Struck mentioned this spell and others in a talk entitled "Presto Changeo! Magicians in Ancient Times," held last night at the Penn Museum.

Did you spend more time in piano lessons or watching TV when you were growing up? The answer may depend largely on your social class. Sociologist Annette Lareau addressed the idea of class differences in child-rearing practices during an event held by the Penn Education Society last night in Houston Hall.

"Poetry is what gets lost in translation," Robert Frost once mused. But ever since Alastair Reid "fell for" the Spanish language, he has sought not only to preserve the essence of the original works in his translations, but also to enhance them. Reid, a renowned Scottish writer and translator, gave a lecture last night called "Mysteries of Translation" in Claudia Cohen Hall as part of the Penn Humanities Forum.

Achieving an atmosphere that is both cozy and sleek can be a difficult task. But for Twenty Manning, a neighborhood bistro whose menu combines traditional American cuisine with Asian-inspired dishes, doing two things at once seems to be no problem. Tucked into 20th Street between Spruce and Locust streets, the restaurant maintains the elegance of the surrounding Rittenhouse Square.