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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
As a little girl, Doria Dee Johnson often asked about the man in the portrait hanging in an aunt's living room, her great-great-grandfather. "It's too painful," her elderly relatives would say, and they would look away.\nA few years ago, Johnson, now 40, went to look for answers in the rural town of Abbeville, S.C.\nShe learned that in his day, the man in the portrait, Anthony P. Crawford, was one of the most prosperous farmers in Abbeville County. That is, until Oct. 21, 1916, the day the 51-year-old farmer hauled a wagon-load of cotton to town.\nCrawford "seems to have been the type of negro who is most offensive to certain elements of the white people," Mrs. J.B. Holman would say a few days later in a letter published by The Abbeville Press and Banner. "He was getting rich, for a negro, and he was insolent along with it."\nCrawford's prosperity had made him a target.\nRacial violence in America is a familiar story, but the importance of land as a motive for lynchings and white mob attacks on blacks has been widely overlooked. And the resulting land losses suffered by black families such as the Crawfords have gone largely unreported.\nThe Associated Press documented 57 violent land takings in an 18-month investigation of black land loss in America. Sometimes, black landowners were attacked by whites who just wanted to drive them from their property. In other cases, the attackers wanted the land for themselves.\nFor many decades, successful blacks "lived with a gnawing fear ... that white neighbors could at any time do something violent and take everything from them," said Loren Schweninger, a University of North Carolina expert on black landownership.\nWhile waiting his turn at the gin that fall day in 1916, Crawford entered the mercantile store of W.D. Barksdale. Contemporary newspaper accounts and the papers of then-Gov. Richard Manning detail what followed:\nBarksdale offered Crawford 85 cents a pound for his cottonseed. Crawford replied that he had a better offer. Barksdale called him a liar; Crawford called the storekeeper a cheat. Three clerks grabbed ax handles, and Crawford backed into the street, where the sheriff appeared and arrested Crawford, for cursing a white man.\nReleased on bail, Crawford was cornered by about 50 whites who beat and knifed him. The sheriff carried him back to jail. A few hours later, a deputy gave the mob the keys to Crawford's cell.\nAt sundown, they hanged him from a solitary Southern pine.\nNo one was ever tried for the killing. In its aftermath, hundreds of blacks, including some of the Crawfords, fled Abbeville.\nTwo whites were appointed executors of Crawford's estate, which included 427 acres of prime cotton land. One was Andrew J. Ferguson, cousin of two of the mob's ringleaders, the Press and Banner reported.\nCrawford's children inherited the farm, but Ferguson liquidated much of the rest of Crawford's property including his cotton, which went to Barksdale. Ferguson kept $5,438, more than half the proceeds, and gave Crawford's children just $200 each, estate papers show.\nCrawford's family struggled to hold the farm together but eventually lost it when they couldn't pay off a $2,000 balance on a bank loan. Although the farm was assessed at $20,000 at the time, a white man paid $504 for it at the foreclosure auction, land records show.\n"There's land taken away and there's murder," said Johnson, of Alexandria, Va. "But the biggest crime was that our family was split up by this. My family got scattered into the night."\nThe former Crawford land provided timber to several owners before International Paper Corp. acquired it last year. A company spokesman said International Paper was unaware of the land's history, and added: "It causes you to think that there are facets of our history that need to be discussed and addressed."\nOther current owners of property involved in violent land takings also said they knew little about the history of their land, and most were disturbed when informed about it.\nThe Tuskegee Institute and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have documented more than 3,000 lynchings between 1865 and 1965. Many of those lynched were property owners, said Ray Winbush, director of Fisk University's Race Relations Institute.\n"If you are looking for stolen black land," he said, "just follow the lynching trail."\nSome white officials condoned the violence; a few added threats of their own.\n"If it is necessary, every Negro in the state will be lynched," James K. Vardaman declared while governor of Mississippi (1904-1908). "It will be done to maintain white supremacy."\nIn some places, the AP found, single families were targeted. Elsewhere, entire black communities were destroyed.\nAt the start of the 20th century, Birmingham, Ky., a tobacco center with a predominantly black population, became a battleground in a five-year siege by white marauders called Night Riders.\nOn March 8, 1908, about 100 armed whites tore through town, shooting seven blacks, three of them fatally. The AP documented the cases of 14 black landowners who were driven from Birmingham. Together, they lost more than 60 acres of farmland and 21 city lots to whites, many at sheriff's sales, all for low prices.\nJohn Scruggs and his young granddaughter were killed in Birmingham that night. Property records show that the lot Scruggs had bought for $25 in 1902 was sold for nonpayment of taxes six years after the attack. A white man bought it for $7.25 (or about $144 in today's dollars).\nLand that had belonged to other blacks went for even less. John Puckett's 2 acres sold for $4.70; Ben Kelley's city lot went for just $2.60.\nToday, Birmingham lies beneath a floodway created in the 1940s.\nIn Pierce City, Mo., 1,000 armed whites burned down five black-owned houses and killed four blacks on Aug. 18, 1901. Within days, all of the town's 129 blacks had fled, never to return, according to a contemporary report in The Lawrence Chieftain newspaper. The AP documented the cases of nine Pierce City blacks who lost a total of 30 acres of farmland and 10 city lots. Whites bought it all at bargain prices.\nSometimes, individual black farmers were attacked by bands of white farmers known as the Whitecaps. Operating in several Southern and border states around the turn of the 20th century, they were intent on driving blacks from their land, said historian George C. Wright, provost at the University of Texas at Arlington.\n"The law wouldn't help," he said. "There was just no one to turn to."\nWhitecaps often nailed notes with crudely drawn coffins to the doors of black landowners, warning them to leave or die.\nThe warning to Eli Hilson of Lincoln County, Miss., came on Nov. 18, 1903, when Whitecaps shot up his house, The Brookhaven Leader newspaper reported at the time. Hilson ignored the warning.\nA month later, the 39-year-old farmer was shot dead as he drove his buggy toward his farm, the newspaper said. The horse trotted home, delivering Hilson's body to his wife, Hannah.\nShe struggled to raise their 11 children and work the 74-acre farm, but she could not manage without her husband. She lost the property through a mortgage foreclosure in 1905. Land records show the farm went for $439 to S.P. Oliver, a county supervisor. Today, the property is assessed at $61,642.\nIt wasn't just Whitecaps and Night Riders who chased blacks from their land. Officials did it too.\nIn Yazoo County, Miss., Norman Stephens and his twin brother, Homer, ran a trucking business, hauling cotton pickers to plantations. One day in 1950, a white farmer demanded that Stephens immediately deliver workers to his field, Stephens' widow, Rosie Fields, said in a recent interview.\nStephens explained he had other commitments and promised to drop off the men later, his wife said. The farmer fetched the sheriff.\nThat evening, the brothers found themselves locked in a second-floor room at the county jail. They squeezed through a window, leaped to the ground and ran. Fields said her husband later told her why: They had overheard the sheriff, now dead, talking about where to hide their bodies.\nFields said Stephens and his brother quickly flagged down a bus to Ohio. A year later, she and her five children joined them.\nFor a decade, the family made mortgage and property tax payments on the house they left behind, records show. But it was hard to keep up, and they never dared to return, Fields said.\nFinally, in the 1960s, they stopped paying and lost the house they had purchased for $700 in 1942.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Columnist wrong; Israel retaliations not acts of terror
I disagree with Malcolm Fleming's entire letter Jan. 18 (Sept. 11 terrorist attacks not the same as Palestine-Israel conflict) and would love to deconstruct it point-by-point. But, as I don't have the requisite column-inches, I'll suffice to dispute his equation of Palestinian terror with Israeli "terror."
