In this photo taken Wednesday, feb. 21, 2007, Ohio U.S. tourists Clova Adams, receives medical attention because she had a panic attack after one of three masked robbers held a gun against her head during a robbery on a day tour from the Carnival Liberty cruise ship in Limon, Costa Rica. A US veteran who was among the tourists killed one of the robbers. (AP Photo/Roger Amoretty)

I live in Philadelphia, and I expect to get mugged. I’ve resigned myself to a position of indifference, going along with the ebb and flow of the city, hoping for a real solution to Philadelphia’s crime problem.

Next week is spring break. A break from my job, the pile of books I’m reading for class, and the routine that has inevitably developed by mid-semester. Just as important–spring break is a break from Philadelphia. This year’s destination is Costa Rica, the antithesis of this city and its dwindling remnants of snow. But although I’ll be shedding my coat and whatever work ethic I can claim to have, my mindset will remain.

I’ll be in Costa Rica, and I’ll expect to get mugged.

Last year my friends and I spent spring break in the Dominican Republic–dedicating most of our time to Santo Domingo and the beach.

Mugging attempt one: man rolls up beside us, pointing a cylindrical object out of the window and demanding cash. It was obviously not a gun, maybe a tool. We laughed it off.

Mugging attempt two: group of teenagers, in the ecstatic hysteria that is Carnival , attempt to mug us with a knife, no doubt targeting my friend’s expensive camera dangling from his side in typical tourist fashion. I remember hearing a form of a certain verb, matar, a word I then wished wasn’t in my Spanish vocabulary. We successfully fled on foot, camera intact.

I’ve been lucky that violence has avoided me, but I think I’ve romanticized foreign muggings as a result. It’s just part of the experience, I tell myself. It’s a first-hand encounter with the reality of the country I’m visiting. It’s exhilarating.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure my outlook would be different if my experiences ended with a third world hospital. Reason tells me it’s stupid to romanticize: when I’m in another country, I’m a target. I need to watch my back. I was instructed by an experienced traveler that if I wanted to take the bus into Haiti from the Dominican Republic, I would have to remove the logo on my New Balances, to avoid robbery attempts.

I was also told that I’d have to be a moron to go to Haiti.

So next week I’m off to Costa Rica, expecting crime and in a way hoping for it (though only in its nonviolent unsuccessful form). Crime is universal; I’ll have to deal with it no matter where I go.

Still, for some reason I’m not too worried.

King Tut wants YOU! (king-tut.org)

If you’re a rare Penn student who finds yourself swimming in free time this week rather than midterms, head to the Franklin Institute. Built to satisfy the kindergartener within all of us, all the science exhibits are meant to the explored, deciphered, walked through, jumped into, and absorbed hands on.

Start the trip with a run inside the giant heart . It’s four hulking tons of plaster and paper mache, installed with a sound and lighting system to simulate the voyage of blood through the human heart. The two-story blow-up replica is scaled for a body as large as the Statue of Liberty. Pretend to be a blood platelet or a cholesterol-carrying lipoprotein as you amble through the winding corridors. Peer down a tricuspid valve or step into some carotid muscle pulsating with red and blue light.

Tired of those biology midterms? Skip over and get a handle on the real stuff. Want to learn physics? Sit in the cockpit of a jet, or strap on wings and experience the Bernoulli effect firsthand. Walk into the coal room of an enormous 350-ton locomotive. And don’t forget to pay your respects to a 20 foot tall replica of the father of all things good, Ben Franklin, whose national memorial sits in the opening rotunda.

This enormous playground dedicated to Franklin now plays temporary home to artifacts from King Tut’s tomb. The exhibit, officially dubbed “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs,” runs at the Franklin Institute until September and promises to be a lavish affair with all the commercial flair of Disneyworld. The local cafe is selling Tut cheesecake, a Tut trolley transports tourists about town, and the final exhibit leads straight to the gift shop. Tut is one large marketing blitz.

And, of course, plan to encounter long lines. Fortunately, the exhibit is well-worth the price of admission. Philadelphia is the last stop on the tour for these artifacts, which first appeared three decades ago on the cover of National Geographic . In spite of the EPCOT vibes, this exhibit isn’t as kid friendly as the rest of the museum. Yet it’s an amazing gem of curatorial genius.

