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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Welcome to the Eminem Show…\nYes, I am just one more of the millions of suburban kids who went out and bought the new Eminem CD last week. And just as his single says -- it's felt so empty without him.\nNow mind you, I haven't personally felt his loss, but I truly believe that the rap scene needed him to return. Up until now, the big names on top can't stop rapping about their "bling-bling," fast cars and fast women. Finally, a rapper emerges with a concept album that has much more depth than the recently released single. \nTo his business competitors, Eminem says on the record that he can make his millions of dollars and he "doesn't need a 10-year-old to do it." So much for Master P's Little Romeo and the "promising" film career of Snoop's Lil' Bow Wow. \nTo his critics, he makes the stark comment in the song "White America" that what has bothered the world has never been his lyrics, but the fact that he was using them and happened to be white at the same time. He says that he never was the first rapper to use derogatory phrases towards women and homosexuals, but since his music left Harlem and found it's way into the Cleaver's living room, suddenly there was a crisis at hand. They get scared because "little Eric looks just like him."\nTo his sue-happy mother, he spurts perhaps the most uneasing Eminem song to date when he "cleans out his closet" of his past and gives the listener an all-too-frank biography of his childhood and feelings towards his mother.\nAll of this aside, though, in honesty, what's so refreshing about this album isn't Eminem's signature middle finger to the world. The album shows a surprising amount of growth in his opinions as an entertainer and role model. Song after song, he reinstates the need for artists to be aware that some of their fans look only to them for release. That music and art heal the wounds of the socially troubled teens around the nation, and because of this, they must always be true to their words and ideals. He doesn't glamorize his lifestyle, he simply reports it, allowing at least some voice to connect with those quiet teens with whom no one seems to want to identify. \nEminem is a proud father, constantly referring to his daughter Hailey as his life's greatest achievement. As a parent, has come to understand a bit more the influence of music on young minds -- he jokingly admits that he might not let Hailey listen to all of his songs. But, he still refuses to water down his thoughts, and says he will only remain true to them. \nI thank Marshall for the opinion that kids are harmed not by an introduction to violence and crude reality, but by it's denial and suppression. When kids don't know about how harsh the real world can be or bottle their anger up for too long, that's when things get ugly. It's not up to parents to hide the world's ills from their children, but walk them through them, allowing for understanding and thus grounds upon which to make better decisions. \nThus, as Eminem says, "I'm just playin' America." As we all grow up, our best lessons are learned in play. I say pick up the album and you might realize that the explicit lyrics label isn't placed there for swear words, but for explicit truth. \nSometimes, that can be much harder to bear than your usual four letters.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
I don't know you all very well, but I feel that it's time for me to come clean.\nI am, and have been all my life, a practicing Catholic.\nNowadays, it's hard for me to admit that to groups of people without witnessing their sudden transformation into stand-up comic geniuses as they spout off the last little-kid and priest joke they'd heard on Leno the night prior. I've heard them all.\nThe jokes aren't my problem. Of course, the tragedies that are arising every day have forced me to truly examine my relationship with the Church. But, the incidences themselves are not the source of this grievance with my religion today either. \nSo then what's my major malfunction? \nI guess my problem lies in the fact that I feel no matter how many apologies are given, condemnations lain down or even zero-tolerance rules that are implemented as a result of these scandals; the media and the Church itself are missing the root of the problem.\nHaving attended Catholic schools all my life and given the seminary deep thought, I feel the core of this issue is in the organization of the priesthood itself, not individual priests or Church officials. \nYou see, ever since interest in the Church began to decline, being the community priest was no longer a position much sought after. Priests were no longer household faces and neighborhood names -- Father O'Malley stopped speaking at the high school commencements, and the motivated individuals who may have once chosen to help their religious community to keep progressing opted to join the secular realm instead.\nThe de-evolution of the priesthood then began as the organization that didn't offer a position for dynamic leaders, but a safe house for bewildered wanderers. The priesthood offered an excuse for sexually confused individuals to keep their struggle silent, as it removed all of the social mandates of dating and networking. They could remain quiet and undisturbed, and at the same time, receive a heavenly reprieve as opposed to the constant social battles that waged daily as they grew up. \nThe solution in my mind then is for the Church to reinvent itself yet again, as it did with Vatican II. Whether it be to re-evaluate their stance on homosexuality, allow for priests to marry or integrate both sexes into the holy order, I'm not quite sure. But I feel those questions need to be addressed anew because the solution does not lie in prevention of abuse, but in eliminating its origin.\n"We did not do enough to make sure that every child and minor was safe from sexual abuse." These were the condemning words of Bishop Wilton Gregory speaking at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Dallas, Texas last Thursday. \nNor are you still doing enough. \nUntil priests can feel comfortable being priests, until spiritual leaders can lead without running away from their personal skeletons, you will not have done enough. \nUntil that day, I'll keep saying my confessions behind the screen.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
\"I hate to write when bad things happen."\nThese were the opening words of an e-mail my best friend sent to me a few days ago. I believe we all feel the same way, but nevertheless, find no greater comfort than in sharing our stories with others.\nThere are events that occur in our lives that rearrange the way we wake up and set out to live each day. All of us have these moments, and all of us have our doubts as to whether or not there is any deeper meaning behind them all. \nSomehow, after reading my friend's e-mail and speaking with him on the phone, I find it hard to believe that there isn't. \nAt 1:15 a.m., his grandmother went into cardiac arrest. She had been having complications for some time, so this was more or less expected. The medics were able to gain an assisted heartbeat, but the brave woman had been fighting for too long and was unable to continue. She died in the ambulance on the way to the ER.\nThen, something happened.