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(08/29/07 1:18am)
How many of you reading this sentence are listening to an iPod? \nI thought so. Here’s a little advice. Pull the plugs out of your ears, turn to the person sitting next to you and start talking about anything. Movies, books, your professor’s comb over … literally anything.\nThe technology bug that is infecting the world is quite pronounced on campus. Students long ago stopped communicating with each other prior to class or on sidewalks. This is old news, and, quite frankly, students are probably tired of hearing about it.\nTo experts who claim that technology leads to isolation in students, young people of the world respond by turning up their music and squinting harder at their laptops. Simple identification of the problem is having little effect.\nA little agitating from their peers seems equally ineffective. For example, a 2006 protest by a student organization called Students Opposing Silence at Western Kentucky University, in which SOS encouraged students to take off the headphones and talk to a friend, went mostly unnoticed both on the university’s campus and the nation. In June of the same year a study conducted by the Ridgewood, N.J.-based Student Monitor found iPods are more popular than beer. That’s quite an astonishing fact considering beer has existed for roughly 6,000 more years than the iPod. Talk about out with the old and in with the new.\nMore drastic measures must be taken to convince students to lose the headphones and close their laptops. \nWe must strike fear into them, threatening one of their most prized pastimes. Luckily, the virtual universe known as Second Life has provided just that opportunity.\nSecond Life, for those of you under a rock, is a virtual world in which users create avatars, or virtual people, and interact with other users. There are currently more than nine million users who shop, talk and interact in a total virtual world. Does it sound kind of cool at first mention? Wait for the other shoe to drop.\nAnother popular Second Life activity is the act of sex. Are you ready to take out your headphones yet? No? Let me explain.\nTechnology, starting with the invention of the Internet, has increasingly isolated students – so much they are able to replace real sex with virtual. Now, I’m no expert, but I’m betting that if there is one thing that is more popular among undergraduates than beer and iPods combined, it’s sex. But technology has found a way around the physical act. Scared enough to turn off that laptop yet?\nThe continuation of one of the most cherished activities at college depends on you listening to the advice mentioned above. Take off your headphones and close your laptops. See that handsome guy sitting across from you?\nHi. I’m Jake.
(08/24/07 4:19am)
Welcome to IU. A long and arduous journey awaits incoming freshmen, while experienced students look to continue their trek through this world we call college. With this coming of age comes the inevitable necessity to take responsibility. \nAcademic, financial and legal issues now rest upon all of our shoulders as we make our way toward full-fledged adulthood. Pretty heavy, huh?\nBut we all have another responsibility that we accepted once we made the decision to become Hoosiers. It is one that involves knowing the IU fight song, being able to quote statistics and viewing footage of an infamous chair flying across the court at Assembly Hall. We have the responsibility of being IU sports fans.\nBut that doesn’t mean you have to cry every time an IU athletics team loses. Nor does it mean you have to overturn cars if the Hoosiers happen to make an NCAA championship run. \nBeing an IU sports fan actually only requires that you bleed crimson. And since we can all prove that we do, we are already most of the way there. The extra intensity with which an IU student cheers for the crimson and cream can vary from person to person. Here are a few of the options.\nThe Moderators\nWhile these fans generally support the Hoosiers in their athletic endeavors, they are also realists. They know the statistics, tendencies, strengths and weaknesses of each opponent, and claim to know when IU is overmatched. Moderators carry an annoying “I-told-you-so” look when IU suffers a defeat and yet celebrate Hoosier victories as if they knew the outcome all along. Such people have the best of both worlds.
(08/23/07 10:35pm)
A freshman to-do list:\n1. Buy shower sandals. Lord knows what is on all of your neighbors’ feet. Also, as the year wears on, various couples will have sex in the dorm showers. Think about what you’re stepping in.\n2. Get Facebook. If you don’t already have Facebook, you’re uncool. There’s nothing worse than being uncool as soon as you get into college. Get Facebook. Then I might talk to you.\n3. Party. Early and often. You’ll never have the opportunity to meet people like you will during the following four years … and most everyone meets at parties. If you forget those people you meet, it’s okay. That just means it was a good party.\n4. Stay up late with friends. You can go to class bleary-eyed, but the experience of having good times with good people is absolutely necessary. You say your friend wants to watch a movie at 4 a.m.? I say pop some popcorn and let the film roll.\n5. Use meal points excessively. You have to buy them and you probably won’t spend them all anyway. This is just one of the many ways that IU will stiff you over the next few years, so get used to it. I recommend the cafeteria in Read: awesome food and all you can eat.\n6. Party. Just wanted to make sure you remembered that one.\n7. Throw your inhibitions to the wind (complete in tandem with tasks 3 and 6). You know all those things that old people look back on and say “I was young and stupid?” Guess what? You’re young and stupid. Have fun.\n8. Go to class. I know that one sounds kind of lame, but you already paid for them so you might as well. Where else are you going to find acquaintances to invite to your parties?\n9. Give your RAs a hard time. They signed up for it. Make sure they’re fulfilling their duties. If an RA doesn’t come into your room to tell you to turn down your music at least 10 times during the first eight weeks, you aren’t doing your job. Remember, if you follow all the rules, you miss out on all the fun.\n10. Go to the IU Health Center. Free condoms.\n11. ALWAYS USE SAID \nCONDOMS.\n12. Take naps. These will be essential for college survival, especially if you complete task 4. Learn to love wasted afternoons and to have great nights.\n13. Procrastinate. Not the best policy maybe, but you’re going to do it anyway, so you might as well be prepared for all-night study sessions before exams. Make sure you find out where you can get coffee at any hour.\n14. Sleep naked. The dorms are hot, you can trust me. Doing this one in pairs can be fun.\n15. Party. I can’t say this one enough, so remember it. If you can’t find a party to go to, throw your own party. Do it.
