He splits his time between two offices. He manages demands from two jobs, both at TCU. In one, he gets chalk on his hands and loves it. In the other, he pores over applications and helps prospective students make one of the most important decisions of their lives.

Then, he goes home to 8-year-old twins.

Jim Atwood, 59, is both a religion instructor and assistant to the dean of admissions, as well as chairman of the freshman admissions committee, something that may seem an unlikely combination.

To my fellow conservatives, I've learned and thought about a lot of political issues in my four years here at TCU. And, to the liberals, I think you'll find I'm fairly objective. Before I graduate, I'd like to leave you with my thoughts about what we, as conservatives, have right and what we're getting wrong.The first thing we have right is our patriotism - loving America is never the wrong thing to do. Patriotism is what made this country great and will keep it going. We also support our troops, which is the right thing to do.

Projects overflowing on a cluttered desk, photos displayed on every surface and a plethora of stress relievers make up the office of the assistant dean of campus life and dean of the class of 2007.James Parker, 32, was born in Oklahoma City and earned a bachelor's degree in organizational communication in 1998 and a master's degree in education in 2002 from the University of Oklahoma.

For 24 years, Parker did not miss a single Sooner home football game, but, for the past six years, he has found a new home as a Horned Frog.

Students go to college for a variety of reasons. Many students attend universities to increase their earning potential. Others go to college for personal fulfillment. Some people simply go to college to have fun - or even earn their "Mrs. Degree." However, Ronald B. Standler, a Massachusetts attorney who specializes in higher education law, believes that the primary purpose of a university education should be to teach students how to think.Unfortunately, many students go to college and do not learn how to think; rather, they learn what to think.

A lot of people on campus get lazy during this time of the semester.But, while students can be excused by having had months of weekly papers, quizzes, homework and jobs, TCU faculty have no excuse.

Professors are paid to be here, teach us, test us and grade those tests. It's not too much to ask a professor to return graded tests in the class following the test day. It's inexcusable when a professor takes more than a week to grade a test, unless that teacher is grading novel-sized essay exams.

The TCU community is participating in Global Days for Darfur to raise awareness about the genocide occurring in Darfur, a professor said. Global Days is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness and is all about education and action, said Cecil Van de Voorde, an assistant criminal justice professor.

"I want people to wake up, pay attention and start acting," said Van de Voorde, who is managing this week's events.

If you thought "Shaun of the Dead" was good way back in 2004, then "Hot Fuzz" is worth your time.Director and co-writer Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead") teamed up again with co-writer and actor Simon...

Students and faculty want to know why America is obsessed with celebrities. "Why is America obsessed with celebrities" is the question of the day and the title of today's Searchlight Symposium from 5 to 7 p.m. in Smith Hall 104.

Students will hear about celebrity obsession from guest speakers Richard Allen, a radio-TV-film professor, and Adam Schiffer, a political science assistant professor, and can participate in an open-question forum, said John Wood, founder of the biannual event that started in 2006.

The system in which required nursing clinical sign-ups are being conducted is making it difficult to register for classes and plan work schedules, nursing students said.The problem with signing up for...

Step into the 214,000 square-foot warehouse and gape at the rows and rows of guitars.Classical, acoustic, electric, vintage - there more types than the average music lover could ever name. Hear about 30 different guitar melodies simultaneously; all are live. Some come from professional guitarists playing on any of the five stages dispersed throughout the hall, but most are attendees of the world's largest guitar festival experimenting on their potentially new guitars at one of the 800 exhibitors' booths.

"If you look close enough, you'll find everyone has a weak spot." This tagline for the film "Fracture" is the most elementary way to explain this thrilling two-hour ride.When meticulous structural engineer Ted Crawford is found innocent of the attempted murder of his wife, the young district attorney Willy Beachum who is prosecuting him becomes a crusader for justice. "Fracture" is packed with twists and turns that weave in and out of the courtroom as the pair try to outwit each other.