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(10/18/04 5:50am)
For nine young men, Friday night was their introduction into the Hoosier mystique. Seven freshmen and two transfers donned the Crimson and Cream for the first time in front of the Hoosier faithful. \nWhen the clock struck midnight, all memories of last season began to fade and hope for this season began to rise with the introduction of each new freshman. As their names were called, the roar of the unexpected crowd of more than 12,000 grew, crescendoing with freshmen D.J. White and Indianapolis native Robert Vaden. \nSoon after the crowd settled, the show known as Midnight Madness commenced.\nThe evening's events began with sophomore Pat Ewing Jr. attempting to defend his slam dunk contest championship a year ago. \nGoing up against senior transfer Marco Killingsworth and freshmen Vaden, A.J. Ratliff and James Hardy, Ewing Jr. sealed his back-to-back championships with a 540-degree dunk that brought the crowd and his teammates to their feet. \nFollowing Ewing Jr., sophomore Errek Suhr and junior Angela Hawkins won the spot shot contest with a score of 61. Suhr and Hawkins didn't have to win the contest alone. The tandem had the help of a fan who was selected to shoot with them. \nThe last individual competition of Midnight Madness was the three-point competition. \nSenior Ryan Tapak continued his hot streak from behind the arc, where he has made a niche for himself, ousting Suhr in the finals 15-10 out of a possible 25 shots. \nTapak said the key to winning a three-point contest is deception.\n"You try to act like you're not going to be all nervous," Tapak said. "But you go out there and see all those people and hear Chuck Crabb counting down -- you get nervous."\nTapak said by the second rack of balls, he fell into a rhythm and the nerves disappeared. He also said his style of set-shooting makes it easier to get through all 25 balls, thus giving him a better chance of winning than those who shoot jumpshots. \nIn the Battle-of-the-Sexes overall championship, which pits the men's winner against the women's winner, defending champion Cyndi Valentin was out to make her title a three-peat in the overall competition. But Tapak said he asked the junior if she'd be easy on him because it's his senior year and he wanted to leave IU with a three-point title. Tapak outshot Valentin 13-10 to bring the overall title back to the men's side after a two-year hiatus.\nAfter the events, the Hoosier faithful had the chance to catch the 2004-05 squad in action for the first time in a scrimmage. \nThe scrimmage was the only chance for fans to see Killingsworth and senior Lewis Monroe, who both transferred from Auburn and are forced to sit out this season to be eligible next season. Killingsworth led the Crimson team with 12 points and three rebounds while playing the entire scrimmage. Monroe scored six points and had three assists in his debut for the White team. \nLeading the White team was freshman D.J. White with 12 points while matching up against the older and stronger Killingsworth.\n"It was exciting," White said. "This is what I was waiting for. It was fun. It was just like open gym, but fans were there."\nHe said this was his second time being in front of a crowd that large, but the IU fans were "beautiful."\nIU coach Mike Davis didn't give the team much rest. \nThe squad had to be back at Assembly Hall by noon Saturday to go through a three hour practice -- the first real practice of the 2004-05 season. \nVaden scored six points in the scrimmage, but said that after Friday night, it's time to crack down.\n"All the fun and games are over," he said. "It's time to get down to business."\n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(10/15/04 5:44am)
It's been 217 days since the Hoosiers' loss to Illinois ended last season. \nThat's 217 days for Hoosier fans to remember the worst men's basketball season in 34 years. \nAnd that's 217 days for the Hoosier players to replay the season in their heads, thinking about what they could have done differently.\nTonight at Midnight Madness, the 2004-05 Hoosiers will take to Branch McCracken Court in Assembly Hall at 12:01 a.m. for the official start of practice and begin to erase the memories of last season.\nThose 217 days have been enough.\n"I've been waiting all year to get Indiana basketball back to what it should be," said senior guard Ryan Tapak said.\nThe show will begin one minute after midnight, IU coach Mike Davis said, since that is the first time the entire team can practice as one unit according to NCAA rules. \nDavis said after putting everyone and everything together, it will probably take a week and a half to get things running on all cyclinders. \nUntil tonight, Davis said coaches were allowed to hold one two-hour practice a week with up to four players. In accordance with NCAA rules, Davis and IU put together a nine-week program that ends with the stroke of midnight tonight.\n"They can have some fun for one day and one night, but we start at 12 on Saturday," Davis said. \nThe fifth-year coach said the team has had a "great, great, great nine weeks" and has gotten bigger and stronger over the offseason. \nBut from Saturday until the team's first exhibition game Nov. 4 against Bellarmine, Tapak said the intensity is going to be turned up.\n"It's going to be tough, and deservedly so," he said. "But the harder we work, the (bigger) the payoffs."\nAfter missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in 19 years last season, IU is looking to its newcomers to spark the team. \nHelping right the IU train are 11 new faces, including seven freshman, two new coaches and two transfers to help fill the voids left by A.J. Moye, George Leach and former assistant coach John Treloar, among others. \nThe freshman class of D.J. White, Robert Vaden, A.J. Ratliff, James Hardy and late-addition Lucas Steijn is considered by many to be one of the best in the nation, and will be accompanied by walk-on freshmen Adam Ahlfeld and Kyle Taber. \nJoining the seven freshmen will be Auburn transfers seniors Lewis Monroe and Marco Killingsworth, both of whom must sit out this season because of NCAA rules. Besides the players, tonight will be the debut for two new coaches. \nIU associate head coach Kerry Rupp and assistant head coach Donnie Marsh joined the Hoosiers' coaching staff this summer after the loss of Treloar and former assistant coach Ben McDonald. \nThe fans will get their first taste of this year's young team with the slam dunk contest, which will start tonight's festivities. Following the dunk contest, one men's player and one women's player will pair up for the spot shot contest, which will be followed by the three-point contest. The top two men and the top two women will then compete to be the overall champion and will attempt to dethrone defending champion Cyndi Valentin, who beat senior Donald Perry last year. The evening will end with the men's and women's teams playing in their own 15-minute scrimmages. \nFor Vaden, who will be participation in his first Midnight Madness since witnessing Pat Ewing Jr.'s slam dunk championship last season on his official recruiting visit, Friday night will be the end of the fun and games.\n"Now, it's time to get down and serious," he said. \n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(10/12/04 4:49am)
A little over a month after IU coach Mike Davis finished wrapping up this year's freshman class, he began on next year's. \nMonday, Davis received a verbal commitment from 6-foot-6 swingman Joey Shaw from Glendale, Ariz., the first assurance for the 2005-06 season.\nShaw gave his commitment this past weekend, after he and his AAU coach Earl Flaggs made the trip to Bloomington for an official visit.\n"I just felt real comfortable there with the players and the coaches," Shaw said. "I felt like it was a perfect combination."\nFlaggs, who has coached Shaw on the Arizona Magic AAU team for the past three years, visited IU with Shaw and said on top of the campus' beauty, the IU tradition speaks for itself.\nWhile at IU, Shaw spent three hours shooting around with former Michigan guard Dugan Fife, who is also the brother of former Hoosier and current assistant coach Dane Fife. \n"I knew then that Joey had found a home," Flaggs said. "He's going to be such a great addition to the Indiana family. He knows and understands the Indiana tradition."\nShaw, ranked No. 112 nationally by www.rivalshoops.com, narrowed his choices to IU, the University of Texas, Arizona State University and the University of Nevada before choosing the Hoosiers.\n"(Shaw) is a person who clearly understands what he wants to accomplish," Flaggs said. "He was really impressed with coach Davis and his explanation of his offense."