(08/22/07 3:02am)
The joy of athletic competition at IU spreads far and wide, from prospective students to long since graduated alumni. The excitement of rooting for the Cream and Crimson as they make their way through one of the NCAA’s banner conferences is a welcome task for Hoosier sports fans. But for a great many people, simply watching is not enough. Luckily, IU Recreational Sports can satisfy anyone who loves the sweat of athletics, but does not want to compete on the big stage.\nWelcome Week is full of events and options for new and returning Hoosiers. \nRecreational athletes should find time to check out the intramural and club sports options available on campus. The Semester Kickoff for Recreational Sports will be held from Aug. 2-30 at the Student Recreational Sports Center and Sept. 18-20 at the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building. Students will be able to take facility tours and ask recreational sports staff questions to determine how they can best remain physically fit. More information can be found at www.iurecsports.org.\nThe freshman 15 can be an undesirable part of the first year of college, but opportunities for exercising and staying in shape are abundant on campus, from weight rooms to squash courts, from pools to ping pong. \nHowever, if students desire to remain physically fit but at the same time want the thrill of competition, then joining a club sports team is a great opportunity to pursue. All 41 teams are organized by students, and club teams are not allowed to hold tryouts or make cuts, giving athletes of all ability levels the opportunity to participate. But the level of competition does not suffer since club teams travel across the nation to compete with other universities in tournaments and matches throughout the school year. In this way, students are afforded opportunities for competition in both traditional and obscure sports, incorporating activities like judo and curling with mainstream sports like baseball. Whatever a student’s preference, it is likely that everyone will find a club they like.\nRecreational sports also offers a wide range of intramurals that accept registration during each sport’s given season. These are a great way to relax, have fun, make great memories and still enjoy competition. Simply appoint a captain, register and pick up your playing shoes. It’s that simple.\nThe IU school year can be long and arduous. Recreational sports are a great way to blow off steam and keep the mind clear for a successful semester. But, even if none of the above seem particularly appealing, Dunn Meadow is situated in the heart of campus. Grab a baseball glove or Frisbee and ask a friend to play catch. \nNot every IU athlete will be seen on network television. From the occasional swimmer to the hardcore rugby player, students who participate in recreational sports are student-athletes as well. Besides, what else is there to do between Saturdays in September? Go to class? I assure you that a little Taekwondo is far more exciting.
(08/05/07 10:27pm)
For college sports fans, the summer heat can be a prospect of dread, lacking action with the promise that someday soon university athletics teams across the nation will return to play. Luckily, the long humid summer months are coming to a close. Soon, the undisturbed playing fields will be trampled by cleats, and the boring summer will be replaced by the tailgating and excitement of football season. \nAnd from the sounds of the players at Big Ten Media Day, IU’s men in pads are ready to play ball.\nThe return of Hoosier athletics will be a relief for all of us sports fans at IU. Even those not interested in the Big Ten’s fierce athletic play will notice a difference in the environment once players hit the gridiron. Droves of students and alumni will fill the fields of the University every Saturday morning to tailgate and pack the bars on Kirkwood every Saturday night, discussing the team’s chances and hoping for a bowl game – at least for a while.\nThese early-season expectations and aspirations for the return of a highly respected IU athletics program – along with the fun and friendly environment that accompanies the return of sports – breeds the existence of bandwagon jumpers and fair-weather fans. Early-season wins against non-conference opponents can give people a sense of hope that will be lost once competition picks up and teams have to work harder for victories.\nTo the biggest sports fans, people who only stick by the Hoosier athletic teams when victory seems likely are not really IU fans at all. Rather, they are in it for the enthusiasm of winning and don’t appreciate the hard work and development that occurs during a loss. They are simply looking for a party and won’t give respect until a team can produce. Savages, right? Maybe not.\nWith some of the major athletics teams trying to regain footing – the IU football team being the most prominent – any people IU teams can get into the stands will help the cause, regardless of whether those fans are fair-weather, die-hard or just interested people who followed a crowd. An excited fan base will keep IU athletics hitting the weight rooms and practice fields, wanting to keep the University’s attitude and expectations high.\nThe nip of autumn and the breeze of October will bring with them the joy of sports, and it is not for a stuck-up sports follower to denounce anyone who wants to take part for any reason. Every Hoosier has a right to support or denounce their athletics teams as they see fit, and while bandwagon jumpers might not purchase season tickets, they will help both revenue and national exposure. If the teams keep winning, they’ll keep coming back, whether they appreciate the hard work of the athletes and intricacies of the game or not.\nFair-weather fans are the mark of a program that is turning itself around, and IU athletics can definitely stand to right the ship. \nIf the Hoosiers win a few games to start the various athletic seasons and are impressive from the start, hopefully the enthusiasm of fair-weather fans will drive IU to more victories. Break out the grill and peppermint schnapps for the tailgaters who might not go to a game. If the Hoosiers win a few, those tailgaters might find their way into Memorial Stadium.
