LAURA MANDEL

No quiero Taco Bell - not with E. coli, at least. All 15 city Taco Bells voluntarily closed Wednesday after an E. coli breakout near Philadelphia. It is unknown when the local eateries will resume business. The closings included the Taco Bell located in Penn's Food Court at 34th and Walnut streets.

Perceptions about body weight don't stop at the scales anymore. "Fat studies" is a growing interdisciplinary area of study at universities across the country, devoted to examining discrimination and stereotypes against the fat body and studying the collective experience of fat people in society.

A string of child-abuse cases have come to light in Philadelphia over the past few weeks, and Carol Spigner has a chance do something about the problem. Spigner, a professor at Penn's School of Social Policy and Practice, was appointed co-chair of Mayor John Street's recently announced Child Welfare Advisory Panel for Philadelphia.

Sure, you might down shots on New Year's Eve - but Thanksgiving? Strange, but true: For bars and clubs across Philadelphia, Thanksgiving Eve is one of the most hopping partying opportunities of the year, with people reuniting with old friends and family in their hometowns.

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.

Philadelphia officials must think the city is too classy for the average Porta-Potty.

Meals in Philadelphia are getting pricey - and not just at Le Bec-Fin or Deux Cheminees. Experts say that, even at the city's modestly priced establishments, the cost of a meal is going up. Some restaurant owners say they're paying higher costs for the basics of running a business, costs that get passed on to the consumer.

Lack of cash will no longer be a problem for students looking to hail a cab.

Next time you are in a New York City restaurant, you might find calories listed alongside menu items, displayed just as prominently as the item price. New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has issued a proposal calling for calorie disclosure in certain city dining establishments.

The streets of University City have already seen parades of sexy witches and scantily clad police officers, but tonight the youngest crowd of Halloweeners will get their turn. But will Penn students hear knocks on their doors tonight from area kids seeking candy? College junior Brooke Prashker, who lives off campus, will be prepared no matter what.