Spring Break 2011

My spring break took place in two different places. From Friday to Wednesday I spent spring break with my girlfriend Brittany, her family  and some of my family in Houston. While there we went to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and saw the artists Gary Allan, Kid Rock, & KISS perform on separate nights. I really enjoyed this part of the trip because I got to spend more time with Brittany due to the fact that she works now and I’m still in school, unfortunately she had to get back to work so we couldn’t spend the entire week of spring break together.

Ready for the hunt

On Wednesday I headed to South Texas to my family’s ranch with my cousin Kyle and my girlfriend’s brother Bailey to stay until Sunday. While at the ranch, our everyday activities consisted of just hunting and fishing. It was nice to get away from the fast pace of everyday life and enjoy the beautiful, warm & sunny weather of South Texas. At the end of the trip, our total animal count was thirty-three feral hogs and five rattlesnakes, all in excess of five feet in length. This spring break sits near the top of my list as one of the best spring breaks I’ve ever had, although it was bittersweet as this was my last spring break, but I have to say that I’m happy that my last spring break turned out to be a great one.

By Gary Pearce

A Spring Break Discovery

Unlike many students who head to a sunny beach for Spring Break, I did the opposite and traded in the beach for snow. My boyfriend, my friends and I, packed up our cars and headed to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. We also brought a special travel companion along – our puppy, Tank.

Tank--riding in luxury!
After 14  hours on the road, we arrived in Pagosa and it was absolutely beautiful!

The cabin we stood in provided a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains and the weather at Wolf Creek Mountain was perfect.
Amazing View!

Everything about our trip was wonderful, but one of the best things we discovered while in Colorado was a local brewery. Tired of cooking our own meals in the cabin, our group decided to go into town for dinner. Pagosa is a small town with a population of about 1,500, so there were very few restaurant options. We were recommended Pagosa Brewing Co. so we decided to check it out. http://www.pagosabrewing.com/

The small log cabin with a silver trailer attached to the side, has some of the best food and beer I have ever had! Pagosa Brewing Co. offers fifteen housed brewed, national award-winning beers and a tasty menu that includes salmon fish & chips, gourmet pizzas and bison burgers.
Outside our log cabin
Needless to say, we went back three times throughout the week and I almost got to taste the entire menu.

My favorite PBC item had to be the sampler tray. For only $5, you can tour the brewery and sample each of the fifteen beers. (The best $5 I have ever spent.)  I even bought a mini-keg of the Pagosa Brew Ale to bring home with me – it was that good!

The next time you find yourself in Colorado, you must make a trip to Pagosa Brewing Co. it was the best thing I discovered this Spring Break!

By Angelica Plasencia

An Inspiring Woman: Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem, a woman that inspires me on a daily basis once said, “Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” A dreamer, Steinem is known best for her political speeches, aviator sunglasses, and feminist perspectives. As a college student who strives to work in the journalism field, Steinem paved the way for women journalists. At first, she was criticized and ignored but she continued to take a stand. By standing up for the ideals that she strongly believed in, Steinem influenced future generations to come.

Known to many as a feminist, Steinem was an avid writer who co-founded Ms. Magazine. The publication gave women a voice and an opportunity for employment. Throughout the magazine, Steinem would address women’s liberation, and brought hidden issues to the mainstream. Not only did Steinem represent women’s rights, but also became involved in making a difference in the political world.

As it is International Women’s Day, I wanted to acknowledge a woman who I have grown up admiring. Without her actions, the women of my generation would not be given the chance to pursue a career in the field of their choice. Hearing her speak and reading her work has also taught me more about what it is to be a feminist. Through her life, she has brought new meaning to the definition and encourages all young women to always be themselves.  A hard working, independent, free spirit is just a few of the traits that Ms. Steinem possesses and a few of the traits that I am.


Posted by Nicole Garrison
TCU

My Mother, My friend!

Nothing can come close to the love that a mother feels for her children.My mother is the most important person in my life. I cannot really express how I feel about her in just words. My mother to me means comfort. She's always there for me and makes me feel comfortable even in odd situations. My mother means home to me. She raised me, took care of me and loved me. My mother means love to me. She hugged away the pains,cleaned up the spills and has loved me through the best and worst times of my life.
  