(08/05/07 7:50pm)
The muggy, hot and lazy Indiana summer is drawing to a close, and students will soon flood the streets of Bloomington again. There will be puke in the alleys, inappropriate mottos written on street signs with black markers and drivers swerving around out-of-towners. With moving season coming, students will be breaking out the shovels and starting to sift through the wreckage that has been their apartment for the past year.\nOn the morning of Aug. 18, I will only have four hours to throw my surplus stuff into a U-Haul, drive across town and drop it on the lawn of a new apartment complex. But long before that morning, I and many like me will rummage through our closets, packing away everything from T-shirts to rubber chickens safely for transport to our new homes. What can I expect to find? I don’t know, but judging by the fabled history of my apartment and close observations of others’ lifestyles, here are a few surprises that one can find while cleaning out their closet.\nFirst and foremost, nothing beats finding empty condom wrappers on the floorboards. These are usually amusing to discover if you’re alone and working tirelessly to get packed for moving day, but they can be quite awkward if your mother is helping you pack. It’s hard to convince Mom you’re a good boy who spends most of his time praying when the evidence of premarital sex is so readily available.\nA frustrating object to find is a simple box. Whether marked by some mail service or bright and colorful with a picture of the product it once held on display, the biggest problem with finding a box is that then you have to find what goes in the box. Unfortunately it appears that either the object has been lost or, more likely, stolen by a drunk “friend.” Tracking down your stuff can be an all day affair involving phone calls, driving around town, breaking down a few doors, making some threats with baseball bats or bribing a neighbor. And even after this process you aren’t guaranteed to get the damn thing back. Oh, and dude who lives two apartments down: You think I can get the 20 or so DVDs of mine you have? I can come over and show you my Louisville Slugger later if it will help.\nBut my favorite (and also most common) moving-day find is the mountain of old bottle caps. It’s a stroll down memory lane for those alcoholics in the world who remember the days of beers tasted past. For instance, I didn’t even know I’d had Bad Elmer’s Porter. \nI probably tried it that night I took my neighbor’s toaster oven. It’s okay though. They threw the box away. \nBut unfortunately for everyone involved, the summer is dissolving and cleaning out your closet will eventually reveal the most disgusting thing you’ve seen in a good while (even worse than the not-so-empty open condom wrapper Mom found): school books.
(08/04/07 4:00am)
"Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" is a film that makes an unusual demand of its viewers: It asks them not only to watch with their eyes but also to use their noses for all the olfactory experiences contained within. A free scratch-and-sniff card would make this easier for some, but who really enjoys the scents of fish guts and patchouli?
(07/29/07 11:38pm)
I love the Big Ten. I love the rough-and-tough style of play across the board in all athletic competitions. I love the rivalries that have sprung up throughout the years between teams and, consequently, the fans. I love thousands of students cheering and booing in the spirit of sport. I love the oxymoronic nature of having 11 teams in the conference. Heck, I even love Ohio State head basketball coach Thad Matta – and nobody likes Thad Matta, especially all those people he beats.\nAs a result of this affection, ever since I heard that the Big Ten would be getting its own cable network, I’ve been on board with the idea. More hardcore athletic events on TV that have the teams I want to see? It’s like a dream come true. The tough thing about dreams, though, is that eventually you wake up.\nBig Ten Network executives are struggling to convince cable companies to carry their product. Specifically, they are having major difficulties with Comcast. The tension is a result of a disagreement involving the manner in which the station will be provided. Network officials want the station to be provided as part of a basic cable package, while Comcast believes it should be provided as a second-tier option subscribers can add for a fee. The debate has some across-the-conference questioning about whether the Network is the great plan it once appeared to be.\nNow, as I’ve professed my love of the Big Ten above, my initial thought was that every man, woman, child, dog, parakeet, gerbil, etc. should have access to the wonderful competition in the Big Ten. Then I descended from cloud nine and reluctantly faced reality.\nI think Comcast has a compelling argument. It is impractical to place an expensive network with such specific programming as part of a basic cable package if it will not pick up the necessary ratings. Also, the major athletics events that will capture the attention of most viewers throughout the Midwest will still be shown by the major networks: ABC, CBS and ESPN. That fact supports Comcast’s stance, since the general sports audience will still be able to see the major Big Ten match-ups.\nIn an attempt to aid the network, discussion began again last week concerning adding another big name school to the conference. But it seems that even if such a school were added (Syracuse and Rutgers have both been mentioned in the last week), the Big Ten Network is still too exclusive to be a basic cable station.\nNetwork officials are hopeful that a deal will be made with Comcast, as well as other major cable providers, as the August 30 launch date approaches. Whether as a basic cable channel or an extra cost, I will hopefully be able to add it to my personal channel selection. But for the housewife sitting at home who knows as much about sports as she can pick up from her husband swearing at the television, it would be just another click of the remote on her way to the Game Show Network.