In February 1993, a bomb exploded in the parking garage of the World Trade Center. (ATF)

It was February 26, 1993. I was a happy second-grader in Ms. Price’s class at Frost Elementary, busy observing mealworm metamorphosis and memorizing state capitals. After school, I’d carpool to soccer practice and hone my skills for the upcoming travel-team tryouts. My greatest fear: that my younger brother would beat me to the TV, I had an exciting rerun of Eureka’s Castle to watch.

The bell finally rang, and the F-8 school bus took me to the street corner where my babysitter waited. As we entered the house, however, I know that TV wasn’t tuned to Nick Jr. or PBS Kids. In my foggy memory, I vaguely recall images of a scorched building, surrounded by chaotic swarms of people.

“A suspected car bomb has exploded underneath the World Trade Center in New York killing at least five people and injuring scores more,” the BBC wrote two days ago in their commemoration of the 14th anniversary of the attack, part of their On This Day series. “The immense blast happened at 12:18 local time in the Secret Service’s section of the car park underneath and between what are New York’s tallest buildings.”

The BBC then quoted a World Trade Center stockbroker, who said that “It felt like an airplane hit the building,” Little did he know that eight years later, those words would become a horrific reality in our nation. While the catastrophic events of Sept. 11, 2001 stick out most distinctly in our minds, those of Feb. 26, 1993 paved the way for an inflammation of terrorist threats in the United States. As former New York Governor Mario Cuomo stated, “Until now, we were invulnerable”–we were Americans and we were untouchable.

While we’re stressing over the difficulties and boredom of midterms, we should step back for a second and consider just how lucky we are to be safe and to be here at Penn today. We’re working hard to become the future leaders of this nation, and the drudgery of papers and exams will lead to much more than the drunken beach revelry of next week’s vacation.

Let’s remember that we too are not “invulnerable” as we leave for Spring Break. No matter how old we are, our moms will always have reason to worry about us. Be careful, be safe–I’ll see you all on March 12.

Last November, President Gutmann herself contributed .03 percent of this year’s fundraising totals ($150,000). (Mike Ellis/DP)

Cha-ching.

The numbers are in for university fundraising in 2006. The envelope, please:

1. Stanford: $911 million (Dad [Stanford ‘74], if you contributed to this, I hate you)
2. Harvard: $595 million
3. Yale: $433 million
4. Penn: $409 million
5. Cornell: $406 million
6. USC: $406 million
7. Johns Hopkins: $377 million
8. Columbia: $377 million
9. Duke: $332 million
10. UWisconsin: $326 million

Ivies not cracking the top 10 include Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, in part because they’re comparatively teeny tiny schools, and in part because they suck (mostly the latter). And while we may no longer hold the coveted 4th place spot in the US News, we still have something to shout “we’re number four! We’re number four!” about.

Props to Amy Gutmann, who, despite embarrassing photo gaffes, a wave of crime (this time committed by the Penn community instead of against it…ah, progress!), and public speaking skills straight out of the George W. Bush School of Oratory, has continued to rake in buckets of delicious money for Penn, $409 million being a four percent increase over 2005’s take of $395 million. And of course, thank you to all the alumni who so generously gave to Penn, or did so thinking it was Penn State.

All the money raised by the big league makes you wonder how our country’s less absurdly wealthy schools are ever going to catch up to the big boys who only increase their lead with every passing year.

But I have a solution to America’s higher-education injustice.

The Harvard, Yale, and Stanford supposedly “progressive,” so how about they exercise some real “social justice” and share their massive piles of wealth with the schools in need? Surely they would understand and be willing to enact the same wealth redistribution policies on themselves that they so earnestly advocate for the rest of America.

Paul Thacker: hater of the PowerPoint. (Media Bistro)

It’s a familiar scene: with the entire class looking on via the projection screen, the professor fumbles around with the mouse in search of the “Slide Show” button for his Powerpoint presentation. As a TA finally comes to his rescue, students exchange glances and snicker.

Technological innovations continue to change the ways in which we disseminate, access and process information. There has been a lot of dialogue about our ability to make effective use of information technology. But, recent debates in higher education have focused primarily on student technology literacy among students. Inside Higher Ed’s Paul Thacker, in an article entitled “Are College Students Techno Idiots,” reports the growing concern among librarians and professors “that students can use technology for socializing or entertainment but still have problems finding information, evaluating it and then putting it to use.”

