The TCU volleyball team lost to crosstown rival SMU 3-1 Tuesday night in front of more than 1,000 fans at the University Rec Center and a national TV audience.

The loss dropped the Frogs to 9-5 for the season and snapped their six-game winning streak.

TCU had control of the match early in the first set, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. The Frogs did not trail during the set and, at one time, they led 17-7 before clinching the set 25-18 off a kill by Jordan Raines.

Democrats hopeful of passing an extension of what was formerly the Bush income tax cuts received a big vote of confidence from someone unexpected. Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner said he would vote for the Democrats' plan as long as it extended these tax cuts for the middle class.

The bill is idealistic and it is unlikely that the Republicans will agree on a way to extend the Bush cuts. Therefore, the Democrats will have to craft their own bill which will keep the middle class income tax rate down, but will increase taxes for the wealthiest Americans.

For author Amy Tan, it is her relationships that have influenced her foundation for her writing.

The relationships between Tan and her parents, readers, language, faith and fate made five of her books best-sellers.

The John V. Roach Honors College put on a Q-and-A with Tan exclusively for honors students as part of the annual Fogelson Honors Forum Tuesday in Milton Daniel. The Q-and-A gave students an opportunity to ask Tan questions and hear her read from her memoir "The Opposite of Fate."

With the annual Iron Skillet game on Friday , Southern Methodist University is seeking more than a victory on the football field.

The SMU Second Century Campaign's "Fry the Frogs" fundraising effort is striving to obtain 1,000 young alumni donations by September 23, the day before the Mustangs and Horned Frogs meet at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

Andrew Snow, director of alumni relations at SMU, said that despite the fundraiser's name, the effort is not intended to be a direct competition between the rival schools.

The Andrews Institute of Mathematics & Science Education will continue its community outreach efforts with a science workshop for children Saturday, director of the institute, Molly Weinburgh, said.

Workshop facilitator Susan Harris said Saturday's workshop, entitled "Exploring Physical Science with Hands-on Experiments," will be the first of four planned for this fall and is geared towards helping university students gain experience in teaching.