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(02/09/04 5:41am)
Staying up all night to play your favorite sport? Or how about not sleeping to raise money for the Indiana Special Olympics? Not what most would call your typical Friday night, but thousands gave up their time for this worthy cause.\nThere was something for everyone at the 2004 Spirit of Sport. \nThe event, held from 5 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday, offered students and Bloomington residents more than just an opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities at the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.\nThe goal behind the annual all-nighter was to continue the tradition of the longest running fundraiser for Special Olympics Indiana. Since its beginning in 1976, SOS has raised more than $300,000. \n"It's a great way to raise money for (Special Olympians) so they can do what they love and play sports," junior Laura Brandenburg, SOS vice president of programming said.\nSOS offered its participants the chance to take part in 12 tournament sports and more than 26 various activities including an Oreo stacking contest, limbo and a Polar Bear Plunge. \nTaking part in the Oreo stacking contest was the newest pledge class at Sigma Delta Tau. \n"I liked the Oreo stacking," freshman Abbey Meltzer said. "It was fun to watch the girls try to stack them up. I didn't do so well as the other girls."\nThe women of SDT joined the fun at SOS as a philanthropy event. Meltzer said she had a great time knowing the money raised at the event was going to a good cause. The group of 47 watched as its pledge sister took the Polar Bear Plunge and others participated in other events. \nAs the eight-hour long event progressed into the night, activities went from "normal" to just plain crazy. Wildermuth Gym was packed with participants ready to test their skills at traditional sporting events such as basketball, indoor soccer, flag football and ultimate frisbee and the not-so-traditional offerings of hula-hooping, beach bingo, bull riding, and pool Scrabble. \n"It's all so much fun to see," sophomore Katelin Fehrenbach said. "I'm still here watching after volunteering."\nSimilar to years past, crowd favorites included the Polar Bear Plunge and celebrity auction. The Plunge took place outside of Wildermuth in snowy 10-degree weather. Plungers, who were in high spirits and dressed in everything from ballet tights to Hawaiian shirts, didn't seem to mind.\nThe auction was a bit warmer fun, offering items from stars like Katie Couric and WWE star, The Rock, autographed photos, an Indianapolis Colts media pack and a Dallas Mavericks autographed basketball. \nWith more than 200 volunteers, Executive and Steering Committees' preparation for SOS began last September and has been going strong since. \nThe benefits go beyond a night of fun and raising money for Special Olympics Indiana, said Joanne Orrange, recreational sports assistant director of special events. \nOrrange said SOS gives students a chance to gain confidence and experience by working as leaders and coordinating events. More than 20 students serve as event coordinators, executive board members and steering committee members. \nThe students participate year-round in planning SOS and devote about 15 hours a week to meetings and planning. Other student organizations, such as IU Student Foundation, Student Athletic Board, Student Recreational Sports Association, Intramural Sports Council and Residence Halls Association sponsor events. \nBrandenburg agreed with Orrange on the benefits of SOS. Brandenburg has been involved with SOS for three years. She first volunteered for the event with her dorm floor freshman year and took on leadership roles the following two years. Brandenburg said she was thankful for all the extra help SOS has gotten this year from classes and additional volunteers. \n"So far everything has been great," she said, nearing the midnight mark. "It seems like things are really put together well this year, everything is very well-organized. We had so much help from extra people; it was great that we could have that much help."\nAs part of a class project, Recreational Sports Management students were asked to participate in SOS as volunteers. \nDespite the class requirement, sophomore Tom Hughes said he had heard about SOS from a friend last year and had been looking forward to checking out the event for the first time.\n"Even if I didn't have to be here for class I would have come and it would have been wonderful," Hughes said. "I would have had the same amount of fun I'm having right now."\n-- Contact staff writer Katie Schoenbaechler at kmschoen@indiana.edu.
