A Pepsi and a Milky Way bar? Swipe it! A new calculus book? Swipe it! Thirty seven bottles of Pepto-Bismol and a copy of Ann Coulter's newest political book? Well, you get the picture.Today, seemingly anything that one could want on campus is available via the use of our student ID card. Cool? I guess.

An indoctrination into a system of plastic over cash that will one day launch our nation into a second Great Depression? You bet.

The fourth annual Jazz By The Boulevard Music and Arts Festival, scheduled for this weekend, will offer an expected 50,000 music lovers various types of jazz and cultural performances, said the event's producer."There's something for everyone," said festival producer Donna VanNess. "And it's for a good cause."

According to the Jazz By The Boulevard Web site, the festival is a fundraiser to preserve and beautify the Camp Bowie district, which is the historic site of museums, shops and restaurants.

TCU has taken an extra step toward making the treatment of all students more equal.As reported in the Skiff earlier this month, all students may now appeal alcohol citations to a committee comprised of five to eight students and a residential staff member. The students who serve on the committee are members of a 32-student board representing every dorm on campus with the exception of Brachman Hall, which had a lack of applicants.

Five years ago during my 8th grade U.S. History course, I vividly remember watching two American Airlines flights violently crash into the World Trade Center on TV, sending cascading smoke and debris into the air.My dad is an American Airlines pilot who was flying to an unbeknownst destination on Sept. 11. With no possible way to contact him, 9/11 was initially more than a national catastrophe to me - it was a personal disaster. To me, going to war was originally a practical and well-founded idea.

Imagine growing-up in a town where cattle easily outnumber the city's population. Now imagine your town's name actually means a horse, especially a quiet, plodding horse for farm work or family use, according to dictionary.com.

If you are wondering what town this could possibly be, look no further than Dobbin, Texas, which is approximately 45 minutes north of The Woodlands.

Dobbin is the hometown of Dakota Gring, a junior finance and accounting major, who said she could not be happier about growing-up in a small town.

They are found in downtown areas with megaphones, preaching of Scriptures and threats of eternal hell at the top of their lungs. These people believe the only proper way to live a fulfilling life is to do it their way. If you are lucky, you might even see them on TV performing "miracles," which almost always involves somebody fainting, while hysterical spectators look on with awe and reverence. I'm talking about extreme evangelists.In various parts of the Bible, the Scriptures urge Christians to rapidly spread the Gospel to all parts of the world.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins Friday, and TCU has several events planned, including a sand castle-building contest and a Latin jazz performance, as part of the nationwide celebration honoring the Hispanic culture. TCU prides itself on being a global, world-class university, and celebrating Hispanic Heritage month is just another way to promote the mission statement, said Greg Trevino, director of Inclusiveness and Intercultural Services.

The best way to become a successful leader is to learn how to deal with people, said a marketing instructor at Wednesday's Leadership in the Lounge Series.In front of a crowd of about 50 students and faculty, Bob Akin, a marketing instructor, said the biggest problems students will have in business are people problems.

"You've got to motivate people to do things," Akin said.

The men's cross country team travels to Texas A&M Saturday for a meet, which the coach and players say will reveal how they compare to other Texas schools and will serve as training for upcoming conference and regional meets.After finishing second in the North Texas Invitational, cross country coach Eric Heins said he was pleased with the team's performance, but said he will continue a strenuous training schedule.

"We went into last weekend tired, and we'll go into this weekend tired," Heins said.

Senseless Acts of Comedy will perform in the Student Center Ballroom this semester because the troupe was denied access to Moudy 141 North after teachers complained.The Student Center might be a fine replacement venue for SAC, but the issue should have been resolved through simple communication when the first complaint occurred.

Keeping facilities in proper order for education should be a priority, but TCU should also work to accommodate student organizations - especially those offering alcohol-free entertainment - something the university eagerly promotes.

Residential Services is working to place recycling bins in Greek housing, a part of campus that currently does not have containers to place recycled items in, said the director of Residential Services. Recycling bins for paper, aluminum and plastic are located in the trash rooms of non-Greek residence halls, said Craig Allen, director of Residential Services.

Jenna Lewis, a chapter resident assistant for Pi Beta Phi, said Greek residents would probably use recycling bins if they were available.