But what about technology literacy among professors? When it comes to implementing technology in the classroom, professors fall across a wide spectrum. Some barely touch the computer the entire semester, while others come equipped with all the latest toys from Apple to incorporate into their lectures. Of course, age and discipline are significant factors that come into play, but the question remains: Just how tech savvy should professors be to teach today?

In a quippy opinion piece titled iCranky,” Professor Laurence Musgrove of Saint Xavier University responds by arguing that the “student as consumer” mentality in higher education forces professors to cater to an iPod generation of students and neglects the real goal of student learning.

Now, don’t get me wrong–I believe that technology is, without a doubt, a tremendously valuable resource for education. And yes, whether or not they choose to implement them, instructors should be aware of the technological tools available to them. But by no means is technology the panacea for all pedagogical problems. In fact, many professors have come to use it as a crutch, in lieu of quality old-fashioned teaching. (How many times have you fallen asleep through a lame Powerpoint presentation?)

Sure, entertainment is a plus &mdash but before we ask our professors to get up and dance, let’s make sure that we’re getting our money’s worth in the way of real knowledge.

Since I began Well…that was awkward, a multi-part series investigating socially awkward encounters at Penn, I’ve been inundated with responses, both hateful and complementary. A few even came from outside my family (I respect your disagreement Grandma, but I wish you wouldn’t use that language). Today, I march on with an examination of classroom awkwardness.

At one time or another we’ve all walked into a lecture completely alone. No roommates. No teammates. No frat brothers. Scanning the hall you look for a familiar face. As you stand there, channeling Forrest Gump’s first bus ride to school, you spot someone. It’s your freshman hall mate/ high school classmate/ bunkmate from Camp Firewood. Now what do you do? Months, maybe years separate your last conversation from today.

You now face a choice: Either, pretend you don’t see your long-lost acquaintance at the risk of being exposed as the coward you are, or just grab a seat and prepare for some classic patently awkward Penn small talk. At least you won’t be sitting alone for those crucial interim minutes before lecture. It would be a shame if you had no one to share those snide quips that spontaneously roll off your tongue over the course of the semester when your professor does/says something stupid.

It may seem like a lose-lose situation, but it doesn’t have to be. In college people are changing at rapid speed. It’s okay if you and your old colleague don’t have much in common. You might be even surprised how much you have to talk about. In the end, it’s better than sitting in silence or trying to make small talk with someone you don’t even know. Now that would be awkward.

Ikea is also selling reusable bags (Ikea)

Pay more or plastic (Ikea)

Part of the Hill experience is the dining hall. With a little help from my scholarship, I’ve been on the meal plan for my four years here. My daily routine consists of two or three on-the-go Express
meals saddled into staple “Thank You Very Much” plastic bags. I’ve used the excess bags, as trash cans and first responders in keeping the Hill draft in check.

But Ikea’s creative. Last week, href="http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN2131088920070221?src=022107_1433_ARTICLE_PROMO_also_on_reuters&pageNumber=1"="_blank"> Ikea announced it will expand its plastic bag reduction program to the United States. They’ll charge five cents fora plastic bag, with the option of purchasing their reusable, biodegradable “Big Blue Bags”. No, their accountants aren’t failed Whartonites, the program isn’t designed to make money. The ultimate goal is deterring people from using bags they don’t need, thereby reducing excess waste from plastic bags. The program has seen incredible success in Europe. According to Ikea’s press release , plastic bag usage has decreased 97 percent, falling from 32 million to 900,000 bags in one year. On March 15, they will initiate their program in American stores, projecting a 50%
reduction in the 70 million bags currently given out.

Kevin Levy, Director of the Penn Environmental Group, is enthusiastic about the program. He wrote in an e-mail interview that, “Ikea’s incorporation of policies that will discourage the use of plastic bags is a positive step towards reducing waste…PEG would like to encourage businesses to follow Ikea’s model in creating environmentally friendly practices that are also cost effective.”

And we should look to businesses on campus to take the lead. General Manager of Penn Dining Services, John Cipollini, is familiar with the program, noting “It’s a pretty cool idea.” Although unable to estimate the usage of plastic bags by Penn Dining customers, he emphasized “The idea of reducing plastic usage is a good one.”

We’ve seen through their commitment to local food products and nutrition, Penn Dining and Aramark value socially conscious programs.

Granted, plastic bags may not be as weighty an issue compared tolarger environmental concerns. However, addressing it would add breadth to Penn’s legacy of preserving and driving local conservation
efforts.