(10/10/03 6:50am)
Two people were killed when an ultralight plane crashed in southwest Lawrence County, near Springville, Ind.\nPolice said the plane crashed between 6 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, but the crash wasn't discovered until 7 a.m. Thursday morning.\nDavid L. Kimmell, 60, of Springville, and Jamie R. Umphress, 29, of Mitchell, were killed. Kimmell's father, Charles, discovered the wreckage early Thursday.\nInvestigators said there were no witnesses and no obvious reason for the crash. \nThe aircraft was found in a field behind a rural house off State Road 54, said Master Trooper Jackie Taylor of Indiana State Police. Troopers from the Bloomington Post and Lawrence County Sheriff's Department responded to the report of the crash and found wreckage of the 1996 Quicksilver MXL Sports III, a two-seat ultralight vehicle, according to a statement from the Indiana State Police. \nAn ultralight is constructed of lightweight materials such as aluminum, graphite or high-strength plastics and contains a small engine. Authorities at Monroe County airport compared the aircraft to a hang glider with wings.\nThe incident is still under investigation by the Indiana State Police.
(10/06/03 6:08am)
The window of opportunity for students and Bloomington residents to make a difference in the November election is getting smaller. The last chance to register to vote in the upcoming November election is at 4 p.m. today.\nVoter registration began May 31, but Deputy Registrar Barbara Borrill said there are always people who wait until the last minute. Borrill said whether voters register in May or today, one vote in an election can mean everything.\n"It is very very important to register to vote," Borrill said. "Voters can have a large effect on the candidate if they get out and vote. Many register and then don't vote, so they have to remember to do both."\nShe said interested voters can come to the Monroe County Voter Registration office, most government offices or the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to register. Registration applications can also be sent by mail, but Borrill said all mail-in applications must be received at the Voter Registration Office by midnight.\nThe chance for students to register to vote has been largely advocated in greek houses, residence halls and around large classroom buildings such as Ballantine and Woodburn Hall for the past weeks. The two largest political organizations on campus, IU College Republicans and IU College Democrats, have both taken to the streets to raise voter registration awareness.\nChairman of the College Republicans, senior Angel Rivera, said the group has visited greek houses and residence halls with pizza and city Republican candidates to sign students up to vote in the next election. He said the efforts have worked the past two years. The group has signed up more than 1,000 voters each year. \nRivera stressed the importance of students getting involved in voting for local politics since many city policies have a direct impact on students.\n"(A student's vote is) super important," Rivera said. "Students make up more than half the population in Bloomington. With students' votes, we can make a big difference in local politics."\nThe College Democrats have also been on campus and around the city urging students and Bloomington residents to register to vote. Senior Dan O'Neill, political vice president for the College Democrats, said the student vote on local politics is greatly needed. He said city officials vote on everything from housing to parking tickets and many other issues that affect students on a daily basis.\nMany students chose to stay registered in their hometown, but O'Neill said it is best if they register in Monroe County.\n"The truth of the matter is most of students' time is spent here and most of what happens in city politics deal with students directly. We have strongly encouraged people to register in Monroe County," O'Neill said.\nHe said he would advise students who haven't yet registered to do so online. O'Neill said applications for registration can be accessed from the state of Indiana Web site or the Secretary of State's Web page.\nThe most important thing for students to remember, Borrill said, is to take their voting privilege seriously.\n"If you are registered, please vote," Borrill said. "It does make a difference."\n-- Contact city & state editor Katie Schoenbaechler at kmschoen@indiana.edu.
