Spring broken

Let me extend my most sincere "Welcome Back," to all you students who dared travel outside this wonderful region. \nWhile many IU students basked in the glaring sun, whether it was from the deck of a cruise ship or the pool of a third-rate motel in Acapulco, your friendly local basketball columnist was being held hostage by 14 men donning cream and crimson. \nI voluntarily sacrificed the sun and fun for the opportunity to traverse the nation covering one of the tradition-rich basketball programs. \nLittle did I know my travels would be limited to a single night in the Windy City. \nThe Hostage Crisis began March 11 with a trip to Chicago for the Big Ten Tournament. The quarterfinal match-up between Minnesota and IU would determine the path of the Hoosiers' spring break plans, as well as the plans of everyone's favorite student journalists.\nAccompanied by the Indiana Daily Student's two basketball beat writers and one stellar photographer, I witnessed from behind a row of freshly shaved knobs an abysmal performance from the Hoosiers that removed any doubts as to whether or not IU was a NCAA Tournament-worthy team. \nAfter the loss, the Fearsome Foursome returned to the desolate Bloomington to await word on whether the Hoosiers would play host to a NIT game or be sent to some lovely -- and more importantly, warm -- destination such as Miami or Tempe, Ariz. A potential weekend game would allow the quartet to escape the depths of the pariah and maybe fit a few days of southward travel in. \nHowever, the National Invitational Tournament put the kibosh on our getaway.\nThe powers that be thought it would be a novel idea to allow IU to hold a mid-week home contest despite the lack of students on campus to support the team, assuming students still care. \nWednesday, before a paltry crowd of 5,113, IU proved to the NCAA Selection Committee the right decision had been made to let the 2004-05 Hoosiers sit this dance out as Vanderbilt not only won the game, but unlike us hostages, left Bloomington for warmer waters.\nSo just like that, the dreams of further travel were dashed. No sunny reprieve. No more road trips. No more IU basketball. \nBut the question might be raised: Why would anyone in their right mind pass up an opportunity to lather up in SPF 40 and drown midterm sorrows away with a case of Mike's Hard Iced Tea? \nHow about a possible trip to Boise, Idaho, and the Taco Bell Arena, for first-round NCAA Tournament play? Had IU been invited to the NCAA Tournament, Boise would have been the destination. I hear they have a happening bar scene (what else is there to do in Idaho?), not to mention all-you-can eat chalupas for the media!\nHowever, I must admit the week in a deserted college town was not a total loss. We may not have known about the next great made-for-TV movie, "Spring Break Shark Attack" featuring "The O.C.'s" Shannon Lucio or expected Moose to rent a car with Enterprise for his Class of '94 High School reunion. \nIn addition, with everyone in town gone, you get a chance to really understand community and the locals who come out of hiding when the coast is clear. Pickup trucks littered with NASCAR stickers breeze by empty streets, and for once order is restored to a small southern Indiana town.\nAgain, let me reiterate my first point: Welcome back!