My mother is an ordinary woman but in her tiny appearance lies an extraordinary fortitude, perseverance, a altruistic soul and a very kindly heart. My mother's life is a succession of obstacles and sorrows. Growing up in a poor family, my mother had to work very hard to earn her living since an early age. Due to shortage of material condition, she herself has trained an extremely strong will and ability to sedately deal with each difficulty and stand up to move on from her failures.
    
I can never thank my mother enough for what she has given me. The precious lessons from my mother are the luggage for me to go on my road and make my dream become a reality instead of just a dream. Her life experience has made me more vigorous to face every hardship, to overcome each failure, and move on. Far more meaningfully, I also realize the invaluable gift of life and view the world more optimistically.

Posted by Yiran Chen

TCU

Celebrating My Inspiration. My Mother!

In celebration of International Women’s Day Tuesday, March 8, I took some time to reflect on a woman who has truly been an inspiration in my life.  My mother grew up on a farm in rural Nebraska and knows the value of hard work.  She used to tell me stories of how she had to hold the feet of the chickens, while her mother (my grandmother), chopped off the heads.

Later in life, my mother’s character was put to the test when she became a single mother.  While balancing the pressures of life as a single parent, my mom never let work overtake her role as a mother.  She rearranged her schedule so she could pick me up and drop me off at school every day.  She was also extremely involved in my life by being my Girl Scout Troop leader and my volleyball team’s coach.  She constantly put others before herself.

My mother also taught me the value of giving back.  From Junior League to symphony guilds, my mom was, and still is, constantly involved with volunteering in the community.  I love that I have acquired her volunteering spirit, and hope to work for a non-profit agency when I graduate.   Not only do I pray that I can be as great of a mother to my children as my mom was to me, I hope to be as well rounded and balanced of a woman as well.

So this week, make sure to take time to think about and thank the amazing women in your life.  Also, do your mother a favor, and shoot her a text every morning over spring break to let her know you’re alive.

Captivating! That's What My Mom Is

In honor of International Women’s Day, I’d like to dedicate this blog entry to my mom. I’ve been reading a book called “Captivating,” by John and Staci Eldredge, and one chapter sheds new light on the special bond between mother and daughter. I have always loved my mom with all my heart, but it’s nice to be reminded of how important she really is.

As mentioned in “Captivating”, we aren’t all mothers but we all have one. I am so blessed and so thankful to have such an amazing mom who has taken excellent care of me these past 21 years. After being a nanny for several families through college and high school, I can only grow to appreciate her more each day. Two hours of being a stand-in mommy and I’m ready to call it quits!

She, however, has been a constant source of patience and love through my childhood and into adulthood. She has put up with my breakdowns of stress at every stage, and listens eagerly as I babble on about senseless bits of my day. She never missed a dance performance, and always put in 110% into every club I was involved in. She has always made sacrifices to put a smile on my face, including sending me to a cream-of-the-crop university.

I am inspired by her silly enthusiasm, social graces, and ambition. After teaching for 17 years, rocking the real estate world, and raising two kids, she has become the “Queen of the Town” with her Sassy boutique and endless contributions to her community.

My mom is my comfort, my guidance, and one of my closest friends. Take this day to think about all that your own mother has done for you, give her a call, and tell her you love her.

Posted by Kendall Reid

TCU

My Mother, Jan Brown

Someone who has greatly impacted my life is my mother, Jan Brown. A woman whom is so courageous and selfless, she has become a saint in my eyes. Jan was born in Oklahoma and grew up with her parents and her older brother, David. My mom didn’t find out until she was an early adolescent that she was adopted. I have asked her many times if she would ever like to know her real parents. Every time she kindly responds, “no, Papa and Gam are the people who raised me and loved me unconditionally, they are my parents.” A part of me thinks that she is curious about her birthparents but I also know she loves my grandparents too much to even question the thought of what her life could have been like otherwise. This is just one of the instances where my mother has put herself last on the list of priorities and her loved ones first.

