The most prominent crime concern on campus is theft of personal belongings, especially from vehicles, TCU Police said."It is a problem across the nation, but on college campuses it is like Christmastime at the mall," TCU Police Sgt. Kelly Ham said. "You just need more security because there are so many cars."

Ham said the best way students can keep their property safe is to use common-sense precautions such as hiding their valuables and locking their doors.

Here at the Skiff, we wouldn't mind some new equipment. Who doesn't want top-of-the-line stuff? But we definitely don't have a cramped newsroom with limited working space or lines of reporters waiting to use our computers. Our facilities do not (for the most part) hinder or slow the process of putting out a newspaper on a tight deadline. Our TCU News Now colleagues across the hall, however, do have a lack of technology in their newsroom. And if compared to the likes of SMU's news program, TCU News Now is still in the stone age.

Drug makers have recently released an improved vaccine for bacterial meningitis, a disease threatening the lives of college students across the nation.Made by Aventis Pasteur, the MCV4, a conjugate vaccine with the trade name Menactra, should "produce a better immune response and provide longer protection than the previous vaccine," said Dr. Erik Svenkerud, an epidemiologist in the infectious disease branch of the Texas State Health Department.

The Interfraternity Council Barbecue kicked off Recruitment on Wednesday in front of Frog Fountain in an attempt to encourage participation.Senior George Ferguson, Jr., vice president of Recruitment within IFC, said he is excited about the semester ahead.

"We're trying to give fraternities a good, positive image this year," he said.

Ferguson said Greek organizations often do not get credit for the good they do at TCU.

When it comes to technology on campus, all classrooms are not created equal.Departmental needs and budgets, along with the age of buildings and equipment, affect the technological resources available to...

His job includes everything from financial planning to telephone services, but TCU's recently appointed Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Brian Gutierrez says he hopes to make his biggest impact by building relationships with people. "The small number of people on this campus makes it possible to have a personal impact," said Gutierrez, a Fort Worth native. "I am excited to reach out to students and for the opportunity for students to get to know who the chief financial officer of their university is and what he does."

The Fort Worth Bowl will now feature a team from the Mountain West Conference.The recently signed three-year deal goes into effect in 2006.

The agreement means that one of the top three teams from the conference will play in the bowl game at Amon Carter Stadium, giving TCU the chance, if selected, to play in front of its home crowd.

Tom Starr, executive director of the Fort Worth Bowl, had nothing but good things to say about the agreement and said it will be beneficial for all parties involved.

This summer, I spent most of my time, like any other college guy on summer vacation, playing video games.And like any good sports nut, almost all of my games are sports games (specifically, EA Sports games).

First of all, I'm not technically obsessive-compulsive, but I do have a weird thing with sports video games. I can only play each game when their respective sport is in season.

I'm not sure if that's a wide-ranging problem among "sports gamers," but it's just a rule of mine.

The children of a Brite Divinity School trustee donated $3 million over the summer to build a new academic building at TCU, bringing a long-time goal of a new facility closer to reality.The new building will be constructed behind the Beasley and Moore Buildings on University Drive, and the earliest construction could begin would be fall 2006, said Cathy Neece, director of the capital campaign at Brite.

The football team is practicing as hard as ever despite the recent decision, made by head coach Gary Patterson, to close practice to the public, said tight end Chad Andrus.Patterson said the decision protects...

Since coming to TCU in 2002, there has yet to be a day when I haven't heard someone complain about parking.I have said on numerous occasions that TCU seems incapable of dealing with the problem. Is a parking...