Fleming writes, "Both Israel and Palestine are guilty of terrorism, meaning the killing of unarmed civilians of the other side." Wow. What a generous definition of terrorism. Are we honestly expected to believe that there is no moral difference between Israeli attacks on terrorists which happen to kill civilians and, say, last week's terrorist attack on a little girl's Bat Mitzvah party in Hadera? Is the failure of Palestinian apologists after Sept. 11 so desperate that it has come to such outlandish (and unquestionably faulty) attempts at moral equivalency? Terrorists, you see, don't just kill innocent civilians. If that were the case, every off-target American bomb in Afghanistan would be a terrorist attack. Terrorists TARGET innocent civilians. And Israel doesn't do that.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Mike Weichman, an IU alumnus, had an office with an unbeatable view. Looking out the windows of the 81st floor of One World Trade Center, he would see the Statue of Liberty rising above a sparkling Hudson Bay. He resigned from his job at the beginning of September. Several days later, he would stand on the roof of his apartment building, adjacent to the Empire State building and Times Square, and survey the wreckage of the World Trade Centers.\nHe watched as black smoke billowed, clinging to the city and obstructing the skyline. The city was eerily silent -- completely void of the honking and shouting associated with New York.\nHis friend and ex-coworker, Sujo John, didn't have the nauseating luxury of observing the aftermath. He was preoccupied with getting out of Tower 1 before it collapsed.\n"There was a loud crash and lots of smoke, fire…we were all crouching down on the floor until we heard the steel beams creaking from the ceiling about to cave in. That's when we got up and started running," John said.\nHe and his coworkers attempted to make their way down 81 flights of narrow stairs. He told them if they wanted to save themselves, start chanting "Jesus." Everyone did.\n"When you are near death, believe me some people are so ready to accept our Jesus," John said.\nThey navigated through smoke, assisted only by the lights that had not short-circuited. When John got to the bottom, the ceiling started to collapse. Glass, concrete and flames rained down, striking many around him. He remained unscathed.\nPicking his way over to a surviving FBI agent, he grabbed his hand and said, "God, if it's your will, show us out of this place."\nThey walked through walls of white ash until they spotted a flashing ambulance light that led them out of the building. The FBI agent went back in to help more people, but the tower collapsed minutes afterwards.\nJohn got on a bus parked nearby to get a few minutes of fresh air. His throat and lungs were coated with soot and ash, as was the atmosphere outside the bus. He was devastated; he had made it out of the building, but his pregnant wife, Mary, had worked in Two World Trade Center. \nWhat he didn't know was that her bus had been running five minutes late that morning, so she never made it into the building before it collapsed. She would later tell John she had run from the building, covering her womb to protect their child from the people stampeding down the streets. She glanced back long enough to see people jumping from Tower One, the north tower. She had also thought her husband was dead. \nWhen John got out of the bus, a reporter shoved a microphone and camera into his face. \n"I was still under the impression my wife was dead," John said. "I told him to go away; people were dying. The cameras were a help, though, because my family saw me running and knew I was okay."\nAs soon as John contacted his family and found out his wife was okay, he tried to meet her on the other side of the bridge the only way available: the ferry. There he encountered Weichman and his girlfriend, who were also trying to get a ride out of the city. \nWeichman said everyone was waiting semi-patiently and then they suddenly began to panic.\n"It was mass chaos. People were shoving through the blockades and packing themselves onto the boat," Weichman said. "I'll admit, I was one of them. I wanted to leave."\nEven though Weichman was in New York City Sept. 11, what happened still hasn't become a reality for him.\n"I guess it still hasn't hit me because everyone I know made it out alive, you know? I mean, it can happen to anyone at any time. You can't live your life in fear," Weichman said.\nJohn said one of the most sad parts of the day was when people would come running up to him, shaking his shoulders, asking which floor he'd come from and if he knew their loved ones.\n"I felt bad. There were 50,000 people in that building -- I didn't know them all by name. But I knew what they were going through. We were all in shock," John said. "Now people have been asking: Why did it happen? Where was God when this happened? Evil people did this. God had no part in it. He received the dead and saved others. God is there for people who are hurting."\nJohn now travels around the country, giving unpaid speeches to churches, school and other events. Mary is due any day now.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
IDS reporter Elise LeBlanc traveled the town on the eve of IU's biggest victory since 1992. She encountered "alumni losers," athletic exhibitionists and beloved police officers. This is what she saw. \n4:50 p.m. -- Depart house, armed with disposable camera for blackmail and mini recorder to verify quotes fans probably won't remember saying. \n4:54 p.m. -- Stop at Video World. Employees are twiddling thumbs, waiting for customers. Only action they've seen so far is at the drop-off box. \nAssistant Manager Eric Dinwiddie is wholly unconcerned with the basketball game.\n"The game's definitely interfering with business," Dinwiddie said. "When is it even on? Six? Seven?" \n5:01 p.m. -- Final Four paraphernalia booth set up at old Marathon station. Fans are making last-minute T-shirt purchases. \n5:09 p.m.-- Cars spilling out of parking lot. People inside are lined up with cases of beer. \nAssistant Manager Todd Francoeur, recent IU graduate, said they will be even busier later tonight if IU wins the game. \n"If we win tonight, it will be pandemonium. Tomorrow's Sunday, so people will be drinking without any fear of repercussions," Francoeur said. "It kind of pisses me off because we're finally going to the Final Four and I'm not a student anymore! But I'm just happy that they're going."\n5:25 p.m. -- Side of Assembly Hall littered with news vans. WRTV6 employee Dan Wills is not worried about potential damages to vehicle, in case of a stampede. He said he's more concerned with police, because they are the ones who had climbed on top of their van last time to see over crowd.\n5:35 p.m. -- People in hallways are decked out in red and white, and lining up to get their precious concessions before the game. The inside of Assembly Hall is packed with students, families, alumni, children and security to watch the game on big screen set up in middle of court. Three cheerleaders are flipping across the floor, and band members play the fight song.\nThe band members who were allowed to play in Atlanta were determined by seniority. Fifth and fourth years got to go first, then the oldest after that. Sophomore Joseph Heuring isn't too upset he didn't get to with them.\n"I think it's going to be just as rowdy down here as it will in Atlanta," Heuring said.\nA man is stumbling across seats, scrambling to unravel extension cord for a camera woman. One camera person zeroes in on Chancellor Sharon Brehm, who came with friends and was in wonderful spirits.\n"I think this is great…especially the support of the faculty, staff and students," Brehm said.\n6:05 p.m.-- Fans are behaving as if the game is actually at Assembly Hall. Sooners bounce on to court. Crowd boos a lot. Hoosiers come on screen and are given a standing ovation. Lots of love for A.J. Moye, who gets extra loud cheers and people chanting his name. Some are debating how his last name is pronounced. Everyone roared at the announcement that Coverdale will start.\nGame starts. Fans collectively hold their breath, gasp or explode into cheers whenever something good happens. \n6:35 p.m. -- Howling comes from all corners of the Kirkwood area. It's like the whole campus is cheering in surround sound. Even in my car with the doors shut, I can still hear the cheers loud and clear. \n7 p.m. -- Halftime at Kilroy's Sports bar. Unbelievable. They have extra tents set up to accommodate the nearly 2,000 customers present. More than 30 empty kegs are on back stoop. Inebriated customer is asking nearby cop to baby-sit his half-empty pitcher of beer while he goes into the tent for a few minutes.\n"People have been here since noon. Some were already lined up when we showed up to open at 11…they're wasted," said employee senior Mike Shander. \n7:20 p.m. -- Spot Fred Durst wannabe making cellular calls from his Escalade, updating everyone on game.\n7:43 p.m.-- Avert potential disaster. Make it to car before Parking Operations man can ticket car parked at Taco Bell. He admitted they bumped up number of employees to bust people making unintelligent (illegal) parking decisions.\nOperations have plenty to pick from this evening. Resourceful students are making do with every inch of available space in the Kirkwood area.\n7:45 p.m. -- Heading down Third Street. No one else is on the road. Not even a cop car.\n8:04 p.m. -- Find out not everyone is watching game. Dedicated parishioners are attending an evening Easter Mass at St. Charles Catholic church and making no effort to check up on the game. Am feeling quite bad; my priorities are a little different tonight. \n8:06 p.m. -- Stop at Bigfoot. Two employees are standing behind counter with nothing to do because they aren't allowed to listen to the radio. It doesn't bother them too much, though, because employee Dan Yokley found a way to get around it. \n"I got, like, three people calling me every couple minutes, telling me what's up," Yokley said. \n8:10 p.m. -- Officer Kay Minger parks horizontally across entrance to Indiana Avenue at Third street to block off traffic. She updates inquiring pedestrians on the score. \n"We're just happy they're winning, even though that means we will be out again Monday. I'm especially happy for Mike Davis," Minger said.\n8:12 p.m.-- Discover group of police, dressed in riot gear and face shields, congregated outside of IU Outfitters on corner of Kirkwood and Indiana. They're busy peering up at something through the glass walls. One of the officers had turned game on television inside. None of the officers appear terribly worried about stampede that's about to happen, regardless of a win or loss. They said they just wanted IU to win.\n8:14 p.m. -- Round corner just in time to see people pouring out into the streets from Kirkwood bars. For the next two hours, fans would be rushing in from all directions. \nThe first man out cartwheels into middle of Kirkwood and Dunn. \nHelicopters thrummed overhead as people spilled out into intersection, screaming, crying, hugging, kissing, spraying beer, shooting silly string, setting off fireworks, hollering from rooftops, carrying people on their shoulders and back, banging on pots and pans, flashing their breasts and the "number 1" sign, calling people on cell phones, taking pictures, videotaping and chanting "IU." \nEveryone flocked to news cameras like the salmon of Capestrano (joking). One person uprooted a stop sign and paraded it through crowd. \nOthers decided it would be a good idea to scale the light posts and dangle like monkeys from the electrical wire, while attempting to cross to the other side. Several people fell in their pointless quest and the crowd had to break their fall. I'm sure they'll be feeling that tomorrow.