\nIn this early morning, with barely another soul on the street in this very small Indiana town, there was a loud noise. A man had been dragged 75 feet when a car had struck his motorcycle. My friend's uncle, a son of the recently deceased, was an EMT. His instincts forced him to run immediately to the scene. Other family members followed behind. \nHe started CPR and my friend directed the early workman's traffic. The man's boots were knocked off, his helmet was knocked off and his ribs were cracking as CPR continued. The ambulance finally arrived and they were able to revive him. The medics noted that had my friend's family not been leaving the small hospital at the moment that they did, had my friend's grandmother passed away minutes later or earlier, there would have been no one on that street to alert the hospital staff in time to revive the motorcyclist. \nThey saved his life. In a way, his grandmother had given her life to save another. The long string of events that had fallen into motion that night with one family losing a mother ended with another family helping a son. \nIf you feel things don't happen for a reason, visit the family of the man on the motorcycle. Ask them whether or not it was just luck that someone was there for him. Visit my friend, and ask him whether or not this was all a coincidence, whether or not his "Nonny" let that failing heart fight for just as long as it did, knowing there was no real chance of seeing the next sunrise.\nThe hands of fate wave their tapestries in subtle patterns. Often, we fail to notice them. Yet, ever so often, the designs become extreme and our failure to become aware is simply denial.\n"We'll see what tomorrow brings," my friend said in closing his e-mail. And indeed, tomorrow brings us many things. We should remember there's something out there bigger than all of us. Inconvenience has no place in ruining our days or in stressing us out to the point where we ruin the days of others. Somehow, it all adds up, and we still come out the winners. \nMy friend's final words to me are these and they are mine to you as well. They provide the best advice for how to deal with twists of fate, no matter how big or small. \n"Take care, give care … and remember, you matter"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Since Sunday, and until Friday, 96 women from nine different states across the Midwest are meeting in the Indiana Memorial Union to improve their skills as activists, share their experiences and learn how to take power in the workplace.\nThis week, the IMU is hosting the Midwest School for Women Workers as it returns to Bloomington for the first time since the mid-90s. The conference is one of four regional summer schools sponsored by the United Association of Labor Education and the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations Education Department. This 25-year-old event is taught by 16 educators, labor organizers and activists. \nThe classes offer range from building a new labor movement, to resolving union conflicts, to ideas in diversity and keeping a hazard-free working environment. \nLaurie Graham, associate professor of Labor Studies at the IU Kokomo campus said the students in attendance are equally diverse, bringing teamsters, nurses, corrections officers and members of the Union of Auto Workers together for the week of workshops.\nThe title for the week's events is "The Power is in Our Hands." The idea stresses one of the prominent themes of the week, making sure that the concerns of women workers -- health insurance, day care and fair pay -- are being met.\n\"The voices of women need to be heard much more loudly," and that part of being heard is cultivating more women leaders in the labor community," said Sue Swartz, coordinator for the Division of Labor Studies and former union organizer.\nGraham emphasized the need for women leaders in the labor community.\n"Women comprise over 51 percent of the labor force. Yet, we only make up 40 percent of the membership in unions. We are only now beginning to break that glass ceiling," Graham said. \nSuch breaking has been pioneered by Linda Chavez-Thompson, vice president of the AFL-CIO's executive board and the highest-ranking woman in the labor movement. She served as the keynote speaker for the week.\n"I have never heard (Chavez) speak like that in front of a crowd. It was inspired," said Ray Sovereign, faculty of the Labor Studies Department at the IU South Bend campus. "Often speakers give standard speeches. But (Chavez) spoke of her feelings, the sacrifices that her mother made and her struggles."\nChavez spoke to the women present about breaking the mold and creating a desire to be different. This desire permeates the week, as in addition to the immediate change in policies and representation, an ideological change is being sought out. \n"We're striving to be more inclusive. Traditional male structures of organization tend to work from the top-down. We're looking to be more vibrant and bottom-up," Graham said.\nSwartz agreed and added with more women leading the labor movement, she hopes much of the arbitrary, "because I said so" reasoning, can be gradually phased out in favor of the "organizing model."\n"Process becomes important," Swartz said. "We want to ask, 'Has everyone been heard?' and 'How can we compromise?'"\nThese are just a few of the many skills and ideas being exchanged this week. \n"I've learned so much already. Labor is a deep subject. I can't wait to bring back these ideas, share them with my team and put them into practice," said Stacy Paul, conference student representing the National Staff Organization.\n"We compare notes and ideas on how to deal with certain situations. Coming to this conference has been energizing and fun," said conference student Jearlean Fleming, a representative of Roosevelt University.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Are you looking to start little change in your life? Would you like to add a little spice, a little intrigue? We all do. But what would you do to get it? Some might go skydiving or take up needlepoint. For some though, that isn't enough. Some need it so badly, that they could kill.\nThis is one of the ideas that will be explored at the Brown County Playhouse with Bob Barry's "Murder Among Friends." This play bills as part comedy, part murder mystery, part thriller and all entertainment. WABC-TV describes the play as "a slick, sophisticated show with an offbeat comedy style that is modern, irreverent and very funny ..." \nThe gist of this farce is that every player seems to want someone dead. The audience's job is to figure it out, and Barry does not make it easy. This play makes you pay attention.\n"Everything is unexpected. There are a lot of twists and turns," said Coryell Barlow, portraying Angela Forrester and third year Masters of Fine Arts student here in Bloomington.\nWill it be the fading Broadway actor Palmer, or his independently wealthy and somewhat delusional wife Angela? What about the pretty-boy lover Ted Cotton, Palmer's agent? Angela and Ted, plan to murder Palmer during a staged robbery on New Year's Eve, but Palmer and Ted have an identical plan in store for Angela. Rest assured that someone will die. But who will it be, and who is the villain?\nThough it sounds as if one is likely to find Colonel Mustard in the study with a monkey wrench, this play hopes to supercede the traditional boundaries of murder-mystery farce. \n"There are a lot of the different elements of theatre in the show. There are moments of hijinks, one-liners, farce and suspense. Yet, there is a lot of grounding behind it all," said Wolf Sherrill, playing the part of Palmer Forrester courtesy of Actors Equity Association.\nKeeping it real while balancing the comedy seems to be the challenge that faces the cast and its director Dale McFadden. But the cast has confidence in its captain.\n"We're all comfortable and at ease, no misgivings. I have complete faith in whatever (McFadden) does," Barlow said.\nMcFadden, the newly appointed producer of the Brown County Playhouse, has served IU since 1985 and has recently become IU's director of theatre. He is aided by the costume design of graduate student Amanda Bailey, the lighting professor Robert Shakespeare, the scenic design of Chib Gratz and the stage management of seniors Casey Gray and Erin Gorman. \nThis rest of the cast combines under a healthy environment to provide a well-oiled machine for the audience. \n"The chemistry in rehearsals is very familiar," Barlow said.