(09/17/03 6:12am)
Hurricane Isabel's threat may not directly reach Indiana, but residents are still feeling the effects from hundreds of miles away.\nThe Category 2 hurricane is likely a few days from the coast, but preparation for possible flooding and dangerous winds has already begun.\nIndiana Task Force One, a national disaster response team, deployed 28 members of its team Tuesday to Edison, N.J. The team, made up of members from various departments throughout Marion County, is trained to respond in national and man-made disasters. The team includes four subgroups: search, rescue, medical and technical. \nThis particular mission to aid hurricane victims is not the first time the Task Force has been deployed to disaster scenes. The team was called in during the search and rescue efforts after Sept. 11, 2001.\nTeam member Capt. Matt Stewart of the Wayne Township Fire Department was part of the 9/11 team and departed Tuesday to offer his services on the East Coast. \nWayne Township Battalion Chief Rick Batza, said the department is proud of Stewart's leadership and bravery. \nBatza said fire fighters are trained to work in teams, which is one of the most beneficial qualities of during times of crisis.\n"We see it as, the fire service is unique," Batza said. "Firefighters are trained to work together, they function the same and they have a lot of the same ideas and thoughts about life and professionalism. It's a very natural thing."\nBatza said he didn't have a chance to speak to Stewart before he left for Edison, but said Stewart is people-oriented and well known in the fire service.\n"He has a strong responsibility to use his talents to help others. He is an outstanding firefighter. He's very positive about the team. Everyone that works on the teams is very professional and competent."\nMeanwhile, the U.S. Air Force sent about 60 Air Force fighter jets to Grissom Air Reserve Base in Peru, Ind., from its base in Virginia to escape the strong winds and flooding on the coast. \nSome jets stayed behind at Langley Air Base in Virginia, but the base does not have hangers to protect all the planes. Only planes that were under repair stayed, while the rest departed for Grissom, Tuesday.\n"They're multimillion-dollar machines," Capt. Jeff Glenn, spokesman for the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley told The Associated Press. "So the smart thing to do is fly them and let them sit out the storm where it's safe."\nWhile weather in the east begins to develop into strong winds and flood-inducing rain, Indiana will luckily escape any waves of severe weather the hurricane might push on the mainland.\nIndianapolis TV station WRTV Chief Meteorologist Kevin Gregory said any rain that Indiana will experience toward the end of the week is related to a cold front coming through the state, not hurricane backlash.\nThough Indiana is lucky, the weather the coast will experience could be treacherous.\nGregory said coastal winds will be very strong, anything from 100-110 miles an hour.\nRain and flooding will be the most dangerous weather Isabel will develop.\n"There is going to be a tremendous amount of rain, mainly in western Virginia and the peninsula," Gregory said. "In that area, flooding will be more of a problem than wind."\n-- The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact City & State editor Katie Schoenbaechler at kmschoen@indiana.edu.
(04/28/03 5:31am)
As graduation day nears, seniors have begun thinking about the future outside of Bloomington. For the underclassmen who still have requirements to fill and credits to earn, college life is still a main priority. \nBut for Little 500 riders, the future of a team hinges on graduating seniors. Losing just one rider could hurt a team's chance to turn out a successful performance the next year.\nAfter Sigma Alpha Epsilon lost its IU charter in 2002, the team of riders registered as an independent team, The Corleones. The 2003 race marked the last time the 2002 championship team would ride. All four riders will graduate this year, leaving no one to carry on the tradition of the team.\n"I don't think The Corleones team will stick around," said senior Corleones rider Daniel Burns. "People were asking (senior Chris) Irk about it after the race. I don't think I'll see it through. If I would come back I would like to see it as an SAE team."\nOther teams are still uncertain about competing together next year. This year's winner, Gafombi, will lose seniors John Grant and Mike Rubin. The remaining riders, junior Jason Fowler and Brandon Hurey, will have to make a decision to either begin recruiting for two additional riders or move to another team. Gafombi, like The Corleones, have ridden the past two years without the backing of a fraternity and lack a pool of interested men to join the team.\nFor riders who are departing, the thought of coming back to Bloomington for the 2004 race without a team to cheer for is difficult. Grant said he's not worried about the team coming back next year, but it would be nice to see Gafombi back for a third year.\n"It would be nice to come back and see my team out there next year," Grant said. "If we were still riding for Beta (Theta Pi) it would be nice to come back and have your fraternity out there."