A glass pane covering Calhoun’s hot food shattered Wednesday night, and shards rained down on the dining hall’s buffet and salad bar, forcing diners to head for other options temporarily. The mess was cleared by 6:15 p.m.

Whoopi Goldberg whooped in appreciation of Yale’s new admissions video, “That’s Why I Chose Yale,” on Wednesday’s episode of The View. The ABC show featured a clip of the video, to which Goldberg responded: “Love it! Love it!”

The Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology will have a new chair in Ronald Breaker, who will replace Tom Pollard starting this summer. Like fellow MCDB professor and Nobel Prize winner Thomas Steitz, Breaker’s research involves the ribosome, the cellular organelle that produces proteins.

The Yale University Art Gallery was named one of 28 winners of the American Institute of Architects’ 2010 Institute Honor Awards. The structure, designed by Louis Kahn, was renovated three years ago.

Karl Brooks ’78 was selected by President Obama on Wednesday as Regional Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 7, which includes the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and nine Tribal Nations.

Prospective FOOT leaders gathered for a boisterous informational meeting in the Davenport Common Room on Wednesday night. The eruptions of spontaneous cheering could be heard in the library upstairs.

Eliciting cheers from another crowd, Turkish pianist Idil Biret performed a recital of Chopin, Ligeti, Lisztin and more at Sprague Hall on Wednesday night. Biret will be reconnecting with the University for a performance with the Yale Symphony Orchestra during its tour through Turkey this summer.

Yet another “Jersey Shore” cast member is New Haven-bound: Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is scheduled to visit a new Crown Street bar, Static, on Jan. 28. See story, page 5.

Don’t forget! Sophomores and juniors must submit their schedules to their residential college deans by 5 p.m. today or face a $50 late fee.

THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY

1978 Yalies armed with lunch trays trudged through more than a foot of snow to the Divinity School in the hopes of some good, clean winter fun. Most emerged unscathed from the Saturday of sledding, although some students reported minor cuts and bruises.