\nOne man who did it was wearing only his boxers and completely unaware that his anatomy was dangling on full display when he straddled the light post above thousands of people. \nFreshman Roosevelt Kelly was one of the few calm observers of the evening. He and his friends had watched game at Briscoe and had come here to check out the scene. \n"It's pretty wild -- I haven't seen anything like this before. This is new," Roosevelt said.\n9:30 p.m. -- Right now it doesn't matter where one is on campus, people are celebrating and making noise everywhere. Students, Bloomington residents, children, families, alumni, high schoolers -- doesn't matter. \nPeople who aren't on Kirkwood are overflowing from cars, clinging to the top, hanging out the windows or riding in trunks. Traffic is almost standstill. Everyone's honking, screaming, waving flags banners, blaring "We Are the Champions," and pedestrians and drivers are giving each other high fives. \n9:40 p.m. -- Encounter Officer Kay Minger again, who is smiling at all the stopped traffic.\n"I've never been hugged so much in my life," she laughed. \n9:45 p.m. -- Check out Showalter Fountain, which is blocked off by flares. Officer said fans bypassed the fountain in favor of Kirkwood this evening. Some fans are climbing into the fountain to get picture taken with the mermaid statue dressed in an IU shirt. Officers make no attempt to stop them.\nThroughout the whole evening, police turn out to be more of a photo opportunity than a threat for fans. Groups of them beam and smile at the happy crowd and students are hopping over to get pictures taken with them. \nOne officer is on top of Greetings, videotaping the whole melee. He even videotapes his partner when he was running around the rooftop, trying to chase down a student who had somehow climbed up there. \n10:15 p.m. -- Fans are packing themselves into the square. Thousands of people are around the courthouse, exercising their right to celebrate, drink, make noise, jaywalk and be collectively insane.\nEven at two in the morning, people could still be heard honking and screaming as if the game had just gotten over. As one fan pointed out, people weren't cheering for this evening's victory, anymore -- they were already cheering for the next one.\nWhen asked what he thought of the game he had said: "The game? What game? The game is this Monday!" and rushed off into the crowd of roaring fans.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
They believed until the end.\nThousands of fans swarmed theaters, houses, bars and restaurants -- any room that had a television -- almost uniformly clad in red, white and "Indiana" emblems hoping for a Cinderella season with a fairy tale ending.\nA day and early evening full of girls dangling from car windows, high-spirited honking, long lines and hard partying gave way to a night when nobody remained outdoors. The parking lots stood open, class buildings stood empty and the only sounds were reflected cheers.\nWhen the buzzer sounded and IU came up short by 12 points, everything turned inside out. Nobody remained inside. The streets filled with chaos as people kept cheering for their team or took out their frustrations on parked cars, lampposts and windows.\nTensions ran high at Assembly Hall before tip off. The crowd, all 10,000 of them, was a sea of red and white, and rolls of toilet paper arced gracefully from the top of the bleachers. Giant beach balls traversed the crowd and wave after wave wound its way around the hall. The crowd erupted as pre-game coverage began, and every shot the Hoosiers took was celebrated as the first and the best. \nThe courtyard was empty at Collins Living-Learning Center but the air around the building was filled with boos and screams of joy as students watched pregame action from dorms and the lounge in the main building.\nLights in the lounge were dim but more than made up for by the electrically-charged atmosphere. Students sat on couches, chairs and the floor eating and watching TV on a large projection screen. As he balanced on a chair eating a sandwich and Funyuns, senior James Brown predicted that the Hoosiers would carry the game.\n"It's going to be ugly for Maryland," he said. \nBrown, who chose to watch the game from home at Collins so he wouldn't have to wait in line for hours at a bar, explained that an Indiana win is inevitable because of his "hot/cold theory": the team was cold for the beginning of the Duke game, then became hot in the second half; a trend that has perpetuated since then, leaving them ready and able to win against Maryland.\nOn the screen, the game began with military carrying out an American flag from the remains of the World Trade Center and with the introductions of the team. IU's starters enjoyed loud cheers from the Collins crowd, while Maryland's players -- particularly Juan Dixon -- were vigorously booed as they ran out onto the court.\nAs turnovers and a lack of baskets plagued both teams during the first minutes of the game, Brown remained confident but laughed, "This is starting to look like a high school game."\nA slightly more subdued crowd sat in front of the two big screen televisions in the Commons at the Indiana Memorial Union. As IU fought to overcome a Maryland lead, about 30 people watched each television. As he and some friends reclined on the wooden chairs, Pete Hinnefeld, a freshman, said he wasn't feeling very good about the game.\n"I think Maryland's outplaying us so far," he said. "But that happened in the Duke game. There is always definitely a chance for us to play better once (Jarred) Jeffries is not worried about his two fouls."\nSuddenly, the group erupted with energy as Kyle Hornsby sank a three pointer. \nOn the edge of campus at a house on East Third Street, 15 people -- all except one wearing red Indiana shirts -- crowded around the television set. Groans and expletives escaped their lips as the team missed a number of shots in a row. Six minutes and 11 seconds remained in the first half and IU was down by seven. \n"We made it to the championship and that's what counts," said junior Justin Barnes. "They've done great things with what they have, and they will win."\nJunior Leanne Foldenauer echoed Barnes' sentiments. \n"We're down right now," Foldenauer said. "I think we can still win it."\nFoldenauer sat quietly on the edge of the crowd, but her eyes remained on the screen.\n'We're a second-half basketball team," she said. "We have heart, and that's all that matters."\nThe crowd remained somber as the clock wound down on the first half and IU continued to trail behind Maryland. \nDownstairs at the Union hotel front desk, seniors Katie Suttles and Jeremiah Brown were two of the few IU students stuck working on the Hoosier's big night. Although Suttles admitted she'd rather be home, she did acknowledge it was nice of their boss to allow a TV in the back so they could see the game. Brown cheered from the back as the TV showed Tom Coverdale making a last-minute basket as the half came to a close. He emerged behind the desk smiling.\n"(The game) is very competitive which is good," Brown said. "It's good seeing it's competitive because Maryland is such a good team."\nAt the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., during halftime, the smell of dark coffee mixed with tension filled the lobby, where many families watched the game. Freshman Amanda Rice was optimistic, although the team was down six points and seemed to be in a rut. \n"I think we'll be fine," she said. "Eventually." \nUp the street, Nick's English Hut, 423 E. Kirkwood Ave., was packed at halftime. Walking past a "Full" sign and the Bloomington city fire code posted on the front door, senior Mandy Verner came outside to smoke. She said she had been at Nick's since 1 p.m. \n"Since the Duke game, I've not paid attention to the second half and every single time they've won," Verner said. \nShe said her boyfriend was just as superstitious. \n"My boyfriend has been wearing the same clothes since the Duke game," she said. "His roommate is wearing the same clothes, but he hasn't washed them." \nTo chants of "Let's go Hoosiers," students packed into Kilroy's Sports Bar, 319 N. Walnut St. The doors closed to additional people around 8 p.m., an hour before the game started. It was standing room only at 11. Students couldn't even move. They stood on chairs and tables and rested on top of other people's shoulders. \nSophomore Charlie Crowe said, "I've never seen anything like this in my life. The atmosphere is incredible. This is IU and IU basketball ball at it's best." \nThe tension is in the air. The smoke is thick. The cheers are loud. At the Video Saloon, 105 W. Seventh St., owner Mike Black watched the Hoosiers attempt to overtake the Terrapins in the second half.\n"It seems like we're always behind and then somebody hits a three," Black said. "If the storyline stays the same, we're going to win."\nSitting at a table in the bar, Elizabeth Peterson, a social scientist getting her Ph.D at IU, said the antics of the crowd are more interesting than the game itself.\n"It's all very primitive," she said.\nStudent reactions at Assembly Hall ebbed and flowed with the tide of the game, with raucous cheering when the Hoosiers were performing well and dejected chattering when they weren't. Cheerleaders attempted to invigorate the sullen crowd during the lulls, but the crowd needed no prompting when IU led for 13 seconds. \nThe buzzer sounded and Maryland fans cheered the school's first ever NCAA national championships. At Showalter Fountain, the site of intense celebration during IU victories of the past, the only sounds in the air were the buzz of helicopters and obscenities as fans emerged from game-watching locations and headed towards Kirkwood Avenue.\nAn IU alumnus who now lives in Michigan approached the fountain. Identifying herself only as Neema for fear that her co-workers would read the paper, Neema admitted that she drove down today to witness the national championship celebration she missed in 1987.\n"So it's over?" she asked.\nBut the night wasn't over for all the fans. Groups of students marched from all corners of campus toward Kirkwood Avenue. About eight or ten students tore down two light posts in front of the Auditorium; another light was taken out.\n"A group of about 50 people came and that bunch broke loose and started breaking those things," said Indiana University Police Department officer Charles Caragol.\nPeople swarmed out of bars, houses and dorms to once again converge on the area around Kirkwood Avenue. Although the crowd was large, the atmosphere was more subdued than it had been in days past. But cheers of "Go Hoosiers" and "Hoosier Pride" still echoed on the streets. \n"We had faith until the end," Allison Graham, a sophomore, said. "We hadn't been down here until tonight and it's absolutely insane."\nBottle rockets went off as people attempted to climb light poles; police had removed the wires that stretched from the lights across the street to discourage students from hanging from them.\n"I just wanted one more win for my last year," said Chris Johnson, a senior. "But instead I'll party down here."\nAt 11:45 p.m. the giant television screens at Yogi's Grill and Bar, 519 E. 10th St., showed highlights of the recently ended national championship game. Loud music played over the speakers, but the lack of people and conversation made the bar seem oddly quiet. Busboys wiped down empty tables and swept up garbage scattered across the floor. \nThe scene was very different from a half hour earlier. \n"It was pretty intense for the most part," said Chris Littrell, a waiter at Yogi's. "It kind of dropped off at the end. During the last five minutes (of the game) it seemed like everyone's mood dropped." \nLittrell said the bar and restaurant areas of Yogi's had been full since 2 p.m. Monday afternoon. \nAaron Potts, an IU alumnus, now lives in Washington D.C. He managed to make it back to Bloomington for the championship and said, despite the loss, he was impressed with IU's season. \n"I'm happy that we made it this far," Potts said. "If you would have told me a month ago that (IU) would be playing in the final game, I would have called you crazy."
