With a sweeping health care reform bill awaiting debate and a vote in the Senate, members of Utah's medical and nonprofit communities gathered at the Hinckley Institute of Politics on Wednesday to discuss the system's flaws and debate the pending reform bill.

Just to have a chance to interact with strange birds, students endured the shrill squawking of a falcon's song competing with a recording of John Denver's "Eagle and the Hawk."

About 20 people with signs declaring the U to be "Animal Hell" gathered outside of the Park Building to protest alleged animal rights violations by U researchers.

Although it will not directly affect research funding, further budget cuts will impair the U's ability to keep faculty to do research, said Paul Brinkman, vice president of academic affairs.

The Residence Hall Association returned from a regional conference this past weekend with more than it expected.

Students gathered at the Union Ballroom for a plethora of math-themed board games to compete for calculus dominance at the annual Calculus Carnival.

The U's controversial Macedonia conference, which took place earlier this month, sparked feuds between its Greek and Macedonian attendees, and no one can agree on the outcome.

The Utah State Board of Regents held an emergency meeting Friday to send a clear message to lawmakers and the public regarding the escalating crisis in funding for higher education: Further cuts will push the system to the breaking point.

The federal government will be inspecting the U's animal research labs in a surprise visit to find out if its employees are mistreating dogs, kittens, mice, monkeys and other animals.

The annual Paws 'N Claws Benefit was held Thursday at the Eccles Institute of Human Genetics to help raise funds for the U's Adoption of Retired Research Animals, which helps care for retired research dogs and cats and find them responsible owners.