Francesca Heintz

Ever had a police officer bring you chicken soup when you were sick? If Penn Police Chief Mark Dorsey and Vice President of the Division of Public Safety Maureen Rush had their way, you just might. Dorsey and Rush, who worked together for the City of Philadelphia before Dorsey became chief in November 2004, call themselves neighborhood people - and they want to do their part to bridge the gap between the Penn and West Philadelphia communities.

"People of the world, it's time to get paid." So reads the motto for the International Coalition for British Reparations, founded by Philadelphia advertising executive Steven Grasse. Claiming that Britain is responsible for all the world's troubles, the ICBR wants the British government to pay reparations equaling a total of $58 trillion to be distributed equally to every man, woman and child on earth - except, of course, the British.

For many legacy students, the benefits of having alumni connections extend beyond the reassurance gained during the application process. These connections also helped put Penn in their minds as they begun to consider various schools - even though some had doubts about following in their family's footsteps.

Penn has a lot going for it. It boasts an all-star faculty, majestic buildings with the requisite ivy and its famous founder. But for many of its students, Penn also means family. College freshman Joseph Dubroff's first memory of Penn is of playing on the button as a three year old while visiting his oldest brother.

After two mistrials in Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya's murder case, there is still no indication whether she will be retried for a second time. Mary Burnell, a Malinovskaya defense lawyer, said the prosecutors in the case have not contacted them about a third trial, although immediately after the trial they had announced their intention to retry.

Jonathan Saidel's surprise withdrawal from the mayoral race may be one potential candidate's gain. Saidel's decision not to run means that U.S. Rep. Bob Brady and union head John Dougherty are now left as the only two major white candidates in the May Democratic ballot race.

Simple assault and harassment convictions may have two Penn students on nine months probation, but the repercussions likely won't end after that. The two Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity members convicted last Monday also face the possibility of having to list their crimes on job applications.

Two members of the suspended Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity were convicted of harassment and simple assault yesterday.

Prosecutors' initially said they would retry Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya a third time for first-degree murder. But defense lawyers say they haven't heard anything else about a retrial. Meanwhile, Malinovskaya is still in jail in Delaware.

Even if ex-Wharton professor Scott Ward is found innocent in his upcoming Virginia trial, an additional arrest warrant awaits him in Pennsylvania. Ward will head to court Feb. 26 in Alexandria, Va., on charges of importing, producing and possessing child pornography, but any charges he faces due to child pornography allegedly found in his Huntsman Hall office have yet to be addressed.