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Police and national guardsmen fired tear gas Wednesday at hundreds of jobless protesters trying to blockade highways around the capital. Two people were reported killed and about 60 were arrested.\nDemonstrators said dozens of their colleagues were injured, claiming police fired on them from rooftops, shops and an elevated pedestrian walkway. The claim could not be independently verified.\nAcrid white tear gas wafted through the air as masked protesters scrambled to flee rifle-toting riot police. Officers fired from behind plastic shields during the confrontations, which happened at late morning at the Puerredon bridge, a key highway connecting the capital's north and south.\nBy the time police broke up the demonstration at midday, at least 60 people had been arrested, according to the news agency Diarios y Noticias.\nA Buenos Aires police official who spoke on condition of anonymity said two people had died. He said he had no comment on local media reports that at least four others were seriously injured.\nMasked demonstrators responded to volleys of police tear gas and rubber bullets with a hail of rocks. The protesters also used homemade clubs to shatter shop windows and smash cars. One bus was set afire after the driver said he and passengers were forced off at gunpoint.\nThere were other demonstrations around the country.\nUnemployed workers blocked other access routes to the capital, challenging recent government pledges to use force if necessary to maintain public order. Workers demanding government food assistance and jobs blocked a highway in the central city of Cordoba.\nRoad blockades and protests against the government's handling of a protracted recession have become near daily events across Argentina since the crisis exploded into street riots last December that claimed 29 lives.\nThe government of President Eduardo Duhalde warned protesters in recent days to exercise restraint, warning it would not hesitate to use force to maintain order.\nSince January, Argentina has devalued its currency more than 73 percent against the dollar, defaulted on its $141 billion public debt and seen billions of dollars in international aid shut off.\nOn Wednesday, lines again formed at banks as jittery peso holders sought to buy dollars. The peso was valued for 11 years at 1 to 1 with the dollar until a January devaluation. The local currency has been ebbing in value for months, falling this week to nearly 4 pesos to the dollar.\nEconomy Minister Roberto Lavagna was to meet in Washington on Wednesday with officials of the International Monetary Fund in hopes of a resumption of bailout aid for the country.
(06/06/02 3:08am)
Roman candles -- those July cardboard tubes spitting forth glittering fireballs of flare and light. The jettison alone is enough to wow audiences and satisfy the pyromaniac in all of us.\nIt's no stumper. This fourth of July will solemnize a new shade of freedom and the Executive Patriots will mop up profits on every false idol a dolt could ever want. Commemorative plates with air-brushed eagles. Phony lapel pins popularized by Bill O'Reilly's drooling flock. American flags flapping on every SUV driver's side window from Deerfield to Carmel. \nThese products are hotter than cell phone holsters. They are snatched immediately by uncalloused hands the moment they flood the market. Via touch-tone convenience, nothing is more emblematic of freedom than to-your-door delivery with a wink and smile. A parcel containing cheap gimmicks that were likely made by Mexican children with bleeding hands. Hey, the cost of production is cheaper -- right, Kelley students?\nAs if with holding a livable wage and exploiting eight-year-olds isn't enough of a rotten crime, I have reason to believe that fireworks manufacturers are stooping to new lows in the bottom feeding techniques that produced such post Sept. 11 gems as racial profiling and the Oak Ridge Boys' wartime rendition of "Elvira." Ingredients are being left out in those explosive concoctions. Beware of cheap imitations and false advertising -- except in Tennessee. \nThere is a logical explanation why all-night fireworks warehouses exist in Tennessee, and there are reasons why these pyrotechnic playgrounds have neon billboards the size of football fields. For the Volunteers, anything less than grand finale sparks is not tolerated, let alone bought. If only Indiana took as much pride in its fireworks.\nToday, I got a thirst for Roman candles. Much like one craves the zang of Vitamin C, it was a thirst that, if unquenched, evaporates the quip of life. I was hoping those roadside fireworks lairs would be open catering to those individuals whose Independence Day isn't hand-cuffed to the 4th of July -- those hoping to ring a little extra out of your average Monday night. I set out scouting these ramshackle stands in search of the elusive pre-July Roman candle. One would think these fireworks buffets would grace every gas station and liquor store from Suburban Lanes to the Bread Thrift Store. But no, it must be too early in Indiana. My Roman candle dreams were nothing but mirages. I should have driven to Chattanooga. \nSince these "California Rocket Fountains" were equipped with a missile-like physique, I figured I was in for the real "oohs" and "ahhs." But when the fuse was lit, there was no sky-rocket launch. No moon-shot whistling into the night. I felt used. My expectations were cruelly stomped on by these counterfeit rockets.\nI had to vindicate my $5, so I decided to improvise. Though they lacked air stunts, I found if you disobey the warning label "Do not hold in hand" and wave the "rocket" around like a diabolical wand, user satisfaction is guaranteed! They may sell me cheap products, but I'll never let them cheapen my awe. Ignore all warnings to "light fuse and get away." \nInstead, light the fuse a get a grip.
(05/23/02 5:22pm)
It's 5 p.m. on Wednesday. A man with a black hooded sweatshirt and a chin decorated with stubble naps peacefully on the grass outside of Showplace 11. A worn, paperback copy of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is sprawled across his chest, and he's the only one of the 15 people on the lawn who isn't awake and discussing the movie they're all waiting for -- "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones." \nWaiting for "Star Wars" has become a bonding experience because the majority of them don't know each other. They're just fans who skipped school or work to sit out and enjoy the nice weather while waiting for the show to start at 12:01 a.m.\n"We're all Jedis, so we're hanging out together and talking about what planet we're from," joked Bloomington resident Jay Deckard.\nThe "Jedis" have been trickling in since 2 p.m. Their universe is littered with playing cards, pizza boxes, Mountain Dew cans, blankets, lightsabers and "Star Wars" t-shirts and cereal.\nBloomington resident Jacob Helms is the unofficial leader of the group because he was the first one to set up camp. Since he had forgotten to rotate his body throughout the day, the left side of his face glares a shade of red while the right side remains pale and freckled.\nHelms and his new compadre, Bloomington resident Justin McRoberts, who had a Jedi rat-tail bobby-pinned to the back of his hair, said they would've been out all day even if the weather had been bad.\n"Even if it were raining, I would be here," McRoberts said. "I'd have an umbrella and a tarp."\nThe only thing that would put a damper on this particular day would be if someone mistook them for Trekkies. While it's possible to like both "Star Wars" and "Star Trek," they said the two are completely different and failure to see the difference stems from ignorance.\nThe topic of Jar Jar Binks also elicited numerous moans from the group.\n"I had no problem with him when I walked out at 2:30 a.m. in 1999, but by the third time I'd seen it I wanted to throw something at the screen," Helms said.\nWhile everyone admits Binks's character is irritating, they also agree he's more complex than he appears. \nIU alumnus Lito Valasco spoke eloquently and forcefully against the misconception that Binks is supposed to be a satire of African-Americans. He fiddled with his light saber as he explained that Jar Jar and his tribe represent primitive cultures with their own dialects and rituals that are destroyed by stronger cultures trying to change them.\n"We get so pissed because people are missing the point," Valasco said. "They're reading it too simply. George Lucas knows a lot about history, culture and sociology, so he's telling the story on that level. Not an MTV level."\nLucas also knows a lot about technological advances and abuses, which, despite his best efforts, has not been able to prevent information about the movie from leaking out.\nWhen asked what their expectations were for the movie, two fans admitted they already knew what to expect because they had seen it on a video CD they had downloaded off their computers. Neither of them thought the use of VCDs was wrong.\n"Lucas thinks it's going to hurt their sales, but it's not. I don't want to watch 'Star Wars' on a shitty little computer window," Helms said. "That's only enough to wet my appetite. I want to see it on the big screen."\nHundreds of others shared Helms's sentiment of wanting to see "Episode II" on the big screen and began showing up later in the evening. \nSeveral employees with matching shirts and bow ties herded the group away from the tightly monitored, roped-off entrance to the theater. Some were perturbed with the slew of comments made by some of the less mature fans.\nEmployee Nathan Gables didn't fail to see the humor in some of them, though. He said the best lines were "Will you stroke my saber?" and "Is this the line for 'Van Wilder?' "\nGables was in better spirits than most employees because he was hired specifically to accommodate audience demand for "Episode II: Attack of the Clones." He said he was one of eight employees transferred over from Showplace 12. \nGables said Showplace 12 was originally slated to play the movie, and it took on 20 new employees. But, they ended up laying them off and switching theaters because of Lucas's strict instructions that he wanted his movie to play at theaters with the most seats. Since "Spider-Man" was already playing on four screens, they had to relocate to Showplace 11. \nIf concession and ticket sales continue to be as high as they did opening night, eight employees might not be enough. After they had ushered all the fans into the movie, they said work that night had "sucked" and "Star Wars" fans were "annoying."\nRay Cappa gave a possible explanation for the mentality behind so many fans coming out to the movie and being overzealous about getting into the theater. \n"Everyone's antsy to get in," Cappa said. "I think it's just so people can say they saw it when it first started. I'm one of those people who would come out here at midnight for the opening even though I could just as easily come another day."\nCappa had been relaxing on the curb and quietly observing the crowd for a good hour when he noticed a humorous and pointless trend that began to develop.\n"The line just keeps morphing into different shapes as people think they have a better idea on how to get to the front by going around the side or sneaking through the middle, and it doesn't work because more people follow their lead," Cappa said.\nCops cruised by the crowd several times throughout the evening to make sure "Star Wars" fans weren't getting unruly. Other people stopped and asked if the line was to buy tickets, not knowing they had sold out earlier in the day.\nPolite fans just laughed at the question while rude fans came up with a new way to ridicule anyone who asked it. One man told them "No, this is the line for us to look at you and say 'you're S.O.L.' " \nFans weren't the only ones making catcalls at employees and passers by -- people from the apartment complex across the street hollered for the group to "go home" and "get a life, you freaks!"\nOne man commented that the crowd "doesn't smell like a circus…not like a used car lot -- like a State Fair! No, more like a county fair."\nRegardless of smell, catcalls or people trying to cut through the line, Bloomington resident Niles Arena said the "Star Wars" opening is an event no one should miss. \n"This is an experience," Arena said. "'Star Wars' is an American icon. It's part of our culture. What other movie comes in on a Wednesday morning and has crowds waiting?"\nMost fans weren't let down by their expectations or the wait. They got to see Yoda whip and flip around in a lightsaber battle. Natalie Portman showed off her assets and ability to hold her own against enemies and lovers. Hayden Christensen spit game and got his hand chopped off. There was also a "Gladiator"-esque fight scene and a flying-car chase. Some fans couldn't get enough of them.\n"I thought [Star Wars] was good, but the fight scenes definitely should've been longer," said Bloomington resident Liam Cooper.