My mother has raised my two brothers and myself yet never ceases to amaze me. I have been and always will be my mother’s little girl. That is something that I know will never change no matter how old I am. My mother and I have generally always had a close relationship, except for maybe one or two rebellious teen years. Sometimes I don’t think I tell my mom how much she truly means to me and how much I appreciate everything she does on a daily basis. Even though I am thousands of miles away from her and living a life of my own, she still remains my go-to person, my problem solver, my shopping buddy and my best friend.

Posted by Megan Brown

TCU

Celebrating My Mother

In celebration of International Women’s Day I would like to recognize my incredible mother, Sheila Gendron.  She has truly been a key factor in making me the woman I am today and has inspired me to want to become so much more.

My mother grew up in a family where her father was always traveling for work leaving her mother to raise the children while working a full time job at the local hospital. While my mother was not the oldest of her four siblings, she was always the one to take the responsibility of raising her siblings. She grew up knowing what she wanted from life and how to make her children better people. While my home life was not nearly as trying as hers was, I feel as though she instilled some of these core values within me. Since moving away to college, our relationship has only grown stronger and stronger and she continues to help me blossom into a bright young woman with the potential to make a huge impact on the world in the future.

I only hope that one day I will be able to look back at my life and have a wonderful career, happy marriage and a loving family supporting me. In her opinion she achieved the American Dream. It may not be the mansion home, Range Rover car or million-dollar salary, but she has the most love and support from her family making her happier with life than anyone could possibly imagine.

Posted by Haley Gendron

TCU

A Woman To Look Up To

My mom is definitely an inspiring woman. She is the mother of twins (my brother and I), and she is married to my father, enough said. I’m just kidding, but really she puts up with a lot. We moved to Austin, Texas, from Washington D.C. where she had lived for a two decades, because my father received a new position as assistant city manager of Austin. However, with the change of new city managers, my dad resigned leaving my mom to f be the breadwinner, and that’s how it’s been pretty much for the past eight years or so.  We all of course had to uproot our lives to make the move, but it was really tough on her. My mom loves the neighborhood she raised us in and has many best friends in D.C., with her family just a few hours away. But she was still able to get us all adjusted to our new lives in Texas and start a new home.  She is always balancing so much, and then on top of that this past year we’ve had a lot of intense family trauma involving my brother and my father and somehow she manages to keep it all together for the most part. We all have so much going on in our lives but she is always there for us, and I think that is really something to admire. She’s so selfless and cares for us so deeply that if I’m sick, it’s almost like she’s sick. I truly think she is a woman to live up to and I’m so proud to call her my mom.

Posted by Emily Chan

TCU

CELEBRATING WOMEN'S DAY!

Today's blog theme is "celebrating the most important woman/women in your life. I asked my students to think about the most influential woman in their lives and write a blog that celebrates that woman.
I remember my mother, Mary Nkoyo George, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, teacher and Girl Guide leader and volunteer, who died nearly 10 years ago. She remains my role model!

Read what some of my students say about their mothers.

Happy International Women's Day!

Amiso George
TCU

Ignite Your Faith, TCU!

TCU stands for Texas Christian University…but is it really a Christian school? We are required to take one three-hour religious course, but it can be a study of any faith that is offered. There is no required chapel or set of “Christian rules” enforced on students, other than those included in United States and Texas laws. So what does TCU have to offer students who profess themselves as Christians?

Ignite may be the answer. Ignite is the newest, perhaps largest campus ministry at TCU. Introduced in Spring 2010 following months of highly effective promotional campaign, the organizations states that it hopes to  “unite students from across campus under one roof to hear the gospel, worship the Lord, and to be the body of Christ at TCU. As students, we desire to wake up this campus and challenge each other to live authentic, Christian lives."

Andy Dalton, TCU’s former quarterback, served as a “celebrity spokesperson,” during the launch.

Ignite meets once a week in the BLUU Ballroom or Daniel Meyer Coliseum for a time of worship, prayer, and sermon that is geared at college students wanting to know more about God.