\nShaw wasn't initially on the Hoosiers radar, who entered the race to get the senior three weeks ago. IU coaches went to Arizona to look at Shaw's teammate at Deer Valley High School, Christian Polk, but ended up looking at Shaw, who Flaggs said impressed IU with his outside shooting. \nShaw said IU assistant coach Kerry Rupp was a major influence in bringing him to IU, and Rupp's persistence paid off in the end.\n"He really followed me," Shaw said.\nFlaggs, who has seen Shaw mature as a player and a person, said IU fans are going to "enjoy" Shaw's game.\n"He's 6-6 with a great handle and a very accurate deep shot," Flaggs said. "He extends defenses and forces teams to come out on the perimeter."\nWith the high school season more than a month away, Shaw is now able to focus on his final year at Deer Valley and have fun.\n"It's good to just have it over with," he said. \nShaw said he will probably sign a national letter-of-intent in November during the early signing period which lasts from Nov. 10 to Nov. 17, finalizing his commitment to become a Hoosier. \nSometime during the season, Shaw said Hoosier fans can expect him to make an appearance at Assembly Hall, but he's not sure when.\nFlaggs, who will see Shaw leave after being his coach and mentor for three years, is thrilled for Shaw to attend a program like IU.\n"We're just so excited," Flaggs said. "The tradition there ... Coach Davis is just a phenomenal person -- his knowledge and his vision. We're excited."\n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(10/07/04 5:05am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- Michael Phelps wants his shoulders to hurt.\nHe's ready to put the weight of American swimming on his back, and carry it into the spotlight as a mainstream sport. \n"I want to be able to change the sport of swimming, in and out of the pool," Phelps said.\nAfter taking home eight medals -- six gold and two bronze -- in Athens, Greece last month, this weekend will be his chance to bring attention to American swimming.\nIndianapolis plays host to the 7th FINA World Swimming Championships beginning today and ending Monday at Conseco Fieldhouse, bringing the event to American soil for the first time. \nSwimming in a portable 25-meter short course pool built on top of the Indiana Pacers basketball court, Team USA will feature 28 swimmers who made the trip to Greece, including Amanda Beard, Lindsay Benko, Natalie Coughlin, Ian Crocker and Aaron Peirsol. \nDespite the strong arsenal of American swimmers, the spotlight is focused on Phelps, who missed out on his bid to tie and break IU alum Mark Spitz's Olympic record of seven gold medals, but said the comparisons are an honor in itself.\nSwimming less than an hour away from where Spitz made his mark as a Hoosier, Phelps will have at least six opportunities to swim in front of the hometown Hoosiers.\n"There have been so many comparisons," Phelps said. "It's such an honor to be compared to such a swimming icon."\nThis weekend, Phelps will swim in the 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, 100-meter, 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley and the 800-meter free relay. \nOvershadowed by Phelps' spotlight is 31-year-old Jenny Thompson.\nThe four-time Olympian and eight-time gold medalist is swimming in the last meet of her career. Before the Stanford grad continues her education in medical school at Columbia University, Thompson will give it one more go in Indianapolis -- the site of her first international competition in 1987.\n"Indianapolis is the first place I knew as an international swimmer," she said. "I still sort of hold that wonder and awe that I had when I was at the Pan-Am Games when I come here."\nThis weekend will be the first swimming world championships to be held in an NBA arena, and Elkhart, Ind., native Benko knows how Hoosiers react to the hardwood, and hopes the respond the same way to the pool.\n"If swimming in Indiana is like basketball in Indiana, the crowd will definitely be here to support us," she said. \nThe pool which took from Sept. 22 until Monday to construct, is a 25-meter pool, half the distance of the Athens' pools, which causes some concerns for Team USA, which is used to the 50-meter, Olympic-sized long course pools. \nShort course's require speed and more turns, which Phelps said isn't one of his strong suits.\n"I'm more of a long course swimmer," he said. "Short courses require more turns, which is not my forte."\nBeard, the American swimmer who has been featured in FHM and MAXIM magazines, proves that height doesn't matter in short or long courses. \nThe 5-foot-8 Beard is eight inches shorter than the 6-foot-4 Phelps, but still considers the long courses her better distance.\n"For swimmers, long course and short course are totally different," Beard said. "I am better at long course because I am not as strong, so it will definitely be a challenge."\nWith just more than five weeks since the conclusion of the Athens' games, the international scene is lacking their superstar, Australian Ian Thorpe, in Indianapolis.\nBesides the Americans, none of the men's international gold medalists in the major events made the trip to Indianapolis. The American women will be taking on the likes of Camelia Potec of Romania, Xuejuan Luo of China and Ukraine's Yana Klochkova. \nWhen Monday comes, not only will Phelps be able to head back to his home in Baltimore to sleep in his bed for the first time since July 2, but teammate Peirsol relishes the chance to relax.\n"It is definitely more mentally tough than physical," Peirsol said. "After this meet, we will all get a chance to rest."\n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu
(10/01/04 6:04am)
The IU Athletics Hall of Fame needs to make room for three more members Friday night.\nFormer high jumper Dennis Adama, softball pitcher Amy Unterbrink-Poljan and swimmer Tom Stock will join the other 129 former Hoosiers on the walls of the north and south side of Assembly Hall.\nThe three will be formally inducted in a ceremony tonight at the Bloomington Convention Center. The reception begins at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a dinner and program at 7 p.m.\n"It is always a pleasure to recognize former athletes for their accomplishments," IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan said. "The thing about this year's class is that, while they each enjoyed individual success, they were also instrumental to the success of their respective programs."\nDuring their time at IU, all three garnered All-American status in their respective sports. \nUnterbrink-Poljan, the only woman in the 2004 induction class and the first IU softball player ever inducted into the IU Hall of Fame, is considered one of the most dominant pitchers in IU softball history. She was named to the All-Big Ten team three times during her career and in 1986 brought home All-American honors.\nThe Unterbrink-Poljan name is plastered all over the IU softball record books, as she ranks atop the single season- and career-shutout categories, single season- and career-earned run averages, innings pitched, and career strikeouts. \nShe resides in Owosso, Mich., with her husband and their six children.\n"This is a tremendous honor for myself and the program because being the first softball player (in the Hall of Fame) is huge," Unterbrink-Poljan said.\nAdama was a four-year letter winner for the Hoosiers and was named an indoor All-American in 1972 and 1973; he won the honor in outside track and field in 1973 and 1974. \nThe Grand Rapids, Mich., resident's best finish at IU came at the 1974 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he finished second. On top of his NCAA success, Adama ran the table from 1972 to 1974, as he was the Big Ten champion in the indoor and outdoor high jump all three years. \nHis name is still inscribed in the IU record books, as he holds the IU record in the outdoor high jump at 7-3. \n"For me, it's nice to be remembered," he said. "I graduated from Indiana 30 years ago, and to be remembered for things that I did back then means a lot."\nAdama now lives in Grand Rapids with his wife Barbara and his four children.\nThe latest of Doc Counsilman's pupils to reach the Hall of Fame, Stock took home six All-American honors between 1962 and 1964 in the backstroke. Despite never winning an NCAA Championship, he never finished lower than seventh throughout his career. \nBeing coached by arguably the greatest swimming coach of all time, Stock said Counsilman was able to get more out of him than any other coach.\n"He was such a great coach because he made you reach a level of which you did not think you were capable," he said.\nHis championships came at the Amateur Athletic Union meets, where he won seven outdoor titles between 1960 and 1962 in the backstroke and medley relays.\nStock and his wife, Ann, live in Hinsdale, Ill., and have two grown children. \n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(09/30/04 5:57am)
