As the Obama administration stands by legislation that would make contraception available and free under most health insurance plans, it remains to be seen whether it will make birth control more accessible and affordable for college students.

The search for the next dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, a position formerly held by the late James E. McLeod, continued Wednesday afternoon with an open student forum in the Ann W. Olin Women’s Building. The search committee for the new dean held the forum to learn who students wanted to lead the school.

The Washington University board of trustees has approved an additional one percent spending from the endowment, effective July 1. This increase, approved at the board’s meeting last week, follows an increase of the same size last year. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said he hopes endowment spending will continue to grow in years to come.

Washington University’s Career Center has stepped up its efforts to help students obtain the jobs they want. This initiative is a reaction to students’ worries about finding jobs in the current economic climate.

A new study on college weight gain asserts that the oft-fabled freshman 15 is actually more like the freshman 2.5 to 3.5. Researchers from Ohio State University and the University of Michigan-Dearborn have deemed the freshman 15 a media myth, finding that college freshmen, on average, only gain about half a pound more than young adults not enrolled in college.

As scientists continue to weigh in on the ongoing debate on whether cellphone usage increases the likelihood of cancer, students remain divided on the issue.

Students have voiced aggravation with Bank of America’s recent decision to start charging $5 per month for the use of its debit cards. Many said that, while they understand that the fees were added in response to new economic pressures, they are still unhappy with the change. Some said they are considering other banking options as a result.

“Homosexuality is not a biblical term,” guest lecturer Mark D. Jordan, professor of divinity at Harvard Divinity School, said to a packed audience on Tuesday.

Whispers has stopped giving away free water cups because of the thousands of dollars worth of water damage sustained by the Olin Library tables. Many students are confused by the disappearance of the free water cups.