(07/29/07 7:57pm)
I‘ve lived in or near two Indiana cities in my life: Lafayette and Bloomington. Both cities provide an aspect of our home state that isn’t necessarily representative. Hubs of academia in a state that struggles with education, IU and Purdue University draw city-dwellers from across the nation who hope to receive top-rate educations from the Hoosier state (not the Boilermaker state, I would like to point out). But I for one am proud to say that I, like many of my peers, was born country. My high school nights were spent listening to Alan Jackson, cleaning out pigpens and trying in which corn field to get drunk. \nSo as the Monroe County Fair (and the Tippecanoe County Fair in Lafayette) took place last week, I was reminded of home so strongly that I couldn’t wait to share some of the most glorious experiences I’ve had around county fairs. With any luck, as I remember the things that stir the memories of my roots, you will remember your own.\n1. Manure – That’s right. A big steaming pile of cow dung. From the time I was able to walk, I remember my uncle’s farm and the wonderful smells that came with it. While other kids would gag at the slightest change in odor, the country folk embraced the smell of pig farms. Combining all of our swine smells into one large show hall was for us like being in hog heaven.\n2. Elephant Ears – Of all the things I have consumed in my life that are so bad for my health they might cause me to miss my 35th birthday, none is so delectable as the county fair’s elephant ear. The lightly fried piece of dough doused in sugar is like sweet, sweet milk from a mother’s breast. And while I wanted to throw up from the nausea 15 minutes after eating one of these once-a-year treats, I knew while eating it that while you can take the boy out of the country, you can’t take the country out of the boy.\n3. Infidelity – While I know that many people have stories of where their high school backstabbing happened (remember the woods out back?) I can assure you that no place on earth breeds cheating like a county fair. Defining summer love: Unregulated hook-ups that paid little attention to whether or not one had a significant other. If you wanted some action, winning first place for the quality of your steer was better than winning the Super Bowl.\nKnowing my childhood experiences might give you some insight into why I love being a Hoosier. But while I like to refer to everyone who attends IU as a Hoosier, I also know that there are many students who still call their own states “home.” While you’re all Hoosiers in my book, I wouldn’t want to be anything but country. I’m sure many of you feel the same, whether you’re from the East Coast, West Coast or Deep South. Don’t forget your roots.
(07/23/07 12:08am)
Sports fans across the nation watch enthusiastically every day, week and year for the spectacular plays on the fields and courts of major athletic venues. With breaths held in anticipation, we await each new season and each new contest with high hopes for our school, alma mater or local team. In this regard, athletes are seen in the highest regard, with amazing feats of athletic prowess. The ugly stepsister of athletic ability, it seems, is the development of a need to break rules outside the athletics facility. \nOffenses are becoming more profound and common, from substance abuse to discharging weapons and even so far as murder charges. \n So when I read headlines touting last week’s arrest of two IU football players, I immediately thought the worst. \n Fortunately for the image of IU football and seniors Adam McClurg and Sean Edmundson (the two players involved), the crime they were charged with was theft as a result of their unpaid $39 taxi fare, according to police – hardly a damning offense. \n While I am happy to admit that my initial reactions proved to be incorrect, it is striking that a bias that has developed in sport culture led me to jump to such unwarranted conclusions.\nMy Web browser spends the majority of its time open on ESPN.com. Being a baseball fan first, I need to keep up on the day-to-day happenings around Major League Baseball. The front page of the Web site, however, carries headlines concerning anything but sports games far too often. Recruiting violations run rampant throughout the NCAA. Professional athletes are charged with serious crimes resulting in their arrest and downward spiral from the blinding spotlights.\nIt is the charge of the NCAA and the major professional athletics associations to reverse the trend that has developed as of late. So we see them taking this charge quite seriously (with more than a little urging from the federal government). The NFL and NBA have taken steps to prevent both unwanted scandal outside the arena and the proliferation of banned substances in their associations. The NCAA continues to fight a battle (that it often appears they are losing) to put an end to such debauchery that will lead players to hurt themselves and the image of the sport. But it seems unlikely that the NCAA will be able to turn around the image of athletics without further steps. A gloomy outlook? Maybe. But it’s a realistic one given the example being set by coaches, recruiters and professional athletes.\nI’m not one to buy into the “role model” argument for athletes, because it dehumanizes them, making their decisions about the public and robbing them of their personal life and right to make mistakes. However, when arrest headlines hit newsstands and the common sports fan’s first thought is “drug bust,” there is an obvious problem of representation for the schools and associations to which athletes belong. Luckily, we have been fortunate enough to avoid major scandal here at IU. Hopefully the athletics department and its capable members will be able to keep it that way.
(07/22/07 7:51pm)
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. This might be the most annoying sound in the world (unless you count the sound of “last call!” that rings out every night at the pub, but I wouldn’t call that annoyance sound-based, per se). Is it your biological clock ticking? The sound of a battery-operated alarm clock? A little reminder that you are, as usual, late for class? The sound that has you fixed in your seat listening to a boring lecture for the next hour? Or just the noise driving you nuts when you’re going to sleep?\nHowever, the tick tock of the clock, no matter how annoying, does regulate in standard terms the amount of time we Hoosiers have to complete the day’s tasks. I hate it. You hate it. But it’s a fact of life. And so, whenever we wake up, are expected to be somewhere, want to know when happy hour starts or are just curious, we ask the question: \n“What time is it?”\nUnfortunately for us, Indiana is about as clear on this point as the musings of Plato are to an engineering major. Five counties in the humble crossroads of America could move back to the Eastern time zone when daylight saving time ends \non Nov. 4. Citing worker and business hardships, the counties did \nnot see an increase in profit and suffered cut-off between suppliers \nand consumers living in different time zones.\nThe constant confusion about Indiana time zones angers me. Why? I’m afraid that it will seriously affect my love life. How, you ask? Observe this scenario:\nI attend a conference in St. Louis one weekend. While there I meet the girl of my dreams. I see children, a white picket fence and a frikkin’ cocker spaniel – the whole nine yards. And what luck, she’s from Indiana, too! I live in Warrick County at the time, which is on Central Time. She lives in Dubois County (which is one of the five seeking a change back to Eastern Time). We arrange a meeting back in Indiana the following week. As she leaves, she says, “I love you.” I’ve got it bad. \nAnd so I arrive at the designated coffee shop at 3 p.m., just as we had arranged, ready to begin a long, beautiful relationship. Unfortunately for me, it’s actually 4 p.m. in Dubois County. After waiting for 45 minutes, the girl, deciding that she has been stood up, leaves the shop. \nOn her way out, she runs into an Italian man named Agapeto (which in variant form means “beloved”). Believing her to be the most beautiful woman in the world, he woos her, and they fall in love. Now my soul mate is sailing the Mediterranean with this Agapeto, who has opened doors in the physical realm I have never dreamed of (and believe me, I dream really big). I’m pissed and hate my home state.\nBottom line? Let’s just get one time zone and stop such mistakes before they happen. My love life depends on it.