Home and work. \nHome and work.\nRick Greenspan's first two weeks as IU's new athletics director consisted of the same thing day in and day out -- home and work.\n"I'm not sure I know how to get to and from work, but I'm learning my way around work," he said. "I've been here most of the time, or one of the other places on campus so I really haven't gotten to know much of the town."\nAnd this is OK with Hoosiers, who are looking for someone to right the sinking ship known as the IU Athletics Department. After a tumultuous two years in which IU has seen three athletics directors and a deficit grow on an annual basis, Greenspan's background and work ethic are a welcoming sight.\n"This is the kind of leader we sought to guide the future development of intercollegiate athletics at Indiana University," IU President Adam Herbert said at Greenspan's introduction Sept. 2.\nEntering his third week as athletics director, Greenspan knows how much work is needed to make the Hoosiers a successful athletics program. Greenspan said he is prepared to take on everything thrown his way, from the deficit to the $30 student athletic fee to the $65 million renovation and addition proposals.\n"We've got great people," he said. "We've got a lot of good work to do and some attitudes to change, and some perceptions to change. But it's a terrific place."\nMaking the move from West Point, N.Y., to Bloomington by himself has given Greenspan the opportunity to immerse himself in the Hoosier athletics program. \nThe self-proclaimed "hard-working stiff" has been on the go since Sept. 15, his first day on the job. Despite working hard, Greenspan is going into his new position as a student.\n"I want to be a great listener early, not that I want to be a great listener later, but I think you learn a lot more listening than talking," he said. "So, I want to listen to people. I want to listen to our students. I want to listen to our faculty. I want to listen to our coaches, our student athletes, our fans, and get as much institutional knowledge soaked in as I can."\nGreenspan isn't rushing into his new job, however. He is taking the time to learn about IU, and the Hoosier way. \n"I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on IU, because I'm not," he said. \nGreenspan said his greatest challenge is to get enough information to make wise decisions. \n"The biggest challenge is to get smart as quick as I can," he said. "Then the next one is to assess the current state of the department from a perspective of accountability and productivity."\nFrom a financial standpoint, Greenspan said he is ready to take a firm grasp on the situation he inherited. Efficiency and fund raising, he said, are two of the most crucial elements he faces when it comes to the business side of being athletics director. \n"Obviously we've had financial challenges," he said. "An important role for me, and I don't have a time table for it, is to try to remove that albatross around our neck of, what's the budget and how did we do this year." \nTo help move forward and achieve the goals he has set forth, Greenspan said the next step is to create the beginning of a draft strategic plan which he would "then sell to internal and external audiences." He knows it will not happen overnight, but the Maryland alum, said he would like to see it happen in the next few months. \n"The strategic plan is how we're going to get to those goals," he said, "and how we're going to achieve the mission of this institution, which I think are lofty but attainable." \nGreenspan is planning on making himself accessible to anybody and everybody, including administrators, coaches and athletes.\nHe said he is not a formal person, making him easy to relate to. With past athletics directors given unsolicited labels, such as Michael McNeely being known as a business man and Terry Clapacs known as a football guy, Greenspan said he will allow others to decide his legacy at IU. \n"When somebody new comes into a position like this, there is a lot of curiosity and I understand that, and I don't want people to feel that they can't come in, stick their head in the door, ask me a questions, share some thoughts with me," he said.\nThere is one trait Greenspan said relates well to others, and has throughout his 25 years of experience -- his passion. \nSome of Greenspan's hardest work will come within a football program that hasn't finished a season above .500 in a decade.\nDespite not being the financial center of the IU athletics department, Greenspan said men's basketball is the true heart of IU sports.\n"We can't afford for (basketball) to slip," he said. "That's our tattoo, that's our brand to the world. Football is a different sport in the way it relates to students and alums."\nWith revenue slipping for the football program, and all the possibilities for income, including bowl games, conference championships and national recognition, the need to get competitive is a must, Greenspan said -- especially to bring fans into the stadium.\n"For people to commit a day in the fall where there are other things (happening), you got to be competitive enough and you've got to be persuasive enough for people to want to do that," he said. \nBecause of the state of the department's finances, the need for football to start increasing revenue is vital, because of all the other non-revenue sports -- despite how successful some may be. \n"If we were truly a business, which we're not, in a business room you'd say we have a lot of loss," Greenspan said. \nAs the man who turned around the Army athletics department; there is only one way to point IU in the right direction.\n"Football -- we've got to get healthy."\nFor the first three weeks of his new job, Greenspan has begun to set the foundation for a successful tenure as a Hoosier -- and he's been doing it alone. \nLiving in a condo on the south side of Bloomington temporarily, Greenspan waits for his wife, Jenny, to join him later this week. Greenspan's daughter, Emily, just graduated from the University of Connecticut this spring and will be moving to Bloomington with her parents, while Greenspan's son, Ben, is still attending UConn. \nGreenspan has spent many hours on the phone with his wife using her navigational skills, as she helps him find his way around Bloomington. \nFor someone who gets lost easily, Greenspan has a map of where the IU athletics department is going, and he's in the drivers seat to help get them there. \n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu
(09/28/04 5:58am)
With Midnight Madness 18 days away, the time has come for students to start thinking about putting away their football pom-poms, closing the tailgating cooler and beginning to focus on the hardwood. \nStudent season tickets for the IU men's basketball team went on sale Sunday to the delight of some, and the dismay of many.\nCompared to years past, this year's student season ticket package is designed to work differently. Students will receive tickets to a minimum of six games, with the possibility for the IU Ticket Office to add more games to the packages depending on how many students buy tickets. The last two season ticket offerings had packages announced as 10 or 11 games and were then decreased to six or seven games because an unanticipated amount of students bought season tickets. \nAccording to an April Indiana Daily Student article, IU provides the largest number of student seats of any Big Ten school. Last season, the 12,000 student tickets sold ranked among the highest number in the country and were four times higher than the next school, Purdue, with about 3,300. Of Assembly Hall's 17,257 seats, 7,800 were devoted to students last season.\nFor many upperclassmen especially, the thought of not being able to see the Hoosiers as often as they would like is disappointing and frustrating. \n"For the seniors, we've been here for four years and every year we've got to see less games. Now, we get a half a season," senior Jamie Greenbaum said. "The University needs to provide more tickets for students or find out a better way to do it."\nIn the last few years, student ticket packages have diminished in size. During the 2001-02 season, students received all the games in the ticket package.\n"Every student deserves the right to order basketball tickets, but it is also frustrating to true fans when students purchase season tickets and only attend a few games," junior Kevin Anderson said.\nThis year's student ticket packages cost $11 per game, plus an $8 service fee -- for a total charge of $74. If the ticket office adds more games to student packages, an additional $11 per game will be added to the total, but a service fee will not.\nIf students purchase their tickets by the Oct. 8 deadline, the Ticket Office e-mail stated that students can be guaranteed seats.