One more commencement will pass without the iconic figure of TCU - Frog Fountain.Harold Leeman, associate director of Physical Plant administration, said the fountain is still being reconstructed.

"The foundations for the flutes have been placed, and all the piping and electrical conduits are being set now," Leeman said. "The actual flutes have been refurbished off-site and are ready to be bolted in place when the actual fountain is completed."

Female athletes suffer more concussions than male athletes playing the same sports at both the college and high school levels, according to an upcoming study in the Journal of Athletic Training.TCU team physician Dr. Sam Haraldson defined concussion as "a complex patho-physiological process affecting the brain induced by traumatic biomechanical forces."

Haraldson said the majority of female concussions at TCU occur in soccer and basketball as the result of player-to-player contact.

Video games turn kids into killers.Music encourages rebellion. And movies destroy ... Christianity?

The entertainment industry has faced these accusations for years. The latest target is a movie to arriving in theaters Dec. 7.

You have heard of it by now: "The Golden Compass."

It has sparked controversy, among Christians.

During the preview, it almost resembles the fantasy-like features of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" with humans alongside animals and witches.

"Oh yeah ... You're graduating."For premature December graduates, that's the phrase of the month in almost every conversation.

The emphasis on graduating makes it all the more painful. Well, that and the look of genuine, pained pity that flashes across people's faces as that word escapes their lips.

It's as if St. Peter just flew in and tipped us off: the Apocalypse is imminent. The four horsemen are fast approaching, and they'll arrive Dec. 15 - smack in the middle of "Pomp and Circumstance" playing like a funeral dirge at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

Not even a year after the most horrific school shooting in this country's history, the debate has been brought back to college campuses.The debate as to whether students should be allowed to carry a concealed firearm into a college classroom has been a prevalent topic among special-interest groups, university administrators, lawmakers and students alike since that fateful April 16th morning in Blacksburg, Va.

It may be impossible to argue with the women's basketball team's decade of success or men's basketball's early-season prosperity, but it is evident the programs have been recruiting outside traditional avenues to strengthen their teams.The two programs have a combined 10 players - five on the women's team and five on the men's team - on scholarships this season that have either transferred from another Division I program or have come from a junior college.

Hundreds of students' financial aid was delayed this semester because of a new computer system. Michael Scott, director of scholarships and student financial aid, said the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board had problems when it installed a new computer system at its offices, delaying disbursement of financial aid all over Texas.

The College Access Loan is the only state loan that was delayed this year, Scott said. Upperclassmen were the main recipients of this loan because they were granted priority over freshmen by the Coordinating Board, he said.

Next fall, residential services will make Foster Hall the first dormitory to host a program that aims to build relationships and increase retention among freshman.The hall will be home to freshman Living...

TCU's retention rate for freshmen has risen from 81 percent in 2002 to 86 percent in 2007, according to the TCU Fact Book, and professors say it is because of better advising procedures, mentors and freshman programs.TCU has conducted research to see which students leave and why by calling those students for phone interviews.

"A lot of students call back, and the issues are generally related to something academic," said Mike Scott, director of scholarships and financial aid. "Like they didn't like their major or didn't feel like they fit in."

TCU student tailgaters may be partying too hard by Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission standards. TCU student tailgates were the second-most cited place in Tarrant County by the TABC in 2007, TABC records show.

TABC officers have handed out 59 citations at TCU tailgates in the Brachman Hall parking lot. As a result, more TABC agents were present at recent home games for officer safety, said TABC Agent Tana Travis.

Travis has written 395 citations since 2004, third-most among TABC agents. She has written 29 citations at TCU tailgates, records show.

The Student Government Association overstepped its bounds.The Student House of Representatives passed a resolution Tuesday asking KTCU FM 88.7 "The Choice" to reinstate its jazz programming.

Fortunately, Jace Thompson, student body president, vetoed the resolution Wednesday.

Thompson recognized what those who voted for the bill should have - it's simply not SGA's place to police other organizations on campus, and allowing the bill to go through would set a dangerous precedent.

Sorry, Mitt Romney.A September report released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life states that candidates who are viewed by the public as not highly religious seem to top the newest Gallup Polls for both the Democratic and Republican Parties.

The nationwide survey, based on telephone interviews from 3,002 adults in August, rated people's perceptions of candidates and their religiosity.