Using "Wheel of Fortune" for academic research may seem far-fetched, but that's exactly what two TCU professors had in mind when they tried out for the game show. Mark Toulouse and Stacey Floyd-Thomas, who both teach in the Brite Divinity school, said they tried out for the show's "Best Friends" week because they wanted to research the shift in American values from religion to fame.

"Money, winning and success have become major values in America," Toulouse, a professor in the Brite Divinity school said. "We wanted to immerse ourselves in popular culture."

The Horned Frogs (1-3-3 conf., 6-8-4 overall) notched a shutout over the San Diego State University Aztecs (2-3-2. 6-10-2) ending the season just short of a bid in the Mountain West Conference Championships.Placement in the championship tourney would have depended on TCU winning Saturday and the New Mexico University Lobos losing to the Air Force Falcons. New Mexico won 3-0 eliminating TCU from a postseason berth.

TCU scrapped to a 1-0 win Saturday on the shoulder's of senior goalkeeper Katy Buchanan and her career high 10 saves.

The School of Nurse Anesthesia exceeded national accreditation standards on the first try and received 10 years of accreditation.Kay Sanders, the director of the School of Nurse Anesthesia, said she discovered the school received 10 years of accreditation Tuesday after talking to the director of the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia.

Paulette Burns, dean of the Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences, said a 10-year accreditation is the maximum amount of years a program can be accredited.

The women's golf team will travel to Las Vegas next week for the Las Vegas Founders Collegiate Showdown.The tournament is a three-day affair lasting from Monday, Oct. 30, through Wednesday, Nov. 1.

Last season the Frogs took 13th in the tournament. This year TCU will be facing three other Mountain West Conference opponents.

Included in the field of competitors will be top 100-ranked teams No. 23 BYU, No. 34 UNLV and No. 92 Colorado State, who are all Mountain West Conference teams. The Frogs are ranked No. 35.

Students are encouraged to attend the 12th annual Major/Minor Fair on Monday, organizers from the Center for Academic Services say.Students of any major and classification can benefit by attending, said Donna Schonerstedt, an academic adviser for Academic Services.

Freshmen and sophomores can learn about all the majors TCU offers, and juniors and seniors can benefit if they want to add a minor to their degree plan, Schonerstedt said.

Little Bo Beep has lost more than her sheep. Where is the other half of her costume? Judging from what's on the costume shelves this Halloween, a woman may be out of luck unless she is ready to push up, tape up or bare all.

I'm not the modest type, but I have to admit that I blushed even in the privacy of the dressing room at a local costume store as I attempted to squeeze into a white nurse's outfit - one of this season's best selling costumes.

Do people really wear this stuff? In public?

For better or worse, athletes are the face of a university. They draw national attention to schools and attention to themselves faculty and other students do not get.But there is another side that goes with being the center of attention. It is the added level of responsibility and behavior expected and required of these men and women.

Because of the importance the media places on athletics, athletes must adhere to this level of responsibility and show respect for the university.

The rifle team will head to Austin today to face the Nevada-Reno and UTEP on Saturday.The team has already competed against both Nevada-Reno and UTEP, said Karen Monez, head coach for the rifle team.

The team came in second at its last tournament in Nevada on Oct. 15.

"All shots will be fired on paper targets this weekend," Monez said. "Our tournament a week and a half ago, shots were fired on electronic targets, so that has been a change in our training this week."

Looking for a good scare this Halloween weekend? There are numerous haunted houses and other attractions in Fort Worth you can visit to get a good fright.The closest haunted house to campus is Hangman's House of Horrors where this year's theme is "Hangman's Most Wanted," but Hangman's offers more than just your typical haunted house.

There are actually four attractions at Hangman's for people to enjoy. Each attraction charges separately, or you can buy the combination package to save a little money.

In previous columns, I have urged students to break out of their comfort zones and embrace the possibility of a more diverse university. I also pointed out both the moral rightness and social necessity of integration for the future of the nation.What I have yet to point out are the personal risks involved in taking steps toward a harmonious, multicultural society. The reality is that many who choose to cross cultural boundaries will have to endure misunderstanding not only from the cultures they seek to embrace but also from the cultures they're from.

A district court judge imposed a gag order Thursday in the sexual assault case involving former TCU student-athletes because of what he termed a media "feeding frenzy" over the past week.Judge Wayne Salvant, of Tarrant County Criminal District Court No. 2, granted a motion by attorney Gwinda Burns to restrict publicity in the case. Burns represents Virgil Allen Taylor, 19, and she represented Shannon Monroe Behling, 19, in filing the motion. Glynis McGinty represents Behling.