(07/15/07 11:22pm)
IU is a big-time athletics school. This point is clear because of the construction on the North End Zone project that began recently, the board of trustees consideration of the construction of a new basketball arena (to be built once the approximately $130 million can be brought in to construct it) and a huge fan base that demands winning. But the size of IU athletics and its influence on the national market are not as high as those of Ohio State and Michigan. Those schools’ reputations? Great athletics programs that are home to one thing currently absent in Bloomington – a powerhouse football team.\nThe top six magazines for predicting major football conferences pointed out the absence last week, as five picked IU to finish ninth or worse in the Big Ten this season, including two last-place predictions from CBSsportsline.com and Lindy’s Sports Annuals. Evidently, Kellen Lewis and a few explosive offensive weapons won’t be enough to shut down some of the more prolific teams in the conference, even with Michigan and Ohio State off IU’s schedule. The biggest difficulty they predict is the lack of defense. Considering last season’s statistics, it’s difficult to blame the magazines for not jumping on the Hoosier bandwagon. \nIU finished last in scoring defense (the only team to give up more than 50 touchdowns), 10th in rushing defense (one of two teams to give up more than 2000 yards on the ground) and ninth in total defense, ahead of only Minnesota and Purdue. Not exactly impressive statistics.\nBut these top magazines leave out a large factor that comes into play across athletic competition at every level: heart and soul. Last year, players and fans had a delightfully teasing taste, one so sweet that they will fight tooth-and-nail to ease their hunger for it. \nFor much of the 2006 season, IU was still in the running for bowl eligibility. And with such a goal being the object of the team’s salivation, neither CBSsportsline.com nor Lindy’s can discourage it. The 5-7 record that IU posted was just one win away from bowl eligibility. A one-win improvement is all that is necessary. With no Wolverines or Buckeyes to trip up the Hoosiers, the possibility of making that jump must be one that is distinct and within the grasp of a program starving for national attention. The fire is lit underneath the team, and perhaps this season will be the one when the team dines at the table of success.\nWith the tragic passing of head coach Terry Hoeppner this summer, the “Rock” of the program might appear to be gone. But the players will bring desire to the field and, hopefully, achieve their goals. \nIt might be a bit naive to stand in the face of some of the greatest sports assessment experts in the nation and say, “Wonderful predictions, but you’re wrong, I’m afraid.” As a Hoosier sports fan, however, I must believe that the Crimson and Cream will pull through their hardships and improve in the face of all doubt and quiet their critics. \nIt’s easy to be down on a team that has for so long been absent from the postseason. But at these crossroads, it is only proper for the fans to stand up with their heads held high in spite of these poor predictions, believing that the embattled Hoosiers will play a game not yet on their schedule.
(07/15/07 8:28pm)
Me and my, me and my, me and my, me and my, me and my friends. This is a fitting way to begin a column written a week after seeing seven concerts, eating way too much and drinking several cases of beer with my friends at The Taste of Chicago. This is especially true given that the Red Hot Chili Peppers is pretty clearly our group’s favorite band. Setting out for the week of July Fourth, our destination allowed us to see great musical performances and have more fun than any seven people should legally have.\nBut I’m not here to brag about all the good times I had while many of you were stuck here attending or teaching class (or slaving away at a summer job). By introducing you to six of my closest friends, I hope to further define IU and Bloomington, the places that I hold in such high esteem.\nYou see, my friends and I are very different people. Examine for instance our choice of education. Two journalism students, a future nurse, a clarinet player and a comparative literature major. Hometowns: Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Indianapolis, Lafayette and one from right here in Bloomington. How do such a group of misfits unknown to each other prior to August 2004 end up spending a week together without scratching each other’s eyes out or turning to cannibalism? The simple way so many other groups of friends at IU do it. The one thing that we have in common, that holds us together now – and will keep us bound in the future – is that we all bleed Crimson and Cream.\nIU has been a beacon for its graduating classes for a hundred years, bringing those who call it “alma mater” back and ensuring that close friends remain in touch. For the time being, it’s not clear which events will keep the phone calls between us regular. It could be a close IU basketball game or a great career opportunity. Maybe the hardships of another friend or old bonds too tightly knotted to untie. Who knows? But it is clear that something caused 29,402 alumni to vote in the recent board of trustees election (choosing to reinstate incumbent Sue Talbot) – they care very much about the quality of IU. Something causes the major donations that people give to the Jacobs School of Music, the IU School of Journalism, the Kelley School of Business (including their own island) and numerous other programs at IU.\nIt is my dearest hope that my friends and I remain close long after graduation. And with IU in our corner, evidence shows that we will. Whether or not we will have the resources to donate as others have will be a story only told by time. But one thing is for certain – we will never forget our time together at IU. The good trips, the rough times and the long nights will live in our memories as surely each of you will have similar ones. And we will always, despite city or career, remain Hoosiers.
