On Tuesday, I opened my three-part series on campus health with a look at smoking. Now, it's time to shift to what I believe is the biggest culprit behind TCU's substandard rating for consumption of unhealthy substances: alcohol.This simple, ethanol-based drink is a mainstay at college campuses nationwide. However, the consumption of alcohol is often taken to irresponsible and dangerous levels. TCU drinking is no exception.

The executive director for a civic engagement group at Harvard University discussed the importance of social communities to a crowd of more than 275 students, faculty and visitors at the 5th Annual Jim Wright Symposium on Thursday. Tom Sander, executive director of the Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America at Harvard University, said human socialization is beneficial to many.

"Social networks have value for a broad range of individual and collective human activities," Sander said.

Sadler Lawn will transform into a live music venue 4 p.m. Sunday for Programming Council's Battle of the Bands.Five out of nine bands that applied will perform. In order to participate, the bands have to have at least one TCU student, submit a photo, a sample of their music, a brief history of the band and a $25 application fee, said Vanessa Flores, vice chairwoman of the Programming Council.

"We wanted to bring together a group of bands that each had their own style, experience and originality," Flores said.

Student films. Student newspapers. Student teaching. Student nurses.With more than 7,000 undergraduate students at TCU, the need to separate oneself from the pack is becoming more and more important.One...

A terminally-ill patient at the Hospice of the West said he wants to have college students come hang out and watch a Cowboys game with him, said a volunteer coordinator for the Hospice of the West.Students had the chance to volunteer for activities like this and other community service events through organizations represented at the Volunteer Fair held Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sadler Lawn.

The American dream has the potential of becoming an American nightmare.The American dream has long been the ultimate goal and ambition of many. This is not only applicable to Americans; as capitalism expands...

Every time I walk out to the parking lot, I get a nervous pang in my side at the thought of someone hitting my car. Call it paranoia or the bitter experience of someone whose car has been hit eight times,...

After assessing student and alumni surveys about Career Services' most recent Career Expo, staff members say they will try to host companies relating to a wider variety of student majors in the future.Many students commented on their surveys that there was too much of a focus on jobs relating to the School of Business.

"A strong business focus is common at most career events," said Abby Hicks, assistant director of Career Services. Hicks said Career Services is trying to recruit more employers targeted at health and liberal arts majors to sign up for the next expo.

Members of TCU's Athletics Academic Center staff said they want to ensure student-athletes are assimilated into the academic community.The staff's goal is to oversee that all athletes earn a degree, said Chris Uchacz, athletics academic director.

"We make sure athletes are enrolled in the right classes, passing and taking enough hours for their degree plans," Uchacz said.

Student-athletes have the same responsibilities as any other student, men's basketball coach Neil Dougherty said.

"They are just asked to play a sport as well," Dougherty said.

Almost all people can recall their mothers telling them to brush their teeth before going to sleep and to say "please" and "thank you" when applicable. But there seems to be one piece of motherly advice many people seem to forget - how to act in the restroom.I can't begin to count how many times I have witnessed someone leaving the restroom without visiting the sink before the door - not just students but faculty, too.

There is some simple bathroom etiquette everyone should follow.

Sitting at 7,160 undergraduates this year, the university was advised by the Board of Trustees to cap the total of undergraduates in an effort to protect the quality of education, said the vice chancellor for academic affairs.A plan to cap the undergraduate total at 7,200 for five years began last year and concerns the imbalance of too many students and not enough faculty across TCU's schools and colleges, said Nowell Donovan, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Today marks the beginning of the 2006 Wilson/ITA Men's and Women's Regional Championships hosted by TCU.This is the first time the regional tournament has been held in Fort Worth, said Ana Cetnik, senior captain of the women's team.

The women's team will play the Southwest region, which includes some of the top-ranked teams from 23 Division I-A schools such as UT, LSU and Baylor.