A TCU instructor has been appointed a deputy commander by the U.S. Air Force Reserve.Col. Robert Kelsey, clinical instructor for the School of Nurse Anesthesia, said he was recently appointed as deputy commander of the 701st Medical Squadron at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base of Fort Worth.

Kelsey said the squadron is a unit with about 200 members designed to provide trained medics in case of war.

Pretrial proceedings in the sexual assault case involving three former TCU athletes will once again be held in open court.That's because a gag order in the case was lifted Wednesday morning by the judge who issued it last week.

Judge Wayne Salvant of Tarrant County Criminal District Court No. 2 vacated the order at the request of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram during a special hearing Wednesday.

A German artist showed a group of about 25 students and faculty Wednesday how art can be made out of virtually any material, as he presented and discussed many of his works from the last two decades. Bodo Korsig showed some of his works made out of wood, ceramics, aluminum, steel and canvas. He also showed a few prints made by driving a steamroller over layers of wood, paper and ink.

These works were challenging but fun to create, Korsig said.

After the women's swimming team faces Colorado State today, both the men's and women's teams will get ready to take on Brigham Young's teams this Saturday. The women are coming off a 79-61 victory against North Texas and a 63-44 win against Incarnate Word, which gave the team four wins this season. The men's team hasn't competed since Oct. 5 when it defeated the UT-Permian Basin Falcons 104-94.

Head coach Richard Sybesma said he remains optimistic and has been making sure both teams are ready for BYU.

Most TCU students wouldn't think twice if they were deciding whether to attend a football game or a ballet performance. But they might make a different choice if they realized how similar the two really are.Both are physical, require excellent conditioning, teamwork and an extraordinary amount of time.

The mental preparation and physical training for a pas de deux - French for "step of two," a type of partnering ballet - is not that different from those of the quarterback and a receiver trying to complete a pass.

Condoms and abstaining from sex are regarded as effective ways to avoid sexually transmitted diseases, so people take these precautions to stay healthy. So why wouldn't college women get a vaccine to arm themselves against the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease?About 20 million Americans are infected with human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease that about 50 percent of sexually active people get in their lifetimes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Would it be far-fetched to hope for a smoke-free environment?I have no problem with smokers. I would not judge people who have the tendency to chew on their nails when they are nervous. Smoking is no different. It is a habit - not a healthy one, but I have plenty of friends who are smokers.

I do have a problem, however, with people who smoke while walking in the streets or waiting in line at a box office. The smoke does not discriminate or separate. It affects everyone and anyone the smoke reaches. There needs to be a ban on smoking in public spaces.

The men's basketball team will open up its season with an exhibition match against the Lithuania national team Thursday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.The Frogs look to rebound from last year's 6-25 record, and senior small forward Blake Adams said they have a fairly simple goal in mind when it comes to doing that.

"We just have to win," Adams said. "Chemistry is a big part of this, and it is good right now, but it can always get better."

If you have never heard of My Chemical Romance, it is probably because you are not a regular watcher of MTV's TRL.Following its huge 2004 smash album, "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge," MCR is back with its new record "The Black Parade."

As the title suggests, the record is full of heavy guitar-driven tunes complete with morose, dark lyrics.

The song titles speak for the album's overall lyrical meaning. With songs such as "Dead!," "I Don't Love You," "Cancer" and "Disenchanted," it's easy at first glance to understand what this album is all about.

What happens when a film is released in which viewers expect a major twist? It could result in a wholly predictable film that surprises no one, or it could result in "Saw III."The "Saw" trilogy came to...

Online networks such as Facebook and MySpace are becoming tools for companies to examine job applicants, said a member of University Career Services."It's becoming more common for both employers and employees to be using these programs," said Chuck Dunning, associate director of career development. "And more employers want to get involved in the networking of these sites."

With an online profile, there is a risk of your information being seen on a global scale, said Ann Reynolds, director of Career Services.