Artist Chuck Close laughed and joked as he led a group of reporters through his latest exhibit, "Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration," at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth on Wednesday."Painters are performance artists," Close said. "You just don't watch the performance."

The exhibit brings together not only the best of Close's work, but also the "rough drafts" and early prints that lead up to the final product.

Close said he had been waiting for a chance to exhibit the work behind the final product.

The Student Center is about to have a new addition - a big-screen, high-definition television for the Student Center Lounge. Its cost: $5,700, approximately a quarter of a tuition scholarship.Wednesday's Skiff reported that the Permanent Improvements Committee is purchasing the TV; the House of Student Representatives voted to give the committee the funds, with a 20-16 vote. It believes that the TV will benefit students.

A few years ago, the things we have today were unthinkable: Hybrid cars? What kind of crazy hippie are you?But now, with hybrid cars hitting the luxury market and becoming mainstream, cleaner energy is entering the realm of possibility. And with it, a whole new spectrum of alternative fuels and clean energy is becoming available to us.

The temptation would be to blow them off. After all, only liberals worry about the environment.

But before you do this, take a closer look: Our Republican president is supporting this measure. Big business is hopping on board.

Freshman radio-TV-film major Jeff Thurber works hard for his grades.He studies about 20 hours a week, more when he has tests, to maintain his 3.2 GPA, a solid B average.

Under the new system proposed by the Faculty Senate, however, Thurber's B average could be a plus.

Under the plus/minus grading system, recommended by the Senate in September 2005, Thurber would be a B+ student.

Since the debate first began two years ago, the proposed plus/minus system has been one of the most debated and misunderstood issues on campus.

Although some of the recent illegal immigration proposals have stirred up the U.S. Hispanic population, causing widespread protests and demonstrations across the nation, some new legislation may cause Latinos to turn their heads, said Valerie Martinez-Ebers, associate professor of political science.This new legislation was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last Monday, which, if approved by the Senate, could potentially allow illegal immigrants to seek citizenship and provide temporary work for these immigrants, said an article from The New York Times.

What do political observers on campus think will be the political upshot for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's pending resignation? It just depends on who you ask.DeLay, who is fighting felony money laundering and conspiracy charges in Texas stemming from contributions made to GOP legislative candidates in 2002, told The Associated Press Tuesday that he will resign sometime before the middle of June.

Big changes are planned for the construction of the future Student Center, but a big screen TV can be expected even sooner.The Permanent Improvements Committee is purchasing a 60-inch high-definition TV that will be in the Student Center Lounge by fall, said Ashley Bachmayer, permanent improvements chair.

With a vote of 20-16, the House of Student Representatives opted to allocate $5,700 from the Permanent Improvements budget to purchase the TV.

The archivist at the Mary Couts Burnett Library, Mike Strom, asked staff for donations of any historical significance, from photos to correspondences to data sheets, that could be beneficial to the archives database at the Staff Assembly meeting Tuesday.The archives contain primary source material in three different areas: TCU history, Fort Worth history and Southwestern writers.

Students, outside researchers, biographers and faculty from all TCU departments use the archives for research purposes.