Classes are complete, finals are out the door and holiday cheer has blown in - seemingly a few weeks earlier every year. Sure, the possibility of joining the hordes of shoppers piling through mall doors at 6:30 a.m is always an option. But if you rather enjoy your time off with family, friends and loved ones, check out these holiday festivities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

DALLAS

After dealing with the fraternity's second hazing incident in two semesters, Sigma Alpha Epsilon president John Athon said he knew it was time for a change.The second incident involved SAE pledge trainers yelling at pledges during fall Recruitment, Athon said.

"It was a straw that broke the camel's back," Athon said. "It was time to fix the problem from a different direction."

At the time, Athon said SAE wasn't aware raising voices at pledges was considered hazing. Regardless, Athon said he did not approve of their actions.

Last fall everyone took a political beating; this fall we took a beating from nature.Sure, we had Cindy Sheehan and some indictments to stir up the political stew a bit, but energy prices soon knocked those out of the news.

TCU football regained its rightful place as a Top 25 program.

And this semester, we seem to have made it through without a major sexual controversy. That may speak volumes about the lack of dating at TCU, which the Skiff has covered quite thoroughly.

All in all, 2005 is a bit of a mixed bag, but it has been fun.

TCU prides itself on recruiting students of high standards to develop them into future leaders in the global community.These are the same people that businesses hope to attract upon their graduation.

The issue is the changing face of business leadership and the concern about whether the student population is reflecting that demand.

As the consumer market in the United States becomes more diverse, whether that be ethnic, religious or gender diversity, businesses are taking notice and adjusting their ideals.

Gregory Weaver didn't plan to join a fraternity.In fact, Weaver was moving into Milton Daniel Hall before his freshman year when members of Pi Kappa Phi helped him carry boxes. He recognized most of them from orientation and Frog Camp, and before long, Weaver signed a bid to join Pi Kap.

"I decided that I only wanted a Pi Kap bid," Weaver said. "It became something I really wanted to do."

he said getting to know the Pi Kaps outside formal recruitment made him want to join.

College students are prime tartgets for advertising about clothes, electronics, clubs and even alcohol promotions. College students ranked drinking beer as their favorite activity in a recent survey taken by the Student Monitor spring 2005 Lifestyle and Media survey of 1,200 full-time undergraduates from 100 campuses.

Alcohol producers and distributors see college students as their most valuable consumers, said Kim Miller of the Center for Science in the Public Interest based in Washington D.C.

Beginning next fall, freshmen won't have to worry so much about the interview to get into the business school.Currently, TCU students are required to have 60 hours, including business prerequisites, and pass tests over Microsoft Office programs to be able to apply. Then, the students go through a formal interview process, said Dan Short, dean of the business school.

Next fall, freshmen will be admitted directly into the business school, Short said. The business school will give the TCU admissions office a target number of freshmen to base admissions quota on.

He wrote some of the most popular songs of the last century. He's been a movie star and sells out stadiums worldwide. His latest offering, "12 Songs," was called "his best work in ages," by E! Online and the "most entertaining, satisfying album Diamond has ever released," by All Music Guide.But can Neil Diamond be cool again?

Some, including more than a few loyal Diamond fans, wonder if his latest effort falls between his old audience and a younger, hipper crowd, raised on Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.