\nThese players include Jonathan Molitor, Chris Nelson, Melissa Nedell and Dane Bolinger. \nMurder Among Friends opens on today at 8 p.m. and continues Wednesdays through Sundays until Aug. 4 (the Aug. 4 curtain time will be 2:30 p.m.) at the Brown County Playhouse in Nashville, Ind. Audio description for the blind and visually impaired will be offered on the performance of Aug. 3. \nTicket prices are: $15 for Friday and Saturday performances ($8 for children 12 and under); $13 for Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday performances ($7 for children 12 and under). Tickets can be purchased by phone or in person at the Brown County Playhouse box office (812-988-2123), at the IU Auditorium Box Office (812-855-1103) or at any Ticketmaster outlet.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The play begins black, lighting in the windows, illuminating the outlines of two lovers frisking in the shadows. They are whispering the words of amore, of passion and of murder.\nAt 8 p.m. on Friday, the second performance of Bob Barry's "Murder Among Friends" commenced in the quaint and inviting Brown County Playhouse in Nashville, Ind. The venue was energized. The high ceilings allowed the full packing of a house of theatre viewers comfortably, yet the nostalgic ambiance and stage arrangement kept the relationship between stage and seats intimate. Unfortunately, while the ensemble provided the effort to hold onto that energy, it ultimately fell short of saving Barry's dated and laboring script.\n"Murder Among Friends" was a good idea. The farce is set up interestingly enough, with adequate twists and turns to keep the interest of those finding the on-liners and one-dimensional characters trying. The delivery of the humor wasn't hopeless, but Joan Collins and Amelia Earhart jokes haven't struck gold since the Alan Parson's Project had a platinum record. It wouldn't have hurt to revamp the references. Since they set the stage in a modern Ikea inspired loft, with a 2002 New Year's countdown before the end of act one, there was no need to hold true to the ancient references of the script.\nThe audience could have used the help. A good majority of the first act progressed with only two of the main characters on stage at the same time; and alone, they weren't keeping the show alive. But once the cast began to work as a team, it was proven that even Barry's comic reachings could be overcome by solid performances.\nOne such performance was given by Coryell Barlow, the leading lady who portrayed Angela, a conspiring murderer and an unknowing target of betrayal. With the hairdo of Uma Thurman's Poison Ivy, she offered the same sultry intrigue with a forewarning affinity for blood.\nAccompanying Barlow was Jonathan Molitor portraying Ted, a double-crossing agent working for Angela's husband Palmer, played by Wolf Sherrill. Sherrill gave the confidence and strength of the leading man, whom despite a cheesy "Riverdance" entrance, was slick and ironic with his delivery and poise. But as the plot twists and we discover some of his character's evil tendencies, the result is a tension that doesn't cover all the bases. While the character develops a proper contempt for his conspirers, the anger comes too easily, without the confusion that should accompany a night where his wife's murder is planned, a second murder occurs unplanned and a plot against his own life is revealed!\nMolitor, however, proved to be the cast's weakest link. His radio announcer voice seemed too cartoony for even the most typical of farces. He was so divorced from the reality of his surroundings, that he didn't even have the presence of mind to fix Sherrill's flipped collar -- which he wore for the majority of the first act. Molitor even followed through with a blocking sequence where he straightened Sherrill's tie and still refused to realize that had he been a real person in the same situation he would have taken the two seconds to adjust his colleague's shirt dilemma.\nBut much fun ensued with the entrance of the rest of the players Chris Nelson and Melissa Nedell, playing a Southern man turned Broadway producer and his wife. Nelson's deadpan subtlety was an exquisite complement to much that was going on over-the-top of the show. And though Nedell's Brooklyn accent wavered at times, the civil disdain these cosmopolitan couples exhibited for each other was absolutely accurate, leaving the audience guffawing away. \nThe top boiled off with the appearance of Dane Bolinger, a "robber" whose bumbling and "mean street" attitude provided yet another well-needed divergence from Barry's main players' dialogue.\nThe play comes to its slightly formulaic resolution a little swiftly, practically using all of one monologue to explain every question the audience had in their heads, followed by one last quick twist before the lights fade on the sad pleading for a "Happy New Year." \nAs a straight murder-mystery, the ending would have been pleasant, but as a comedy, the justice served didn't satisfy my palate. In truth, none of the characters of the story deserved to come out on top, and perhaps taking a note from Shakespeare and making sure everyone ended up dying by the end might have been a better alternative.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The courtroom battle between The Indianapolis Star and IU continues as the Indiana Court of Appeals accepted a brief in the lawsuit that is attempting to force the University to release records and transcriptions of meetings that took place during the time of former IU basketball coach Bobby Knight's firing.\nTo support the case, a brief of amicus curiae -- "friends of the court" -- was brought before the judges on July 2. Those behind the brief were the Hoosier State Press Association (HSPA), lending their voices to The Star's campaign.\nThe Star's lawsuit is seeking records created by the trustees, private investigators, and campus police in the course of days that culminated in Knight's firing. \nAccording to Indiana Open Records Law 5-14-3, information concerning "disciplinary actions in which the final action has been taken and that resulted in the employee being disciplined or discharged," is expressly forbidden to be held confidential.\nHowever, a judge ruled in November 2001 that IU was not obligated to release records concerning Knight's dismissal from his post as head basketball coach, as the University cited both federal law and state exemptions to the law.\nAccording to the law, subsection 4b, such exemptions include investigative records of law enforcement agencies.\nThe Star argues that IU gave up its rights to those exemptions when it voluntarily released portions of the records during news conferences held to announce its decision related to Knight in May and September 2000.\nKevin Betz, attorney for The Star, said the recently filed brief is providing further proof that IU needs to present those records to the press.\n"This shows other news organizations stand behind The Star. It shows these records should be public records, and not held secret by Indiana University," Betz said.\nEmmett Smelser, HSPA Foundation's president, agrees. He said the public has the right to the information surrounding Knight's firing by a state-supported university.\n"Allowing secret firings or disciplinary actions sets the stage for mischief and denies the public the ability to judge whether the discipline imposed was fair, overly harsh or too lenient," Smelser said.\nGrowing support comes as well from some students, who are confused as to why the University will not comply with The Star's requests.\n"I feel the University must be hiding something," said Roselyn Wang, senior majoring in music and mathematics.\nYet, George Vlahakis, IU Manager of Media Relations, said that this new exhibition of support is not indicative of any fault on the University's behalf.\n"We are confident that IU has followed the law in all respects," Vlahakis said.\nKnight was fired Sept.10, 2000 after violating a zero-tolerance conduct policy imposed the previous May following an investigation into an incident involving former player, \nNeil Reed.\nKnight, who spent 29 seasons and won three national championships at IU, returned to coaching this past year at Texas Tech.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
