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(01/23/02 4:07pm)
It is an occurrence so common that it can strike on any night. The TV just isn\'t cutting it for the evening\'s entertainment purposes -- one can only take so many Miss Cleo commercials. The radio is not providing any solace either -- they've just played Nickelback for the sixth time in the past hour.\nThoughts of renting a video pop in your head. Where does one go for rental satisfaction? With a veritable plethora of video rental locations in Bloomington, it seems that a person would be hard-pressed not to find one that meets their standards. Here, we take a look at "the little guys" who compete against media conglomerates for your video rental buck.\nTop Ten Video\nTop Ten Video, located at 413 S. Walnut and open until 2 a.m. daily, is among the many smaller locations around Bloomington that give Blockbuster a fight for its money.\nAmong the areas in which Top Ten's selections are the widest are horror and anime. In addition to their current selection of anime, Top Ten has recently ordered a new list of titles that will be in soon.\nTop Ten also has about 300 DVDs in its collection.\nRenting videos might be a common device for dates and hanging out with friends, but sometimes people just need to watch movies by themselves. Top Ten answers this call with its adult section.\nRather than being tucked away in the shadows, the backroom at Top Ten features saloon-style swinging doors and, yes, even adult DVDs.\nNew releases go for $3.87 for one day, and carry the same price for each day that the movie is overdue. The rest of Top Ten's collection can be rented for five nights. Older movies are $2.50, adult movies are $4.40 and kids movies can be rented for a dollar. The fines for regular movies are 50 cents per day late, while the adult movies carry a $2 a day charge.\nIn addition to regular prices, Top Ten offers deals such as five movies for five nights for $5.55. Free rentals can also be won by playing the "get the quarter in the cup" game, as well as the "get the lucky gumball" game. (Note: The "lucky" gumball is actually a plastic ball, so if you wanted a gumball it is probably not such a fortuitous occurrence.)\nVideo World\nVideo World has multiple Bloomington locations, and its store on South Walnut is a big draw for students.\n"Video World is the easiest (rental store) to get to," says sophomore and veteran renter Brian McCarthy.\nDue the next day at midnight (when the store closes), Video World's new releases can be rented for $3.69. Movies that range from 4 months old to 1 year old are available at the price of $2.50 each for five nights, and five can be rented at the rate of $9.99 for five nights. Older selections match Top Ten's deal of five movies for five nights for $5.55.\nIn addition to these prices, Video World has the sometimes infamous 25-cent damage waiver.\n"It protects you from paying a replacement fee should something happen to the video," says Video World manager Andrew Pittman. And while most people comply with the waiver, Pittman has heard several strange stories regarding the demise of returned tapes. They vary from accidentally becoming dog toys to getting run over by cars after a forgotten stay on the roof.\n"As long as you have the carcass of the video and you've paid the quarter waiver, I'm usually willing to give the benefit of the doubt," Pittman says.\nVideo World's selection ranges from Hitchcock to anime and championship wrestling videos to the movie "Strangeland," starring Dee Snider from Twisted Sister.\n"We pretty well cover the spectrum of known categories," Pittman says.\nPlan 9 Video\nLocated in a basement at the corner of Kirkwood and Walnut, Plan 9 Video can go unnoticed by unsuspecting passersby. But its selection cannot be.\n"We probably have the biggest selection of DVDs in town," says owner Kerry Scott. "Some of the stuff we have I've never seen on video."\nIn addition to carrying a wide range of movies, Plan 9 also has DVDs of TV shows such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and sci-fi classics such as "Star Trek," "Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits." \n"We have the weirdest selection of movies in town," Scott says. "We have everything from Humphrey Bogart to blaxploitation." \n"Everything" encompasses new releases, classics, horror, science fiction, anime, foreign films and cult films such as the store's namesake, "Plan 9 From Outer Space."\nDVDs at Plan 9 are $3 for two nights and carry a $1.50 late charge. New release videos are $2.50 for two nights, and other videos go for $2 for two nights. All videos carry a $1 late fee.\nPlan 9 is open until 11 p.m. on Sundays, and "until midnight or one" the rest of the week. \nTJ's Video\nLike the Batcave, which was just outside of Gotham City limits, TJ's Video is located just outside of Bloomington proper on Centennial Drive. But for the bargain hunter, traveling to TJ's is a worthwhile trip.\nNew releases can be rented for $3.15, and are due at 8 p.m. the next day. But all other selections can be rented for $1 a night. TJ's also offers two deals, one where you can get three movies for three nights at a $3 rate, the other where five movies for five nights is $5.\nRenters can also strike the jackpot with TJ's weekly drawing, in which three lucky winners are awarded a free rental.\nTJ's carries about 150 DVDs, many of which are in the older movie section -- and thus can be rented for a paltry $1 a night.\nTJ's has an adult selection of about 500 titles in its backroom.\n"We have been popular with students in the past," says manager Tom Saunders, a senior. "But construction (on State Rt. 46) has slowed down student traffic."\nTJ's keeps its doors open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 p.m. Sunday.\nThose who head to TJ's in a car with manual transmission beware -- failure to use the parking brake might cause the hilly parking lot to send your own Batmobile into the woods.\nAmerican Rental\nAmerican Rental, with locations on both Walnut and Third Street, specializes in renting appliances and furniture. But they also feature a formidable movie rental section.\nAmerican Rentals prices speak for themselves -- new releases on VHS and DVD are $1.49 per night. Older videos and DVDs go for 99 cents per night. Late fees match the price of rental for each day the movie is late.\nAmerican also carries an adult section and an assortment of obscure titles.\n"We have a lot of movies you won't find at Blockbuster," says manager Joy Miller.\nAmerican rental stays open until 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 7 p.m. on Sundays.\nVillage Video\nVillage Video is located about 1.5 miles outside of Ellettsville in the Jackson Creek strip mall off State Rt. 46.\n"We carry a lot of older movies that students want for classes," says the store's manager, Jan Colbert.\nVillage Video also carries a number of deals. New releases are rented for $3.15 a day, and a limited number of newer releases are available for three nights. And while bad long-distance phone ads ask what you can get for less than a dollar, you can add the older movies at Village, which can be had for 89 cents a night. (Or, $2 for two nights). Also, on Monday-Thursday, a second new release can be added for 99 cents.\nVillage Video is open until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Sunday hours are noon to 7 p.m. \nIU Library\nFor many students, surviving in college means living a hand-to-mouth existence. And for those looking for videos that are cheaper to get than a share of Enron stock, there is no better place to go than the Kent Cooper room in the basement of the main library, where the movies are free. (IU Library also boasts video rental services at its dormitory locations).\nThe video collection boasts of about 7,000 videos, though not all have been catalogued yet. The rental collection is open to the general public.\nTwo movies can be rented for two nights, with an overdue fee of $3 per day. The Kent Cooper Room is open until midnight Sunday-Thursday and until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.\n"The collection was donated from Classical Film and Music last spring," says media coordinator Colleen Talty. \nAt this juncture, the library has 300-400 DVDs in their collection, but none have been made available for their rental program yet. Talty says that there might be DVD rentals included in the collection in the future.\nAnd while some might expect the library's collection to consist of nothing more than documentaries, the collection has a diverse selection of feature films ranging from the Marx Brothers' classic "Animal Crackers" to the Academy Award winning "Patton" to the critically unacclaimed "The Brother from Another Planet"
(01/23/02 5:00am)
