A new U.S. Cultural Diversity requirement for the College of Arts and Sciences's Class of 2012 was unanimously approved at the faculty meeting on Tuesday. The requirement "aims to develop [student] knowledge of the history, dynamic cultural system and heterogeneous populations" of the United States, according to its proposal. (6 )

From Vietnamese hoagies - "the new Philly cheesesteak," as one student called them - to buckets of hummus and Chinese egg tarts, tables of food reflected the diversity of Penn's campus. Eighteen minority student groups gathered yesterday afternoon in Bodek Lounge, where the Houston Hall room was abuzz with music and conversation.

A relaxed atmosphere, class evaluations, maybe some donuts: These are the traits that characterize the last days of class at Penn. But the bar may have been raised yesterday, when Malcolm Gladwell, bestselling author of The Tipping Point and Blink, and rising musical star Kenna appeared on campus to lecture at Sociology professor David Grazian's "Sociology of Media and Pop Culture" class. (3 )

The controversial application for a new liquor store at 4237 Walnut St. has been denied by the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment, site owner Daniel DeRitis said yesterday. DeRitis said he will immediately appeal the decision. "We're not going to give up on it," he said. (81 )

As colleges across the country review communication methods in the wake of Monday's massacre at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Division of Public Safety officials say they have been exploring new mass notification technology for over a year. DPS spokeswoman Karima Zedan said officials are examining comprehensive emergency notification systems that would allow them to send notices via a variety of methods - through cell phones, e-mail, PDAs and home phones and to both the Penn community and students' emergency contacts. (1 )

Threats forced evacuations and cancelled classes on several campuses across the nation over the last two days as universities dealt with the possibility of attacks copying a Virginia Polytechnic Institute student's shooting spree. "Copycats are things that we have to look out for every time there's a shooting of this type," said Beverly Glenn, executive director of the Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence.

This year's Spring Fling can't have been that much fun - there were fewer parties busted than ever. But the event has been heralded by University officials as being safer and more sober than previous Flings, meaning thoughts of moving it out of the Quadrangle are likely to be shelved for the time being.