In response to Rev. Andrew Weatherford's opinion piece from Wednesday's issue titled "University not reflective of 'Christian' in name," I would like to offer just a few points.

Before I am decreed unholy, or a failed "(representative) of what is supposed to be the most prestigious Christian element on our campus," let me also explain that I am a licensed minister, Brite seminarian and currently on track to become ordained.

Even with tough economic conditions around the country, the percentage of freshmen returning for the spring semester has increased for the third year in a row.

The percentage of freshmen who returned for the spring semester rose to 96 percent this year from 94 percent last year, said Mike Scott, director of scholarships and student financial aid.

Scott said a variety of factors contributed to the rise in retention rates, including an increase in money for student financial aid.

Worries about finding a job after graduation and the economic crisis are just a few of the reasons why more students are seeking help from the university's mental health center, a university official said.

Linda Wolszon, director of Counseling, Testing, and Mental Health services at the counseling center, said the number of counseling appointments has increased about 8 percent since this time last year, and the number of walk-in appointments is up about 16 percent from this time last year.

The equestrian team hopes to bounce back from a weekend loss against Southern Methodist University and gain some momentum for the National Championships as they take on the New Mexico State University Aggies this Saturday in Mansfield.

It will be the first time the team has faced the Aggies, and head coach Gary Reynolds said his riders are looking forward to competing against them because they have a great team and could be a great rival for TCU.

The women's basketball team extended its win streak to six games in exciting fashion, edging out the University of New Mexico Lobos 41-38 in the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum Wednesday night. The 41 points marks the lowest point total in a win in team history. The previous low was a 49-47 victory against Southwestern University in 1982.

The game ended with an off-balance shot by New Mexico junior guard Amy Beggin that failed to go down.

Some Student Government Association representatives should be ashamed that loyalties to outside organizations sometimes affect their voting patterns.The members of the Pi Kappa Phi and Sigma Phi Epsilon...

Doing away with steroid testing too risky

After just 11 positives out of 28,934 tests since last year, the University Interscholastic League is considering cutting back on steroid testing.

Scaling down testing in high school sports in Texas is a terrible idea.

Sure the testing program costs $6 million, but can you put a price on the safety and future of our high school athletes?

The admissions office is making a novel addition this year to the familiar campus tour.

For the first time, prospective students were given guided bus tours around Fort Worth in addition to the usual walking-tour around campus, said admissions counselor Lauren Nixon.

The tours, which began Friday, are intended to help students who have been admitted to the university make a final decision on where they want to go, Nixon said.

FrogHouse and Residential Services will team up to host the TCU Project Runway, a fashion show fundraising event based on the popular Bravo TV show.

In the show, scheduled for March 7 in the Brown-Lupton University Union auditorium, residence hall floors will compete against each other in a fashion contest using only environmentally friendly materials, said Laura Lee, a resident assistant and the director of service and learning for FrogHouse, a student Habitat for Humanity project.