It is an occurrence so common that it can strike on any night. The TV just isn\'t cutting it for the evening\'s entertainment purposes -- one can only take so many Miss Cleo commercials. The radio is not providing any solace either -- they've just played Nickelback for the sixth time in the past hour.\nThoughts of renting a video pop in your head. Where does one go for rental satisfaction? With a veritable plethora of video rental locations in Bloomington, it seems that a person would be hard-pressed not to find one that meets their standards. Here, we take a look at "the little guys" who compete against media conglomerates for your video rental buck.\nTop Ten Video\nTop Ten Video, located at 413 S. Walnut and open until 2 a.m. daily, is among the many smaller locations around Bloomington that give Blockbuster a fight for its money.\nAmong the areas in which Top Ten's selections are the widest are horror and anime. In addition to their current selection of anime, Top Ten has recently ordered a new list of titles that will be in soon.\nTop Ten also has about 300 DVDs in its collection.\nRenting videos might be a common device for dates and hanging out with friends, but sometimes people just need to watch movies by themselves. Top Ten answers this call with its adult section.\nRather than being tucked away in the shadows, the backroom at Top Ten features saloon-style swinging doors and, yes, even adult DVDs.\nNew releases go for $3.87 for one day, and carry the same price for each day that the movie is overdue. The rest of Top Ten's collection can be rented for five nights. Older movies are $2.50, adult movies are $4.40 and kids movies can be rented for a dollar. The fines for regular movies are 50 cents per day late, while the adult movies carry a $2 a day charge.\nIn addition to regular prices, Top Ten offers deals such as five movies for five nights for $5.55. Free rentals can also be won by playing the "get the quarter in the cup" game, as well as the "get the lucky gumball" game. (Note: The "lucky" gumball is actually a plastic ball, so if you wanted a gumball it is probably not such a fortuitous occurrence.)\nVideo World\nVideo World has multiple Bloomington locations, and its store on South Walnut is a big draw for students.\n"Video World is the easiest (rental store) to get to," says sophomore and veteran renter Brian McCarthy.\nDue the next day at midnight (when the store closes), Video World's new releases can be rented for $3.69. Movies that range from 4 months old to 1 year old are available at the price of $2.50 each for five nights, and five can be rented at the rate of $9.99 for five nights. Older selections match Top Ten's deal of five movies for five nights for $5.55.\nIn addition to these prices, Video World has the sometimes infamous 25-cent damage waiver.\n"It protects you from paying a replacement fee should something happen to the video," says Video World manager Andrew Pittman. And while most people comply with the waiver, Pittman has heard several strange stories regarding the demise of returned tapes. They vary from accidentally becoming dog toys to getting run over by cars after a forgotten stay on the roof.\n"As long as you have the carcass of the video and you've paid the quarter waiver, I'm usually willing to give the benefit of the doubt," Pittman says.\nVideo World's selection ranges from Hitchcock to anime and championship wrestling videos to the movie "Strangeland," starring Dee Snider from Twisted Sister.\n"We pretty well cover the spectrum of known categories," Pittman says.\nPlan 9 Video\nLocated in a basement at the corner of Kirkwood and Walnut, Plan 9 Video can go unnoticed by unsuspecting passersby. But its selection cannot be.\n"We probably have the biggest selection of DVDs in town," says owner Kerry Scott. "Some of the stuff we have I've never seen on video."\nIn addition to carrying a wide range of movies, Plan 9 also has DVDs of TV shows such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and sci-fi classics such as "Star Trek," "Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits." \n"We have the weirdest selection of movies in town," Scott says. "We have everything from Humphrey Bogart to blaxploitation." \n"Everything" encompasses new releases, classics, horror, science fiction, anime, foreign films and cult films such as the store's namesake, "Plan 9 From Outer Space."\nDVDs at Plan 9 are $3 for two nights and carry a $1.50 late charge. New release videos are $2.50 for two nights, and other videos go for $2 for two nights. All videos carry a $1 late fee.\nPlan 9 is open until 11 p.m. on Sundays, and "until midnight or one" the rest of the week. \nTJ's Video\nLike the Batcave, which was just outside of Gotham City limits, TJ's Video is located just outside of Bloomington proper on Centennial Drive. But for the bargain hunter, traveling to TJ's is a worthwhile trip.\nNew releases can be rented for $3.15, and are due at 8 p.m. the next day. But all other selections can be rented for $1 a night. TJ's also offers two deals, one where you can get three movies for three nights at a $3 rate, the other where five movies for five nights is $5.\nRenters can also strike the jackpot with TJ's weekly drawing, in which three lucky winners are awarded a free rental.\nTJ's carries about 150 DVDs, many of which are in the older movie section -- and thus can be rented for a paltry $1 a night.\nTJ's has an adult selection of about 500 titles in its backroom.\n"We have been popular with students in the past," says manager Tom Saunders, a senior. "But construction (on State Rt. 46) has slowed down student traffic."\nTJ's keeps its doors open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 p.m. Sunday.\nThose who head to TJ's in a car with manual transmission beware -- failure to use the parking brake might cause the hilly parking lot to send your own Batmobile into the woods.\nAmerican Rental\nAmerican Rental, with locations on both Walnut and Third Street, specializes in renting appliances and furniture. But they also feature a formidable movie rental section.\nAmerican Rentals prices speak for themselves -- new releases on VHS and DVD are $1.49 per night. Older videos and DVDs go for 99 cents per night. Late fees match the price of rental for each day the movie is late.\nAmerican also carries an adult section and an assortment of obscure titles.\n"We have a lot of movies you won't find at Blockbuster," says manager Joy Miller.\nAmerican rental stays open until 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 7 p.m. on Sundays.\nVillage Video\nVillage Video is located about 1.5 miles outside of Ellettsville in the Jackson Creek strip mall off State Rt. 46.\n"We carry a lot of older movies that students want for classes," says the store's manager, Jan Colbert.\nVillage Video also carries a number of deals. New releases are rented for $3.15 a day, and a limited number of newer releases are available for three nights. And while bad long-distance phone ads ask what you can get for less than a dollar, you can add the older movies at Village, which can be had for 89 cents a night. (Or, $2 for two nights). Also, on Monday-Thursday, a second new release can be added for 99 cents.\nVillage Video is open until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Sunday hours are noon to 7 p.m. \nIU Library\nFor many students, surviving in college means living a hand-to-mouth existence. And for those looking for videos that are cheaper to get than a share of Enron stock, there is no better place to go than the Kent Cooper room in the basement of the main library, where the movies are free. (IU Library also boasts video rental services at its dormitory locations).\nThe video collection boasts of about 7,000 videos, though not all have been catalogued yet. The rental collection is open to the general public.\nTwo movies can be rented for two nights, with an overdue fee of $3 per day. The Kent Cooper Room is open until midnight Sunday-Thursday and until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.\n"The collection was donated from Classical Film and Music last spring," says media coordinator Colleen Talty. \nAt this juncture, the library has 300-400 DVDs in their collection, but none have been made available for their rental program yet. Talty says that there might be DVD rentals included in the collection in the future.\nAnd while some might expect the library's collection to consist of nothing more than documentaries, the collection has a diverse selection of feature films ranging from the Marx Brothers' classic "Animal Crackers" to the Academy Award winning "Patton" to the critically unacclaimed "The Brother from Another Planet"
(01/22/02 5:29am)
At 9 a.m. on Monday students, faculty and members of the Bloomington community nearly filled the Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union for an interfaith prayer service. \nThe event was sponsored by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration committee, Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, Muslim Student Union, Helene G. Simon Hillel Center and the Center for University Ministry.\n"I wanted to see God's love transformed on this campus," senior Christina McDougall said.\nThe program began with words from Reverend Rebecca Jimenez from the Center for University Ministry. Jimenez spoke of how the event reflected the "beloved community" King worked to create during his lifetime.\n"He wanted to see racism and bigotry replaced by brotherhood and sisterhood," Jimenez said.\nShe also spoke of religious diversity as the "final frontier" in creating the beloved community. Jimenez even showed some humor in explaining how the program was put together to the congregation.\n"A priest, a rabbi, and two Baptists came together--and that's not the beginning of a joke," Jimenez said. \nAfter Jimenez spoke, graduate student Valerie Lambert performed a liturgical dance. The dance represented a celebration of the body and called to attention religious symbols from the different faiths represented.\nFollowing the dance, Reverend Donald Griffin of the Second Baptist Church read excerpts from a sermon given by King in 1967.\nAn interfaith choir directed by Kelly Corcoran of the Center for University Ministry then performed the traditional spiritual "Go Down, Moses."\n"It was wonderful to work with a group of such eager people that were very diverse in their religious beliefs and their lives," Corcoran said.\nThe program also featured members of various faiths reading prayers. \n"It was incredible how people came together," Jimenez said.\nSenior Philip Ohriner was the first to speak, offering a traditional Jewish prayer in Hebrew. The prayer was followed by a traditional hymn.\nThe hymn was followed by a reading of three traditional prayers from the Koran, first read in Arabic and then translated into English.\nAfter a presentation of Jack Reimer's responsive reading "Social Action," graduate student Bea Garner read a traditional Christian prayer. \nThe African American female a cappella group Sojourner also presented a rendition of the hymn "Amazing Grace."\n"It was very interesting to see the different faiths represented through music and prayer," Corcoran said.\nGraduate student Gregory Maytan then read a prayer of the Baha'i faith, which was followed by Rabbi Sue Shifron's reading of a traditional Buddhist benediction. \nThe service concluded with the congregation singing a hymn made popular in King's lifetime, "We Shall Overcome."\n"It was an incredible success," Jimenez said. "I think that it will become an annual event"
