Little Bo Beep has lost more than her sheep. Where is the other half of her costume? Judging from what's on the costume shelves this Halloween, a woman may be out of luck unless she is ready to push up, tape up or bare all.

I'm not the modest type, but I have to admit that I blushed even in the privacy of the dressing room at a local costume store as I attempted to squeeze into a white nurse's outfit - one of this season's best selling costumes.

Do people really wear this stuff? In public?

For better or worse, athletes are the face of a university. They draw national attention to schools and attention to themselves faculty and other students do not get.But there is another side that goes with being the center of attention. It is the added level of responsibility and behavior expected and required of these men and women.

Because of the importance the media places on athletics, athletes must adhere to this level of responsibility and show respect for the university.

The rifle team will head to Austin today to face the Nevada-Reno and UTEP on Saturday.The team has already competed against both Nevada-Reno and UTEP, said Karen Monez, head coach for the rifle team.

The team came in second at its last tournament in Nevada on Oct. 15.

"All shots will be fired on paper targets this weekend," Monez said. "Our tournament a week and a half ago, shots were fired on electronic targets, so that has been a change in our training this week."

Looking for a good scare this Halloween weekend? There are numerous haunted houses and other attractions in Fort Worth you can visit to get a good fright.The closest haunted house to campus is Hangman's House of Horrors where this year's theme is "Hangman's Most Wanted," but Hangman's offers more than just your typical haunted house.

There are actually four attractions at Hangman's for people to enjoy. Each attraction charges separately, or you can buy the combination package to save a little money.

In previous columns, I have urged students to break out of their comfort zones and embrace the possibility of a more diverse university. I also pointed out both the moral rightness and social necessity of integration for the future of the nation.What I have yet to point out are the personal risks involved in taking steps toward a harmonious, multicultural society. The reality is that many who choose to cross cultural boundaries will have to endure misunderstanding not only from the cultures they seek to embrace but also from the cultures they're from.

A district court judge imposed a gag order Thursday in the sexual assault case involving former TCU student-athletes because of what he termed a media "feeding frenzy" over the past week.Judge Wayne Salvant, of Tarrant County Criminal District Court No. 2, granted a motion by attorney Gwinda Burns to restrict publicity in the case. Burns represents Virgil Allen Taylor, 19, and she represented Shannon Monroe Behling, 19, in filing the motion. Glynis McGinty represents Behling.

Halloween is approaching, and it's not too late to grab a costume for the weekend or Tuesday night.The problem lies in finding that original, one-of-a-kind costume no one else will wear to the big party.

Fort Worth Costume Magic Etc. is the closest costume shop to campus and has plenty of outfits.

Patrick O'Gorman, Magic Etc. employee, said there are costumes that are clearly the most popular.

"For guys, it's pirates, and for women, it is buccaneers," O' Gorman said.

A berth in the Mountain West Conference Championships may be in the cards for the Horned Frogs soccer team, said head coach Dan Abdalla.The final conference match against the San Diego State Aztecs will be one of two factors determining a placement in the tournament.

"We need to win and we need Air Force to beat the University of New Mexico," Abdalla said. "(We) need to win our game and put some goals in the back of the net."

Conference play for the Frogs up until now has kept the team winless but three overtime ties keep the Frogs in contention.

I have two of the hardest jobs in the world. For one, I am a student trying to better myself by getting an education. For the other, I am a nanny.

That's right, a nanny. A there-when-the-baby-wakes-up, feeds-him, dresses-him and changes-poopy-diapers kind of nanny.

I believe it is an important job, and I make a difference.

I'm not trying to start an argument about whose job is most difficult. For example, many students who work long hours in restaurants could justify that their jobs are physically demanding and exhausting. And, that's true.

What is it with this eerie "Nightmare Before Christmas" mix of Halloween and Christmas? Halloween is just around the corner; we have one month until Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations have already taken over local superstores.

There is something gravely wrong about seasonal commercialism these days. To us, Halloween commonly means candy and costumes. Thanksgiving means eating, napping and spending time with family. Christmas means trees, caroling, opening presents and spending time with family.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go - and that's a problem.It is still October, and Halloween is right around the corner. But at almost every retail store you visit, there is nothing but Christmas promotions.

Call me Ebenezer Scrooge, but bah, humbug on early Christmas promotions.

When I pulled up to Garden Ridge this past weekend, propped up right in front of the entrance was a gargantuan snow globe with everybody's favorite fat man inside giving yuletide greetings.

Students, faculty and staff examined how diversity is portrayed in the media and how diversity issues affect TCU's campus at the 2006 Inclusiveness Conference on Wednesday.Greg Trevino, director for Inclusiveness and Intercultural Services, said the conference is designed to introduce different issues on diversity.

"The Internet, television and movies all show different aspects of diversity," Trevino said. "This conference is one of the many ways we try to implement diversity for the campus as a whole."