AustinBy Amber ParcherIt's an island of cool, refreshing lakes and rolling green hills in a sea of dry Texas flatlands; the ultimate weekend trip. Spend some time in this city and fall in love with it....

Forget working after college. A few days after she crosses the graduation stage, Camille Blackerby will join her fellow senior and golf teammate in Sweden for a week. But, when she runs out of money, the mechanical engineering major has a job lined up with a small engineering firm in Dallas starting June 18.

Purdy-McGuire Inc. has 40 members on staff, but Blackerby said that's the way she likes it--small is her style.

A self-professed small-town girl, Blackerby hails from Breckenridge, a town just east of Fort Worth with a population less than 6,000.

When the AddRan department of humanities and social sciences began its search for a new dean last fall, the search committee wanted to find someone who would exemplify the TCU mission and its values, said the religion department chairman. The committee decided that person is Andrew Schoolmaster from Eastern Kentucky State University.

David Grant, chair of the religion department, said Schoolmaster received exceptional recommendations from everybody the committee talked to. He also said Schoolmaster was impressive as a leader and has a great sense of humor.

A friend of mine recently sent me the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" episode dissecting the 1951 short film "Spring Fever" that evidently was meant to teach the world the importance of springs. The plot goes something like this: A man doing the manly chore of fixing a couch gets so fed up with the springs that he wishes he never had to see another spring again. Insert the creepy cartoon "Coily the spring sprite" who grants the man his wish and then spends the next three minutes popping up whenever something the man owns doesn't work because it has no springs.

Responding to a globally increasing demand for energy, TCU is forming a multidisciplinary energy institute to prepare students for work in various facets of the energy industry.The institute, which plans to offer undergraduate and graduate coursework in the departments of geology, engineering, environmental science and in the Neeley School of Business, will focus on the exploration, extraction and transportation of carbon-based energy along with a study of new drilling technologies involved in the processes.

He splits his time between two offices. He manages demands from two jobs, both at TCU. In one, he gets chalk on his hands and loves it. In the other, he pores over applications and helps prospective students make one of the most important decisions of their lives.

Then, he goes home to 8-year-old twins.

Jim Atwood, 59, is both a religion instructor and assistant to the dean of admissions, as well as chairman of the freshman admissions committee, something that may seem an unlikely combination.

To my fellow conservatives, I've learned and thought about a lot of political issues in my four years here at TCU. And, to the liberals, I think you'll find I'm fairly objective. Before I graduate, I'd like to leave you with my thoughts about what we, as conservatives, have right and what we're getting wrong.The first thing we have right is our patriotism - loving America is never the wrong thing to do. Patriotism is what made this country great and will keep it going. We also support our troops, which is the right thing to do.

Projects overflowing on a cluttered desk, photos displayed on every surface and a plethora of stress relievers make up the office of the assistant dean of campus life and dean of the class of 2007.James Parker, 32, was born in Oklahoma City and earned a bachelor's degree in organizational communication in 1998 and a master's degree in education in 2002 from the University of Oklahoma.

For 24 years, Parker did not miss a single Sooner home football game, but, for the past six years, he has found a new home as a Horned Frog.

Students go to college for a variety of reasons. Many students attend universities to increase their earning potential. Others go to college for personal fulfillment. Some people simply go to college to have fun - or even earn their "Mrs. Degree." However, Ronald B. Standler, a Massachusetts attorney who specializes in higher education law, believes that the primary purpose of a university education should be to teach students how to think.Unfortunately, many students go to college and do not learn how to think; rather, they learn what to think.

The Barnett Shale formation has become a household name for drilling companies in North Texas looking to open a pocket of natural gas. TCU rests atop this subterranean jackpot, and a new energy institute is in the making for the geology, engineering and business schools.With more global emphases being placed on alternative energy research and the threat of global warming, an endeavor such as this for TCU is a huge step in the right direction for preparing students in facing these issues.