(01/18/02 5:45am)
In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of the day that "all of God's children… will be able to join hands and sing..." \nAt 9 a.m. Monday in the Indiana Memorial Union's Whittenberger Auditorium, members of the Bloomington religious community will try to play their part in making that dream a reality with an interfaith prayer service.\nThe organization of the event was spearheaded by the director of the Center for University Ministry, Rev. Rebecca Jiménez. Jiménez and other religious leaders across campus felt that a service of unity would be one of the most appropriate ways to honor King's memory and legacy.\n"He was about non-violence, reconciliation, justice, and passion," Jiménez said. "When people of different faiths could come together to build a beloved community, we're absolutely following the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."\nThe service will begin with a liturgical dance, which will be followed by a reading of excerpts from King's 1967 "The Birth of a New Nation." Prayers and hymns from the faiths of Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Baha'i will follow the speech. The reading of a Buddhist benediction will also be included.\n"My one regret is that there was not a larger representation (of faiths)," said Jiménez, who is optimistic that this year's event could be successful enough to draw a more diverse lineup in the future.\nAnother key coordinator in the event is Rabbi Sue Shifron, director of the Helen G. Simon Hillel Center. Shifron was pleased to get involved with the project from the start and feels it is vital for groups to perpetuate King's message of unity and diversity.\n"It's important for us to have interfaith dialogue and activities," Shifron said. "It allows us to celebrate differences in tradition."\nEvent organizers are not the only people who believe the event will be successful in relaying its message. Freshman Ben Grubert thinks the service will be a valuable lesson in spirituality for all involved.\n"No matter how strong your faith in your own religion is, it's always important to keep an open mind about others," Grubert said. "It's one of the best ways you can grow spiritually"
(01/16/02 5:36am)
The Bloomington Faculty Council discussed a newly developed University Information Technology Services portal as well as an interim re-implementation policy for language proficiency standards at a meeting last night in Ballantine Hall. \nPortal to cater toward individuals\nThe "OneStart" portal was presented by Barry Walsh and Jim Thomas of UITS. The portal, when completed, will allow students, faculty, staff and alumni to customize their computer desktops based on their individual needs and preferences.\nThe portal would automatically bookmark Web sites a user utilizes most often and save them as windows that can be clicked on and immediately accessed. Other features include automatic links to the Bloomington forecast page of the Weather Channel. \nWalsh hopes the portal's user-friendly format will make finding things on the computer a much simpler and less time-consuming task for users.\n"We want to envision helping you get right to all of the services you need in a single entity," Walsh said.\nSome BFC members expressed concern over certain aspects of the development of "OneStart." Professor of physics Harold Ogren questioned whether a system of having several different pages instantly accessible from the desktop would cause greater potential for a security breach or allow a virus to spread more quickly.\nWalsh denied the possibility.\n"Nothing else in the portal would be affected by a virus in one application," he said.\nChancellor Sharon Brehm expressed support of the portal's development but wants to make sure the ability for users to individualize their desktops will not take away from the sense of community on campus.\n"If there was a state of emergency, there should be a space for people to obtain information," Brehm said. "There should also be a constant reminder on the portal of the campus as a community."\nInstitutions with portals similar to "OneStart" include the University of Texas, University of California-Los Angeles, University of Minnesota, University of Washington and University of Buffalo. \n"OneStart" will not be implemented until the BFC agrees on what it would like the default settings to be and UITS can fully prepare servers for a potentially heavy user load.\nNew standards help students\nAnother issue brought before the council was the interim policy on associate instructor English proficiency standards. The policy was updated in December 2001 for the first time since November 1979.\n"Foreign graduate students whose native language is not English shall be tested by the Center for English Language Training to insure that they have adequate proficiency in the language before they may be allowed to engage in direct instruction of students," the policy said\nForeign graduate students had to fill out a waiver under the old policy, giving them a semester to perfect their English skills if they did not meet the requirements. The waiver policy, however, has not been used for about five years, thus allowing no quality opportunities for international students to improve their language skills.\nThe situation kept foreign students who were required to teach in order to receive grants out of the classroom. Those whose language skills were somewhat questionable remained in the classroom, Robert Eno, BFC president and professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures said.\n"We want to institute a flexible waiver policy that is very carefully monitored while we build up proper training vehicles," Eno said. "For example, someone teaching high-level French should have a semester to perfect their English skills."\nThe Dean of Faculties and the Research and University Graduate Schools will be responsible for creating the training programs, which will be available in August 2003.
(11/29/01 4:17am)
Personally, I am glad that I had a ridiculous amount of homework to do this semester, for it rendered me unable to watch any TV. While I'm not about to accuse the television of being a bastion of intellectualism, it at least provided us with decent entertainment back in the day.\nI'm talking about an era where you could watch episodes of "ALF," "Cheers," "Who's The Boss?," "Night Court," "MacGyver," "Mr. Belvedere" and "The Golden Girls" during any given week. Now, in the modern era, such quality programs are few and far between. (OK, so "The Golden Girls" was terrible, but just forget that for the sake of this argument).\nMany experts (i.e. people who watch TV in lieu of attending class) believe that the end of "Seinfeld" was the end of TV as we know it. Based on the careers of many of the shows stars after it went off the air, this is a logical conclusion. The number of episodes that Michael Richards and Jason Alexander's sitcom vehicles aired could probably be counted on one hand after a farm accident. As some of network TV's greatest stars have faded, so has network TV itself.\nOne major issue is the fact that there is an entire network that is a sham, which is UPN. The highest rated program on the network is WWF "Smackdown!," which gives our culture such insightful lines as, "Can you smell what the Rock is cookin'?"\nYes, I can smell him cooking the entire survival of the UPN network, and it smells like the can of sardines that I left open in my refrigerator during Thanksgiving break.\nAnd even though I have not watched wrestling since the Bushwhackers were Tag Team champs, I must admit that "Smackdown!" has the best script writing on the entire network. \nAnother problem is that quality programs are frequently cancelled. If they do not gain a strong foothold with an audience right away, they will not succeed. Some fairly recent examples of this type are "Sports Night," "The Critic" and "Freaks and Geeks." All were critically acclaimed. And it's no coincidence that they can be seen on cable in rerun form.\nSo what is responsible for my utter lack of interest? So-called "reality-based" shows that have gained an enormous amount of interest from the general public. How the moniker "reality-based" was applied to these shows I will never know, since the chances of being stuck on a desert island are about as good as the chance of the Cubs winning the World Series, the Hoosiers winning the Rose Bowl and Janet Reno posing for a centerfold in the same year.\nInitially, I thought that Fox could not top "Temptation Island" for the annual award for the World's Biggest Descent into Pure Drivel. But they have outdone themselves with the stellar sequel "Temptation Island 2" and the equally comparable dung-fest called "Love Cruise: The Maiden Voyage." The shows build on a tradition Fox mastered in quality programs like "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?" and "When Animals Attack 7."\nIf a bunch of hot people trying to seduce couples isn't realistic, I don't know what is.\nIn fact, I contacted Fox head Rupert Murdoch to see if I could visit Temptation Island to interview some of the seductresses myself. It looked like it would work out but the plan fell through when Murdoch realized that a) I actually forged my press pass at Kinko's and b) he doesn't own the IDS, and therefore wouldn't be able to make any money off of the story.\nAs much as I would like to continue this rambling discussion, I have to go now. Springer's on.