(07/08/07 11:11pm)
The College World Series doesn’t exactly come to mind for IU sports fans when considering the Hoosiers’ baseball team. In fact, IU has a total of 19 conference wins over the past two seasons – two fewer than perennial winner Michigan Wolverines tallied during this year alone. \nGoing into this season, expectations were high because of freshman duo Kipp Schutz and Josh Phegley and a few talented returning seniors. But as the team failed once again to make its way out of the Big Ten conference’s cellar, it is clear that head coach Tracy Smith still has some work to do. Hence, some hope is on its way for the IU baseball program in slugger Jeff Caldwell.\nCaldwell attended Bishop Moore Catholic High School in Orlando, Fla., – a school honored by having one of the top three athletics programs in a state that produces talented players about as often as it rains. While leading the team to a state championship, the first baseman hit .400, slugged .716 and crushed six home runs in 95 at-bats.\nIt’s true that chicks dig the long ball. And why shouldn’t they? It’s arguably the most exciting occurrence that can happen during a baseball game (unless you’re like me and prefer a shutout to a shootout). But with a team struggling recently, the signing begs the question – will the slugger help IU win in the Big Ten?\nGoing to the numbers, it appears that big bats translate into big wins. Of the top five home run-hitting teams in the Big Ten in 2006-2007, four finished with more than 15 wins in the conference led by Michigan, who won 21 games and the regular season title while hitting 50 home runs. Conversely, IU’s power numbers, which included hitting only eight home runs and a dismal .335 slugging percentage, kept them looking up at the other 10 teams in the conference. Conclusion? Caldwell can’t get to Bloomington fast enough. With his help, hopefully the Hoosiers can climb out of the single digits for blasts and get at least one team underneath them in the standings.\nBut one slugger cannot remedy the team’s ills. IU hit for a team average of .269 in a conference that saw nine out of 11 teams hit better than .300. The team’s composite ERA hovered around 5.50 for most of the season. To hopefully assist in stemming the bleeding from the mound, IU recently recruited in-state pitching standout Tyler Reimer, who finished his senior season with a 2.79 ERA. Reimer might also help the Hoosiers at the plate after hitting .432 with 15 home runs and 64 RBIs while leading his Zionsville, Ind., school to a sectional championship.\nThe IU baseball team finished near the bottom or at the bottom of every major statistical category this season. These new recruits will have a hard time pulling the team up single-handedly, and Smith has his work cut out for him. Hopefully, good recruiting will bring IU baseball at least some success in the near future. Until then, Hoosier sports fans will have to continue to talk up the basketball team and the incoming Eric Gordon while keeping talk of the IU baseball team silenced.
(07/08/07 9:20pm)
Of the majors and academic programs that IU students can pursue in their college careers, one is strangely absent from our admissions list – one that would allow many students to attain 4.0 GPAs the way guys with British accents get girls. Financial irresponsibility. From spending too much money at the bar to eating fast food every meal of the day, students spend their own (or their parents’) money like it grows on trees. One reason students find themselves penniless besides ever-increasing tuition rates is the horrible evils of gambling – booze and cussing included.\nSo when a report was released this week showing the poor performance of the French Lick Resort and Casino, ranking low in gross revenue, admissions and amount won from each person entering the casino, this columnist’s mind got to churning and came to a logical conclusion. As much as I love Bloomington and IU, I have unfortunately learned in my time here that while the area is full of nice people, many of them are also foolish saps with no sense of money or profit. It would therefore be smart to move the struggling casino 60 miles north to our own humble college town. Here’s why:\nFor starters, when college kids sit at a poker table they are either drinking or engaging in some other illegal activity. I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat playing Texas Hold’em sipping Mountain Dew while my counterparts get sloshed, or slaughter-housed (or whatever other drunk term you prefer – perhaps shmammered). The upshot is, I usually take the pot on those nights, finding myself fifty dollars in the green while the others find themselves piss-drunk and pissed off.\nSecond, the number of rich kids whose parents could care less what their children are spending money on is a distinct social group on any college campus. While some of them will no doubt be smart enough to take the house on occasion, most of them throw away pictures of dead presidents without a care in the world.\nFinally, people in Bloomington simply have more money to spend. The average income per household in French Lick is a little more than $27,000 a year. The average in Bloomington, on the other hand, is a little more than $37,000 a year. It is apparent and a seemingly easy assessment to make that a casino would do much better in our town. That’s a difference of $10,000 dollars a year to waste stupidly at a casino that stacks all of the odds in its favor and is built to take your hard-earned money.\nSo as long as a casino in Bloomington could attract the college students, keep the drinks on ice and offer hope to the seemingly hopeless, it would do much better than the one in French Lick. Add the central location of Bloomington to the mix, and it will be draining Hoosiers of their income for years. God bless capitalism.