(05/23/02 4:00am)
It's 5 p.m. on Wednesday. A man with a black hooded sweatshirt and a chin decorated with stubble naps peacefully on the grass outside of Showplace 11. A worn, paperback copy of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is sprawled across his chest, and he's the only one of the 15 people on the lawn who isn't awake and discussing the movie they're all waiting for -- "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones." \nWaiting for "Star Wars" has become a bonding experience because the majority of them don't know each other. They're just fans who skipped school or work to sit out and enjoy the nice weather while waiting for the show to start at 12:01 a.m.\n"We're all Jedis, so we're hanging out together and talking about what planet we're from," joked Bloomington resident Jay Deckard.\nThe "Jedis" have been trickling in since 2 p.m. Their universe is littered with playing cards, pizza boxes, Mountain Dew cans, blankets, lightsabers and "Star Wars" t-shirts and cereal.\nBloomington resident Jacob Helms is the unofficial leader of the group because he was the first one to set up camp. Since he had forgotten to rotate his body throughout the day, the left side of his face glares a shade of red while the right side remains pale and freckled.\nHelms and his new compadre, Bloomington resident Justin McRoberts, who had a Jedi rat-tail bobby-pinned to the back of his hair, said they would've been out all day even if the weather had been bad.\n"Even if it were raining, I would be here," McRoberts said. "I'd have an umbrella and a tarp."\nThe only thing that would put a damper on this particular day would be if someone mistook them for Trekkies. While it's possible to like both "Star Wars" and "Star Trek," they said the two are completely different and failure to see the difference stems from ignorance.\nThe topic of Jar Jar Binks also elicited numerous moans from the group.\n"I had no problem with him when I walked out at 2:30 a.m. in 1999, but by the third time I'd seen it I wanted to throw something at the screen," Helms said.\nWhile everyone admits Binks's character is irritating, they also agree he's more complex than he appears. \nIU alumnus Lito Valasco spoke eloquently and forcefully against the misconception that Binks is supposed to be a satire of African-Americans. He fiddled with his light saber as he explained that Jar Jar and his tribe represent primitive cultures with their own dialects and rituals that are destroyed by stronger cultures trying to change them.\n"We get so pissed because people are missing the point," Valasco said. "They're reading it too simply. George Lucas knows a lot about history, culture and sociology, so he's telling the story on that level. Not an MTV level."\nLucas also knows a lot about technological advances and abuses, which, despite his best efforts, has not been able to prevent information about the movie from leaking out.\nWhen asked what their expectations were for the movie, two fans admitted they already knew what to expect because they had seen it on a video CD they had downloaded off their computers. Neither of them thought the use of VCDs was wrong.\n"Lucas thinks it's going to hurt their sales, but it's not. I don't want to watch 'Star Wars' on a shitty little computer window," Helms said. "That's only enough to wet my appetite. I want to see it on the big screen."\nHundreds of others shared Helms's sentiment of wanting to see "Episode II" on the big screen and began showing up later in the evening. \nSeveral employees with matching shirts and bow ties herded the group away from the tightly monitored, roped-off entrance to the theater. Some were perturbed with the slew of comments made by some of the less mature fans.\nEmployee Nathan Gables didn't fail to see the humor in some of them, though. He said the best lines were "Will you stroke my saber?" and "Is this the line for 'Van Wilder?' "\nGables was in better spirits than most employees because he was hired specifically to accommodate audience demand for "Episode II: Attack of the Clones." He said he was one of eight employees transferred over from Showplace 12. \nGables said Showplace 12 was originally slated to play the movie, and it took on 20 new employees. But, they ended up laying them off and switching theaters because of Lucas's strict instructions that he wanted his movie to play at theaters with the most seats. Since "Spider-Man" was already playing on four screens, they had to relocate to Showplace 11. \nIf concession and ticket sales continue to be as high as they did opening night, eight employees might not be enough. After they had ushered all the fans into the movie, they said work that night had "sucked" and "Star Wars" fans were "annoying."\nRay Cappa gave a possible explanation for the mentality behind so many fans coming out to the movie and being overzealous about getting into the theater. \n"Everyone's antsy to get in," Cappa said. "I think it's just so people can say they saw it when it first started. I'm one of those people who would come out here at midnight for the opening even though I could just as easily come another day."\nCappa had been relaxing on the curb and quietly observing the crowd for a good hour when he noticed a humorous and pointless trend that began to develop.\n"The line just keeps morphing into different shapes as people think they have a better idea on how to get to the front by going around the side or sneaking through the middle, and it doesn't work because more people follow their lead," Cappa said.\nCops cruised by the crowd several times throughout the evening to make sure "Star Wars" fans weren't getting unruly. Other people stopped and asked if the line was to buy tickets, not knowing they had sold out earlier in the day.\nPolite fans just laughed at the question while rude fans came up with a new way to ridicule anyone who asked it. One man told them "No, this is the line for us to look at you and say 'you're S.O.L.' " \nFans weren't the only ones making catcalls at employees and passers by -- people from the apartment complex across the street hollered for the group to "go home" and "get a life, you freaks!"\nOne man commented that the crowd "doesn't smell like a circus…not like a used car lot -- like a State Fair! No, more like a county fair."\nRegardless of smell, catcalls or people trying to cut through the line, Bloomington resident Niles Arena said the "Star Wars" opening is an event no one should miss. \n"This is an experience," Arena said. "'Star Wars' is an American icon. It's part of our culture. What other movie comes in on a Wednesday morning and has crowds waiting?"\nMost fans weren't let down by their expectations or the wait. They got to see Yoda whip and flip around in a lightsaber battle. Natalie Portman showed off her assets and ability to hold her own against enemies and lovers. Hayden Christensen spit game and got his hand chopped off. There was also a "Gladiator"-esque fight scene and a flying-car chase. Some fans couldn't get enough of them.\n"I thought [Star Wars] was good, but the fight scenes definitely should've been longer," said Bloomington resident Liam Cooper.
