As the 2008 presidential elections approach, everyone is naturally beginning to examine his or her views on hot political issues. Especially for college students, many of whom will be voting in their first presidential election, voting will be an important part of their identifications as American citizens.

More importantly, first-time voters will establish their political views in a concrete setting because, when it comes down to the wire of the voting booth, they have to ultimately pick one candidate or the other.

France recently joined the ranks of European countries weighing in on the effort to curb the rising percentage of obesity among children - currently at about 20 percent worldwide and growing by about 400,000 children each year, according to the World Health Organization.Food advertisements in France will now accompany cautions about eating too much sugar and fat, notes encouraging consumers to eat more fruits and vegetables and notes advising consumers to avoid snacking and to participate in physical activities.

In the wake of the New York attorney general's intent to file a lawsuit against one of TCU's preferred lenders, the university stands firm in defending its financial aid practices.In a March 22 letter to Education Finance Partners from the New York attorney general, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he intends to file suit against EFP for engaging in "unlawful and deceptive acts and practices."

TCU and EFP have a revenue-sharing relationship, meaning EFP pays TCU a small percentage of the profit it receives when a student begins to pay back a loan.

A TCU student has a dream. And, with the help of ABC and its viewers, he's hoping it comes true. Russ Jowell, 22, will appear tonight on the special preview of ABC's new show, "The Great American Dream Vote", at 9 p.m. as one of eight contestants vying for the chance to have their dream realized.

The senior radio-TV-film major from Sugar Land said he came across the show's casting call months ago by chance.

Bob Schieffer, a TCU alumnus and chief Washington correspondent for CBS news, returns to TCU tonight to host the third annual Schieffer Symposium. The symposium, entitled "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of the News: The Media's Role in a Democracy," will feature some of today's most influential journalists, including NBC News' Tim Russert, New York Times editor Bill Keller, ABC News legal correspondent Jan Crawford Greenburg and Earl G. Graves Sr., founder and publisher of Black Enterprise Magazine.

Besides going home or working over Winter Break, students could soon earn class credit in a January miniterm.The Student Government Association is working toward implementing the January term, or J-term....

People are usually locked up in jail for theft, and the unnamed TCU student who admitted to stealing 14 items from the University Recreation Center over the past six months should be no exception.Instead, because, TCU Police say, students who reported missing items declined to press charges on the thief, he or she will be dumped onto Campus Life's doorstep and out of TCU Police's hands.

Americans drink a lot of coffee. More than 150 million Americans drink coffee, and the United States is the largest importer of coffee. Many coffee producing countries are some of the poorest in the world, and they depend heavily on the coffee trade for revenue. The market price for coffee today is 45 cents per pound, which is below the cost of production, according to the United Students for Fair Trade Web site. According to the Starbucks Web site, the coffee company sells imported coffee starting from at least $9 per pound.

"I don't see the purpose of SGA." "SGA is just wasting my money." "I didn't even know we had a student government." These are just a few of the reactions we hear mentioned about the Student Government Association. When I first heard these responses, I was shocked. Most students seem either apathetic about SGA or hold a negative opinion of it.

Chelsea Smith, a freshman English major, said that she really doesn't know much about SGA.

"Basically, my only involvement with Student Government is when it says 'SGA Presents...' on the menu in The Main," she says.