(07/01/07 11:06pm)
From the time many of us first threw a baseball, picked up a tennis racket, wrapped our hands around the laces of a football or heard the snap of the net as a basketball went through the hoop, dreams of future stardom played out in our heads. For the few athletes around the nation who mastered athletic accomplishments in high school that deemed them athletically capable of jumping to the next level those dreams become realistic. However, even if they impress the recruiters, coaches and national media, judgment on whether or not they will participate will still be pending until they are granted eligibility by the NCAA Clearinghouse.\nThis is the situation of IU men’s basketball recruit Eli Holman. Holman is attending summer classes while waiting to hear back from the Clearinghouse, which required that the 6’10” athlete achieve higher SAT scores than those currently on his record. Many others across the nation are in the same straits. As the NCAA looks hard at those they determine to be eligible, athletes are being put under more stress as final rulings await.\nBut before empathizing with incoming student-athletes, let us first examine the eligibility requirements for playing in NCAA Division I competition. Incoming athletes are required to complete 16 core courses before they are granted playing status –15 of which must be completed in four years of high school, withholding one for a preparatory academy. Also, the necessary SAT score required is determined on a sliding scale compared to the GPA achieved during high school. Disturbingly, the required combined SAT score for a student who achieved a 3.52 GPA or higher is only 400 and for those achieving a 2.0 GPA is a 1010. Such numbers are suspect when discovering that, for example, IU’s average freshman admitted in 2006 had an SAT score of 1170.\nCombine the evidently low initial eligibility requirements from above with the continued mediocre graduation rates of NCAA student-athletes and the result is a less-than-pretty picture of the academic lives of NCAA student-athletes. That is not to say that all athletes are academically sub-par (awards are given out every season to the best academic performers in many sports). \nPerhaps the NCAA should be pushing for higher standards academically as more and more students are entering the job market. It is a disservice to their athletes to continue holding such low expectations. If the commercials are to be trusted, there are over 360,000 NCAA student-athletes. Consider then that the highest level of competition has limited spots. Major League Baseball has room for only 750 players, the National Basketball Association has room for 480, the National Football League can hold a little more than 2,300 and the Women’s National Basketball Association slightly more than 250. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the NCAA to educate its students, ensure that they are able to be successful academically before admitting them – perhaps requiring some to attend community colleges to boost grades and get serious about school before letting them participate – and assist them in graduating at a higher rate. But even if the NCAA continues to raise academic requirements, they will not be elevated sufficiently. It is therefore necessary for individual institutions such as IU to take the academic lives of its student-athletes seriously.
(07/01/07 9:26pm)
Hear that? It’s the raspy, repeated, thick-with-phlegm sound from around the corner. Probably a smoker from the smell of things. That’s a wicked cough they’ve got. Wait, it’s someone standing next to a smoker? \nDude, weak.\nThis scenario will no longer play out on IU campuses come October, as the result of the University-wide smoking ban that was one of the last policy decisions Adam Herbert made in office. The decision has been met with major objections as well as happy support as the line is drawn between smokers and non-smokers. The arguments surrounding the policy are passionate, enduring and inherently serve only to substantiate each party’s previously held beliefs on the issue.\nHowever, smokers and those upset by the smoking ban at IU and other measures around the state are at a serious disadvantage that few seem to acknowledge: Despite all their points about constitutionality and infringement on personal rights and complaints about sin taxes, their side is losing – horribly. These criticisms of the ordinances and policies that remove the “rights of smokers” are having little or no effect on decision-making bodies and anti-smoking individuals around the state. \nTake, for example, last week’s ruling by a Superior Court judge in Tippecanoe County against local bar owners who had filed suit claiming that a smoking ban in West Lafayette bars (similar to the one Bloomington put into effect in 2005) was unconstitutional. Judge Thomas Busch claimed that the plaintiffs’ complaints could only be worked out through the legislative process and not through the courts. \nUnfortunately for smoking proponents, the state legislatures and executive branches are very much against them. This week, the price of cigarette taxes in Indiana will increase to 99.5 cents per pack, taking this state to the rank of 24th highest in the nation for cigarette prices. The new tax has been the brunt of many complaints.\nHowever, it’s time for the smokers who oppose such bans to put down the cigarettes and pick up the mug so that they can smell the coffee. All evidence points to heavier anti-smoking legislation in the future, as it should be considering the effects of second-hand smoke on the body that cause approximately 50,000 deaths across the nation annually, according to the American Lung Association. The new Indiana state budget is evidence of such; it will allocate $16.2 million to Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation, an increase of $6.1 million since last year. \nIt is not far off that smoking will be made illegal in many states across the nation and potentially throughout the nation entirely.\nToo often in the debate regarding the constitutionality and other logistical issues of smoking does the opposition to anti-smoking legislation not acknowledge that it cannot win this fight. It is inevitable that the health of the University, state and nation (especially those affected against their will) will be the driving force behind legislation that will make the habit as illegal as marijuana. Perhaps their effort would be better wasted elsewhere.
(06/25/07 12:09am)
As the Big Ten Network prepares to launch this August, questions surround whether it will be a successful business campaign or a bust that will fail to capture the attention of alumni. Last week an announcement that might have profound effect of the answers came from Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. The new network dedicated itself to “event equality” for men’s and women’s sports, pledging to have equal programming of live events within three years of its launch. The move is unprecedented on a national level, making the new network a champion for women’s athletics, which will already make up 40 percent of its programming in the first year of its launch.\nThe immediate concern is whether a fledgling network in need of a good start in order to remain afloat should be concentrating so heavily on women’s athletics when it might need the revenue surrounding men’s athletics to support it. While female athletes are important to the NCAA and just as passionate about their sports, women’s athletics continue to have lower ratings than its men’s counterparts.\nBut investigation of the numbers surrounding some current women’s athletics events will point to the ingenuity of the Big Ten in this regard, not only as a champion for equality but with a good business sense. While still not on the same viewing platform as men’s college sports, evidence shows that the popularity of certain women’s sporting events are on the rise. \nTake for example the 2007 Women’s College World Series softball championship, which featured the Arizona Wildcats and Tennessee Lady Volunteers. An estimated 1.6 million households viewed Game Three of the series, giving the ESPN2 televised event a rating of 1.8. Obviously, this number does not seem all that impressive when it stands alone. However, when compared the ratings of this year’s NHL Stanley Cup Finals (the championship series of what is classically considered the fourth major professional sport), it is impressive indeed. The dwindling NHL received lower ratings for its championship than the women’s softball championship, including a 1.1 rating for Game Three that set a record low for all NBC programs in history.\nComparing one of female athletics’ highest watched sports with one of the least popular men’s professional sports might not seem compelling. But that the Women’s College World Series has increased in popularity consecutively over the past few years shows that women’s college athletics are on the upswing in popularity. Combined with the fact that the female fan base is increasing, women role models such as Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt grow in popularity and prestige, and revenue for advertising is increasing (supported by companies such as American Express and Anheuser-Busch), women’s athletics are a business force to be reckoned with. For the first year in its 11 season history, the WNBA expects to turn a profit. \nFor these reasons, the Big Ten Network is tapping into the potential for increased revenue that might accompany its “event equality” dedication. Fans of the Big Ten can only hope that the network is a marketable hit, so that we can view our beloved sports team and college communities for years to come. The success of the Big Ten Network’s “event equality” will be an important part of that goal. With some luck and business savvy, hopefully the network will be here to stay come August.
