Returning from a wonderful time of family gathering and football watching during the Thanksgiving break, I found myself questioning the function of America's holiday traditions. When boiled down to the basics, some behavior deemed normal during our most celebrated days seems downright unusual.

Let's start with Halloween.

You get decked out as a pirate, a ghost or Superman to beat on the doors of strangers, demanding candy and threatening a trick if said goodies are not handed over promptly.

The Student Government Association resolution to bring jazz programming back to KTCU FM 88.7 "The Choice" was vetoed Wednesday by the SGA president. Jace Thompson, SGA president, said he vetoed the resolution because it did not represent the interests of the entire student body.

Thompson said he talked to Russell Scott, KTCU station manager, and another student who informed him that no one had consulted them before building the resolution. Thompson said the resolution's author should have researched KTCU's perspective to validate the resolutions' necessity.

Eight hundred students at Middlebury College formed a group to protest the change of the school's seal.A Facebook group.

Students no longer need posters and signs to picket and rally against injustices. In fact, they don't even have to leave their desk chairs.

With one click of the mouse, they can join other students in the latest protest on campus, in the region, state or even the world.

All because of the wonders of a little Web site called Facebook.

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."

As the meeting doors of Student Government Association's House of Representatives opened, legislation flooded in.Three bills and three resolutions were voted on and passed Tuesday at the weekly House of Representatives meeting.

The bills, two of which called for the allocation of a combined $13,000 in funds toward university projects, all passed unanimously.

However, it was one of the resolutions that caused the most debate.

MVP of the FallWomen: Calli Corley, senior libero, volleyball

Men: Chase Ortiz, senior defensive end, football

No two student-athletes saw their individual efforts lift their respective teams quite like Corley and Ortiz did this fall. Corley was the catalyst for a team that accumulated 22 wins, second most all-time for the program. Her 568-dig season, good for nearly five a game, made her the all-time leader in the statistic.

When urging students to develop a more worldly perspective during their years at TCU, the university's efforts might fall flat on their face before they can gain any traction.But this cannot be said of TCU officials in their pursuit of a more diverse college experience, especially when an Italian minor is close to being finalized.

The move to make Italian available as a minor is a step in the right direction in order to help solidify the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures as a viable and valuable part of the university.

The men's basketball team hopes to maintain its perfect record as it hits the road for its first road game tonight against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.Last week, Neil Dougherty's club celebrated their fourth...

A new "super course" will consist of several experts from different disciplines providing a well-rounded understanding of a broad topic called "sustainability."The course takes a unique team-learning approach coupled with undergraduate research, said Keith Whitworth, professor of sociology.

Whitworth will utilize his new course model in "Sustainability is Sexy: Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability Across the Global Economy" this spring. The course is concerned with environmental stewardship, economic development and social justice issues, he said.