(11/27/01 3:54am)
Senior Shannon Hogan knew he had to do something. The numbers "nine" and "11" had been floating through his mind for weeks. Finally, in wake of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, he decided to start a project that could unite a campus of thousands of students as one -- a project that he is calling "ProjectCARE."\n"ProjectCARE" was started by Hogan as a way to raise funds for the Red Cross. Hogan designed black armbands that carry the message "9-11-01 Peace & Prayer" in white text. The armbands will be distributed by Hogan to anyone willing to make a donation to the Red Cross. \n"We're taking donations… there's no minimum price, and all proceeds go to the Red Cross," Hogan said.\nFor Hogan, the idea for the project was rooted in events that took place before the terrorist attacks even occurred.\n"For some strange reason, the numbers nine and 11 had been in my head before it happened," said Hogan.\nHogan began to worry that something bad would happen to him and that somehow it would involve those digits. While on a trip to Iowa, Hogan became so worried that he pulled his car to the side of the road and got out when his clock read "9:11." \nAfter taking a few minutes to calm himself of any irrational fears, Hogan got back into his car and picked up his cell phone. Once he saw that the time on the cell phone, which had been set differently than his dashboard clock, read "9:11," he began to think that there really might be a deeper meaning to the phenomenon.\n"I felt that the numbers 9-1-1 were a message from God that I hadn't been praying enough," Hogan said.\nA little over a week later, on Sept. 11, rather than waking up early as usual, Hogan slept in. A janitor in his dorm broke the news of the events that had already happened that morning.\n"At that point, I realized that I just don't have to pray more, but as a nation we need to pray more," Hogan said.\nSoon thereafter, Hogan struck upon the idea of making armbands as a symbol of unity. After going to fabric stores and having a seamstress develop a prototype for him, Hogan went to the chancellor's office to seek a way to distribute the armbands across campus. In turn, he was referred to Associate Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs Bruce Jacobs.\n"What is unique about the project is a student can often find a way to make it happen," said Jacobs. "One individual can make a difference."\nJacobs played a vital role in helping Hogan get the project off the ground by connecting him with people that could help raise money to fund "ProjectCARE." Among those who he got Hogan in touch with was Rebecca Jimenez at the Center for University Ministry.\nUpon hearing Hogan's idea, Jimenez was impressed and willing to help offset the costs of manufacturing the armbands.\n"It's a concrete expression of grief and hope after September 11," Jimenez said. \nAfter a long wait, an initial shipment of 250 "CAREbands" have reached Hogan and are ready for distribution.\n"Hopefully, every student at IU donates to this," Hogan said. "It represents the voice of campus… this is something we can say we all did"
(11/15/01 4:06am)
A couple of weeks ago, I saw an article that caught my eye. It said that the state had released a report criticizing the IU administration for not taking a harsh stance on alcohol. At first I chuckled, realizing that I must have inadvertently picked up The Onion. But then I realized that this was a real report running in the IDS.\nUpon this realization, I reached two conclusions: 1) The people who conducted this study have obviously never visited this campus. 2) The people who conducted this study list watching paint dry and watching curling on an obscure Canadian cable channel as their favorite activities.\nSomehow, I knew there must be logic in stating that a school that does not allow 21-year-olds who happen to live in a fraternity or residential hall to drink on the comfort of their own futons is not being strict enough against alcohol. But upon closer investigation, I have concluded that the report's findings make about as much sense as riding a unicycle to class in a snowstorm.\nThe weekend should be a time to unwind, right? Not if you go to IU. Then it should be a time to worry that the dean's are going to bust into your house and bust you for having some beers. Or that someone who elects to walk home from the bars rather than driving should be picked up by the Bloomington Police Department.\nA recent visit to the University of Illinois highlights my point. People were free to sit on the balcony of their apartment or outside of their fraternity house with a can of Old Style in tow and not have to worry about anyone.\nBy now you must think I am insinuating that alcohol is the key to a good time. But that is not the issue at all. The issue is a matter of freedom -- we came to college to become responsible adults, not so we could be babysat.\nUnfortunately, the University\'s policy of curbing alcohol abuse with Prohibition-style tactics (they certainly borrowed from an era of American history where that policy really worked, didn't they?) is not working. \nSo what is my solution to the problem? The social intervention prevention method.\nMichael Haines began the social norm intervention method at Northern Illinois University in 1989. Rather than castigating students for drinking or prohibiting their access to alcohol, the program emphasizes positive reinforcement of responsible drinkers.\nThe program was initiated by surveying students to find their perception of the percentage of students that engaged in heavy episodic drinking. Then students were surveyed to see how many actually did engage in heavy episodic drinking (five or more drinks in a sitting for males, four or more for females). The actual percentage ended up being much lower than the perceived percentage.\nInitially, NIU engaged in a campaign that used scare tactics to curb heavy episodic drinking. With this method having little effect, they implemented the social norm method. The method involves intense media marketing citing statistical evidence that the majority of people drink moderately. The theory is that students will therefore be less inclined to follow the myth that most people are binge drinkers, and that they too must drink heavily to fit in -- thus breeding a more responsible breed of drinker.\n Sound too good to be true? Evidence indicates that the social norm method is working. Since NIU instituted the program, heavy episodic drinking has decreased by 44 percent. At University of Arizona, it has decreased by 28 percent over five years. University of Missouri has seen a 21 percent drop over the past two years.\nThough IU's alcohol policy is ineffective and repressive, the future shows signs of hope that with the implementation of proper methods, fun and responsibility can be effectively balanced. And we can all raise a toast to that.
