I arrived before the construction cranes and barricades, before reduced parking and before the Main closed.

Four years seemed like an eternity to me my first semester, and now it seems like only yesterday.

I remember a time before the BLUU (and before Frogbucks) when it would have been impossible to walk through the lounge outside FrogBytes without seeing at least 10 friends. Those of you who have been here long enough to remember the Main and FrogBytes (and the Wok, Eden's and Deco Deli) days will hopefully remember them as fondly as I do.

And so it begins. "Hobbin and nobbin, hobbin and nobbin, hobbin and nobbin neck and neck." (the infamous horse racing joke). Then the punch line. "The two horses looked at each other, waiting for the declaration of the winner and in unison say 'A dog that talks?'" Greeted not with boastful laughter, but rather confused silence, it was upon this day that I knew I had not been gifted with the grace of joke-telling abilities. My brief, fleeting career as a rehearsed comedian had succinctly and successfully ended itself. This is my coming-to-terms. I am a poor joke-teller.

I tried really hard not to like TCU. During my college search process, I realized that as long as I could find flaws in TCU and prove that attending a lovely school in my home state would be better, I was going to be able to convince myself that this time the easy way out was the best way out. But sure enough, I was unable to. The campus was beautiful, the students were friendly and the faculty and staff were all people that I knew would challenge me. So I sent in the housing deposit, packed up my car and headed for Texas.

More community members than have attended in past years will attend the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training course May 20 and 21, said the university's program head.Monica Kintigh, ASIST program...

As U.S. and NATO forces continue to engage the Taliban and provide security to a fledgling democratic Afghanistan, the American and Afghani people don't have all that much in common, but there is one thing...

University students are now getting a chance to announce games for the nationally-ranked Horned Frog baseball team not only on the radio, but on television as well.

Chuck LaMendola, play-by-play announcer for the baseball team, said that because of the deal struck with The Mountain West Sports Network last fall to air student-produced sporting events, students are now getting television announcing experience for the first time. Students were able to call games on the radio in the past, he said.

City of Fort Worth officials moved closer to finalizing a modern streetcar system with a unanimous vote to hire engineering and consulting firm HDR Inc. to begin developing phases one and two of a three-part plan, a city official said.

David Gaspers, a senior planner in the city's planning and development department, said the company will begin planning a recommended alignment route and developing a business plan for the streetcar system as early as next week.

The senior class of the School for Classical and Contemporary Dance will showcase its artistry to the public this week by featuring a new question and answer portion with the choreographers, a senior choreographer said.

Natalie Henry, a senior modern dance major, said that for the first time, all choreographers of the night will be available to answer questions from the audience about their pieces following the concert. She said the students and professors added this component as a way for choreographers to talk about their work.

The university's chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America is in the process of re-naming the campus organization to honor a retired professor for the notable work she did both locally and nationally for public relations education, a PRSSA representative said.

Amiso George, the PRSSA head faculty adviser, said Doug Newsom deserves to be a part of the student organization's title. Newsom taught at the university and was also actively involved with the Public Relations Society of America.

Brite Divinity School officials found a new director of the Jewish Studies Program last week.

Nancy Ramsay, Brite Divinity School dean, said Ariel Feldman, a current Newton Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Manchester in England, accepted the position early last week and would join the staff as the Rosalyn and Manny Rosenthal Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and director of the Jewish Studies Program in fall 2011. Both posts are currently vacant.

Columnist Michael Lauck is right that tax reform is needed.Unfortunately, his proposals for much-needed tax reform are short-sighted. Neither flat nor lump sum taxes are answers for tax reformation. Repealing...