While most students are home for the holidays this December, the TCU Jazz Ensemble will represent the university as one of the first American bands allowed to perform in Cuba in almost half a century. The band was invited by Harmony International after making a stellar performance at the company's Texas Music Educators Conference earlier this year.

An opportunity like this is unique and commendable for many reasons. It is a huge honor to be selected for a trip to a country most adults have not had the opportunity to visit since the U.S. banned travel to Cuba in 1963.

Pennies for Peace is coming to TCU on Thursday and Friday thanks to The Center for International Studies: TCU Abroad. Pennies for Peace raises money to help poor countries in central Asian countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, and uses that money mainly to help support and build schools as well as provide salaries or teachers.

Students will have a chance to make a donation in either Tandy or Smith Halls, and any amount will help.

On Sept. 9, U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ruled "don't ask, don't tell," unconstitutional as a violation of free speech and equal protection rights. The policy is a prohibition on openly gay service members in the military. Last Wednesday, an appeals court temporarily overturned the measure by request of the Justice Department. This has led to tremendous confusion over whether veterans ousted from the military by the measure can re-enlist, and has caused controversy over whether the law should even remain in place.

In the midst of steadily increasing college expenses, more students can get a better break from the government this year.

Students are eligible to receive a tax credit of up to $2,500 thanks to the American Opportunity Tax Credit.

According to the IRS website, the tax break was designed to expand the reach of the existing Hope Credit, which applied to 2008 and earlier tax years and could not be refunded.

Conflicts that divide the Palestinian region and its people were showcased in a film screening and a question-and-answer session with filmmaker Matt Sienkiewicz Monday evening.

The documentary film "Live from Bethlehem" tells the stories of three journalists and the struggles they faced trying to produce news in a region torn by war and occupation, Sienkiewicz said.

The film followed the Ma'an News Agency over a one-year span and narrated the daily challenges that news makers in the region faced.

The Candlelight Walk for Peace, a university fundraiser for Pennies for Peace, will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Pennies for Peace is a national fundraising project to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Jeff Giraud, adjunct professor of communication studies, said he assigned Pennies for Peace to his group discussion and intercultural communication classes as a service learning project.

Women's Soccer

The Horned Frogs soccer team fell to 1-5-0 in conference play and 7-10-1 overall after losing to Air Force and Wyoming over the weekend. The Frogs' lost 2-0 Friday at Wyoming and lost 1-0 Sunday against Air Force, giving the Falcons their first Mountain West Conference win this year. The team will close out its regular season Saturday against conference opponent New Mexico.

Women's Volleyball

Honors students now have a new means of accessing technology near the Campus Commons. The Honors College Computer Lab is now open in Scharbauer Hall.

The lab, reserved for use by honors students only, has three computers, a reference library and a printer enabled with the Pharos print system. There are plans to add Adobe Creative Suite 5, which includes Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator, to the computers.

The lab, located in Scharbauer 1016, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.