In the big city, four IU students are toiling with the "hardest profession in the world." An adult show, with an adult budget and adult demands are being placed on young performers who are meeting the rising bar, as they rehearse for this week's opening of Indianapolis' Civic Theatre's production of "The Secret Garden."\nRecent graduate Carla Moebius, junior James Neff, junior Katie Stark and junior Simon Stout are all representing IU's talent bank as they form a contingent of leaders and role models in the Civic's Young Adult Summer Musical program, of which "The Secret Garden" is a part. \nThe program began 14 years ago and provides opportunities for performers of the ages 14 to 21 to work with a professional production staff in a sophisticated venue.\nPeggy Cranfill, Director of Youth Programs, emphasizes the advantage of experience that the program lends to the students.\n"Participating in and seeing a professionally supported production improves young people's imaginative and creative thinking which fosters better performance skills and appreciation for the arts," Cranfill said. \nStout, portraying Dai the gardener, has a background of experience in Indianapolis theatre and agrees with Cranfill. He said in addition to the professionalism displayed by the production staff, the cast too exhibits an air of maturity. \n"These kids are just as professional and easy to work with as the adults I've worked with in theatre," Stout said.\nStark furthers this notion as she explains that this attitude of experience is much needed due to the nature of the show at hand.\n"It's definitely not written for young adults. It's intricate and demands a lot of work," Stark said.\nThough it proves difficult, Moebius shows no doubt in her fellow cast members.\n"These main characters are definitely of a professional quality," Moebius said.\n"The Secret Garden" is based on the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The script and lyrics are by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marsha Norman and music by Lucy Simon. The musical tells the story of Mary Lennox who is sent to live with her uncle Archibald, portrayed by Neff, in England after being orphaned when a cholera epidemic in India killed her parents. Grieving for his deceased wife Lily, Archibald sets a somber mood over his household, until Mary arrives, discovering a secret garden that once belonged to her uncle's deceased lover. By nursing the garden back to life, Mary brings a vibrancy back into the lives of her uncle and his sick son. \nAccompanied by flashbacks, a chorus of ghosts -- led by Moebius and Stark -- and some of the most hauntingly beautiful music written for the Broadway stage, this theatrical journey is said to be a must-see tale of regeneration for all ages.\n"It's a show for everybody. It's about family and love, things that impact all our lives. The themes are universal," Stout said.\nThe unity, however, does not end on the stage. As a part of the Civic's Young Adult program, these IU cast members are serving as mentors to the up and coming performers cast with them in the show.\n"There are quite a few cast members still in high school. I enjoy giving my experience to the them," Stark said\nBut don't expect the evening to be completely comprised of primroses, tea and cake. The story definitely has some dark overtones. There are themes of rejection, jealousy and loss. Neff said this aspect of the show has made his personal experience more unique when compared to the roles he's played in more traditional musicals. \n"It's not like a Danny Zukko (Grease), where you can just jump in and be fun. This is definitely more mentally challenging. It's vocally difficult and acting intense, but in the end, it's extremely rewarding," Neff said.\n"The Secret Garden" will open on the Civic Theatre's main stage Friday. Performances will continue on July 26, 27 and 28. The Friday and Saturday shows will commence at 8 p.m., and the Sunday performances will begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for main floor seating and $10 for groups of 15 or more. Tickets may be purchased at the theater's box office or by phone at (317) 923-4597.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Yet another advancement has occurred in one of the ongoing legal battles surrounding former IU basketball coach Bobby Knight and IU employee termination procedures.\nMonroe Circuit Court Judge David Welch rejected IU's motion on Monday to dismiss the lawsuit filed by former assistant basketball coach Ron Felling.\nThe University was claiming that Felling had not met the standard requirements for giving notice of his intent to sue a public agency.\nFelling's suit was brought to the Monroe County Circuit Court in November 2001 after his original suit filed in federal court was dismissed in August because of the 11th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The amendment states that the federal judicial system may not be used for "any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States." In this case, a "State" is interpreted to extend to any of its public universities. \nSince, Felling has been involved in litigation against the University for $1 million dollars in damages, claiming an invasion of privacy, wrongful termination and negligent supervision of Knight's actions. \nFelling claims that Knight secretly listened in on a phone conversation between Felling and former Knight assistant Dan Dakich in December 1999. In the conversation, Felling criticized Knight's reaction to a marginal victory over Notre Dame. After which, the suit claims, Knight fired Felling on the spot during a heated argument.\nKnight allegedly forced Felling to accompany him to his office, where he then berated Felling in front of other assistants and pushed him in the chest, knocking him backward into a television.\nKnight's lawyer has since admitted that Knight shoved Felling during the confrontation, but denied that the action was to be perceived as assault.\nFelling then filed notice of intent to sue the University in May 2000.\nHowever, the University requested that the lawsuit be thrown out on the grounds that the claims that Felling had made in his notice of intent had differed from the claims made in his actual suit.\nYet Welch disagreed, ruling that Felling had complied with Indiana State law, had notified the University on the particulars of his case, and that the University was given sufficient time to investigate the claims and prepare for court.\n"IU is seeking protection in the formalities of the notice requirements," that would circumvent the purpose of the notice statute, Welch said.\nWilliam C. Potter II, Felling's lawyer, wasn't surprised by the decision. He explained that under the law, one must provide a letter notifying the party one wishes to sue of one's intent, but with enough time for the party being sued to investigate the claim.\nPotter was assured that his client's letter was more than sufficient.\n"(The University) interviewed my client for two to three hours once we sent them the letter," Potter said. "They had plenty of time to find out whatever they needed to know." \n"This bodes well for us," Potter said, now that the case will officially go to trial.\nJames Tinney, IU's Vice President of Public Affairs, reacted to these events by expressing his disappointment in the ruling.\n"Obviously, we would have preferred for the case to be dismissed," Tinney said. "However, we are prepared to go forward. This is only one step in a long legal process." \nIU is currently in the midst of another court battle with The Indianapolis Star that is concerned with personal and investigative records involved in Knight's termination.\nThe Felling and Knight firings mark two controversial terminations within a span of two years for Indiana University.\nFelling, who now lives in Arkansas, joined Knight's staff in 1985 after coaching Lawrenceville High School to four Illinois Class A state championships. In 1997, he moved from assistant coach to become Knight's administrative assistant.