(04/26/02 4:35am)
WASHINGTON -- The Senate passed an energy bill Thursday that features tax breaks to conserve and produce energy and directs more use of ethanol but rejects the Bush administration proposal to develop oil in an Arctic wildlife refuge. \nAfter sometimes bitter deliberations, the Senate approved the energy package 88-11. The vote sets up a showdown with the House, which last year passed an energy bill that focuses more on helping energy companies boost production, including drilling in the Alaska refuge. \nMuch of the Senate debate, which stretched over six weeks, centered on America's dependence on foreign oil and the security concerns over relying on the volatile Middle East for much of its energy. Republicans argued for more domestic production, while most Democrats maintained the answer was in conservation. \nStill, the Senate twice rejected proposals that were aimed at reducing the growing demand for fuel by automobiles and other passenger vehicles, which guzzle the equivalent of nearly 8 million barrels of oil a day. \nDemocrats said the bill, which at times had appeared to be in danger of falling apart over a tax dispute as well as Arctic drilling, provides a broad balance between energy production and conservation, including help for consumers to better insulate their homes and buy more fuel-efficient windows. \nRepublicans said it still does too little to increase domestic oil production and reduce America's reliance on imports. \nNevertheless, Republican leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., said the Senate bill marks "a major achievement" and praised Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska -- the chamber's most ardent supporter of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- for not trying to obstruct the legislation. \n"We need more production across the board," said Lott, indicating he expects the fight over Arctic drilling to be resumed as the Senate and House work out a compromise bill to send to the White House. \nLott lauded what he called "very significant tax incentives" contained in the Senate legislation. But the House-passed bill, which was ignored in the Senate, would funnel more tax breaks to energy production and open the Arctic refuge to drilling. \nThe Senate bill would provide $14 billion worth of tax breaks over 10 years, divided about evenly between help for renewable energy and conservation programs and the traditional fossil fuel energy producers. The House bill calls for $33 billion in tax incentives focused more heavily toward the oil, gas, coal and nuclear industries. \nOther major provisions in the Senate legislation, covering more than 580 pages, include: \n• A requirement to use more ethanol in gasoline that will result in a tripling of ethanol production to 5 billion gallons a year, a boon to farmers. \n• A ban on use of the gasoline additive MTBE, which has been found to contaminate waterways in many states. \n• Consumer tax credits for people who install solar panels in their homes, add insulation, or buy more energy-efficient windows, doors, air conditioners and heat pumps. \n• Federal loan guarantees to spur private interest in building a $20 billion pipeline to haul natural gas from Alaska's North Slope. \n• Requiring utilities by 2019 to produce 10 percent of their electricity from renewable fuels such as wind, solar and burning forest and agricultural wastes. \n• Repeal of a Depression-era law that limits the operations of electricity holding companies; wider authority for federal energy regulators to regulate wholesale electricity markets and transmission lines. \nWhile environmentalists won a major victory in beating back Republican attempts to drill for oil in the Arctic refuge, they failed to get the Senate to do anything substantive to rein in fuel use by the nation's motorists. \nAn attempt by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., to address fuel economy was blocked as opponents of tougher federal auto fuel economy rules argued that automakers would be forced to close plants, lay off workers and deprive drivers of larger cars, including SUVs. \nEarly in the six weeks of deliberations, the Senate stripped the legislation of a provision that would have required automakers to improve their fleet-wide fuel efficiency to 35 miles per gallon, a 50 percent increase, over the next dozen years. A last ditch attempt Thursday to curb automobiles' energy use by curtailing the growth of oil use in transportation was rejected 57-42. \nThe bill's ethanol provision also came under attack Thursday from California and New York senators, who argued it would cause gasoline shortages and price increases on both coasts. But an attempt to delay the mandate by one year to 2005 was rejected. \n"This is a deal cut in secret," an angry Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said on the Senate floor. "We're told it's good for farmers and to take it."\nEthanol supporters disputed that there will be shortages or price spikes.
(04/25/02 3:34am)
She saw him from the second story window as she was reapplying her lipstick. She tapped the window with her fist and screamed:\n"No, don't do that."\nAs soon as she noticed him touching her cherry red 1997 Jetta, she stumbled down the stairs. She sprinted through the crowd of curious bystanders and threw the door open. It became a race: College Kid against Tow Truck Man. Before she realized she didn't have her car keys, the three shots of Jack Daniels began to do the talking for her:\n"STOP!"\nHe glanced at her as an evil smirk shot across his face. \n"I'm visiting my friend," she screamed. \nHe continued lifting her car onto the platform as she watched in disbelief. He turned to her and said:\n"It will only be $45 since you got out here before we left." \n"I don't have $45," she snapped back. "I'm in college."\n"You'd better find it quick," he told her. \nShe threw her middle finger in the air as an angry tear streamed down her face. By this time, a small crowd gathered in the parking lot to watch the show. She turned to the group of strangers and asked:\n"Anyone have $45?"\nWhat happened to Katie is not a rarity for the wonderful Bloomington community. Parking regulations here are out of control. \nThe best college weekend has come and gone. I couldn't help but observe the amount of unnecessary parking security we had. I parked three blocks from my friend's apartment and walked through a torrential downpour just to visit him. There is something wrong with this scenario.\nElizabeth Callow received a parking ticket Monday while she was making a quick stop.\n"They need to expand parking. If they are raising our tuition they can at least accommodate parking," Calloway said. \nI have never witnessed such strict parking regulations at any other Big Ten university. I don't understand how it is legal to charge $30 for parking in the A zone for five minutes. \nAnd just when you thought riding a bike would be safe, think again. You even have to register two-wheelers. Hundreds of students think their bikes have been stolen when in actuality "bike regulators" check to make sure bikes are registered. If they are not, they cut through the bike locks and throw the bike in their truck bed. \nI watched a guy do it last week, and I saw the kid come out of class to stumble upon an empty bike rack. He just kind of stood there and circled around a few times before accepting the fact that his transportation was gone. And if he does not call to claim his bike, it will be auctioned off to make more money for the same organization that basically stole it. The auction is May 11 if you're looking for a good deal on a stolen Schwinn. And if your bike magically disappeared, try calling 855-9849 before May 11. \nTuition is increasing. I apologize to all you out-of-staters for such an inconvenience. They should reimburse us by decreasing unnecessary parking regulations.\nI realize the University isn't exactly looking to cut us deals on anything that involves money. I'm not expecting a half-off sale on parking. The rules just need to be a little more reasonable.
(04/10/02 5:22am)
Student technology fees are like taxes. They're levied against students even if they don't use tech services. \nEvery year, student tech fees pool millions of dollars. The money is then spent for student services, Karen Adams, chief information officer and chief of staff in the IU Office of the Vice President for Information Technology said. But one of these services, the Student Technology Education Program Series, is unknown to and underused by many students.\nSTEPS are free hands-on computer training workshops run by IT Training and Education. Its annual budget rose 10 percent to $356,374 in 2001, according to UITS cost analysis data. But over the last five years, the number of STEPS users has steadily decreased, according to UITS's annual user surveys. In 1997, 32 percent of students surveyed said they had used the service. In 2001, the usage rate dipped by half, and only 14 percent said they'd used the service. \nBut of those students who used STEPS last year, more than 95 percent graded it better than satisfactory, and this has been the case for the past five years. \nSTEPS are workshops that teach high-tech tools such as Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, HTML, Netscape Composer, Dreamweaver and UNIX free of charge. Most tools are explored through basic, advanced and expert classes, and each class lasts two to three hours. No registration is required. \nPeople in IT Training and Education, which runs STEPS workshops, seem baffled. Their workshops satisfy most users but attract only a few students. \nITTE manager Chris Payne suggested three possible reasons students don't attend STEPS. Many prefer self-learning through NETg, the online tutorial software that teaches about 600 high tech tools. Many students are already high-tech savvy as well, and then there are those who don't seem to know about STEPS. Payne said he doubts undergraduates are aware of the service.\nAn informal survey conducted by the IDS on March 18 asked 30 underclassmen in the East Lounge of the Indiana Memorial Union if they'd ever heard of the service. Twenty-four hadn't. The same query was posed before 50 undergraduates at the IMU's Burger King. Forty-one said no. Of those same 80 students, only 11 said they had heard of or knew about NETg. \nThese 80 students cannot speak for all 26,000 undergraduates, but Payne's third guess seems not off the mark. Many students probably don't know they are funding STEPS through the technology fee. \nIn early January, Brandon Minton was Web-tech-illiterate. He could manipulate Word, Excel and PowerPoint like toys, he said. But he stood helpless before Web publishing tools.\n"I had no idea on how to build a Web site," Minton said.\nSince then, Minton, a senior majoring in informatics, has taken nine STEPS workshops: HTML, Dreamweaver, Netscape Composer, Photoshop and UNIX, among others. They took more than 20 hours, but he netted huge returns. \nToday, Minton can craft a Web site in two hours or less, he said. \n"First, I would open Dreamweaver," he said. "Then, I would start typing text that I would have on my page. Once I figured out the frame and how I wanted to go, I would place all the HTML tags. And the next thing would be to open up Photoshop and start making some designs that I could implement onto my Web site.\n"Once I laid out everything correctly…I would publish it on an SQL server. And everybody would see it."\nSTEPS instructors never forsake students for the sake of class progress, Minton said. \n"They are decent people," he said. "Really helpful. Really nice. Extremely nice." \nDavid A. Ray, a doctoral student in the School of Music who aims to become an opera singer, is one of those "decent people." Ray, a part-time instructor, lectures confidently before students, his voice resonating as if through a microphone. \nBut when he became an instructor in the summer of 2000, he was an Internet surfer who knew only Excel. \n"I thought that I had a great talent for playing video games, but not much more than that," he said. \nSo his supervisors told him: Learn before you teach. \nRay's training regimen was STEPS workshops. He joined classes as an observer and studied with students. \n"You would do this -- perhaps two to three times per class -- before moving on to the role of assistant," he said.\nTo become an instructor, one would observe two classes or more, he said. Behind the scenes, Ray said he studied textbooks to know them inside and out. He wanted to find the most effective ways to teach. He also studied how and why people used the software covered by the textbooks. \n"I feel as though I would be cheating the students to a certain extent," he said, "if I simply stood in front of class, walked through the materials and had no idea myself why I was doing certain things." \nSince January 2001, 3,000 STEPS users have taken after-class surveys by IT Training and Education. 80 percent of them said the level, pace and teaching range of workshops were "just right." 90 percent graded instructors "good" or "very good" at explaining subjects and answering questions. Assistant instructors were also called "good" or "very good" by 90 percent of those surveyed. And almost all said the classes were "satisfactory" experiences. \nSTEPS class materials have won two awards from the Special Interest Group on University and College Computing Services, a national organization that ranks colleges and universities by their quality of IT training. \nYet ITTE staff don't know why STEPS is unappealing to many students. Payne and Macmillan said they crave any advice from students. \nUITS has no plan to abort STEPS, Karen Adams said. Students will keep funding the program, whether they like it or not.\nIf they are not grad students, who are said to use STEPS more often, said Carol Macmillan,web education specialist of ITTE. But people in IT Training and Education don't want those feelings to fester. \n"Yes, we will work even harder to market to the undergraduate students," Macmillan said. ITTE will make undergraduates realize that "IT skills is what can set them apart from other job candidates, and help them edge out the competition," she said.
