The semester is winding down, but stress levels are winding up. Students said the last few weeks of school are the most stressful times of the year.

"Finals week and the week before are the most stressful weeks," said Holly Bagzis, a sophomore supply and value chain management major. "It's like you always have something to worry about. There's always another test to get ready for or another presentation to do."

It is easy and cheap to capitalize on America's obsession with celebrities, said two professors at the Searchlight Symposium Wednesday night.Richard Allen, radio-TV-film professor, and Adam Schiffer, political science assistant professor, shared their distinct views on celebrities in a media-crazed society and answered questions from several students among the nearly 50 in attendance.

Children scrambled all across campus to be rewarded with unsolved math and science problems Wednesday. Fourth- and fifth-graders from 20 schools in Fort Worth ISD applied their knowledge of science and math to the TCU campus, calculating angles, assessing the habitat of campus wildlife, converting measurements and many more activities as part of a program called the "Math and Science Trail".

New to TCU, the trail tested the students based on a curriculum similar to that of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills test, according to a press release.

As reigning conference champions, the men's tennis team will be in position to defend its crown this week out in the Rocky Mountains.The No. 68 Horned Frogs will begin match-play in the 2007 Mountain West Conference Championship this afternoon in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The team went 5-1 in conference play during the season, including a regular season finale sweep of the Air Force Falcons, University of Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels and the New Mexico Lobos.

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.