(11/01/01 4:17am)
I got a notice in the mail today from the U.S. Postal Service. It warned me what to do should I get a suspect piece of mail, plus things to look for that would make a piece of mail "suspicious."\nAmong the tips they gave me were "It's marked with restrictive endorsements such as 'Personal' or 'Confidential.'" I have decided to personally include the endorsement "Invoice Enclosed" in this category, because, quite frankly, I am afraid to be exposed to my bills this month. \nAnother tip that they give when you receive a suspicious package: "Don't shake it, bump it or sniff it." Curse these people! They are trying to strip me of one of my favorite activities, mail-sniffing. When will the madness stop?\nAs you know if you've turned on the TV lately, the answer to that question is "never," as our nation is apparently about to be swept away by a terrible plague of anthrax. And everyone is buying the hype.\nI even had my own scare the other day. I walked into my bathroom, and noticed a white, powdery substance on the floor of the shower. Shocked, I picked up the phone and prepared to dial 911 -- not because I thought it was anthrax, but since I realized that it was Bab-O and this meant that my roommate was actually cleaning our bathroom. My only possible reaction was to nearly have a heart attack, and thus I almost made the call.\nIn all seriousness, one fact remains: almost nobody reading this has any real risk of contracting anthrax. Unless, of course, you are an important person. And by important I mean someone who makes laws in our country, or reports on those laws on behalf of a major media conglomerate. And if you're that important, someone opens your mail for you, anyway -- so it's secretaries, interns and postal workers who have the real risk of contracting anthrax.\nThere are solutions to the problem. We could always have secretaries and postal workers wear biohazard protection suits when they do their jobs. There are also drugs like Cipro to cure anthrax in the unlikely case of exposure.\nTo gauge how truly sad the situation is, look no further than your e-mail inbox. The other day I got a message stating "Viagra and Cipro Online Now!" Really. You can now take care of your erectile problems and your anthrax problems with one click of the mouse.\nThe easiest solution to these problems would be to simply ignore them, keeping the realization that the chances of the Hoosiers making a trip to the Micronpc.com Bowl are greater than your chances of contracting anthrax. More people live in Gnaw Bone, Ind., than have contracted anthrax in this country. \n Unfortunately, our government won't let it be that easy for us (must be that power trip that they're on). For instance, this week the FBI warned us that terrorists could strike here or abroad sometime in the near future. Except they didn't bother telling us when or where. Oh, those silly technicalities.\n Still, Attorney General John Ashcroft told Americans to "go about their lives." Which message are they trying to send? Both, of course, because that's what bureaucrats do best. There are no real answers, just more questions.\nWhere can we find these answers? I suggest the local taco joints. My friends went to a tacqueria recently and asked an employee what he thought of the "anthrax thing."\n"Yeah, I've heard a lot about them lately," he said, toying with his mullet in thought. "Are they comin' out with a new album or something?"\nIgnorance is bliss.
(10/25/01 5:25am)
Men's golf coach Mike Mayer said he had a feeling that a more experienced lineup was what the Hoosiers needed to break through at the 24-team Tillinghast at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. \nMayer's hunch paid off as the Hoosiers placed seventh in the 24-team field.\n"With the lineup that we brought, we got quite a bit out of this tournament," Mayer said.\nThe Hoosiers finished the 36-hole tournament with a total score of 596, putting them 19 strokes behind tournament champion Illinois. IU finished three strokes behind Maryland, the 39th ranked team in the nation, according to Golfweek magazine. The Hoosiers overwhelmed 45th ranked Navy by 22 shots.\nJunior Ben Davidson led the attack for IU. Davidson shot a two-round total of 148 (73-75) and tied for 17th individually. Davidson's finish was the best of his career. \n"The tournament, the course, and the field were all unbelievable," Davidson said. "I just tried to keep myself out of trouble for two rounds and hit my birdie putts when I needed to."\nThe Hoosiers found they did not have to look to their \nexperience players for low scores. Freshman Rob Ockenfuss, who entered the tournament as the number-five golfer for IU, finished a career-best 21st individually, posting a score of 149 (74-75).\nFreshman Heath Peters struggled on the first day of the tournament, shooting a career-high 81. But he was able to regain his composure in the second round and shoot a one-over-par 71, the lowest individual round for any IU player in the tournament. Peters tied for 42nd overall.\n"I was taken aback by the atmosphere on the first day and knew I had to turn it around on Tuesday," Peters said. "My putting improved Tuesday and I played the course a little smarter by just shooting at the center of the greens and focusing on making pars."\nAlso finishing tied for 42nd was junior Bret Hardin, who shot a 77 in the first round and ended with a second round 75.\nSenior Rich Thomas rounded out the Hoosier lineup shooting 156 (76-80). Mayer said Thomas's contribution to the lineup went far beyond his score.\n"Rich really held us together in the first round," Mayer said. \nMayer said he is impressed with the depth and versatility of his squad. \n"Our team is actually deeper than we anticipated," Mayer said. "It just took us a couple of lineup changes to realize that."\nThe Hoosiers close out the fall season at a 36-hole dual meet with Ball State Sunday at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne.
(10/10/01 4:14am)
Freshman Jeff Overton shot a career low 54-hole score with a four-over par 217 in the Xavier Provident Invitational at the Grizzly Tournament Course in Mason, Ohio. Overton's efforts, which included a one-under par 70 in Tuesday's final round, were only enough to lead the Hoosiers to a seventh place finish in the 19-team tournament.\nThough his performance was enough to garner the 17th position in the tournament, Overton still believes his game has room for improvement.\n"I feel like I\'m hitting the ball as good as I ever have, but I\'m just missing short putts and not taking advantage of opportunities," Overton said.\nIU finished the tournament with a score of 872, which put them a mere stroke behind sixth-place Ohio's 871. Despite finishing in seventh, the mark of 872 was the second-best finish for IU in the Xavier Provident Invitational, which the team has played in for the past six years. In 1998 the team\'s score of 870 was good enough for a second place finish.\n"We did not play bad," junior Aldo Jordan said. "But most of the teams were making birdies so that's where the difference came in. We have to take advantage of every possible shot."\nThe Hoosiers shot combined scores of 291 and 292 in the first two rounds Monday, putting the team in 13th place after the first day of the tournament. On Tuesday the team lept up in the standings on the heels of Overton\'s 70 as well as a 72 from Jordan. IU\'s score of 289 was good enough to raise the team into seventh place overall.\n"The course was set up tougher today and we shot our lowest round," head coach Mike Mayer said.\nJordan was the No. 2 man for the Hoosiers, tying for 29th individually with a 219 (73-74-72). Junior Ben Davidson and freshman Heath Peters tied for 41st individually with a score of 221, including an even-par first round for Peters. Rounding out the field for IU was freshman Rob Ockenfuss, who tied for 48th with a score of 222. Ockenfuss' tournament featured a one-under par 70 in the second round.\nThe Hoosiers will be in action again on Oct. 22-23 at The Tillinghast in Scarsdale, N.Y.\n"We have less than two weeks to prepare for Scarsdale," Mayer said. "This is probably the toughest field we will see in the fall and possibly the whole year. We need to get focused and we need to work hard in these two weeks"
(10/04/01 5:33am)