(04/09/02 4:31am)
For more than 10 hours Saturday, guitar chords and drum beats bounced off the walls of Foster-Jenkinson and Foster-Harper, kicking off what its creator hopes to be an annual music event.\nFoster Quad resident assistant Bobby Kline said he wanted to bring an unforgettable experience to Foster residents.\n"I had this dream at the beginning of the semester, and I worked to make it a reality," Kline, a sophomore, said. "I just wanted people to come out, hear good music, have fun and make some great memories. It was great that we could showcase local talent."\nFoster Squad Acoustic and Kline's band Colder by the Lake were two of the featured bands that have members living in Foster Quad. \nAt noon, the festivities began with The Ice Cream Men, opening "Fosterstock." Throughout the afternoon Foster Squad Acoustic, Well Fed, Frequency 12, Colder by the Lake and Sideburn Mike and the Lawsuits played on a small, makeshift stage to varying crowds of residents. \nSophomore Andy Grau, a guitarist for Colder by the Lake, was glad one of his bandmates could put such a venue together.\n"It was nervewracking, but exciting," Grau said. "I can't believe Bobby put this all together."\nCapping off the fun-filled festival was Bloomington band Three Minute Mile.\nThe almost two-hour set by the local band included such covers as Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On" and Weezer's "Undone (The Sweater Song)," original songs "Big M" and Groove Me" and unreleased material "Red-headed Girl" and "Who Knows." Originally scheduled to play for only an hour, Three Minute Mile played until 11 p.m. at the urging of fans.\nCrowds varied in size Saturday afternoon and evening, but despite cold weather, close to 75 fans and residents made their way to the stage for Three Minute Mile. Comical banter between the members of the band and the audience between songs kept the set lively and entertaining. References to cartoon shows, ex-girlfriends and good humor jests at other local bands maintained the crowd's high spirits.\nSophomore Kathy Kowalkowski, a Foster Quad resident, watched the Three Minute Mile set with her friends.\n"We were watching them from our window and had balcony seats, which were great, but we wanted to see them up close," Kowalkowski said. "I found them surprisingly enjoyable, and I think they are a band on the verge with huge potential."\nThree Minute Mile drummer senior Justin Seidenberg said he was pleased with the intimate setting.\n"It was fun, and we were able to explain our songs more to the audience," Seidenberg said. "Despite the temperature, this type of show is my favorite. The people here are the ones who really know the music."\nSenior Mike Stocksdale, guitarist for Three Minute Mile, said he did not have any problems with the set despite the cold weather.\n"I was having a good time," he said, "and halfway through the set, I forgot about the cold because the crowd was so great"
(03/29/02 8:19pm)
ATLANTA -- The lights are getting brighter, but the distractions that have surrounded IU all week are starting to fade away. No more time for ticket requests or other matters not related to basketball.\nIt's time for the Final Four.\nThe fifth-seeded Hoosiers (24-11) out of the South Region are in Atlanta, and so are the second-seeded Sooners (31-4). After a light practice for both teams this afternoon at the Georgia Dome and a session with the media, IU and Oklahoma will be set for their 6 p.m. National Semifinal Saturday night.\nIt has been a busy week for the Hoosiers, having been capped off by a send-off at Assembly Hall by thousands of IU fans. IU was also welcomed to Atlanta by the local alumni association.\nNow, things get serious.\n"I just want to beat Oklahoma," sophomore A.J. Moye said. "Now the aura and the mystique is gone and it's more about getting down to business. Why be satisfied with getting to the Final Four when you can win the whole thing?"\nJunior Tom Coverdale, who continues to nurse a sprained left ankle, will likely be a game-time decision. Donald Perry, the backup freshman point guard, said he is ready if needed, and the Hoosiers said they have confidence in him.\nAgain this weekend, IU seems to be the forgotten team among three squads that were supposed to be here in the first place. If Coverdale is unable to play, some say IU has no chance to win. That suits the Hoosiers just fine.\n"As long as we're down there, we might as well win," junior Jeff Newton said.\nThe Sooners have depth at all positions, but they are led by Hollis Price in the backcourt and Aaron McGhee in the paint. IU sophomore Jared Jeffries will likely have to deal with McGhee, who has the ability to shoot from the outside or be physical down low.\nOffensively, the Hoosiers are shooting better than anyone in the tournament at just under 56 percent in four games. Saturday, IU will see a defense that is as feisty and physical as its own.\nOf course, Sooner coach Kelvin Sampson will have to make the choice that coaches have had to make against IU all season. Will the Sooners leave Jeffries free of double teams and open the paint to protect the perimeter? Or will they do the opposite and let the Hoosiers shoot at will?\nDuke was burned by Jeffries, Newton and senior Jarrad Odle in the paint, particularly in the second half, when IU staged its improbable comeback. Saturday Kent State was just buried from the outside when the Hoosiers hit 15-of-19 three pointers. \nWhat would IU coach Mike Davis do?\n"If I'm Oklahoma I try to take away Jared Jeffries so we can shoot some threes," Davis joked. "They have athletes who run and jump. Whatever they do, we'll counter it. We have a good system, a system that's very difficult to play against."\nAs has been his tendency as long as he has been at IU, Davis will rely on his defense. Price has been almost unstoppable in the tournament. The Hoosiers will have to be on top of their game.\n"I think our defense is going to have to be as good as it has all year with this team being so athletic and talented," Odle said.\nWhile some may say the Hoosiers are fine because they beat No.1 Duke in the South Regional semifinals, others point out Oklahoma might be better. The Sooners own wins against both Kansas and Maryland, who will meet in the second national semifinal Saturday night.\nIU thinks Oklahoma might be the best team in the nation.\n"What Duke did in the first five to 10 minutes gave us some problems. Oklahoma is going to see that and really want to do that for 40 minutes," junior Kyle Hornsby said. "They have a deeper bench, so they're going to be capable of getting people in there to keep that intensity up. \n"Something that we're going to have to really buckle down and focus on is controlling the ball, not giving up steals and turning the ball over."\nGame plans are the focus for the Hoosiers now. After a week of talking, it is time to play basketball on the biggest stage in college basketball. All-time, IU is 5-2 in national semifinals.\nThe Hoosiers say they will be ready Saturday night.\n"It's something we're accustomed to," Odle said of being the underdog. "There's probably going to be a little bit of inexperience. But when you get to the Final Four, you can throw the lines out the window.\n"That's why I chose this University -- I wanted to win championships and make it to places like the Final Four."\nThe Hoosiers are here.
