Once upon a time in the 1950s and 1960s, the western film ruled the silver screen.The best westerns of all time were released in the these two decades, each decade having its own distinct style. The 1950s were characterized by the good-versus-bad, noble John Wayne films. The 1960s westerns were defined by the more violent, less-polarized "spaghetti westerns," known as such because they were written, directed and produced by Italians.

Starting in the early 1970s, however, the production of western films dropped consistently until stopping almost completely in the mid-1980s.

When senior finance and accounting major Dan Lienemann first came to TCU, he started his freshman year like many other new students - stocking up on textbooks required for his classes. The total was around $450. Since then, Lienemann, an international finance and accounting major, has used what he has learned in financial management classes - to get more for less. He no longer goes to the TCU bookstore for his books.Lienemann has discovered that just by a click of the mouse, he can save $100 to $300 a semester on his books.

Everyone knows college basketball players can jump.So much of hoops is played in the air. Rebounds, dunks, fadeaways, shot blocking - the list goes on. And for the most part, leaping ability seems to be one thing that most Division I ball players have got figured out.

But there's jumping . and then there's the Jump. And for all the complexities inherent in the game of basketball, nothing may be more difficult for young men and women to understand than that one Jump: moving from high school to college ball.

Mind over muscle

Just like that, on the very day journalism legend Bob Schieffer came to the TCU campus to talk, he was replaced.But maybe even more alarming than the timing of the announcement of Schieffer's successor on the "CBS Evening News" was the person selected - Katie Couric.

Few would question Couric's substantial popularity; even those who don't find her work interesting have to admit that she has a substantial following. But the debate here is not over whether CBS chose a journalist with appropriate notoriety, but whether they even chose a hard-news journalist at all.

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.

Hurricane Katrina displaced 1.5 million people, leaving them homeless and wondering where to go.But when two seniors heard about one family affected by the immense tragedy, they set out to put a human face on the disaster through a documentary film.

"Your whole life is taken from you in one day, how do you cope with that?" senior radio-TV-film major Jeff Keith said. "I think that is what I'm trying to do with this documentary - show the process of rebuilding a life."

A new role and a new audience face NBC's "Today" anchor Katie Couric.Couric announced Wednesday that she would step down as the 15-year anchor of "Today" to join the "CBS Evening News," which is currently anchored by Bob Schieffer, who was the moderator of "The Changing Communications Landscape" symposium Wednesday evening in the Student Center Ballroom.

Couric's fate in her new capacity will be determined by viewer reaction.

"CBS Evening News" draws an audience of 7.5 million, where "Today" brings about 6 million.