Ignite’s first speaker was a personal friend and ministry leader to me: Captain Chris Plekenpol. Matt Larsen took over for the 2010-2011 school year, and has continued captivating TCU students every week to come back for more.

For more information about Ignite, contact Student Leader Kelsey Taylor , Staff Advisor Evan Spoon, or just visit the TCU Ignite Website.



Posted by Kendall Reid
TCU

Late Night Munchies? Get your Fix at Cowtown's Food Trucks!

After a late night “studying” in the library or should I say bar, you will see a line of people waiting for – tacos. Horned Frogs have traded-in waiting in the long Whataburger and Jack in the Box drive-thru lines, for food trucks. Several new food trucks have begun to frequent the TCU area and people are enjoying the new trend.

There are three food trucks rolling around in Fort Worth – all with a specialty in tacos:

Yum Yum Food Truck: Yum Yum was the first gourmet food truck in Fort Worth. You can find the brightly colored lime green, orange and pink truck parked on the corner of Houston & Weatherford and the other on 10th & Taylor in downtown Fort Worth. Yum Yum serves breakfast at 7 a.m. and lunch until 2 p.m. Favorites include tacos, burritos, quesadillas and cheeseburgers. Prices range from $2 to $7.

Salsa Limon: Salsa Limon located right across the street from Fuzzy’s, brings some serious competition. Serves delicious authentic Mexican City-style street food like tacos, tortas and burritos all for a low cost. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and stays open until about 2 a.m. If you find yourself leaving the Aardvark, the Cellar or University Pub late at night, go visit Salsa Limon for a midnight snack.

Taco Heads: Taco Heads set up right between the popular 7th Haven and Poag Mahone’s is a prime location for bar traffic. After all the bars close, a long line of people forms to get their Taco Heads on.  Favorites include brisket, chicken, carnitas and veggie tacos for $2.50 every night until 3 a.m. Taco Heads is a great place to eat, drink, and mingle on the truck’s trendy patio.

Manned by a small staff, these rolling food trucks use social media like Facebook and Twitter to communicate their location and post special offers. Make sure you become of “Fan” of all these food trucks on Facebook. 

It was only a matter of time before we would see the food truck trend emerge. Looking to the success of food trucks in other major cities like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Austin, Fort Worth finally caught on. Right now Fort Worth has just seen tacos, but there are no limits to the types of food now being sold from trucks. Food trucks on streets of cities all across the country offer a variety of gourmet foods – Korean, BBQ, Indian, American, Vegan, desserts & more. So the next time you find yourself out late after a night of “studying” and are hungry, walk on over to a local food truck and see what all the buzz is about.

Posted by Angelica Plasencia

TCU

Apple Launches iPad 2? Is it for You?

In a move that astounds probably no one, Apple unveiled on March 2 the new and somewhat improved iPad 2. As per the usual Apple release, the iPad 2 comes in just only a year behind its predecessor with a new sleeker, thinner design and a complete disregard on Apple’s behalf that there ever was an iPad 1. The iPad 2 is packed with a number features that have quickly become the norm on i-devices, particularly the program “Facetime” which allows you to voice chat with anyone using “Facetime” compatible apple hardware such as the iPhone 4 among others. This is possible on the iPad 2 because the product now has two built-in cameras, one on the front & back, that allows for voice chat and the ability to switch between either camera during “Facetime” much like the iPhone 4. On top of this, the iPad 2 will arrive on store shelves with a new dual-core processor that will allow for faster web browsing, videogames, etc. The iPad 2 also bolsters a nonstop battery life of 10 hours and a standby battery life of 30 days, which puts it on par with the original iPad, a surprise considering the amount of new hardware internally which some thought would put a major drain on the battery life of the new model. In my personal opinion unless you want an iPad with a camera, then I would find no reason to upgrade to the iPad 2 if you already have the original iPad, as it is still a great tablet computer. However, if you are interested in becoming iPad owner, now might be the best time to start.