Known as the "Fab Four," freshmen Jeff Overton, Heath Peters, Rob Ockenfuss and Oren Hodak have come to Bloomington to help improve the fortune of IU's golf team.\n"I\'m happy with all of my recruiting classes, but this one is the strongest," coach Mike Mayer said of his third group of freshmen.\nThe class has been able to post low scores in practice, and Overton, Peters and Ockenfuss are slated to play in next week's tournament at Michigan.\n"They have work ethic … the upperclassmen have to fight for spots," Mayer said. "They say 'wow, the freshmen are practicing, I better get my butt out there and start practicing.'"\nOverton is leading the way for the freshmen. He was recruited by more than 50 programs. He received scholarship offers from several major programs, including Illinois, Colorado State, Kansas State, Ball State, Kent State, South Florida and Miami (Ohio).\nOverton's performance in several prestigious junior tournaments brought him attention from scouts. Most notable were the U.S. Junior Amateur and the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions. Overton finished 20th in both.\n"Jeff has tremendous talent as an athlete," Mayer said. "He could become one of the best golfers, if not the best, in Indiana University history."\nPeters, a native of Garrett, Ind., was named the Indiana Golf Association's Junior Masters Player of the Year in 2000. Peters' emergence onto the scene as a highly-recruited player came as a surprise to many coaches, since he's appeared in few national tournaments. But what Mayer did see, he liked.\n"He has a lot of raw skills," Mayer said. "When he gets some more instruction to go with his raw talent, he has the ability to go a long, long way."\nOckenfuss comes to the team as what Mayer calls a "recruited walk-on," someone that was offered a spot on the team, but not a scholarship due to the low number awarded to men's golf. Ockenfuss, who stands at a lanky 6'7", finished fifth in the state tournament in his native Pennsylvania his senior year of high school.\nMayer said he is impressed by Ockenfuss' ability to hit the ball, but also by the focus he brings to the course each day.\n"Out of all the freshmen, Rob has the most focus. He's a very intense young man," Mayer said.\nOckenfuss said the key for good play is focusing on the right things. "There's a line between being focused and too focused," he said. "Don't focus hard on (swing) mechanics, but focus hard on playing."\nHodak was offered scholarships by smaller schools, but wanted to come to IU to remain closer to friends, and because it offered a better program. But first, Hodak had to sell himself to Mayer.\n"He was very persistent," Mayer said. "He brings a lot of passion and intensity to the program."\nNow that Hodak is on the team, the coaching staff has worked with him to match his swing with his intensity. \n"(I got off to a) slow start, but I'm starting to put it all together," Hodak said.\nThe freshmen have not only made a strong impression on their coach, but on their fellow teammates. \n"They're really mature, they've worked hard and earned their spot right away," said senior Rich Thomas. "(They're) not making the same mistakes that freshmen have made in the past"
(10/01/01 5:09am)
The men's golf team cruised to a third place finish in this weekend's 20-team Wolverine Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich. The third-place mark was the highest the Hoosiers have ever posted in the Wolverine Invitational, which they have played in annually since the tournament began in the 1990-91 season.\nThe Hoosiers finished the 36-hole tourney with a score of 586. Only Minnesota, with a score of 579, and Baylor, which posted a 574, were able to top IU.\n"It was a good field, a good golf course and we beat some really good teams out there," coach Mike Mayer said. "I couldn't be more pleased."\nOf the teams Indiana finished ahead of, five were Big Ten teams. For the Hoosiers, who are coming off a 2000-01 season that found them in the Big Ten basement, this sign is as strong of an indication as any that the squad's fortunes are on the verge of turning around.\nThe team placed third in the tournament despite playing three freshmen in the five-man lineup for the first time in Mayer's reign as head coach. Jeff Overton led the freshmen with a three-over-par score of 145 (72-73), which was good enough for a tie for 15th place individually. \n"We had more confidence than we did in the first tournament," Overton said.\nFreshmen Heath Peters and Rob Ockenfuss also contributed to the team's victory. Peters finished tied for 36th place individually with a final score of 149, including a one-over-par 72 during Sunday's round. Ockenfuss tied for 63rd with a score of 153 (78-75). It was the first collegiate tournament for both Peters and Ockenfuss.\n"Our freshmen actually played better than they scored," Mayer said.\nThe hero for the Hoosiers was junior Aldo Jordan. Jordan returned to his normal form after a rough outing in the season-opening Badger Invitational. Jordan shot a two-over-par 144 in the tournament, including an even par 71 on Friday's opening round. Jordan's score was good enough to put him in a tie for ninth place in the tournament. \nFor Jordan, the defining moment of his round occured on hole 12, the third hole he played on Friday. Jordan saved par on the hole by sinking a 40-foot putt.\n"It pumped me up for the rest of the round," Jordan said. "It was a turning point for me."\nJunior Ben Davidson also made a strong contribution to the Hoosiers high finish, shooting 148 (73-75) in the tourney. Davidson tied for 27th individually.\nThe Hoosiers entered play on Sunday in fifth place, but lept ahead of West Florida, Ball State, and Michigan State during the final round. Baylor, who won the tournament, came back from sixth place after their first round.\n"This tournament leaves me feeling very pleased about our team and our future," Mayer said.
(09/28/01 5:24am)
The men's golf team will begin their Friday morning in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the two-day Wolverine Invitational. In addition to being in the midst of a deep 20-team field, the team will have to adjust to the loss of top player senior Mike Miller for the meet and the rest of the fall season because of a wrist injury.\nThe Wolverine Invitational features a diverse field with Air Force, Akron, Ball State, Baylor, Eastern Michigan, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Notre Dame, West Florida, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin and Xavier.\n"This is a very deep, tough field," head coach Mike Mayer said. "We have a tough fall schedule (in general)."\nWhile the competition was already looking to be tough, the Hoosiers were dealt a devastating blow earlier this week when it was learned that Miller would need surgery to repair a dislocated tendon in his right wrist. Miller posted the low score for the team in the season-opening Badger Invitational. \n"My wrist will be immobilized for six to seven weeks and I won\'t be able to hit golf balls until late January," Miller said. Miller is set to have surgery Oct. 10.\nAs a result of Miller\'s injury, the team will have three freshmen in the five-man lineup, which is the first time in Mayer\'s twelve years of involvement with the program that the lineup has been inundated with more than two freshmen. The three freshmen playing at Michigan will be Jeff Overton, Heath Peters, and Rob Ockenfuss. Juniors Aldo Jordan and Ben Davidson will also play for the team this weekend. Junior Brett Hardin will accompany the team and play as an individual in the tournament.\nDespite the loss of Miller, the coaching staff is optimistic the Hoosiers will recover. \n"Any of the three freshmen could definitely step in those shoes," assistant coach Mike Kemper said. "If this teams gonna be any good, Aldo is also gotta pick up his play a little bit."\nIU heads to Michigan to play competitive golf for the first time since Sunday, Sept. 9 when they played in the Badger Invitational. The Northern Intercollegiate at Iowa was among the events cancelled as all IU sports took the weekend after the terrorist attacks off. \nMayer said he does not believe the team will be rusty as a result of the long layoff, but instead come out fresh and invigorated.\n"We had two weeks of practice where we found out a lot about ourselves as a team," Mayer said.\nOne of the unusual aspects of the Wolverine Invitational is that it is only a 36-hole tournament. Teams will play 18 Friday and Sunday and take Saturday off due to the rescheduled Michigan-Illinois football game and Michigan Stadium\'s proximity to the golf course. To make up for the inconvenience, coaches and teams were supplied with tickets for the game.\nWith a day off in between rounds, Mayer emphasizes the importance of the Hoosiers getting off to a quick start in the first round.\n"We fell out of the gate at Wisconsin, and that is the biggest hurdle to clear," Mayer said. "If we can get off to a good start, we can really surprise some people"
(09/10/01 5:44am)
Last week, head coach Mike Mayer made the decision to put junior Mike Miller into the team's top slot. The move paid dividends this weekend as Miller shattered his three-round tournament record by six shots after putting together a three-over par total of 219, finishing in 25th place at this weekend's Badger Intercollegiate in Madison, Wis. Unfortunately, Miller's heroics were not enough to save the Hoosiers, who finished the tournament in the 15th and final position.\n"One thing we look for in the first tournament is for people to step up, and Mike stepped up for us big time this weekend," said Mayer.\nFor the team, the struggles began immediately. During the first round Saturday, the Hoosiers posted a staggering score of 307, which put them 27 strokes behind leaders Arkansas-Little Rock and Toledo. \n"Our first round on Saturday was horrible," stated Mayer. "We shot ourselves in the foot right out of the gate."\nThough the team came out of the gates rather slow as a whole, Miller was able to provide a glimmer of hope by tying his career low score with a 1-under par 71.\n"I just kept it (the ball) in play and played pretty smart," Miller said.\nMatters improved for the team in the afternoon round Saturday, as they lowered their score by 15 strokes to 282. Junior Aldo Jordan and freshman Jeff Overton both posted even-par scores of 72. Miller shot 74 to end the day at one-over-par.\nSoggy course conditions conspired to undermine the team's effort Sunday. Miller and Overton led the way, each shooting 74. The team finished the day with a score of 301, which put them at 900 overall and one stroke behind Iowa. Toledo was victorious with a tournament total of 853.\nOverton does not blame the weather for the Hoosiers performance. "We just didn't show up to play," he concluded.\nMayer hopes to turn the results of this weekend into positive fodder for the future.\n"It's important for us to take the last couple of rounds and turn those into a positive for next weekend," he said.\nNext week, the Hoosiers will travel to Iowa to play in the Northern Intercollegiate, which is considered to be a fall preview of the Big Ten Tournament.
