It is not often you come across a press release from a reputable company or organization with the word "castrated" in the title. That is why People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals officially lost its place on my list of reputable organizations.

Last week, PETA sent a letter to Michael Iavarone and Richard J. Schiavo, owners of the 134th Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, requesting the thoroughbred be castrated in an effort to prevent future generations of race horses from suffering similar injuries.

With all the buzz swarming around the upcoming presidential election, voters everywhere are looking at all the aspects of the candidates. Everything from world views to the candidates' running mates and...

Lilly Frawley works at Market Square once a week, but she isn't an employee with Dining Services. She is a nutrition student in a class called Quantity Foods.

With the construction of Market Square, nutritional sciences students enrolled in the class have a brand new facility in which to learn the tricks of the trade.

"Our hope and our plan was to use Expeditions as part of the class," said Legia Abato, marketing manager of Dining Services said.

Despite the current economic situation, the university does not expect graduate enrollment to change drastically, a university official said.

Bonnie Melhart, associate provost for academic affairs, said the university still has students seeking a graduate degree because it's a credential that will help advance their careers.

"In an uncertain economic time, people don't know exactly what to invest in," Melhart said. "But we don't expect that we're going to see any difference here than we did before."

It's been more than a month since Hurricane Ike caused massive destruction in the Galveston and Houston areas, but TCU students, both present and future, who were affected, are still working to rebuild their lives.

In the midst of this rebuilding, high school seniors still face the task of making plans for their futures. TCU's admissions department is helping them in their efforts by waiving the $40 early action application fee for those affected by the storm. The office extended the deadline for all students to apply under early action from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15.

QuarterbacksTCU: Sophomore Andy Dalton had two weeks off to rest an injured leg, then came back and picked apart a good Brigham Young University defense during his best game as a Frog. Wyoming's pass defense...

The university is waiving the usual $40 early action application fee for students affected by Hurricane Ike, an admission official said.

Victoria Herrera, Houston regional director of admissions, said students whose lives have been disrupted by the hurricane can request to have the fee waived by filling out a form for students impacted by natural disasters found on the admissions Web site.

Students' uneaten food may soon find its way into pigs' bellies, thanks to efforts by Dining Services to reduce waste on campus.

Legia Abato, district marketing manager for Dining Services, said Dining Services is using a new machine called a pulper to help reduce the amount of waste. The pulper grinds and blends food scraps and other waste products and turns them into an organic compost material.

Dining Services is in the process of finding a pig farmer to take the material, which can be used as animal feed, Abato said.

My name is Libby Davis, and I have a drug addiction.

No, it's not as serious as you think. Caffeine is my drug of choice as I am sure it is yours as well. In college, it's probably the safest drug available and when combined with heavy workloads and sleepless nights, it serves a good purpose - most of the time.

Last year, I was a bookworm to the extreme. I spent most of my time in my room studying and only relied on the occasional coffee or espresso to stave off the sleep I made sure to get.

Dining Services' latest attempt to go green takes the university's sustainability efforts to a new level, and those involved deserve a round of applause.

A new machine is helping turn students' leftovers and other waste into an organic compost material. The compost material can ultimately be used as animal feed, and Dining Services is working to find a pig farmer to take the material.