External Links:
http://www.gear.ign.com/articles/115/1153014p1.html
http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Posted by Gary Pearce

TCU

Frogs Hit a Rough Patch

After starting the season of strong against Kansas the TCU Horned Frog baseball team has run into a bit of trouble. Friday the team had tons of support as it faced Cal State Fullerton at home. The frogs were able to hold on to the lead and finished the game on top. The Frogs continued the three game series the following Saturday, and despite their best efforts came up with a loss in the last few innings. With the series tied 1-1, the Frogs hoped to pull out a win on Sunday to clench the series. The Frogs could not get the bats to work the entire game, going down swinging or grounding out. After a tough battle, the Frogs lost the game 2-1, giving Cal State Fullerton the series. This is the first regular series the Frogs had lost since the beginning of the previous year's season.

The Frogs, who started the season of as #1 in the rankings dropped to #8 after this tough series. They had to get their game faces on, because DBU was coming to play Tuesday night. The Frogs started out the game strong with Taylor Featherston getting his first home run of the season and driving in another run. BDU rallied and was able to take the lead at the top of the 5th, giving them a 2-1 lead over the Frogs. The Horned Frogs were able to take the lead back in the bottom of the same inning, scoring two runs and giving them a 3-2 lead. The Frogs could not hold onto this lead and late in the 9th DBU finished the game out 4-3, dealing the Frogs their third straight loss at home.

The boys in purple travel to Texas Tech this weekend to try to pull one out against the Red Raiders.  Be sure to check back for more TCU baseball updates next week.

Update:  Frogs beat the Red Raiders 8-6.

Posted by Griffin Kirchner
TCU

Twitter for Food

As more TCU students join the Twitter network, I think it’s important that these students realize Twitter can be used for more than sharing funny quotes.   This summer I had a chance to “tweet” for a local charity, and learned that Twitter can help inspire change.  Being a college student myself, I know that young adults care about what is going on in their community, but we need an easy and inexpensive way to get involved.  Twitter provides just that: a quick, free, and constant flow of information about charitable organizations.  College students can follow their favorite local or national charity.

One of the easiest charitable movements to get involved in on Twitter is Twitter For Food. Tim Blair started this movement, under the name @hungernomore, with the idea that everyone can make a difference by just giving a little.  You can check out Tim’s blog here. His idea is simple: skip just one meal, every first Tuesday of the month, and give the money you would have spent on that meal to a local or global hunger relief program.  By skipping a meal, a person experiences first hand how hunger can affect work efficiency and mood.

So fellow TCU students and Fort Worth community, I dare you to take this challenge next month.  Get on your Twitter, and follow: @HungerNoMore here.  On Tuesday April 5, skip a meal and donate those $7 you would have spent on a sandwich to a hunger relief charity.  My suggestion is that you send you donation to Tarrant Area Food Bank, the food bank that serves 13 counties in the Fort Worth area.  You can easily donate online at: http://www.tafb.org/CashDonations.html.

Posted by Kia Igel

TCU

American Idol Wannabe-Tim Halperin

While TCU may be a smaller university, no one can disagree that the students here have monumental school spirit. TCU has been receiving more attention this past year and especially following the Rose Bowl victory. Most recently, TCU is being recognized because one of its alumni is a finalist on the show American Idol. Tim Halperin graduated from TCU in May 2010, and has become a unifying force within the university. Students are being so supportive of their alumni and are tuning in to watch the show, even if they have never previously supported it. For the first time, American Idol is allowing viewers to vote for their favorite singers via Facebook. TCU students have been constantly voting for Halperin, and are reminding each other through Facebook statuses and messages to vote for their favorite alumni. Halperin has already mentioned how much he appreciates the support he is receiving through this stressful competition. It’s moving to watch students unite together to support a worthy cause. I love knowing that my fellow students support their alumni, and work together to help create awareness for his success. Whether his performance on American Idol was amazing or maybe a little shaky, students continue to vote for Tim Halperin. He is taking over student media by storm; countless Youtube videos, Facebook pages, websites and fan pages have been created in hopes of propelling his success. (www.timhalperinonline.com) No matter if he wins or looses, he will at least know he has an entire university standing behind him.