\nStudents can buy their tickets in groups of eight, allowing them to sit together for all home games. \nThe six games students will receive will be chosen from a pool of 12 including eight Big Ten games; Bellarmine University Nov. 4; Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Nov. 12; University of North Carolina Dec. 1 and Notre Dame Dec. 8.\nThe only games not offered to students are those during which school is not in session for Thanksgiving break and for winter break. \n"I think because of Indiana being known as a top notch program and having deep roots, students should be rewarded by seeing more basketball games," sophomore Neil Ackerson said. \nThis year, students will not have to visit Assembly Hall with their checks in hand to purchase tickets. In collaboration with Ticketmaster, students were given an account number and a pin number in the e-mail, which they could then access a Ticketmaster page on the www.iuhoosiers.com Web site. The e-mail was only sent to students who purchased tickets last season.\n"When I got the e-mail, I was excited that it was going to be a lot easier and convenient to purchase tickets this year, however there's a great chance that by using e-mail more students will be become aware of the process of how to purchase tickets and this could in return lower the amount of games each student receives," Anderson said.\nLast season, IU ranked seventh in the country in home attendance, according to the 2004 National College Basketball Attendance report, compiled by the NCAA. The Hoosiers averaged 16,487 fans per game last season -- 770 less than the 17,257 capacity for Assembly Hall.\n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(09/09/04 6:38am)
Five primary issues were the topic of Terry Clapacs' last presentation as athletics director to the IU board of trustees Wednesday in Nashville, Ind. \nWith less than a week left in his tenure as AD, Clapacs highlighted the first session of the trustees retreat early in the morning, wrapping up the state of the athletics department under his reign, the financial performance of the past year and taking a look at the concerns and major issues incoming athletics director Rick Greenspan will be facing when he takes office Wednesday. \nClapacs listed football, scholarship costs, gender equity requirements, facilities and the effect of the fair labor standards act revision as the five issues at hand. \n"Those are the things that (Greenspan) will be looking at as he begins his administration at IU," Clapacs said.\nComing off a 41-10 win over Central Michigan, Clapacs re-emphasized the number one concern in the department -- the football team.\n"Football has to continue to get better," he said. "Football is the answer to the athletics department prospering." \nSaturday's game saw 36,041 fans in attendance at the 52,180-capacity Memorial Stadium -- 1,058 fans more than last season's average home attendance of 34,983, which is a key figure to Clapacs, when it comes to producing revenue for the department. \n"Obviously we have to win," he said. "As we win, more people will attend games."\nThe second major issue Clapacs addressed was scholarship costs to the athletics department. \nHe said 75 percent of the athletes at IU are out-of-state athletes on full scholarships. With an annual increase of tuition at IU, the department is directly affected because it reimburses the University for the cost of the scholarships. \n"(It) is a huge expense for us," Clapacs said. "Clearly, the amount of the tuition increases affects athletics."\nThe third topic for Clapacs was the gender equity requirements IU has in place. \nAccording to the 2002-03 NCAA Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act, 52.7 percent of IU athletes are male and 47.3 percent are female.\n"Gender equity is basically for IU to have the proper proportion of male and female opportunities," Clapacs said. "It's not just the number of sports or participants. There needs to be parity in terms of facilities and expenses. These things need to be in line for both men and women. There needs to be close parity for those."\nThe gist of Clapacs' presentation to the trustees Wednesday about gender equity was making sure IU is compliant. \nClapacs also addressed IU's athletic facilities in his presentation, referring to football as the main concentration of need. \nThe athletics director presented a $65 million renovation plan to the IU facilities this summer -- $35 million of which will be used to close off the north endzone of Memorial Stadium to add facilities for the department, according to a July 8 Indiana Daily Student article.\nIn part of his presentation, Clapacs talked about ways to finance the new facilities. \n"In my view, we need to make a major commitment to football," he said. "That's what makes it work together. The new athletics director will have to assess all that and make his own judgement." \nClapacs said that new training, medical and academic areas are among the needs of the athletics department.\nThe last topic of Clapacs' presentation was discussing the effect of the Fair Labor Standards Act revision, which will require athletics department employees to be paid overtime instead of being paid on an annual salary for the hours they work, he said. \nWith the transition of power in Assembly Hall six days away, Clapacs is leaving office with a package of issues for Greenspan. Despite the challenges Greenspan faces in his first year as athletics director, Clapacs said he was a good choice to lead the Hoosiers into 2004-05.\n"I think he'll do just fine," Clapacs said. "(Greenspan) seems like a very solid administrator."\n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(09/07/04 4:18am)
Lance Armstrong is a god. \nThere's no getting around it. \nWhat he has accomplished in the cycling world alone ranks him atop the list of greatest cyclists ever, and among the greatest athletes ever. But what he has done off the bike makes him even more remarkable. \nHe's a cancer survivor. \nFor all of you who didn't know, Lance rides his bike with one testicle. In 1996, as an up-and-coming cyclist with a hot temper, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. After accomplishing what he has, going through so much makes him even more remarkable. \nLance even has a few IU connections. He was treated at the IU Hospital and the IU Cancer Center in Indianapolis, to which he has returned numerous times to thank his doctors. Lance also attended the Little 500 in 1997.\nNow that I just gave you a brief education on Lance Armstrong, you can now appreciate why you are wearing those bright yellow "LIVESTRONG" bracelets. \nI have come in contact with -- on more than one occasion, I might add -- people who had no idea what the bracelets mean. They were just wearing it because it "looked cool" or because "everyone has them."\nCome on, folks. \nI have one. I'm wearing it right now. I bought it before the Tour de France (which Lance won for a record sixth time -- consecutively). I bought it before the influx of media coverage. I bought it because I appreciated what it stood for. No, I'm not a cancer survivor, nor have I ever had cancer. But I felt it was my duty to help out such a noble cause -- fighting cancer. It was only $1, and all proceeds go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides funding for the research of cancer, as well as support to those battling cancer and it's after effects. I knew where my money was going when I bought it, and that's why I did it. \nI did it for a real reason, not for the fashion statement. \nSome might think Nike, the maker of the bracelet, is using Lance and his cancer as a marketing tool. Well, you're right. But they're doing it for all the right reasons. So far, Nike has sold more than 8 million bracelets since they debuted in May. So do the math. One dollar sold 8 million times equals one unbelievable donation to Lance's foundation. \nI understand trends come and go, but at least be a little knowledgeable about what you're wearing. \nI think it's phenomenal that so many people have taken to the little yellow rubber bands (what they essentially are). But it's getting overboard. Like any trend, it eventually gets over done and then done with. \nNike is on backorder for them, and lately they have been selling in groups of 10 on the internet. \nBut what's the most despicable act of greed is that the bracelets are now on eBay for as much as $15 each. That's $14 more than what was paid for them. Greed is everywhere nowadays, but come on: The money was going to a good cause. Why take advantage of something that will help people just for your financial benefit? Send the money you made from your eBay deal to Lance's foundation. I'm sure they won't be upset if you give them a 1,400 percent payback. \nJust follow the 10 letters on your wrist and take the high road.\nLive strong.