(03/27/02 5:12pm)
California Crossing\nFu Manchu\nMammoth Records\nAll you slackers rejoice. Fu Manchu is back. Kingpins of the ultra-cool "stoner-rock" movement heralding the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, High on Fire and the legendary genre-founders Kyuss, Fu Manchu has broken free of the conservative establishment once again with its sixth full-length album, California Crossing. Not that there is anything very different about its approach this time around -- just the same blistering heaviness and bellowing attitude -- but that's what makes Fu Manchu so powerful. The band doesn't beat around the bush; it gets straight to the point. And that point is straight-ahead rock.\nWith a predilection for heaviness and a bias toward fast cars and loose women, Fu Manchu trudged out of Southern California in the early '90s and has since remained steadfast in its dedication to the groove. California Crossing boasts 11 songs of equally mammoth intensity. The riffs are Herculean. The vocals are laid-back cool. The rhythm section is driving. For those unfamiliar, it sounds something like Dexter Holland (the Offspring) fronting mid-'80s Black Flag on a serious Black Sabbath kick. \nFrom the first notes of "Separate Kingdom," the riffs pound you into oblivion and leave no choice but to crank it up. It's a perfect open road anthem, windows down and wind in your face, music drowning out the highway and engine noise. \nAnd frankly, nothing changes throughout the album's nearly 40 minutes. Apart from Keith Morris' (Circle Jerks) joining the fold for co-vocal duties on "Bultaco," the album is one linear bong-hit. The only downside is this lack of sonic difference, which by the album's end becomes somewhat tiresome. But having too much of a good thing is nothing to complain about. So rev up the engine, crank the stereo and head for the open road. California Crossing is ready for you.\n
(03/27/02 5:00am)
California Crossing\nFu Manchu\nMammoth Records\nAll you slackers rejoice. Fu Manchu is back. Kingpins of the ultra-cool "stoner-rock" movement heralding the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, High on Fire and the legendary genre-founders Kyuss, Fu Manchu has broken free of the conservative establishment once again with its sixth full-length album, California Crossing. Not that there is anything very different about its approach this time around -- just the same blistering heaviness and bellowing attitude -- but that's what makes Fu Manchu so powerful. The band doesn't beat around the bush; it gets straight to the point. And that point is straight-ahead rock.\nWith a predilection for heaviness and a bias toward fast cars and loose women, Fu Manchu trudged out of Southern California in the early '90s and has since remained steadfast in its dedication to the groove. California Crossing boasts 11 songs of equally mammoth intensity. The riffs are Herculean. The vocals are laid-back cool. The rhythm section is driving. For those unfamiliar, it sounds something like Dexter Holland (the Offspring) fronting mid-'80s Black Flag on a serious Black Sabbath kick. \nFrom the first notes of "Separate Kingdom," the riffs pound you into oblivion and leave no choice but to crank it up. It's a perfect open road anthem, windows down and wind in your face, music drowning out the highway and engine noise. \nAnd frankly, nothing changes throughout the album's nearly 40 minutes. Apart from Keith Morris' (Circle Jerks) joining the fold for co-vocal duties on "Bultaco," the album is one linear bong-hit. The only downside is this lack of sonic difference, which by the album's end becomes somewhat tiresome. But having too much of a good thing is nothing to complain about. So rev up the engine, crank the stereo and head for the open road. California Crossing is ready for you.\n
(03/05/02 6:31am)
It's snowing in Bloomington. Wind chills are dipping to ear-numbing levels. People are hacking at their car windows to remove ice. \nGolf season must be starting.\nThe Hoosiers have begun their spring campaign in the warmer climates of Pensacola, Fla., participating in the two-round Emerald Coast Collegiate tourney which began yesterday and concludes today.\nBut the frigid temperatures of Bloomington followed the men to Florida. In the first day of action yesterday, the men's golf teamn shot a first-round 314, and are in sixth place overall. The tournament was called before the completion of one of the rounds because of frosty temperatures.\nIU's Ben Davidson is tied for second place overall after day one action. The junior shot a 1-over-par 73, and stands one stroke out of the lead. \n"Ben played a great round today, especially under these conditions," IU coach Mike Mayer said in a press release. "It was unfortunate that he ended his round with a double bogey, or else he would be leading the golf tournament."\nDavidson and junior Aldo Jordan are joined by freshmen Jeff Overton, Rob Ockenfuss, and Heath Peters in the Hoosier lineup.\nIn addition to IU, the field of competitors consists of Austin Peay, Cincinnati, Drake, Eastern Michigan, Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, Illinois, Louisville, Missouri and host West Florida. West Florida is the defending NCAA Division II champion.\nMayer believed prior to heading to Florida that the Hoosiers could tame the tournament course, Tiger Point Golf & Country Club.\n"It's a good test of golf," Mayer said. "With our length, I think it (the course's layout) suit us pretty well. We believe this tournament gives us a chance to compete for a title right away."\nMayer also thought that any southern team who thinks that northern teams like IU won't be able to compete may be in for a bit of a surprise. During the off-season, the team worked with strength and conditioning coach Stephan Roche to bulk up and add flexibility to golf-related muscles. \nThe mild weather also allowed the Hoosiers to play more frequently than usual during the winter.\n"I really feel we can challenge some of the southern schools," Mayer said. "I wouldn't be surprised if we beat a lot of their butts."\nThe IU golfers were excited about the prospect of playing in a tournament setting for the first time since October. Particularly enthused is Jordan, who missed the end of the fall season after being injured in an automobile accident.\nJordan spent much of his winter break working to strengthen his muscles and bones that had been damaged. Upon returning, he focused on getting back into golf-related shape.\n"On a scale of one to 10, I would have to give this a 15," Jordan said. "I'm really excited. I've put a lot of effort into running and eating right. I'm finally getting back on track."\nFor Overton, the tournament will be a gauge of his transition from an inexperienced rookie to a cagey leader both on the scorecard and as a decision maker. Overton will be playing in the No. 1 spot for the Hoosiers.\n"You learn from the best five players from teams all over the country," Overton said. "It allows you to stay more competitive."\nThis is the first year that IU has competed in the Emerald Coast Collegiate. The tournament was added on to the schedule to make up for the loss of the Northern Intercollegiate, which was among the Big Ten events cancelled in the aftermath of Sept. 11.\nIf the weather behaves, IU will begin the final 18-hole round at 7:30 a.m today.
(03/04/02 7:56am)
A fire damaged several units in Colonial Crest Apartments, 703 W. Gourley Pike Saturday morning, causing six residents to jump from a second story window for safety, Bloomington Fire Department Chief Jeff Barlow said.\nTwo of those who jumped from a window about 10 to 12 feet from the ground were injured, one with lacerations and an ankle injury and another with cuts and a broken heel, Barlow said. \nThe cause of the fire is still under investigation, he said.\nFirefighters arrived at the blaze around 7 a.m. Saturday, where they battled heavy smoke and flames coming from the apartments, he said. \n"The building construction was good," Barlow said. "They had fire stops, and with the aggressive firefighting of the fire crews they kept it (around) the fire's origin."\nNineteen people were unable to stay in their homes, said Ed Vande Sande, director of emergency services for the Monroe County American Red Cross. Several residents were students, he said.\nHe said all of the evacuated residents are staying in hotels, IU housing facilities, vacant Colonial Crest apartments or with friends.\nOther residents were allowed back into their homes around 11:30 a.m., Barlow said.
(02/20/02 4:34pm)
Crossroads - PG- 13\nStarring: Britney Spears, Anson Mount, Zoe Saldana, Taryn Manning\nDirected by: Tamra Davis\nShowing: Showplace East 11\nHe said: \"I might be a liar... but this movie sucked\"\nBritney Spears, a bastion of "chastity" and "virtue," the diva minus the diva-esque persona, the girl next door and the impending media mogul. Britney wears many hats, and the latest one's that of actress in the vapid teeny-bopper road trip flick "Crossroads." And for some reason this hat seems to be ill-fitting.\nBritney's acting chops and this flick suck... hard. Spears stars as Lucy, a lily-white virgin-valedictorian. Once graduation passes she rekindles her friendships with childhood friends Kit (Zoe Saldana), a prom queen priss, and Mimi (Taryn Manning), a pregnant chick from the trailer park. \nThe girls, along with Ben (Anson Mount), the "ruggedly charming" ex-con with a heart of gold (cliche check anyone?) set out on an inane road trip to Los Angeles. Laughably absurd events litter their pilgrimage; the girls give a rousing karaoke rendtion of "I Love Rock 'n Roll," because as Britney was recently quoted in Rolling Stone as saying, "I love Pat Benatar!" The song is by Joan Jett, bubblehead! Lucy's character recites trite poetry from her journal, which coincidentally enough winds up being Britney's new hit single "I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman," and is later butchered in a duet between the reigning teen pop songstress and the ever-sensitive Ben. I wanted to puke, and could have, had I not been laughing so uncontrollably.\nThe highly controversial scene, which depicts the popping of Britney's cherry by big, bad Ben, contains about as much taste as a rice cake. The two do the deed before an open window overlooking a beach. What if some kid were building a sand castle out there? How perverse and insensitive are these people? Apparently very, because I had to endure this crappy flick which they were both at least somewhat responsible for.\nThere's very little redeemable about "Crossroads," with the exception of the scenes in which Britney pranced about in her skivvies, and these finer moments were in abundance. The flick's a real disappointment despite being lensed by Tamra Davis, the director behind such modern-day comedic masterpieces as "CB4," "Billy Madison" and "Half Baked"; but then again, Britney's about as funny as outtakes from "Schindler's List."\nBritney, while cute, sucks as an actress. Perhaps she'd be better in a different vehicle, but I doubt it. \n
(02/20/02 5:00am)
Crossroads - PG- 13\nStarring: Britney Spears, Anson Mount, Zoe Saldana, Taryn Manning\nDirected by: Tamra Davis\nShowing: Showplace East 11\nHe said: \"I might be a liar... but this movie sucked\"\nBritney Spears, a bastion of "chastity" and "virtue," the diva minus the diva-esque persona, the girl next door and the impending media mogul. Britney wears many hats, and the latest one's that of actress in the vapid teeny-bopper road trip flick "Crossroads." And for some reason this hat seems to be ill-fitting.\nBritney's acting chops and this flick suck... hard. Spears stars as Lucy, a lily-white virgin-valedictorian. Once graduation passes she rekindles her friendships with childhood friends Kit (Zoe Saldana), a prom queen priss, and Mimi (Taryn Manning), a pregnant chick from the trailer park. \nThe girls, along with Ben (Anson Mount), the "ruggedly charming" ex-con with a heart of gold (cliche check anyone?) set out on an inane road trip to Los Angeles. Laughably absurd events litter their pilgrimage; the girls give a rousing karaoke rendtion of "I Love Rock 'n Roll," because as Britney was recently quoted in Rolling Stone as saying, "I love Pat Benatar!" The song is by Joan Jett, bubblehead! Lucy's character recites trite poetry from her journal, which coincidentally enough winds up being Britney's new hit single "I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman," and is later butchered in a duet between the reigning teen pop songstress and the ever-sensitive Ben. I wanted to puke, and could have, had I not been laughing so uncontrollably.\nThe highly controversial scene, which depicts the popping of Britney's cherry by big, bad Ben, contains about as much taste as a rice cake. The two do the deed before an open window overlooking a beach. What if some kid were building a sand castle out there? How perverse and insensitive are these people? Apparently very, because I had to endure this crappy flick which they were both at least somewhat responsible for.\nThere's very little redeemable about "Crossroads," with the exception of the scenes in which Britney pranced about in her skivvies, and these finer moments were in abundance. The flick's a real disappointment despite being lensed by Tamra Davis, the director behind such modern-day comedic masterpieces as "CB4," "Billy Madison" and "Half Baked"; but then again, Britney's about as funny as outtakes from "Schindler's List."\nBritney, while cute, sucks as an actress. Perhaps she'd be better in a different vehicle, but I doubt it. \n
