Aid not impacted by tuition plan
University still to use 30-hour base when awarding scholarships

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of stories examining the impact comprehensive tuition will have on the university.

By Carrie Woodall
Staff Reporter

The flat-rate tuition will have only a minor impact on financial aid and scholarships, Director of Financial Aid and Student Scholarships Mike Scott said Monday.
“We were already using 30 hours as an average cost (a year),” he said. “So when we determine (a student’s) financial aid eligibility, even in the past, we used 30 hours as a starting point to determine cost.”

(full story)

Click here for larger image and story.

Award to fund women’s studies

By Julie Ann Matonis
Staff Reporter

Lisa Munger, a senior political science major, has spent the semester working on her thesis, which focuses on the gender-specific issues facing female political candidates. A new award being offered could help her reach a broad audience with her research.
Each year for the next two years, one student and one faculty member conducting research related to women’s studies will be recipients of the Nokia Research Award.

(full story)

Leases offer freedom, some say
Limited campus housing sends students elsewhere

Chrissy Braden
Staff Reporter

With deadlines to sign up for limited campus housing approaching, many students are beginning to look at off-campus options, which offer freedom from campus housing rules.
Most two-bedroom apartments in the area range from $650-$900 a month. Several apartment complexes around TCU offer special rates to students, especially during the first month of their lease.

(full story)

Stations merge students’ talent

Skiff Staff

Tim Cox - Skiff Staff

Students listening to KKMR-FM 93.3 “Merge” radio station, one of the leading radio stations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, may hear some familiar voices.
Some student disc jockeys who have gotten their start at KTCU-FM 88.7 “The Choice” are now crossing over from small-time college radio to the professional local station.

(full story)

Not on board
Flat-rate advantages benefit few

We, as an editorial board, have had trouble finding a good reason to get on board with TCU’s change to the flat-rate tuition.
But we have continued to press on, looking at each dimension of the plan. Still, there just haven’t been any good reasons to support comprehensive tuition.
Alas, we found a reason Tuesday to write something good about the flat rate: More students will get scholarships because their financial aid eligibility will be based on the 15 hours a semester that they may or may not be taking, instead of the 12 hours that they probably are taking.
Oops, that was already the case. Again, the number of students affected in a positive way by the flat-rate tuition is limited or nullified altogether.

(full story)

Don’t discriminate against Klan
KKK should be allowed to participate in highway clean-up program

By Brandon Ortiz

If you are driving along Interstate 55 in Missouri and see someone clad in white sheets and a hood, don’t be scared. It is just a local Ku Klux Klan member participating in Missouri’s “adopt-a-highway” program.
Don’t be scared, that is, if you are a white Protestant male. Come to think of it, I’m not.
OK, maybe the rest of us should be a tad bit scared. But just a tad.
The Missouri chapter of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan won a major ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court March 5 allowing the discriminatory organization to clean up roadside trash along Interstate 55. They even get a nifty little sign for doing it.

(full story)

Students lose at latest numbers game
Average on-campus resident to pay about $19,000 next year due to increases

By Jordan Blum

With all the recent talk on campus about flat-rate tuition, continually rising fees and the lack of increasing scholarships and financial aid, I decided to do a little more research on the subject.
It seems that every year there is a massive tuition hike, which covers university fees, meal plans, books and room and board. The list seems to go on and on. This is definitely not a problem only at our beloved TCU. Across the nation, prices are going up, although not quite as drastically as the increase with flat tuition at our school for next year. However, for the sake of ease and context, TCU will be made the example of the issue.

(full story)

Children should be exposed to drugs for what they are, not evil

By Chris Dobson

Squint your eyes with me and let us look at history. It’s been screaming like a middle child trying to get somebody’s attention. Last week one of the most “distinguished” among us, United States Senator Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., used a derogatory racist comment when discussing problems facing our nation.
Wouldn’t the world be better if we could only just enslave those people who weren’t like us? If we could just make something illegal that would keep all those pesky drug users where they belong. Welcome to the war on some drugs.

(full story)

Women’s tennis team wins fifth straight

Skiff Staff

The TCU women’s tennis team called it quits early in its match against No. 39-ranked Mississippi State Tuesday afternoon.
The Frogs, upon winning their fourth match point, clinched the victory and concluded the match against the Lady Bulldogs before No. 3 and No. 6 singles finished play. The victory is TCU’s fifth straight overall and fifth straight at home.
As of Tuesday morning, the Frogs were ranked 30th nationally.
With nine spots separating TCU and Mississippi State in the rankings, TCU assistant coach Lauri Moore said she anticipated a close match.

(full story)

Baseball team battles lights in 5-3 loss at UTA
Frogs fall to 13-9 with second-straight defeat

By Brandon Ortiz
Skiff Staff

When the sun disappeared Tuesday in Arlington, so did the Frogs offense.
The TCU baseball team, which regularly plays in the daytime because of the TCU Diamond’s lack of lights, struck out 11 times and managed just three hits after the sun set during a 5-3 loss to Texas-Arlington. The Frogs (13-9) struck out 13 times overall.
Texas-Arlington (16-4) was playing the second game of a doubleheader after playing 10 innings in its first game against Iowa State.
Senior left fielder Tom Bates said the Frogs plate discipline was inexcusable.

(full story)

At Last... Spring Break

Story by Laura McFarland and Lori Eshelman

From relaxing days on a beach in Maui to mission trips in another country, another Spring Break has arrived with the promise of exciting times for a number of students.
For the third Spring Break in a row, Abigail Manuel, a freshman premajor, plans to spend her vacation with her parents in Maui, Hawaii.
“Hawaii is beautiful, and we like it there,” Manuel said. “I’m particularly fond of the beach, and I like the tropical flowers that are in abundance there.”
Manuel said the eight-day trip is mainly going to be about relaxing, but she still has several fun activities planned.
“While in Hawaii, I plan to go snorkeling, whale watching, get some sun on the beach and eat a lot of good food,” she said.
Before each of her previous trips to Hawaii, Manuel said that she usually went shopping. This time Manuel said she has her own Hawaii wardrobe.

(full story)

Photos by Yvette Herrera

The beach is a place to get away from classrooms, school and relentless homework that keeps students from enjoying the sun, nature and sound of waves crashing on the sand.