(09/06/04 5:22am)
NEW YORK -- All Jenna Friederick needed was time. \nShe needed time to figure things out, time to step back and look at what she wanted, time to focus. Time is what she has taken. \nAfter taking three semesters off, the IU senior was in New York this week working at the Republican National Convention. \n"A lot of people want to rush and get done in four years, but there's no need for that," she said. "I love my life."\nFriederick left IU after the first semester of the 2002-2003 school year, taking on a slew of different jobs, just trying to figure out what she wanted to do.\nThe finance and marketing major in the Kelley School of Business said the life of a business student drove her to seek something else. \n"There were some other things I wanted to explore," she said. \nThis landed her in New York the same week as the Republican National Convention.\nAmong "a whole mish-mosh of little jobs" Friederick said her main duty is as the personal assistant to Edlen Electric President Jim Wetterling. \nThe Evansville native didn't come to the convention with plans of being someone's right hand woman. It just fell in her lap when a friend recommended her for the position because Wetterling's people said he needed an assistant.\n"I'm very glad I did this," she said. "I got to see a lot of really cool stuff and been exposed to a lot of famous people. My whole world is even bigger to me now."\nAfter she returns to IU this spring to finish her degree, Friederick isn't sure exactly what direction she wants to go, but being at the Republican National Convention gave her another option in life. \nSo far in New York, she has had the opportunity to meet a mayor, senators and many other well known people including Barbara and Jenna Bush, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and North Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. \nFriederick said meeting these powerful people can be beneficial in the end. Even though, she said, they might not remember her.\n"This is a perfect opportunity for me," she said. "By me having their names, and having met them, I can always tell them that I was at the Republican National Convention and they could point me in the right direction."\nShe said her days working at the convention weren't that long, but the whole week was been tiring for her. \nShe said one of the highlights of the week was her opportunity to sit in on the convention Tuesday night when California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke. \n"I was impressed," she said. \n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu .
(09/03/04 6:25am)
NEW YORK -- To a standing ovation, President George W. Bush entered Madison Square Garden Thursday night to accept the his party's nomination for the presidency of the United States.\nStanding on the newly reconstructed stage bearing the presidential seal, Bush gazed into the crowd as they peppered the president with cheers and applause. \nThe lull was only for an instant as Bush formally took the invitation of the Republican Party to be its candidate for president.\n"Mr. Chairman, delegates, fellow citizens: I am honored by your support, and I accept your nomination for President of the United States," Bush said.\nAfter the clapping subsided, Bush announced the next two months will be run on a compassionate conservative philosophy, and throughout his speech, Bush laid out his plan for the next year and pronounced himself as a leader.\nBush was introduced by New York Gov. George Pataki. In his 10th year at the helm, Pataki told the group that despite the fact that they hear it every year, this year's election really "is the most important election of our lifetime."\nThe speech began with a look at the president's first term, highlighting what he called the "largest tax relief in a generation." Federal education reform and his bipartisan effort to increase Medicare were also topics of his first term.\nBush said his campaign is based on one "clear and positive plan to build a safer and a more hopeful America."\nAmerica's youth was on the president's mind Thursday night.\nBush said high schools will begin to stress math and science more. In order to combat the increase of college tuition, the president has increased Pell Grants for low- and middle-income families. The president also said he will increase funding to community colleges. \nBut the young students of this country will not be left behind, Bush said. He also spoke to America's youth, saying, "No matter what your circumstances, no matter where you live, your school will be the path to the promise of America."\nAs the baby boomers age and the social security funds decrease, Bush said it is important to toughen the government program.\n"We must strengthen social security by allowing younger workers to save some of their taxes in a personal account, a nest egg you can call your own and government can never take away," he said.\nWith the unemployment rate rising, Bush said he will keep energy domestic, allowing more Americans to enter the work force. \n"To create jobs, we will make our country less dependent on foreign sources of energy," he said. "To create jobs, we will expand trade and level the playing field."\nWith more jobs comes more homeowners.\nBush said a priority for a new term will be "to build an ownership society, because ownership bring security and dignity and independence."\nThe president also pledged to bring Democrats and Republicans together across the aisle to correct the federal tax code, which he called a complicated mess.\nFor those who can't afford medical expenses, Bush said the country needs to pass medical liability reform. \n"We will make sure health decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.," he said. \nBush also said he supports welfare reform, which would strengthen family and "require work."\nBush also touched on the issue of gay marriage in his speech, telling the crowd he supports the protection of marriage against activist judges.\nThe president declared America is safer because of the efforts the U.S. put in to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Iraq during his administration.\nBut Bush admitted Iraq was the toughest decision in diplomacy. \n"Do I forget the lessons of Sept. 11 and take the word of a madman, or do I take action to defend our country?" Bush asked the crowd. "Faced with that choice, I will defend America every time."\nBush told the soldiers overseas that they are "involved in a struggle of historic proportion."\nTelling the crowd that the Middle East will be centered around a democracy, he called suicide bombers in the Middle East hopeless, purposeless and undignified.\n -- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(09/03/04 4:24am)
NEW YORK -- For Democrats, last night was a slap in the face. \nOne of their own stood in front of a packed house at Madison Square Garden and not only hailed the president, a Republican, but slashed apart his own party and its presidential nominee. \nSen. Zell Miller's, D-Ga., speech didn't sit well with the Indiana Democratic Party. \n"I kind of questioned whether Zell Miller is an actual Democrat," Indiana Democratic Party Communications Director Terry Burns said. "He calls himself one, but after what I heard him say last night, I don't know."\nTwelve years ago, Miller stood in the same arena also giving the keynote speech for then-Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton. \nIn that speech, Miller lambasted then-President George H. W. Bush as being "a timid man who hears only the voices of caution and status quo."\nHe also went on in 1992 to say President Bush was just not in the loop.\n"Let's face the facts: George Bush just doesn't get it, he doesn't see it, he doesn't feel it, and he's done nothing about it. That's why we cannot afford four more years."\nAs that President Bush sat in the presidential box with former first lady Barbara, Miller gave the 2004 keynote address at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night. In his speech, Miller said he admired President George W. Bush and that he "like(s) the fact that he's the same man on Saturday night as he is on Sunday morning."\nBut, for most of his speech, Miller used the stage at the Garden for a boxing ring, taking jabs at Sen. John Kerry and his own Democratic Party. \n"Motivated more by partisan politics than by national security, today's Democratic leaders see America as an occupier, not a liberator," Miller said to a standing ovation. "And nothing makes this Marine madder than someone calling American troops occupiers rather than liberators."\nWith the pro-military stance taken by the Republicans, the Georgia senator made the war in Iraq and the fight against terrorism his main issue, hailing Bush as a hero and Kerry as a warlord. \n"I think a lot of Democrats that heard that speech were appalled. (Miller made) unwarranted attacks and distortion," Burns said. "More painful was that it was coming from someone who calls himself a Democrat." \nThroughout most of his speech, Miller denounced Kerry, listing off some of the major issues concerning the war in Iraq, which Kerry opposed. \nFor a large portion of his speech, President Bush's name wasn't mentioned by Miller, as he laid into Kerry and his campaign. \nMiller said Kerry's stances on military issues have led the Massachusetts senator to be "more wrong, more weak and more wobbly than any other national figure."\n"People want to hear about hope for the country," Burns said. "I think that is the kind of message Hoosiers want to hear. They want to hear what a presidential candidate will be doing for jobs and the economy. They don't want to hear a lot of hateful rhetoric."\nWith less than two months to go before the Nov. 2 election, Burns said the Indiana Democrats are looking forward to the upcoming race for the White House. \n"I think now we're just looking forward to the fall campaign. The Republican convention is just a huge floor show. Not a whole lot of substance," he said. "I would hope that the Republicans would start talking about the issues. The Democrats are going to still stick with the issues."\n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(09/02/04 5:43am)
