He wrote some of the most popular songs of the last century. He's been a movie star and sells out stadiums worldwide. His latest offering, "12 Songs," was called "his best work in ages," by E! Online and the "most entertaining, satisfying album Diamond has ever released," by All Music Guide.But can Neil Diamond be cool again?

Some, including more than a few loyal Diamond fans, wonder if his latest effort falls between his old audience and a younger, hipper crowd, raised on Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Two hundred people in their best suits and dresses began to serve themselves at the buffet lines full of pasta, chicken and steak.It was a typical formal for Sigma Phi Epsilon.

As the formal continued, the fraternity president received word that someone was ill from drinking too much alcohol. In a matter of minutes, a cab was called, university officials were contacted, and the female student was safe and sound in her residence hall.

TCU's swimming and diving team will compete in its first big meet of the season, the Texas Invitational, Thursday through Saturday in Austin."This tournament really gives the kids a chance to swim in one of the fastest pools," said head coach Richard Sybesma. "We really use this tournament as a chance to compete against some to the best teams in the country."

Sybesma said about 30 teams will be at the invitational, including Southern California, which is one of the best.

TCU has $100,613 to buy a scientific instrument to allow genetic sequencing, officials said.LI-COR Biosciences, a company that manufactures scientific equipment, gave around $50,000 of the amount through an education matching fund program, said Phil Hartman, professor of biology.

The TCU biology department matched the LI-COR grant to reach the $100,613 needed to buy the genetic sequencing equipment, Hartman said.

Bloc Party: Silent Alarm"Silent Alarm" may be the most energetic debut since a little band called U2 put out an album called "Boy."

"Silent Alarm" plays to Bloc Party's technical talents. Razor-sharp guitar interplay and tight drumming dominate the mix, while lead singer Kele Okereke's soaring vocals take center stage. When Okereke delivers the line, "It's so cold in this house" in "Like Eating Glass," you can actually feel the temperature drop.

Too often ladies tell me the dating scene here at TCU is dead or dying, that it is lost forever to modern society's preoccupation with sex and alcohol and that nothing can bring it back.Well, guess what:...

Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus.The age-old question of what men and women want in the hectic world of dating always seems to linger in the air, especially in the social scene of a collegian.

So men, here is your chance to set the record straight. Of course, answers varied between each guy, but several conclusions could be made. Ladies, pay attention. I hope this will help solve some of your frustrations.



What is the college guy looking for?

The House of Representatives' last meeting on Tuesday provided an eventful night with three big changes.The meeting entailed the resignation of a justice for the Student Government Association Judicial Board, the swearing in of a new chief justice and elections for speaker of the house and committee chairs for the House.

Associate Chief Justice Jonathan Leer resigned his position Tuesday night because he said his faith and respect for student government has been shattered. Leer applied to be chief justice but said his application was cast aside.

The bass was throbbing and the alcohol was flowing.Every room in the house was dark and crowded; every flat surface taken with people talking, laughing and drinking. As she accepted the first of many red plastic cups and wandered through the party, she spotted him.

He watched her walk over and cracked some joke as she approached about the class they shared. Two hours, a few laughs and several drinks later, they disappeared into an upstairs bedroom.

The TCU Bookstore will undergo a makeover in February to accommodate student demand that has earned it a spot in the top-five college Barnes & Noble bookstores in the nation, said the bookstore's general manager.Barnes & Noble will add 8,000 retail square feet to the TCU bookstore toward the end of February, said Llisa Lewis, the general manager.

Stan Frank, the marketing director for Barnes & Noble, said the company tries to renovate college bookstores every three to five years but said that the more business a store does, the more attention the store gets.