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The missing persons case of ISU junior Scott Javins teetered on the edge of finality Sunday, as relatives and friends waited with anxiety, frustration, but above all, hope.\n"I think this is it," said CC Brown, a close friend of Javins. "We all need closure; his parents need closure."\nJavins was last seen driving a 2002 Silver Honda Civic SI on May 23 at 2 a.m. at the intersection of First Avenue and 22nd Street in Terre Haute. \nFriday, police impounded a burgundy Cadillac and searched a house on Terre Haute's northside for anything that could be linked to Javins' disappearance.\nLt. Steve Barnhart of the Terre Haute police department said the investigation of the house led to nothing but marijuana and nuisance-related arrests. But two members of the residence, Rozanne Hiter, 52, and her son Scott Hiter, 28, were being questioned late Friday about the case.\nA tip on the anonymous Crimestoppers telephone line on Thursday led to the Friday searches. For much of the day on Friday, and nearly all of Saturday and Sunday, police combed an area near Darwin's Ferry and Old Maple Avenue in southern Vigo County.\nThe Hiters are now officially considered suspects in the case since a news conference was held at the Vigo County Sheriff's Department Sunday at 5 p.m. after a long day searching in the field. However, no official charges will be brought up until the state attorney or U.S. attorney prosecutors can be contacted.\nLt. Barnhart also commented on the state of information concerning Javins' status.\n"We still don't know yet," Barnhart said. "We haven't found the car or his body."\nMerv Javins, Scott's father, said there have been only tips and hints, but nothing absolute. Mr. Javins was also in the field with the police, and even with the looming notion that evidence of his son's well or ill-being could be footsteps away, he maintained an optimistic outlook. \n"Right now, we don't know what to expect, but we're thinking positively," he said.\nMr. Javins and Brown both said that all through the entire ordeal, the community has shown overflowing support, which is evident in the $25,000 reward fund that has been raised throughout the weeks of waiting.\nStill, signs have been shown of a community's lack of empathy when it comes to a drawn out investigation.\nBrown spoke of a poster of Javins hanging in the Payless Shoe Store where she works. Brown said at times, people would pass and speak indifferently of her close friend's disappearance.\n"I'd hear things like 'That kid's dead,' and it breaks my heart," Brown said. "It seems everyone has something to say, but they don't understand what we're going through."\nThe shuttering in Brown's voice, the constant phone calls concerning updates and a continuing delay on the release of official information seems to have left the lives of those close to Javins in a frenzy.\n"This has turned our lives upside down," Brown said. "We don't know what to believe, and when we should be the first to know something, we're often the last."\nThe search for more evidence will continue for the time being, with family, friends and community on high alert.\n"The Javins are a wonderful family," Brown said. "It's a shame something this stressful had to happen to them"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Next door to the Indianapolis Museum of Art lies the Civic Theatre where the Young Adult Summer Musical's program is set to perform The Secret Garden. Parents and friends take the stroll through the parking lot, past a picturesque modern fountain and a sculpture of "love" to enter the theatre. The audience has a feel of a community production, comprised mostly of relatives and local supporters. Yet, the venue lends an air of professionalism, as the young performers prepare themselves for the daunting task of putting together this play of heavy themes.\nThere is an immediate pleasure as the show begins due to the quality of the lighting and color motif on the stage. The set is simple, and transitions between scenery are conducted through the lighting cues and members of the chorus of "dreamers" -- or ghosts. As the curtains rise, the audience is greeted with a visual wonder as the India of Imperial England comes alive with nothing but shadows and cast members' movements. The hues are haunting, as the dead dreamers perform in complete white, with pale pastels surrounding them. Yet in moments of drama, a stark red handkerchief is thrust from their persons to symbolize the destruction of cholera in India, and a brooding sense of demise in the English manor -- where the majority of the play is set. \nThe heroine of the evening is Mary Lennox, played by Ariadne Baker-Dunn. Lennox's parents died due to a cholera epidemic in India, and thus she was sent to her only surviving relative living in England, Archibald Craven -- played by IU junior James Neff. \nThe 11-year-old Baker-Dunn has been acting since she was four, and her experience certainly shows on stage. As opposed to most young children on the stage, who read with a cute, but predictable cadence, Baker-Dunn displayed a quite impressive control over her interpretation. She was committed to her moments and her adaptability was proven most in a moment of comic intensity. She threw a temper tantrum of Linda Blair extremes and afterward dropped the act on a dime with a silent grace once she was appeased.\nThough Baker-Dunn was granted the most minutes on stage, two performers left their distinct impressions on the audience for the evening: Neff's Archibald and Martha the housemaid, played by Sara Fox, a Musical Theatre BFA student at Millikin University.\nNeff, who studies voice at IU under Tim Noble, delivered a professional caliber performance while taking on a role that would prove to be difficult for even the most seasoned of actors. As Archibald Craven, a hunchbacked outcast who is in constant grieving for his deceased wife, Lily, and in distress over the failing health of his young son Colin, Neff held on stage the pains of loss, loneliness, and a suffering love.\nNeff's physical presence was well defined, as he played age quite convincingly, in appearance and movement. Yet, his acting was only icing on the cake to his vocal quality. Neff, a baritone by nature, did have an occasional trial with some of the higher moments in the score, as the piece was written for tenor. Yet, Neff's vocal support had such power, and he sang with such passion, that his rehearsing and sheer engrossment in his character overcame his slight struggle with the music. The end result was an almost flawless evening.\nNeff's complement in exquisite delivery was Fox. She provided a much needed comic relief to the undertones of death and pining that the show is built around. Her movement was fluid, to match her dynamic personality, and her solo of the night, "Hold On," was the highlight of the second act.\nThe evening's disappointment seemed a bit technical. The orchestra had overpowered the microphones of some of the characters with higher registers, specifically Lily, played by Lauren Bower. Normally she would add a romantic backdrop to the show. However, as the audience was straining to hear her, the character became as two dimensional as the painting from which her portrait hung.\nAt times, the chorus of dreamers would be battling with the orchestra for precedence, especially in moments of climax. Two IU students, junior Katie Stark and recent graduate Carla Moebius were a part of this entourage of ghosts. With a score of this degree of difficulty, the young performers put a stellar effort to the task at hand. Obviously not intended for young voices, the testing moments are overcome in the times when the chorus is called upon to raise the action toward its peak.\nOverall, The Secret Garden is a musical well worth an audience's time. The ending is warm and leaves the audience in a better place from when they arrived. The story of pain rejuvenated by the persistent love of family is a theme that is timeless and one that every individual can take home to reflect upon.