As the government officials meet to find a way for the $700 billion bailout of U.S. financial institutions to benefit taxpayers, many students may wonder where they stand when it comes to the financial system's crisis.

House and Senate negotiators from both parties said Thursday they had reached general agreement to move forward with the administration's proposed $700 billion bailout of the financial system, authorizing unprecedented government intervention to prevent what President Bush warned could be a widespread economic collapse, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The State Fair of Texas returns to Dallas blending traditional fair festivities with out-of-the-ordinary experiences that keep both Texans and out-of-state visitors coming back each year. Students and faculty can experience it at a $2 discount if they purchase tickets from the Information Desk in the Brown-Lupton University Union. The fair runs from Monday to Oct. 19. Times and dates are subject to change. Check the State Fair of Texas Web site for updates.

Listen to the Music

A student admitted Thursday to throwing away more than 1,300 copies of Tuesday's edition of the Daily Skiff.

Charles Beecherl, an entrepreneurial management major, said the Skiff went overboard in publishing the picture of a professor in a news story about a dispute between two professors. The student said he is an avid reader of the Skiff but did not like what the paper published, so he threw away the copies.

While taking a needed nap, my phone dropped off my bed. When I woke up, I looked for my phone. I had to have my phone.

I finally saw it on the floor by my bed and as I reached for it, I chuckled at what I was thinking about. That's when I realized what needed to be called to our attention; not only mine, but every student on campus.

First, let me state that I had to do a lot of observation on campus.

Cigarettes can kill. Now smoke away.

The SGA House of Representatives defeated a resolution Tuesday that would propose a smoking ban from the Campus Commons and surrounding buildings. The resolution was defeated 22-16 in the House, with three members abstaining.

It's no secret cigarettes cause lung cancer, ruin teeth and ultimately cause the premature death of thousands of Americans each year. But banning smoking outside dorms and in the Campus Commons would have been a tremendously unnecessary inconvenience for a fairly large number of smokers on campus.

Although still preliminary, admission numbers for the new school year are in.

The figures do not indicate any serious change in admission trends, said Wes Waggoner, director of freshman admission.

Here are the numbers:

Selectivity

According to unofficial figures from the admission department, TCU admitted 6,170 students, or 50.56 percent of students who applied this year, compared to 5,802 students, or 48.97 percent of students who applied in fall 2007, decreasing the university's selectivity rate.

Friday afternoon, I was sitting on my couch and catching up on the latest sports highlights from the week when I noticed a shocking story scroll across the bottom of the screen. Apparently Tennessee Titans...