(09/04/01 5:18am)
Rob Ockenfuss walks into a bunker 130 yards away from the green and finds his ball plugged deep in the sand. Certainly it's not a scenario any golfer wants to walk into. Rather than getting flustered, the freshman calmly walks into the bunker and attempts to put the ball on the green. \nThat\'s because its one of an extensive number of possible shots that can be played on IU's new golf practice range. \n"The stuff you can do here you couldn\'t practice without dropping a ball on the course," Ockenfuss said. \nThe new range is the crown jewel of the Indiana golf program. Built exclusively for players to work on their short games, the range offers a broad variety of shots from 170 yards away from the pin, to just off the edge of the green. \nWhereas the old practice range consisted of one sand trap and one green, the new offers a bevy of bunkers and greens, increasing the number of different shots that can be attempted by a player.\nAmong the players giving the new practice range rave reviews is senior Rich Thomas. \n"It gives us a lot more options and opportunities to be more creative with our shot selection," Thomas said. "There\'s not a shot that we\'ll see in a tournament that can\'t be practiced here."\nIn addition to holding several well-manicured bunkers, greens, and patches of thick U.S. Open-style rough, the facility boasts bent-grass turf. Bent-grass is considered by many to be the premier turf in golf. IU's course is not made of bent-grass. But, since the majority of courses that the Hoosiers will play are bent-grass, the turf makes the addition of the facility even more significant.\nFor head coach Mike Mayer, the building of the new practice range behind the IU Foundation Building is the culmination of a dream that began when he took over the team in 1998. \n"This has been in the works a long time," Mayer said. "It\'s been a priority since I became head coach."\nNow that he has seen the dream come true, Mayer is one step closer to realizing another dream -- building a perennial Big Ten and national powerhouse golf team at IU. \nThe facility not only has potential to help Hoosiers bring their play around the greens to the next level, but also to attract new talent to keep the program churning forward with new recruits. \n"This is the best (short game practice facility) in the Big Ten, bar none," Mayer said. "We now have everything we need to recruit and build a perennial contender"
(08/24/01 4:01am)
Back in the hallowed days of grade school, it was not uncommon to begin the year with an essay explaining in detail the various events that made up your summer. Fortunately, now that we are in college, this is not an english class requirement. I say fortunately because in the words of my good friend Klaus Von Utenduten, summer is that "three month hole where something must have happened… but I just can't put my finger on it."\nHowever, I can put my finger on it, because I still know what I did last summer. And I am going to write it down before I forget what I did. So here, complete with eight pages of action packed photos, is the story of my summer. (Sorry about the photos -- they fell through at the last minute. Really.)\nThe summer started off in rather dull fashion, as I spent the majority of my time at my job as a sanitation engineer in Cicero, Illinois. However, cleaning out porta-potties was not my forte, so I decided to volunteer for the Peace Corps. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity allowed me to spend three weeks distributing porridge at a leper colony in Liechtenstein.\nOnce my volunteering stint was completed, I came back to my friends and I decided that a road trip was in order. We packed my buddy's 1978 AMC Gremlin and headed to the Mitchell Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota for the NCAA Bocceball Championships. In the exciting final match we witnessed Gustavus Adolphus edge Slippery Rock for the crown.\nUnfortunately, the Gremlin broke down before we could make it back out of Mitchell. After figuring out that the repairs actually cost more than the car itself, me and my peeps decided that an alternate mode of transportation was necessary. So we rented a hot air balloon and intended on riding the trade winds back home. \nBut an occluded front stalled us in the capital of Canada, Ottawa. Not being a group to pass up a golden opportunity; we went to the headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and hung the Canadian flag upside down. This action caused us to be deported. \nMy actions did not go unnoticed by the government though. In fact, the CIA was so impressed by my daring act of bravado that they hired me to go on a recon mission in St. Vincent & the Grenadines. (That's a country, not the name of a band). I was successfully able to complete my task of finding the chief export of the nation, which happens to be bananas.\nAs a reward for my efforts, I received a free ticket to a Backstreet Boys concert. Alas, my dream of seeing whatever song it is that made them famous performed live in concert was shattered when CJ or AJ or what ever that guy's name is went to rehab to recover from the rigors of being stalked by thousands of 14 year old girls.\nLuckily, my employers were able to make up for this loss by getting me to take batting practice with the Cubs at Wrigley Field. While I was there I engaged in a friendly home run derby with Sammy Sosa and Cubs shortstop Auggie Ojeda. I was on pace to win, but Ojeda hit a monstrous shot that reached the centerfield scoreboard. (For those baseball fans wondering who was on the mound, it was Cubs reliever Felix Heredia).\nAfter all of this action, I was finally able to close the summer on a good note as my girlfriend (who is a lingerie model) and I went to see the smash-hit comedy Cats and Dogs on the big screen. Unfortunately, it was already on video. Still, this critic is calling Jeff Goldblum's performance "extraordinary." \nOK, I've gotta be honest. None of this actually happened to me. But at least the story was realistic.
(04/25/01 4:56am)
Throughout the past half-century, the United States and Japan have made several trades that have benefited both nations. Among the items the Japanese exported to the good old U.S. of A: quality electronic equipment, karaoke, Godzilla movies and, on a more regrettable note, Pokemon.\nIn return, we sent them our national pastime, which soon became theirs: baseball. Now the Japanese have developed their own world-class baseball players, who have come to the United States and achieved success in the major leagues to further globalize America's game.\nIn 1995, Hideo Nomo became the first Japanese player to make a major impact at the major league level as a rookie with the Los Angeles Dodgers. "Nomo-mania" struck the nation as he baffled batters with his complex delivery, leading the league in shutouts and strikeouts on his way to being named National League Rookie of the Year.\nThe success of Nomo forced major league scouts to take a serious look at Japanese baseball. Previously, it had just been seen as a ground for Japanese players and washed-up American players like Rueben Sierra. Soon more Japanese players found themselves signing big contracts for American teams, like Hideki Irabu for the Yankees and Masato Yoshii for the Mets.\nWhile Irabu and Yoshii had moderate success when they first came into the big leagues, they hit the wall at about the same time as Nomo. Nomo bounced around going from the AAA Iowa Cubs to Milwaukee to Detroit before finally attaching to Boston this year. Yoshii and Irabu are now back in Japan.\nThis year, Japanese players are showing they can indeed play in the majors. Nomo has proven he still has some of his old stuff left in the bag, recording his second career no-hitter in a game against Baltimore. A wealth of Japanese talent has joined him in the forms of the Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki and Kazuhiro Sazaki and the Mets' Tsuyoshi Shinjo.\nOf these players, Mariners rightfielder Suzuki has shown the most promise. In seven seasons in Japan, he hit .353. This season, he is eighth in the American League with a .361 average. Suzuki might also be able to outrun the car of the same name -- he has been clocked running from home plate to first base in 3.7 seconds. Yet Suzuki's strongest suit may be his fielding. He has yet to make an error this season and has already thrown a runner out at home.\nSuzuki's teammate, Sazaki, is the Mariners' closer. Last year, he set a rookie record with 37 saves. So far this year, the success has continued, as Suzuki has saved nine out of his 10 opportunities by keeping hitters off-balance with his forkball.\nJapan is not the only nation from Asia providing imports to the major leagues. Korea is also on the brink of becoming a major supplier of overseas baseball talent. One player who has been able to put together some success is Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Byung-Hyun Kim. Kim developed into a closer for Arizona last year during the first half of the season. But a complete breakdown in the second half, with a 7.84 ERA in his last 28 outings, forced the Diamondbacks to move him to the role of set-up man. Kim has thrived in this role thus far, with a 1.93 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 9.1 innings pitched this season.\nMany skeptics would suspect that these players are destined to fade ala Yoshii and Irabu. But I would contend that Asian players in the major leagues will only get better, and their numbers will also increase. The fact that they have even been able to mentally adjust to an entirely new culture and still be able to play well can attest to this fact. And as they become more familiar with the United States, Americans will become more familiar with the plethora of talent these players offer.