NEW YORK -- ESPN has its Zone. The Internet has its cafes. Now, CNN has its -- diner? \nThe Cable News Network has turned the Tick Tock Diner into the CNN Diner for the Republican National Convention. \nLocated in the New Yorker Hotel on Eighth Avenue, the CNN Diner does more than serve free food. Closed to the public, the diner is the hub for most CNN activity, including meals, meetings and filming. Passes are required for access to the diner, which offers a full menu and open bar, all free of charge. \nThe concept, unique in all ways, was conceived by Senior Vice President for Marketing and Promotions for the CNN Newsgroup Scot Safon with the help of Civic Entertainment Group. \nSafon said grassroots politics spurned the idea for the diner -- a place Safon said is true America at its finest. \n"The whole diner aspect goes to get the pulse of the people," he said. \nThe Diner is home to 50 staffers, most of whom were borrowed from other restaurants' wait staffs or from catering services. Safon said it feeds the press, CNN crew members, delegates, sponsors and VIPs of all sorts. The planning for the diner began as soon as CNN's planning for the convention started. \n"We wanted to have a presence that would be meaningful to the press, the advertisers, to everyone," Safon said. "We wanted to make a statement about our brand." \nWith CNN's election coverage slogan as "America's Campaign Headquarters," Safon said it was almost fitting to make an actual campaign headquarters. \nCivic Entertainment Group's Project Manager Josh Pruss said people leave the diner with an impression of CNN. \n"It's a quality product," Pruss said. "It creates a memorable dining experience." \nAt the Democratic National Convention in Boston, CNN began conceiving an idea similar to the diner, but instead in a Boston pub. \nBut Safon said, New York was just a more obvious choice to launch the idea of having an actual campaign headquarters because the network had more constituencies based out of the Big Apple, including advertisers, sponsors and more workers. \nNot only is the restaurant used for dining, Safon said it is used for filming CNN programs such as portions of American Morning, Wolf Blitzer at noon, Crossfire and many interviews. Among the people who have descended upon the diner other than CNN talent to take in the CNN dining experience are Rev. Jerry Falwell, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Alan Simpson (R. Wyoming). \nPruss said involving meals has proved successful for the CNN Diner. The diner is open until 2 a.m., which allows many members of the media as well as delegates and most everyone else involved with the convention to have a chance to eat comfortably after the festivities inside Madison Square Garden end around 11:15 p.m. \n"The food element is fantastic," Pruss said. \nFrom his standpoint, Safon said his measure of success is how the customers react.\n"My measure of success is that they want to be here, they seek it out," he said. "It's really fun and engaging to give them another experience."\nAs any good restaurant has, the CNN Diner hopes to have regulars. Even though passes are required for entrance, Safon said him and his crew are looking to bring back the customers.\n"My hope for it, is that this should be a place the people want to come to again and again," he said.\n-- Contact Senior Writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(09/01/04 7:07am)
NEW YORK -- With the general elections only 62 days away, politicians are heating up their campaigns and keeping college students in sight. \nTuesday saw the arrival of Indiana Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitch Daniels to the Republican National Convention. \nDaniels had the opportunity to speak at the convention but didn't pursue it. He said doesn't make that much of a difference.\nBut Daniels does know what will make a big difference when it comes to the campaign and college students -- the economy. \n"(Students are asking) 'Will I have a job in Indiana if I want one?'" Daniels said on the convention floor. \nDaniels went on to say that the pessimism is due to the way the economy has been heading. \nOn the national scale, President Bush's campaign also has begun to include students in its movement. \nThe campaign hired students to work the polls on Election Day, in part to help combat the largely Democratic labor unions, which give their employees Election Day off.\n"Let's start early," Bush-Cheney Campaign National Spokesman Terry Holt said. "Let's get the students motivated."\nStarting in 2000, the Bush campaign used students down the final stretch before the election and plan on doing so this year as well. \n"In 2000, (the campaign) put heavy emphasis on college students helping us in the last 72 hours," Holt said. \nDaniels said that, so far in his campaign, the out-pour of students involved with politics can be seen statewide. \n"There is no doubt if you travel with us, you will see young people who are active in this campaign and they are with us," he said.\nAccording to Indiana Delegate Brian Bosma of Indianapolis, Daniels has taken the road less traveled in search of the governorship. \n"Mitch is running strong all over the state," Bosma said. "He has been places where governors have never been before."\nOn the national level, Holt said word-of-mouth is the best way to support a political officer. \n"The best endorsement a candidate can get is from a neighbor, in the dorm room or from a co-worker," Holt said.The president is looking out for students' pocketbooks and their future. \nWith tuition increases occurring on an annual basis, students are scrounging to find money to pay for college.\nHolt said in the upcoming year, barring a re-election, the president hopes to pass more legislation making more money accessible to students. \n"We hope to pass the Higher Education Reauthorization Act, making more loans available," he said. \nFor another Hoosier campaigning for a public office, college students have become key to his success. \nU.S. senate hopeful Republican Marvin Scott is running against six-year democratic incumbent Sen. Evan Bayh. Scott spoke at the convention Monday morning about bringing more minorities into the Republican Party. \nScott visited IU in July, and said he has been traveling the state, visiting campuses and hearing from student leaders.\nWith a little over two months until the general elections, students' issues have been put on the table, and the politicians that will be receiving their votes understand this and are gearing up for a heated run. \n-- Contact Senior Writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(08/31/04 6:22am)
NEW YORK -- The first Republican National Convention to be held in New York began with a little home hospitality and ended with a packed house Monday. \n"My New York" was the theme of the beginning of the morning session, as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former mayor Ed Koch addressed the crowd. \nThe evening session featured the arrival of Vice President Dick Cheney and former President George H. W. Bush into Madison Square Garden as well as speeches by former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. \nLed by convention chairman Ed Gillepsie, delegates, alternatives and guests filed into the Garden to begin the four-day event.\nKerik, McCain and Giuliani all focused their speeches around the lingering effects of 9-11. The three men spoke about homeland security, terrorism and the military and the affects the trio have on America. \nMcCain spoke about unity among parties, and how important it is to put beliefs aside to come together as one country in times of war. \n"All of us, despite the differences that enliven our politics, are united in the one big idea that freedom is our birthright and its defense is always our first responsibility," McCain said. "All other responsibilities come second.\n"We must not lose sight of that as we debate who among us should bare the greatest responsibility for keeping us safe and free. We must, whatever our disagreements, stick together in this great challenge of our time."\nMcCain went on to say that those in the military are "the very best of us."\nIn the middle of his speech, McCain made comments about "a disingenuous filmmaker," with Michael Moore seated in press row, the crowd responded loudly, only to cause a reaction from Moore. \nFollowing McCain, Giuliani spent most his speech talking about 9-11 and its aftermath. \nUsing his experiences from that Tuesday morning, the former mayor garnered standing ovations and chants of "Rudy."\nGiuliani and Kerik have been hailed here in New York because of their roles in the 9-11 attacks. \nMost Republicans have lumped Bush into that crowd as well.\n"In choosing a president, we really don't choose a Republican or a Democrat, a conservative or a liberal," Giuliani said. "We choose a leader."