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Early Thursday morning, the otherwise quiet Miller Beach neighborhood in Gary surrounding 7217 Locust Ave. woke up to the sounds of sirens as the police arrived on the scene of the violent murder of retired IU-Northwest Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Silas W. "Bill" May.\nMay had been beaten and stabbed to death inside his home as the neighborhood slept Wednesday night.\nMay was pronounced dead upon the arrival of county officers at 6:55 a.m. on Thursday.\nBy the end of the day Friday, Lamar Pierre Ricketts, 23, of Gary, had been arrested and charged by Lake County authorities in connection to the brutal altercation.\nLake County Coroner David Pastrick said the official autopsy revealed the cause of death to be homicide. There was blunt force trauma inflicted to May's head, followed by multiple stabbing wounds with a sharp object. The specifics of the murder weapon could not be revealed as the investigation is ongoing.\n"Nobody deserves a death like this," Pastrick said.\nPolice on the scene indicated that it seemed as though the confrontation between May and his assailant had been significantly drawn out.\n"It appears as if some type of struggle took place on the outside of the house that continued into the house and ended in death," said Det. Lanita Titus of the Gary Police Department.\nA resident living near May notified the police sometime between 10 and 10:30 p.m., Titus said, saying that "sounds of a struggle" were heard in the vicinity of May's home. A police patrol was sent to survey the area, but turned up nothing.\nIt wasn't until just before 7 a.m. when a neighbor, Kenny Shultz, went out to walk his dog and discovered blood stains on May's garage door that he became assured of trouble and had his wife phone the police.\nAmidst the shock and grieving of neighbors and relatives, investigators were already pursuing leads in the case. Officers in Merrillville, Ind. stopped a 1999 Black Chrysler 300, driven by Ricketts, and took him in for questioning.\nRicketts told the police that he had gotten into a dispute with May over the payment of May's car, which he intended to buy, Carter said. May did own a black Chrysler, but it was not for sale, and it is unclear as to how the man could have known about it. \nLake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said Ricketts is being charged with the murder and also murder in the perpetration of a robbery in connection to the altercation. Ricketts was being held without bond in the county jail pending a Monday court appearance.\nThe sense of loss in May's neighborhood equally extends to the IU-Northwest campus where May had been a noticeable presence for many years.\nMay retired in December of 2001 after serving the campus in roles ranging from professor to Head of the Division of Education to Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs.\nDr. Spencer Cortwright, professor of Biology at IUN remembers May's energetic and vibrant spirit.\n"If you had to use one word to describe (May), it would be 'jovial,'" Cortwright said. "It didn't matter if you were clerical, janitorial or administrative, May's joy touched everybody."\nLong time colleague and friend, recently retired Dean of Arts and Sciences, John Kroepfl spoke of May's commitment to the University, the breadth of work he completed and the life he gave to the moments in-between.\n"There was no job too big or too small for him," Kroepfl said. "He was an energetic and positive person who was a good influence on the whole psyche of the campus.\nCortwright said May can never be replaced.\n"When he retired, we certainly missed his daily appearances," Cortwright said. "But now we'll miss it all the way."\nThe Associated Press contributed to this report.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Like Ben Folds, I've been thinking a lot today. About the army, a band, my job, my mom and what I'm planning to do with myself after college. So have my roommates, my friends and the people sitting next to me in class. Yet for college students and other twentysomethings, being stressed out by their reflections is certainly not a habit most people attribute to the "best years of your lives."\nUnfortunately, it's one we all are slaves to, as even our pop laments these struggles in our young days. It's what John Mayer refers to as the "quarterlife crisis."\nFor years, money and therapy sessions have been lavished on the mid-life crisis. Yet, only recently is a community being born that recognizes what Alexandra Robbins and Abby Wilner define as, "the single most concentrated period during which individuals relentlessly question their futures."\nRobbins and Wilner are the authors of perhaps one of the first books confronting the issue, appropriately titled, "Quarterlife Crisis -- The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties."\nThough I've never been a fan of self-help literature, these two women offer a convincing argument. Why should we care about the wailing of those with the world at their fingertips?\nWell, that is precisely the point. Twentysomethings have everything nearly in their hands, and for the first time in their lives, they're discovering that there are no linear equations for how to firmly grab ahold of what they want.\nThe job market is no longer one where you graduate and work in the vicinity of your major. Marriage and relationships are undergoing drastic evolutions where the assurance and fairy tale romances we've grown with in the movies are under fire of constant skepticism. This is a world of sarcasm and realism -- a difficult place to foster dreams.\nHow are we to look ahead? When is it time to give up the party and think about a family? \nIs there ever a time? \nThere are decisions to be made. We know we have time left to make them, but they still loom over our heads as we fear the inevitability of confrontation.\nWe are adults, but we know we don't have to be.\nYet, the question of "who are we?" seems cliché and beneath us, so we pass it over in the hopes of not appearing too metaphysically bogged down to enjoy the next beer. But these issues are slowly becoming less taboo and thankfully more trendy. You might not find Robbins and Wilner's book sitting next to a grande mocha laté at Starbucks just yet, but their ideas are beginning to be discussed around the cup.\nThis isn't to say that our generation is destined to adopt neurosis and night terrors concerning our days to come. The "best years of our lives" will certainly remain that way, as living them with vigor and zest seem to be one of the best cures for battling the quarterlife crisis. \nI've been thinking a lot today. I'm glad to say it's not a bad thing.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Do you enjoy tea? Do you appreciate the beauty of a wild stallion? Do you like money? Have you ever used toilet paper? Then you have the entire eastern half of the world to thank.\nNo need to buy a card or a fruit basket. IU is celebrating the achievements of the peoples of Central Eurasia with a free day-long event of music, discussion, food and living at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre Saturday.\nFrom 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the theater will host a variety of musicians, artists and artifacts from the lands of China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran and the rest of the Central Eurasian world.\nDr. Shahyar Daneshgar, research associate for the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center, is one of coordinators for the events and speaks of the need to explore the cultures of this part of the planet, now more than ever in this time of conflict.\n"We all have the same needs," he said. "We enjoy music, education and good food. It's a part of being human beings. Unfortunately, politics have obscured what we'd like to learn."