For some, the end of fall sport --(notice I said "sport") signals the beginning of a lull in their level of passion for college athletics.Sure, there were other sports in action during the fall semester,...

Last spring, Chancellor Victor Boschini signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment Act, and since then, the university has made some advancements toward fulfilling its commitment.

The commitment calls for universities to reduce their global warming emissions and integrate sustainability into their curriculum to help create a thriving, ethical and civil society, according to the commitment's Web site.

The Bank of America Foundation donated a $20,000 grant that will benefit the Miller Speech and Hearing Clinic, the chairman of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department said.

Christopher Watts, chair of the department of communication sciences and disorders, said the money will be used to offset costs in providing speech and hearing therapy.

Pam Dunn, administrative assistant at the clinic, said that without the grant there would be many families who couldn't afford the services the clinic provides.

As the university continues working toward becoming a more eco-friendly campus, it will face some challenges, university officials said.

Last spring the university signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment.

The act required the university to form a committee, which is headed by Provost Nowell Donovan and made up of students and faculty.

"The committee is charged to document the ways the university moves toward sustainability and whether or not the university is in compliance with the act," Donovan said.

Changes to a teaching certification program in the College of Education will give students more flexibility as they enter the workforce, an associate professor in the program said.

With the new EC-6 program, certified students will be qualified to teach grade levels from early childhood to sixth grade, rather than through only the fourth grade with the former EC-4 program. The program will take effect this fall for juniors majoring in early childhood education.

After Friday's meet against the University of Utah, head coach Richard Sybesma said the H20 Frogs proved they will be a team to be reckoned with if they can consistently rise up to the occasion.

The men's and women's teams faced the Utes on Friday night in the University Recreation Center.

The men's team walked away with a 145-92 victory while the women ended their evening in a tie with the Utes at 121.5 points each.

Before the beginning of this past football season I wrote an article that began by saying TCU was not getting any recognition as a BCS buster.

While they might not have crashed the BCS party, it was still an exciting season, capping it all off with a 17-16 win against then-No. 9 Boise State.

Now for all of his hard work, head coach Gary Patterson was awarded with a contract extension through 2014 worth a reported $1.7 to $2 million per year.

Concerts

John Legend, Nokia Theatre, Jan. 22: Singer and philanthropist John Legend
will be bringing his brew of soul and R&B to North Texas.

AC/DC, American Airlines Center, Jan. 23: The devil horns will be flying high and guitarist Angus Young will probably be dressed for the occasion in his signature schoolboy outfit. Your ears will be ringing but you won't regret the experience.