\nThe man who many feel led New York through that devastating time told potential voters they need to put their security ahead of other issues when it comes time to select a president.\n"In times of danger, as we are in now, Americans should put leadership at the core of their decision," he said.\nThe morning was highlighted by Bloomberg speaking to the delegation, promoting New York and the president. \n"We are here to support him," he said. "And I am here to support him."\nIn his speech, Bloomberg touched on the Olympic issue, saying that the city is preparing to be able to accommodate the world's largest sporting event, and because of New York's diversity, it should be a favorite for the Games. \n"New York has been and always will be an Olympic village," Bloomberg said.\nNew York is the North American representative vying for the 2012 Summer Olympics, but is receiving much resistance from New Yorkers who say the influx of that many people will make the city unlivable. \nPreceding Bloomberg, Koch addressed the convention, telling them he is a Democrat coming to convert the thousands of Republicans to a sea of laughs. The former Democratic congressman then received a round of applause when he proclaimed he will "vote for the reelection of George W. Bush." \nDuring both their speeches promoting New York was a prerogative. \n"It embodies the spirit of enterprise and the love of liberty," Bloomberg said. \nHe mentioned President Abe Lincoln and Jackie Robinson as just a couple of those who have made New York into a world class city.\n"(They) remind us all that New York is for everyone," the mayor said.\nWith the threat of terrorism on everyone's mind with the president coming to town on Thursday, Bloomberg addressed the topic of funding for security.\n"Homeland security funds should be allocated by threat, and no other reason," Bloomberg said.\nHe said he will urge his fellow Republicans, Democrats and Independents to follow through with that to help keep New Yorkers safe.\nAs the first day wrapped up to a full Garden, the delegates will come back tonight for only a night session that will feature Sen.\nElizabeth Dole, IU alum Secretary Rod Paige and first lady Laura Bush. \n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(08/30/04 6:24am)
NEW YORK -- Under the cover of hovering helicopters and in between the lines of New York's finest, hundreds of thousands of protesters marched the streets of Manhattan, voicing their dislike for President George W. Bush, the Republican party and the Republican National Convention. \nStopping traffic throughout their route, protesters shared their opinions about everything from the war in Iraq to the economy to John Kerry. \n"I'm here because I believe we can be a peaceful country," said Code Pink protester Jeanne Bassis, 49, from Great Barrington, Mass. "We need to focus on people instead of power and greed."\nThe thousands began congregating at 10 a.m. at the starting point of 24th Street and Seventh Avenue, just blocks from Madison Square Garden, for the noon start time.\nJust past 2 p.m., a small fire was set to a paper dragon float in front of the Garden on Seventh Avenue. There were about 100 arrests, though no significant violence was reported, according to a report from The Associated Press. According to protest organizers, more than 400,000 joined in the march, but the New York Police Department told the AP the group was only 120,000 strong.\nJoining the massive assembly were feeder protesters who walked the streets of New York earlier in the day making it to 24th and Seventh in time to join the main assembly.\nPace University sophomore and president of the Pace chapter of the Campus Anti War Network, Ashley Marinaccio helped lead a feeder protest consisting of her group, ANSWER (Act Now, Stop War & End Racism) and the RNC Welcoming Committee.\nAs the smaller protest marched through the streets, its ranks grew with every block the protesters walked. \n"It's great to see youth on streets and in the stores joining and getting involved," Marinaccio said. "This is what true democracy is all about."\nMarinaccio said her group's goal is just to get its word to whomever will listen.\n"We want Bush and all the Republicans to hear us," she said.\nJoining in the massive protest were people of all ages. \nOne protester, 22-year-old Lauren Turkel from New York, noticed the lack of college-aged students in the crowd. \n"I wish more people our age were out here," she said. \nTurkel was walking the route, protesting the president, the war in Iraq and the convention.\nFor Oscar Maren and granddaughter Emily Cahn, joining in the demonstration was a way for the two generations to connect. \n"(I'm out here) just having fun," Maren said. "I am against George Bush ... being re-elected president."\nCahn, 16, shares the same mind-set as her grandfather. \n"I'm just against Bush and his evil regime, his lies and his stupidity," she said.\nBut, with all politics aside, the family time was well-spent.\n"(It's) fantastic," Cahn said. "It couldn't be any better"\nMaren shares the same mind-set as many New Yorkers present at the protest Sunday: He doesn't think the protesting all week will have an impact on the presidential elections in November.\n"Absolutely zero," he said. "None."\nTwenty-four-year-old New Yorker Michelle Jonas watched from the sidewalk as the protesters continued walking by. She said what the protesters are doing, especially in New York, is a waste of time.\n"In New York, it's preaching to the choir," she said. "Things like this need to happen in places where it will make a difference."\nOne of the many issues protested was the convention being held in New York. Chants of "Shame" and boos could be heard for miles as protesters made their way past the Garden.\n"It's selfish (of the republicans) to come into our city and bring in any more potential terrorists," New Yorker Bianca Nejathaim said. \nThe presence of the New York Police Department was unmistakable, as officers lined the streets on the protesters' route. Security was heightened over-night in anticipation of the planned protest. Four levels of barricades were placed in front of the Garden. \nThe protesters weren't just a compilation of New Yorkers and Americans. The group had an international flavor, as well.\nCroatian Ivan Grguric arrived in New York Saturday, but once he found out about the protests, he jumped at the chance to demonstrate.\n"I just heard there was protests," he said. "I don't like Bush and I don't like Kerry."\n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(08/26/04 5:41am)
Amid boxes, moving trucks, parents and new students, IU President Adam Herbert stood welcoming incoming freshmen to Foster Quad Wednesday.\n"It's always great to start a new academic year," Herbert said in between greetings.\nIt was quite difficult for the incoming Hoosiers to avoid the president, as Herbert made every ample opportunity to stop and chat with students and their families.\nFor freshman Jenna Liechty, meeting Herbert was a necessity after her twin sister and roommate, Jill, spoke with him earlier in the morning. The Liechty's father, Jason, was with both women when they met the president and couldn't allow one of his daughters to miss the opportunity.\n"You can't have one picture without the other," Jason Liechty said after taking a picture of Jenna and Herbert. \nEven though her unpacking was interrupted, Liechty seemed to not be bothered by her small meeting with the University president.\n"(Meeting President Herbert) was very cool," she said. "My dad dragged me downstairs."\nHer father, a 1972 IU graduate, was impressed that Herbert was speaking with students. \n"He's very personable," Jason Liechty said.\nThe Liechty women were just two of the more than 7,000 students moving into the residence halls Wednesday, said Residence Halls Association President John Palmer. As the first official day for new and returning students to enter the on-campus housing began, there were already 2,100 students in the residence halls. Those students used the early-moving option, where, for a fee, students were allowed to access their rooms beginning August 22.\n Palmer said the projected number of students in the residence halls this year will be about 9,100 -- almost 3,000 less than the maximum capacity. \nPalmer said for the most part, Wednesday went smooth and there weren't many problems.\n"(Move-in) seemed a lot more calm," he said. "A couple of people drove the wrong way."\nStudents and their families were waiting for the move-in staff to open the doors to Foster at 8 a.m. Besides the early risers, Palmer said the other main influx of move-ins was in mid-afternoon.\nDuring his duty as greeter, Herbert toured the check-in area of Foster, welcoming new Hoosiers to IU. \n"We are very delighted to have the parents and students here," the president said. "I've talked with students from Cincinnati, Bethesda, Md., New Orleans, and from several (other) states from around the country," \nOne out-of-state freshman is entering her first year with the same expectations as many college students.\n"Meeting new people, the classes and the freedom," Deerfield, Ill., resident and freshman Rachel Pawlow said. \nFor some students, getting sent to college comes with warnings and talks from parents.\n"I told him to be safe," Tonya Williams said of her freshman son Arnie Williams, Jr. "It's a new experience. It's the first time he's away from home." \nComing to IU for the first time can be intimidating for some freshmen, but Tonya Williams told her son just to keep going in the right direction.\n"I told him to stay focused," she said. "'Keep your priorities straight. Be safe, and that includes all aspects.'"\nFor the Liechty sisters, the roommate situation was a tough choice: Be paired with a random roommate or just live with each other?\nInstead of taking the risk of getting an incompatible roommate, the women decided to live together for at least one year.\n"I think it'll be good," Jenna Liechty said. "We're not starting out with something new. We thought about (not living together), but it's our first year, and we wanted to avoid any problems you can get with a new roommate." After meeting many residents of Foster, Herbert was able to get a more accurate take on the new students, coming to the conclusion that among other areas, the Class of 2008 is very diverse.\n"I think the quality of the freshman class is very strong," he said.\n-- Contact senior writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(06/21/04 1:09am)