\nThis weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the Central Eurasian Concert and Art Exhibits with the program entitled, "Silk Road: A Cultural and Musical Journey." In the same vein as Bloomington's Lotus Festival -- in which Daneshgar is a co-founder -- the day's festivities hope to broaden understanding of these cultures by reveling in the same joys that they do.\nThe day will begin with a Meet the Artists Forum presented by the ECHO World Music Institute, in which several of the performers who will preform later in the evening will be available to answer questions, demonstrate their instruments and discuss their cultural background. This portion is particularly geared towards the younger members of the community who will have opportunities for some hands-on interaction.\nIn addition to the morning activities, there will be an artifacts exhibit of the celebrated countries. Among those will be an exhibit by artist and Columbus College of Art and Designs Professor Jahanagir Pirasteh. His work involves the interpretation of mystical and Sufi imagery that is found in the eastern and Islamic literatures. \nPirasteh said though his art is related to Sufi, his intention is to produce wholly original pieces.\n"I try to use the ideas of Sufi friendship, dance, life and beauty to provide a background for my own ideas," he said. "It lends philosophy to the poetry of my work."\nPirasteh will also be holding a lecture Friday at 7 p.m. in Ballantine Hall 013 concerning his work entitled, "Saghinameh -- Serving the Wine."\n"The 'wine' is a loaded metaphor," Daneshgar said. "It represents the Sufi's intense love of God."\nThe evening will culminate with a musical performance beginning at 3 p.m. On the bill of performers are: Megan Weeder, student of renowned violinist Ahmed Mukhtar; Tana Baum, a Mongolian dancer who has worked throughout the People's Republic of China, Mongolia, Japan and the U.S.; and vocalist Talant Mawkhanuli will be entertaining among many other talented performers. \nThe program will be held off campus for the first time since its conception for dual reasons. The first is to house more participants, and the second is to try to unify the city and University. \nDaneshgar said this doubly emphasizes the purpose of the celebration. Just as students and Bloomington residents are members of the same city, so too are easterners and westerners members of the same world.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
In the fall of 1986, IU began offering a course in American Sign Language (ASL) taught by a part-time instructor and counselor Amy Cornwell. Classes were always full.\nJust 11 years later, in 1997, the College of Arts and Sciences recognized ASL as fit to fulfill students' foreign language credits. Interest only rose.\nToday, the waitlist to get into first-year sign language courses exceeds 500 students. Cornwell is now the coordinator of the ASL program, three new faculty members have since been added and new plans are in progress for the program's evolution.\nMike Jackson, newly hired ASL professor for 2002, said it's no surprise enthusiasm for the courses is so high.\n"There are a lot of deaf people in the United States," Jackson said. "Students are motivated to learn ASL because they can use it to meet people."\nWayne Mnich, ASL professor who joined the program in 1998, said ASL is a powerful tool in the professional world, with students learning the language in such diverse fields as criminal justice, special education and psychology.\n"Take psychology for instance," Mnich said. "That field is just realizing that no valid psychological testing of the deaf can occur unless the scientists can communicate with their patients."\nJoe Murray, a professor who came to IU in 1999, discussed a further element in ASL's intrigue.\n"The speaker is almost like an artist," Murray said. "You can visually see what you are saying."\nHe said this unique feature, its physical characteristic, gives those who use ASL a different understanding of language rather than hearing.\n"With ASL, you actually see the language develop," Mnich said.\nMnich elaborated on the concept noting if one simply said the word "butterfly," one may construct an image or they may not. But when someone signs "butterfly," a person watches it flutter before the eyes.\nCornwell also said in addition to imagery, ASL has its own registers of formality, its own grammar and even its own sense of humor. \nThis humor differs from hearing humor, Cornwell said, as the hearing rely on word play and linguistic acrobatics. Jackson said for the deaf, a different technique is employed.\n"You've surely heard the saying 'play it by ear,'" he said. "Well, we play it by eye."\nMnich hopes to someday include topics courses on a range of subjects to be taught using ASL, and Jackson expressed a desire to increase the ASL lab capabilities. \nMurray is working on a pet project consisting of silent weekend retreats for higher level ASL students. At the retreats, students would be exposed to deaf culture and language, and as the name implies, no voice will be permitted for the duration of the escapade.\n"I feel a silent retreat would greatly benefit students' understanding of deaf culture, because there is only so much you can take away from 50 minutes of silence in the classroom," Murray said.\nAs indicated by Murray, no voice is permitted in the classroom environments in all ASL courses. Cornwell said an interpreter will often attend to help introduce the class and the syllabus, but afterward, no talking is tolerated.\nCommunication with students from then on varies with each professor. For instance, Jackson -- who is deaf -- uses a computer and Microsoft Powerpoint for discussions and a hearing associate instructor will interpret if students are struggling. Cornwell -- who is hearing -- allows moderate speaking at specified times.\nIn addition to future hopes and continuing classes, the program hosts ASL symposiums twice a semester. At these events, individuals are brought in from the deaf community to allow students to get a glimpse of deaf life outside the lives of their professors. At these events interpreters gather with students from the Indiana School for the Deaf and deaf members of the Amish community.\nThese symposiums and the program in general, in addition to teaching the language, attempt to remove the false impression that the deaf are limited in their real-world capabilities.\n"A lot of students have the misconception the deaf can't do much," Mnich said. "But there are deaf lawyers, pilots and doctors."\nEach agreed the deaf can do almost anything.\n"Speech is silver and silence is golden," Mnich said. "But with ASL, it's all diamonds"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
In the predawn of Sunday morning, a mysterious blaze had begun in the Deer Park Manor, the source of which is still currently under investigation.\nThough no assurance of the exact cause of the fire has been obtained, officials believe that the location of its origin was the natural gas unit of the building's western exterior.\nThe call arrived at the firehouse at 1:18 a.m. Sunday, and the department's speedy arrival limited the extent of the damage to only the 10,000 square-foot mansion and not the surrounding area.\nIt is suspected that a jet of flames was shot from the gas unit, sending the fire towards the house.\nOther than the structure itself, no one was hurt.\nFire Chief Jeff Barlow said the source is still undetermined and that any implication that the fire was "suspicious" is not being entertained until the investigation has run its course.\n"We're not speculating on any foul play," he said. "We don't want to skew the investigation with any preconceived outcomes." \nBoth the state fire marshall's office and the federal Division of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had been called in Monday morning, with investigators from each examining the area.\nBut Barlow said their role is purely complementary.\n"This case is still under local jurisdiction," Barlow said.