THE NEWS

• As Yale approaches the end of the first full academic year under the new University calendar, students, faculty and administrators are contemplating the best way to allocate the days that make up a school year — a careful balancing act. Though students and professors said the fall break came as a welcome respite after midterms in October, they also expressed concerns about the changes, which they said resulted in heightened anxiety and stress at the end of the semester. But any change to an academic calendar requires a give-and-take between downtime and classtime, and administrators said it is too early to tell whether the new calendar has struck the correct balance.
• Four months after the University ended its nine-year relationship with Indigo Blue and former Buddhist Chaplain Bruce Blair ’81, the Chaplain’s Office has unveiled a series of new events and hired two interim staff advisers in January to address the needs of the University’s Buddhist community. University Chaplain Sharon Kugler said the office is focusing on growing its current programs before searching for a new full-time Buddhist chaplain. This semester, events for the Buddhist community have included biweekly Dharma talks, weekly formal practice and open discussion, according to Nathaniel DeLuca, the Chaplain’s Office program coordinator.
• Athletes, former adversaries and regulators gathered Thursday evening to discuss doping in professional cycling in the midst of a sport in turmoil. The panel, which drew a crowd of roughly 150 people, featured Floyd Landis, who won the 2006 Tour de France but was eventually stripped of his title for doping; CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency Travis Tygart; Jonathan Vaughters, team manager of the Garmin-Sharp cycling team who formerly took performance-enhancing drugs; and professor Thomas Murray, president emeritus of the Hastings Center. During the talk, panelists touched on the future of drug usage in cycling and explained the ways doping became prevalent in the sport.

THE WEATHER

High of 45 degrees, low of 29 degrees, mostly cloudy.

THE FOOD

In the colleges

Breakfast: Steelcut Oats, Waffle Bar, Banana Nut Muffin

Lunch: Boston Clam Chowder, Swiss Chard with Tomatoes & Potatoes, California Black-Eyed Peas, Picnic Barbecued Chicken, All-Natural Grilled Chicken Breast, Grilled Garden Burger, Hand Shaped Angus Hamburger, Hand Shaped Angus Cheeseburger, Curly Fries, Fresh Market Vegetable, Chickpea & Bulgur Salad, Roasted Sweet Potato Salad, Passionfruit Coconut Macadamia Shortbread, Blondie With Chocolate Chips

Dinner: Boston Clam Chowder, Vegetable Cassoulet with Pecan Crust, Turkey Pot Pie, Baked Stuffed Portabella Mushroom, All-Natural Grilled Chicken Breast, Grilled Garden Burger, All-Natural Grilled Cheeseburger, All-Natural Grilled Burger, Reuben Grill, Roasted Yams & Bliss Potatoes, Fresh Market Vegetable, Chickpea & Bulgur Salad, Roasted Sweet Potato Salad, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

In Commons

Breakfast: Maple Flavored Organic Oatmeal, Waffle Bar, Omelets To-Order, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Cage-Free Scrambled Egg Whites, Cage-Free Scrambled Eggs, Sweet Potato Home Fries, Banana Nut Muffin

Lunch: Boston Clam Chowder, Pork Sirloin Fajita, Vegetable & Black Bean Pasta, Linguine, Batter Fried Cod, Spinach Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza, Cheese Pizza, Yu Choy Stir Fry, Sesame Beef, Shrimp Fried Rice, Jasmine Rice, Curried Tofu, Ricotta, Prosciutto & Arugula Sandwich, Sweet Potato Fries, Basmati Rice, Fresh Market Vegetable, Caribbean Blend Vegetables, Chickpea & Bulgur Salad, Black Bean & Corn Salad, Passionfruit Coconut Macadamia Shortbread, Blondie With Chocolate Chips