Coming off the school's first losing season in 30 years, and missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1985, the IU basketball program has seen a slew of changes during the off season. \nWith the loss of assistant coaches John Treloar and Ben McDonald, IU coach Mike Davis brought in former Utah interim coach Kerry Rupp to help add discipline and organization to the Hoosier program.\n"My former coach in college attended a basketball camp that he conducted in Utah and said this guy is like a machine," Davis said. "I needed energy. I needed details paid attention to. I needed also for that person to be able to go out and recruit."\nWith Rupp only being on campus for a no more than a few weeks, Davis said the changes can already be seen.\n"He came in and worked camp this week, and it was unbelievable," he said. "It was the best camp we've had since I've been here from a teaching standpoint."\nDavis said his staff isn't complete and that he will add a new assistant in the next couple of days. \n"This would be the first time for me to sit back and put a staff together from the ground up," Davis said.\nFor Rupp, being a part of the Hoosier tradition is an honor. For the Hoosiers, coming off the type of season they did last year, starting their work now, instead of the fall, is imperative. \n"We have great young kids here," Rupp said. "I think we have kids that they just got to start today. They can't wait until next fall to get going. We need to make sure we are organized and have a plan."\nComing off a season in which many questioned his ability to lead on and off the court, sophomore Bracey Wright has begun his training for the 2004 USA Basketball under-20 team tryouts under a new weightlifting regiment that includes more machines and focusing on specific muscles. \n"Once I got the invite, I started working out a lot more," Wright said. "You have to get your body in shape, and you have to be physically and mentally ready."\nThe tryouts, which include 24 players from around the country, begins July 16 and concludes the beginning of August. \nGetting back into the swing of summer workouts is welcomed by Wright, who spent most of last summer sidelined after back surgery late in his freshman season. \n"I am doing really well," Wright said. "My back is a lot stronger. It wasn't a real issue last year. I haven't had any pain back there. I feel extremely good. I am doing a lot of exercises and weight programs that I wasn't able to do when I was hurt. It gives you a sense of confidence, knowing you will be injury free going into the situation."\nAlong with Wright, incoming freshman D.J. White has been bulking up on campus. He is the first of the highly touted recruiting class to arrive in Bloomington. A top-ranked class in the nation, the five recruits are looking to turn around the Hoosier program.\n"The freshmen we got coming in are pretty good," Wright said. "I've got a chance to see D.J. play a lot. He's going to be a key player for us next year."\nIn addition to the five freshman recruits, Davis might be on the verge of securing yet another talent. Former Auburn standout Marco Killingsworth visited Bloomington this weekend according to www.espn.com's Andy Katz. Killingsworth entered his name for the 2004 NBA Draft but was not invited to pre-draft workouts in Chicago and decided to pull his name from the entry list.\nThe 6-foot-7 inch forward then informed new Auburn coach Jeff Lebo of his plans to transfer from the Tiger program. A junior last year, Killingsworth led the Tigers in scoring with 13.7 points per game and rebounding with 6.9 rebounds per game and led the Southeastern conference in field goal percentage, shooting 59 percent, for the second straight season. \nIf Killingsworth decides to transfer to IU, he would be forced to sit out the 2004-2005 season.\nWith the possible addition of Killingsworth and the combination of new players and new coaches, Wright said the team will have a new look on it. \n"The atmosphere will be totally different," he said. "We have new coaches. I think everything about this year is going to be completely different."\n-- Contact Editor in Chief Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.
(06/17/04 1:22am)
In a spiral of change, another familiar face has left the Hoosier basketball program. \nIU associate head coach John Treloar has accepted an assistant coaching position at Louisiana State University under long-time friend and Tigers coach John Brady.\n"Growing up in the south, growing up following SEC basketball as a kid and so forth, it was something that was interesting for me," Treloar said.\nCoach Brady made the announcement at a Monday press conference by Brady, but a trip down to Baton Rouge by Treloar and his wife Sunday sealed the deal.\n"My wife went down, and that was the final piece," he said. "Coach Brady, myself and (Athletics Director) Skip Bertman had spoken before that point. But my wife had a chance to see the area."\nTreloar begins his coaching duties at LSU July 1. \nTreloar has spent the past seven years at IU, serving as an assistant to Bobby Knight and associate head coach to Mike Davis. \n"John Treloar brings a wealth of background to our program in terms of being a basketball coach," Brady said during Monday's press conference. \nHe also spent eight years as a coach in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), and also coached overseas in Germany during the 1980s. \nEarlier this year, Treloar interviewed with Southern Mississippi and Southern Methodist for their head coaching positions, but was not selected for either.\nTreloar said the move to the purple and gold wasn't something that he had planned.\nThe Clinton, Miss., native doesn't look at LSU as a stepping stone, but more as another experience. \n"I think having a chance in a different conference than the Big Ten will certainly help me. You get a chance to compete against a lot of new people, new coaches, athletic directors and so forth," he said.\nTreloar's exit south comes at a rebuilding time for the IU men's basketball program. After missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 18 years, many Hoosier faithful questioned Davis' ability to lead the Hoosiers. But Treloar said there was nothing that IU did to cause him to leave.\n"(My experience at IU) was nothing but positive," he said. "I had the chance to work under coach Knight and learn under him. I worked under coach Davis, which was a great experience, and I had the chance to work with some great kids through my years here at Indiana."\nFor Treloar, the road to LSU began accidentally. \nDavis had contacted Brady about one of his assistant coaches, and the conversation eventually turned to Treloar -- Brady's college teammate at Belhaven College. \nTreloar and Brady then touched base and began catching up, and the pair began talking about Treloar coaching at LSU. \nTreloar looks back at his time at IU without harsh feelings. \n"Certainly the national championship run, competing in the national championship game. It's something not a lot of coaches and players have a chance to do," he said. "The experience of competing with all the IU players I've competed with, I have nothing but the fondest of memories." \nTreloar's departure comes just days after former Utah interim head coach Kerry Rupp was hired by Davis as an assistant coach. \nTreloar returned from Louisiana Tuesday afternoon and had yet to speak with Davis, but is assured that he has the coach's support.\n"I think coach Davis supports (me), just like he does any of his players," Treloar said. "I think he is supportive as I am of him, as he is of all his players."\nTreloar said he will still cheer for the Hoosiers except under one condition.\n"IU has a great basketball program, but there's only one time I won't be pulling for the Hoosiers -- and that's when LSU plays Indiana in the NCAA Tournament."\n-- Contact Editor in Chief Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
(06/11/04 3:16am)
The committee for the new IU athletic director isn't wasting any time in getting the word out. IU Alumni Association President Ken Beckley released an advertisement specifying all qualifications and has called for submissions of nominations or applications. A deadline has been set for July 16, with the position being chosen in August. \nIncluded in the advertisement is a Web site address applicants can refer for more information on the athletic department and qualifications for the position. The address for the Web site is www.indiana.edu/~adsearch.\nAmongst the qualifications listed in the advertisement include a genuine commitment to academic and intercollegiate athletic excellence, and experience in fiscal planning and budget management.