\nPam Bright, director of Public Information for the state fire marshall, concurred.\n"The fire marshall has only been called in to provide more manpower and resources to aid in the investigation," she said. \nSamples of soil, ash and other debris were sent to a lab for testing, and the results have still not been returned.\nIn the meantime, Deer Park Manor is attempting to readjust and continue with its daily work.\n"We're just trying to get back to business," said Manager Michael Latham, whose office is in the manor. "We're not letting it affect us."\nThe building itself was built in the 1950s by Sarkes Tarzian. Tarzian was a prolific inventor. He developed several important components and systems used in radio and television sets. \nThe estate was sold to Michael Fitzgerald in 1998 as a part of the Deer Park project on Tarzian's estate property. Today, the house is used as an office for Deer Park Management -- a property management firm, a media center and conference facility.\nThe fire momentarily disrupted these procedures when it consumed a large room with a swimming pool, its floor and wooden ceiling. In the room next door, burning debris had fallen on several computers leading to partial melting. The odor of smoke and ash lingered into the workday as undamaged furniture was set outside to dry.\nNo exact figure of the total cost of the damage has been released, but the sight reveals that the building will require serious reconstructive attention.\nStill, amidst the upheaval, the workday continued.\n"We have great employees that are really pulling together," Latham said. "We're doing the best we can, and are thankful no one was hurt"
(06/27/02 2:37am)
David S. Wise, computer science professor, is one individual whose efforts are paying off. \nIn early June, Wise was elected vice-president of the Association of Computer Machinery (ACM), one of the two esteemed professional societies in the computer science community. Wise had previously held the post of secretary-treasurer in the organization.\n"His position within ACM proves that he is respected as a leader in the community," said Dennis Gannon, chair of the IU Computer Science Department.\nThis exhibition of respect doesn't come lightly. The ACM is the world's largest and longest standing community working for educational and scientific computing progress. Conceived in 1947, ACM has served as a major forum for the communication of information, ideas and discoveries. With more than 80,000 members, spanning over 100 countries globally, ACM provides service for the industrial, governmental and academic worlds. Modest and matter-of-fact, when speaking about his new position, Wise said, "I just do the things that need doing."\nWise said that his position in the ACM isn't one tied to the act of research per se, but to its "enterprise." Wise commented that the work he does for his society serves to "save us as researchers from commercial forces." The ACM and other academic societies like it act as an alternative source for publishing the research of University professors. In opposition to commercial publishing companies who sell the published material back to the University at high prices, these societies try to alleviate the stress on the University's pocketbook. \n"It may not be a concern of my colleagues, who are bound by tenure concerns to publish. But ask any librarian who keeps the books, and they'll tell you it's a major issue," Wise said.\nBusiness aspects of his community aside, Wise breaks through as a researcher. According to ACM's membership profile, he's a leading expert on parallel programming; creating faster, more efficient computer programs. He co-discovered "lazy evaluation" -- roughly speeding up programming by avoiding the need to list individual instructions to arrive at a solution -- and invented Random Access Memory with on-board counting. His current project aspires to bring the fields of programming languages, algorithms, architecture and multi-processing under a new unified paradigm.\nAll the while, Wise never forgets his job as a professor. Graduate Craig Citro, a former student of Wise, said Wise relates well in the classroom and shows genuine care for the students' learning. \n"He was always bursting with knowledge and excitement. Every time I talked to Professor Wise I felt I came away with something -- and not just about computer science," he said.\nAnd because progress with computers can happen virtually overnight, Wise is constantly working to make sure his students never get left behind. \n"He cares very much that the computer science degree offered here at IU is as strong and up-to-the-minute as it can be," Gannon said.
(06/27/02 1:56am)
We live in a new America, a veritable war zone, with intimidating players on every New York street. What we need is a new group of heroes. Soldiers of fortune who take no prisoners. We've got to get tough, Yo Gio!\n…as in Giovanni Versace. And our soldiers of fortune? Perhaps soldiers of fashion who take slow pedicures and definitely face countless players on the New York scene, fighting the battle of the sexes.\nTheir D-Day? July 21st. The drama begins again, as season five of "Sex and the City" airs on HBO.\nI'm a heterosexual, single male who enjoys NBA basketball and manual labor. Yet, I can't get enough of the trendy outfits and sexual escapades of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda. Neither can my two female roommates, my mom, my sister or any woman I have met who has access to HBO programming.\nWhat's the secret sauce employed by this critically acclaimed television series?\nThese thoughts began to waft through my head because of a conversation I had with a male friend who was chastising the show for its "glorification of casual sex." There have been critics of the series spouting similar reservations, but if that's all they know of the show, I doubt that they've ever seen an entire episode. \nNo sex scene is ever gratuitous, and above all, the show has gone where no television show has gone before and shamefully so -- for the industry. You see, the shame lies not in the sex but in the fact that never before has a series tapped into the female struggle with monogamy that before had been relegated solely to men. Finally, women across the nation are able to empathize with a television show dealing with their own diverging interests in prospective mates and it doesn't involve the female leads stressing over convincing some beefcake to grace them with his presence. \nYou see, the group of women on this show never seem to have a problem finding a man. It's finding the right man, keeping that man or deciding whether the wrong man may be the right man after all! A television show emerges that removes the stereotype of the blindly loyal girlfriend. Even in "love" with another, the main character Carrie is forced to suppress her primal urges for the "Big" ex-love of her life. And when it comes to monogamy of fairy tales, no one suffers more than Charlotte. She, with the most monogamous tendencies, in the end falls victim to the 21st Century America "marriage fantasy."\nThese women provide for each other an incredible support group, where the dialogue serves as an outlet for their emotional stories. This kind of dialogue could never occur with a show about men. When we're with friends, it's a battle of trivia or jokes. If you want to learn to share and really talk to your loved one, these women provide stellar examples. \nTop it all off with the chic New York environment, gorgeous outfits and exquisite true-to-life banter, it's no wonder that ratings and video sales are chart toppers. I know I'm not the only one who's been to Blockbuster only to find tape two of season three checked out before me.\nIf you guys out there truly want to know what women are thinking, what they're after or what they talk about when we're not around, watch the show. We can truly use the lessons. It won't give us pick-up moves but offers much more than an understanding of why your girlfriend buys so many shoes. \nAnd knowing is half the battle.