Update: Halperin was voted off American Idol on March 3.

Posted by Landon Greene
TCU

TCU's Woman's Basketball Senior Night 2011

Texas Christian University Women’s Basketball completed its 2010-2011 regular season play March 2 at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum taking on the Lady Falcons from the Air Force.  The game ended in a win for the TCU Lady Horned Frogs with a final score of 88-51. Not only was this an awesome win, bringing the ladies into the conference tournament next weekend in Las Vegas, but also it was the perfect way to end the season for the four graduating seniors who played their final game in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum last night.

Following the conclusion of the huge Horned Frog win over the Falcons, a Senior Night ceremony took place for the girls. Emily Carter, Micah Garoutte, Rachel Rentschler and Helena Sverrisdottir were all joined by members of their families on the court for recognition of their tremendous contributions to the team as well as pictures and flowers. Head Coach, Jeff Mittie, spoke on each girl’s behalf thanking each and every one of them for all their hard work and dedication throughout their time at TCU. It was a great celebration in honor of the four seniors and it was a night the four will cherish forever.

Follow Carter, Garoutte, Rentschler and Sverrisdottir, as well as the entire Lady Horned Frog team online as they prepare for the Mountain West Conference Tournament next weekend in hopes of winning a spot in the Women’s NCAA Tournament.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/TCUWbasketball
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/TCUWbasketball

Posted by 

Haley Gendrum

TCU

The Fashion Chart

Music and fashion have been intertwined for decades, but recently the bond has become even stronger, especially with Indie and electronic music heavily on the rise. These well known artists are known for their crazy sense of style and their daring takes on fashion.  I think this is where the whole “hipster look” first emerged. When artists are making their big debut they have to decide on their image. They want to be perceived a certain way which is reflected through their clothes, accessories, makeup, etc. One artist in particular, Emily Haines, the main singer of Metric is a great example. She dons bright colorful lipstick, skinny pants and an awesomely cool tee on the regular. Haines has sparked a huge fan base, one in which mimics what she wears as you can see at her concerts.
So how does this affect the TCU campus? Well despite the general population’s take on fashion which is really quite interesting, as hunting and fishing shirts can frequently be seen on boys and girls alike…and if you really look closely among the Wranglers and North Faces, you can find a tiny glimpse of individuality present among a few students. A lot of these students are into the electronic scene and they get their style cues from the music they listen to. How do I know? Some may say that I fall into that category and I do go to many concerts where it is clear that the fans are a direct reflection of what they’re into. You mimic what you like.
Always keeping my eyes peeled for the latest trends, and bringing them to you.

Emily Chan

TCU

London Calling!

Ever since I was a little girl I have been in awe of the city of London. Growing up, I would hear stories from my grandparents of their time spent there. Most people have certain images and places that stand out among the rest. For me, in my grandparent’s house there is a music room full of instruments and records. I don’t remember the exact age I was, but the first album I listened to was The Beatles, Abbey Road. I picked it out simply from the cover. From that moment on I loved anything and everything that was The Beatles…imagining Abbey Road right in my own backyard as a child. Even in movies, the city of London seemed magical.

When I heard about the chance to study abroad there, I immediately became interested. In the next few weeks, I will be exploring aspects of this city, from historical sites, food, music, and places to stay. By researching, I hope to find the hidden gems that most tourists don’t know about.

To begin, one attraction that can’t be missed is Buckingham Palace. Here, the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II lives and entertains. The grounds are beautiful, with gardens and rows of flowers. It almost seems as if you have been transported to another place. The Victoria Memorial stands directly in front of the Palace, a tribute to Queen Victoria. Also, this is where the Changing of the Guard takes place.

The tour welcomes everyone and is an exciting place for families. The cost is affordable and this is a spot I would hit first. Buckingham Palace is just one of the many sites to see while in the beautiful town of London.