(04/18/01 5:19am)
To quote the old colloquialism, "Always expect the unexpected." \nEvery story is made more interesting by the most unexpected development. (This is why "The Usual Suspects" is a better movie than "Killer Klowns from Outer Space.") As the past week has shown us, much of what makes the world of sports --from baseball to hockey to basketball to marathons -- so interesting is the unexpected developments it might bring. \nThe following examples demonstrate this principle:\n• The Minnesota Twins are leading the AL Central. At press time, the Twinkies had a 9-3 mark, which is good for first place by 3 1/2 games. All of this is with a total team payroll of $24 million, which is -- get your calculators out -- a lot lower than the Yankees payroll of $100 million. \nSo how are the Metrodome-dwelling Twins pulling it off? The man of the hour has been first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz. Last year, Mientkiewicz gained some notoriety with his heroics in the Olympics. So far this year, he has brought that talent with him to the big leagues. Mientkiewicz is batting .368, and has a .711 slugging percentage in addition to 12 RBIs and three home runs. In 129 career games before this year, he had two home runs.\n• The disappointing Oakland Athletics. The A's were expected to defend their AL West Division title and maybe contend for the pennant. Instead, they're 3-10 and floundering in last place. Their team pitching, with an ERA of 5.71, is 12th in the AL.\n• Pedro who? The Boston Red Sox have finally developed a pitching staff around Pedro Martinez out of arms that were previously believed to be dead. Hideo Nomo contributed with a no-hitter against Baltimore, and starters Frank Castillo and Paxton Crawford have ERAs at 3.00 or lower. And hairy closer Rod Beck has not allowed a run in seven appearances.\n• Your top five National League ERA leaders: Greg Maddux, 0.00; Kevin Brown, 0.69; Kevin Tapani, 0.69; Chris Reitisma, 1.40, and Julian Tavarez, 1.47. Yes, those are two Chicago Cubs (Tapani and Tavarez) on the list. Even more amazing, depending on your point of view, is the fact that Tavarez and Cincinnati's Reitisma are both rookies.\n• The Toronto Maple Leafs' \nutter domination of the Ottawa Senators. During the regular season, the Senators won all five games between the two rivals of Ontario. Now that they are facing off in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Sens are on the brink of extinction, trailing the best-of-seven series 3-0. If searching for reason, Ottawa need not look any further than the play of Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph, who has surrendered two goals in the first three games of the series. Last year, Cujo was equally successful in shutting down the high-octane Ottawa offense in their first-round matchup.\n• Johan Hedberg, the Penguins' rookie goalie, has saved 77 of the 79 shots he has faced in three games against the Washington Capitals. In Game 3, he recorded his first career shutout in his 12th career game. That's right, Hedberg played in a whopping nine regular season games for the Pens after being called up from the Manitoba Moose of the International Hockey League near the end of the season.\n• The NBA rule changes. The NBA knew it needed to do something to invigorate lagging fan interest, and that the answer would not involve giving free chalupas to all fans who attend games, or even interactive owners that can run on the court and harass officials. Instead, it has changed the rules, adding nuances such as zone defense and only allowing eight seconds for the ball to cross the half-court line. Only time will tell if these rules add to the excitement or make matters worse.\n• A South Korean runner wins the Boston Marathon. Lee Bong-ju became the first non-Kenyan runner to win the Beantown race in 10 years. Bong-ju also was the first Korean victor since 1950, when the nation was mired in civil war.\nAs the past week has shown, the world of sports can be taken by surprise by unexpected events. Hopefully, the week ahead will have much of the same in store.
(04/11/01 5:57am)
Like row 11, the teams in row 10 will enter the 2001 Little 500 with little experience. Cold and windy track conditions on qualifications day might have cost each team a chance to move into row 9, but each team said it feels confident it could grab a top-20 finish.\nNO. 28 SIGMA PI (2:50.55\nThis year's Sigma Pi team fields five faces that are new to the Little 500. Senior Todd Brady, junior Shaun Harless, sophomore Jeff Wright, freshman Charlie Connor and sophomore captain Jason Mount have no race experience, but the team does have some cycling know-how.\nMount and Harless boast competitive biking experience with the Indiana Cycling Club.\nMount attributes the team's position to its difficulty adapting to the tough track and weather conditions.\n"The track conditions on qualifications day were different than we were used to," he said.\nDespite lacking Little 500 experience, Sigma Pi has high hopes for race day. After spending spring break training in Tallahassee. Fla., the team expects to improve upon last year's 31st-place finish. \n"Our hope is to win the Dixie Highway award for most improved team on race day," Mount said.\nFor Mount, a strong finish would represent a personal comeback. While riding his bike in October, Mount was involved in a collision with a car. The accident destroyed his bike and sent Mount onto the surgeon's table for work on his shoulder. \nNO. 29 FOSTER (2:52.10)\nThe Foster team entered qualifications hoping it could find a way to return for race day. It did that and more, leaving four teams in its wake and taking the middle position in the 10th row.\nFoster fields an all-rookie squad, consisting of sophomore Chris Shickles, freshman Brian McNamee, sophomore Ryan Bardes and senior Tomas Perez. Their positive outlook makes up for what the team lacks in experience. \n"(We seek) to finish as high as possible and have fun," coach Tim Bagwell said.\nFor Foster, qualifying for the race was an immense source of pride. This year's spot in the race marks the first Foster appearance since 1993, when it placed 17th. \nAnd while many teams might be overly competitive on race day, Foster will take a more laid-back approach. \n"It will be fun, no matter how the finish turns out," Bagwell said.\nNO. 30 EVANS SCHOLARS (2:53.05)\nEvans Scholars captured the final spot in the 10th row. This year's team features experience and youth. Leading the way will be seniors Dominic Freiburger and Jeff Weingartner, both three-year veterans. Joining them are freshmen Brian McCarthy and Ethan Silverman.\nThe team spent its spring break in Las Vegas training.\n"Vegas is the best place to train," Freiburger said. \nAfter their results in qualifications, the team showed mixed feelings.\n"We are happy to have qualified, considering the track conditions on (qualifications) day, but I think with the talent on the team, we could have done better," Freiburger said.\nThe team will look to utilize that talent on race day. Although team members do not expect to compete for first place, the Evans Scholars said they would like to garner a top-20 finish. Last year's team took 26th place after qualifying in the 28th position. \n"We are less athletic than the powerhouse teams," Freiburger said. "But we make up for it with our determination to improve our position"