Between Britney’s nauseating exploits and Fergie’s monotonal efforts (seriously, someone get that girl a beat), I couldn’t take it anymore. Was there no decent music to be had that could provide a laugh along with the artist, instead of at their expense?

I was at the zenith of my despair, jonesing for a quick dose of music and comedy that could justify further procrastination (boredatvanpelt just didn’t cut it anymore; it seemed that conversation focused solely on the exchange of sexual favors, which was no doubt scintillating for the parties involved, but unfortunately quite dull for everyone else).

Luckily, a friend came to my rescue and forwarded me a link about a band called Flight of the Conchords, a duo from New Zealand. Their music is witty and actually merits the way-too-ubiquitous LOL label. Having gotten their start at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, they’ve since been featured on HBO’s One Night Stand, and now they’re filming their own HBO show.

Check them out: “Business Time” is fabulous, as is “Jenny,” and “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros” will make you want a Kiwi accent (or only want to date people who do).

I’m the kind of girl who loses things at the drop of a hat. Mittens, earrings, cards, books, sanity. The more stressed out I am, the more I lose.

The process of finding lost items is an even worse ordeal. I sometimes feel like the victim of a sadistic hocus-pocus trick a la those shrinking Muggle door keys . After copiously retracing lost steps, peeking into empty classrooms, questioning secretaries, and crossing my fingers, I usually discover the ugly fact &mdash I’m never getting it back.

Last semester, I found myself locked myself out of hearth and home. The keys had flown the coop. I swore they were in the room. They weren’t. I fumed for days. Green carbine, pink Swiss army knife, blue charm…what could be more conspicuous? I dutifully looked in obscure corners, stalked nocturnal cleaning people, called the University police. No luck.

My detective work convinced me that Penn needs to adopt a centralized lost and found system. No one’s accountable for your lost stuff, but Penn can at least make it easier for finders to locate owners. I can attest to a 100 percent failure rate in recovering lost items through the system.

Here’s a round up of the current situation. Say you’ve lost an object somewhere on the area of campus that stretches from 34th to 40th, Spruce to Walnut. First, check at the info desk in Huntsman Hall. All the Wharton buildings have a central lost & found. Purses and valuables are locked up; lost things stay put rather than circulating from department to department to municipal dump.

For Perelman Quad, try the info desk in Houston Hall . Be quick about it though &mdash found items are kept for about a month before being permanently purged. All transactions are kept in a log book. Items range from the humdrum (scarves, cell phones) to the bizarre (a pregnancy belt).

For other buildings on campus, policies are much more diffuse. Inside Riepe College House, for example, no lost and found exists. If I drop something as I’m running to class, chances are it ends up in the trash or in the domain of some local RA.

All this is not to condone negligence. Yet Penn needs to turn the campus into less of a finders keepers territory by publicizing and standardizing policies in each building. In the meantime, keep a vigilant eye out on your own valuables.

I am man, hear me roar! (Penn Rugby)

Penn Rugby gets the short end of the stick.

For much of this semester, they’ve been training on a grassless, gravel-smitten and ravaged pitch, littered with trash, completely untended by the Penn Athletics Dept. Last week a player landed on the sharp end of a discarded earring.

Rugby is not mentioned on the Penn Athletics website. Add that to the fact that players are forced to train on a substandard and dangerous playing surface, it would seem rugby at Penn is as good as ignored by the Athletics Dept. This is unacceptable.

The Penn Men’s Rugby Football Club is recognized as the oldest collegiate rugby team in America. It is first documented as being in existence in 1910 and was training and playing competitive games on a regular basis pre-WWI. The club has continued to grow over the past century. There are now two teams who train three times a week and compete in the Ivy League Tournament every spring as well as featuring in regular games throughout the year.

The Penn Athletic Department claims to be “dedicated to providing a wide array of athletic opportunities on both the intercollegiate and recreational levels which will enhance and enrich the educational experience of our students” and yet can’t find any space on the website for the Rugby Club nor a field in its vast campus for them to play on.

Rugby is a major world sport The International Rugby Board has 95 full member countries, including global heavyweights such as England, France, Ireland, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. The sport continues to grow with countries such as Italy and Argentina joining the ranks of major actors. The US and Canada both have national teams, though you wouldn’t know it for the lack of media coverage.

The demand for facilities is there. The money to provide them surely is. Penn Athletics needs to address this immediately.