(06/24/07 9:32pm)
The professor and the student. This duo is often misunderstood. To students, their professors can seem distant and aloof, more like objects than humans, like fake plants or pieces of office furniture. It is quite easy to forget that professors are people first, with feelings and emotions not totally dissimilar to those of their pupils. And on the most basic level, both students and professors are subject to the same ... urges.\nThe realization was once again at the forefront of my mind as I read a hilarious and honest piece titled “Sex and the Conference” by Jessica Burnstein, an assistant professor at the University of Washington. The piece outlined the sexual exploits and best means of getting some action at professional conferences. It seems that a compelling reason to attend conferences for professionals is similar to the reason many of us decided to attend college: sex, sex and more sex.\nWith this realization comes the tearing down and destruction of many walls that separate the student from the professor. That at our core both groups are bent on seeing someone else naked opens up many avenues for conversation and, at least for students, humanizes their professors. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But more importantly for me (who is both single and looking), the already large field at IU just got a few more players. \nOur University has strict rules regarding sexual harassment, as it should. Also, it does not allow professors to become involved in consensual relationships with students over whom they have some authority. However, it is fully within the rights of student and professor to be involved in such relationships when the latter has no control over the former. Score! I have a few former professors (some of which I have seen out at local bars) who I wouldn’t mind asking out. The next time I go to their office hours it will be with a bottle of Cristal, a copy of Barry White’s “I’ve Got So Much to Give,” a dozen roses and a pickup line. I have to be more suave than the earth scientists or philosophers in their departments, right? And if I strike out, at least the woman won’t be able to flunk me. Thanks, IU!\nAs most major universities have instituted regulations regarding consensual relationships and the sexual practices of their professors, the issue is always at play on university campuses across the nation. That’s right – in the back of every great academic’s mind is an unbelievable concentration on sex. And if that doesn’t put them on an equal level with their students, then nothing short of bong rips and shotgunning beer can achieve that goal. \nIn the end, the major concern is with the potential power-play professors could make on susceptible students. But even freshmen are adults – though it may not always seem that way – so we should set aside the social taboos and remember the advice of Sublime’s Bradley Nowell: Just let the lovin’ take hold.
(06/19/07 2:41pm)
There is no doubt (as the introduction to many columns, articles, speeches, long-winded rants and intellectual debates have begun) that IU’s athletic history has been storied, successful and at the very least, exciting to watch. \nWe look to the future with high hopes, wanting to continue achieving excellence and always, always, always concentrating on winning. Hence, on what is becoming an intense and embattled national stage, recruitment for college athletics is a primary focus for universities across the nation. And as NCAA sports begin to resemble the pros, superstar recruits are coveted almost as much as the next level’s multi-millionaire players.\nIt is the development of the tooth-and-nail style of recruitment that had IU fans jubilant when Eric Gordon retracted his commitment to Illinois to become a Hoosier after the naming of Kelvin Sampson as head coach. Similarly, the commitment of long-sought recruit Devin Ebanks to join Sampson’s squad announced Saturday is perceived as a huge step toward future success. \nIt is also this competitive market that has most likely left many IU fans down after two key baseball recruits, Brock Huntzinger and Kyle Leiendecker, were selected in a recent Major League Baseball draft after being faced with the decision of whether or not to bypass IU and go directly to the pros.\nThese athletes have made major headlines. But the unseen and perhaps major difficulty with the bar fight-type atmosphere surrounding recruitment is the potential set of dangerous and unwanted effects on young athletes. Consider, for example, the hype that each year surrounds the Little League World Series which has the sports world examining young competitors and attempting to predict their futures. Is it healthy for the likes of Danny Almonte – who in 2001 was exploited by adults to compete in a league he was too old for – and his teammates to be dubbed at an early age “The Baby Bronx Bombers”?\nAn American Academy of Pediatrics study reaffirmed in May 2006 that along with physical dangers such as stunted growth and nutritional problems, some young athletes suffer psychological effects. Such effects are the result of an intense, must-win environment, unrealistic parental expectations, and exploitation of their abilities for extrinsic gain. These findings put a damper on the glory stories that break across tops of newspapers across the country each day concerning the achievement of top athletes. \nIU sports fans are not to be faulted for their happiness that the crimson and cream will now be worn by great athletes such as Gordon and Ebanks. But as the headlines are read about their success and homage is paid to their early training, it might be wise to consider the effects the recruiting market has had on so many athletes who came up just short along the way. Recent public service announcements from the NCCA proudly tout, “There are over 380,000 student athletes, and most of us go pro in something other than sports.” Perhaps coaches, recruiters, athletic directors, parents and fans across the nation should remember that.