Posted by Nicole Garrison
TCU

Make-A-Wish teams Up to Make A Difference

When a child is diagnosed with cancer it can often seem like the walls are closing in and all hopes of an average childhood are lost. This is when the Make-A-Wish Foundation can come in to make a dramatic difference. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is an organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.  A wish is granted every 40 minutes and so far 204,914 wished have been granted.

“Make-A-Wish® makes a huge difference in kids’ lives. When there isn’t a cure, there is still something positive in their lives to look forward to.”
— Joanne, Primary Children’s Medical Center Social Worker

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of medically eligible children who have reached the age of 2½ and are under the age of 18. The wishes can range from meeting a favorite celebrity or throwing the first throw at a Red Sox Game. The Make-A-Wish Foundation does whatever it can to make the children’s dreams come true.

I am involved in the Make-A-Wish Foundation through my sorority, Chi Omega, whose national philanthropy is Make-A-Wish. I have been lucky enough to be selected to be a part of the Make-A-Wish team in my sorority’s chapter at TCU. We plan events throughout the year in order to raise money to grant wishes. Our upcoming event is Race For Wishes, which is four weeks away! The event in located in the DFW area and is planned to be on Saturday March 26th. There are number of different ways to get involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and it can all be found on the Race For Wishes website (http://raceforwishes.kintera.org). Everyone can make a difference, discover how you can change a child’s life with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.


Megan Brown
TCU

Feed Your City!

Tarrant Area Food Bank is one of Fort Worth’s most notable non-profits. The mission of TAFB, according to its website, is to eliminate hunger in Fort Worth and its 13 surrounding counties by providing food, education and other resources to a network of partner charities and their communities. TAFB is a part of Feeding America—a national network consisting of over 200 non-profit food banks. TAFB is also a part of the Texas Food Bank Network.

Those at TAFB long to see a community where no one goes hungry. The hunger statistics of the Tarrant County area, though likely to go unnoticed, are truly staggering.  One in five children in Tarrant County live in extreme poverty; thus, have a high likelihood of suffering from hunger. The state of Texas has the second highest hunger rate in the nation with one in four children suffering from hunger.  These statistics expose the vastness of the hunger need, and shed light on the necessity that is TAFB. Most Tarrant County citizens are privileged enough to not worry about whether or not a meal will come the next day; however, those who do have such worries are not far from us.

With the overwhelming amount of work that goes into ensuring that the hungry are fed comes a great need for volunteers. Located conveniently in Fort Worth, TAFB represents a great opportunity for TCU students to be involved with something that truly makes a difference. It is the service of volunteers that allow TAFB to serve over 280,000 Texans. If you’d like to volunteer, or just want more information about TAFB, please visit its website at www.tafb.org.

Elizabeth Azide

TCU

Studying Abroad--My Experience

My study abroad experience is something I would not trade for anything else in the world.

I can’t recall exactly how young I was when I set my heart on spending my college life in the USA, but I do remember that by my first year in high school in China, I was completely infatuated with the idea. I was fortunate to have several friends who had studied abroad whose stories pushed me to making my dream into a reality. One day I was talking to my friend who was a sophomore at TCU at that time. She said," Seriously, you can apply to TCU. This school is awesome and you can stay with me if you come!" Then, as you can guess, I applied to TCU and I got the offer.

You may ask me," Why do you want to study abroad?" I personally felt that if I graduated from college without an international experience, I would be depriving myself of a wonderful opportunity. In addition, I regard cultural exposure and immersion as integral parts of the education experience. I believe that one can learn a lot about themselves and other people by being in an unfamiliar place that forces them to define who they are and to respond to other people’s differences. Studying abroad exposes one to so many things that challenge the beliefs, customs and ideas that we have upheld for a long time.

I knew the study abroad experience could be life changing. I will face lots of difficulties. There will be few moments in my life where I step off a plane in a foreign country, take in my surroundings and remind myself that I am away from my family and friends. I am anxious knowing that I would be in a new country for four years where they speak a different language.

Studying at TCU was an experience I continue to cherish today. The diversity and culture really stood out from day one and it has helped me become who I am today.

Posten by Yiran Chen
TCU