\nOther teams have a tradition of a strong team, but losing valuable riders is still hard. Senior Kevin Vanes has ridden for Acacia for four years and finished his final race Saturday. Teammate senior Robert Allen said the team's strategy for the race was centered around Vanes. \n"Kevin Vanes, our captain, it's his last year here and our job was to get him to the end of the race in position to win and we did that. It just didn't go our way, but we had a great time," Allen said.\nOut of the 126 riders that participated in Little 500 this year, 36 are graduating seniors. IU Student Foundation assistant director and Little 500 coordinator Alex Ihnen said the group leaving this year is a special one.\n"It was all about competition this year," Ihnen said. "The guys trained hard and were really invested in the event. Everyone rode to their potential. The guys this year were a very special group of guys. They think they can come in and make a real difference on the race and they did that this year"
(04/23/03 5:37am)
Biking in Bloomington isn't restricted to only Little 500 riders. You don't need a team, an interesting name or experience to join the IU Cycling Club.\n"We offer an alternative to riders other than Little 5," said club president senior Jason Mount. "The club gives riders race experience and a way to improve yourself and your fitness levels. It also gives you the chance to meet other people that ride and that's always a plus."\nGetting to know other riders is easy to do with the numerous events the club offers. Mount said club members participate in group rides every week and travel each weekend to compete in races around the country.\nTraveling each weekend is one of the most exciting aspects of the club, said junior Bri Kovac. Kovac, who rides for Teter in the Little 500, said the friendships formed during road trips and races are different than Little 500 relationships. She said the club races as a team and is more of a community than the separate four person Little 500 teams. \n"You get to know a lot of people on the track," Kovac said. "The people we ride with on the weekend are some of my closer friends on the track. It's a lot of fun and a great experience."\nFor Little 500 riders, the club can be a way to train until the extensive Little 500 preparation begins. Kovac said the club can especially be helpful to riders who have less experience. \n"It helps give you a sense of race mentality," Kovac said. "You get to know a lot of other riders and how they ride, and then it helps when it comes to Little 500. It's really good for rookie riders because it gives them a good sense of the race if they haven't been in one before."\nBut it's not all fun and games. IUCC riders compete to win. The team took second place at track nationals this year and sixth at road nationals.\nMount said IUCC is one of the stronger programs in the country. The club races against other top programs and other Midwest schools such as Purdue, Wisconsin, Western Michigan and Ohio State. \nFor junior Michael Kehrberg, the club is a chance to ride and prepare for races other than Little 500. Kehrberg races on the collegiate level as a Men's A but has raced as a USA Cycling category I rider, which makes him ineligible to race in the Little 500. \nKehrberg said the club gives him a chance to get racing experience for track nationals and other races he competes in.\n"The club is good training and a good way to get used to the competition," Kehrberg said. "It's also nice to get out and have that experience."\nRegardless of the reason for joining the club, each member agrees it's a great way to get out of Bloomington and meet new people.\n"It's a lot of fun traveling on the weekends, especially going to nationals," Kehrberg said. "We have some good times, some long road trips and fun races"
(01/30/03 5:38am)
During the cold winter months many people count down the days until sunny warm weather. But no one is looking forward to warm weather more than the riders competing in the Little 500 bike race.\nLittle 500 hopefuls filed into the business school Wednesday night for the first meeting of the Little 500 season.\n"We have been doing a lot of training inside, as far as riding, but we have been getting out if it gets over 30 degrees," said senior Jon Kloppenburg, rider for the independent team Cinzano. "It's tough to ride rollers (inside), to ride in a stationary place for two hours, so it's nice to get outside and have that opportunity."\nThe agenda for the evening was centered around introducing new riders, or "rookies" as they are called on the track, to the deadlines and procedures the IU Student Foundation mandates. These policies are set to ensure safety and eligibility in order to compete in the race, which will be held on April 25 for women and April 26 for men.\nQuestions of eligibility were major issues of controversy in the 2002 race. Riders from a men's team, Team Major Taylor, contested the ruling of IUSF on one rider's eligibility. This season, eligibility was fully covered in the meeting. Student GPA, credit hours and professional status were all underlined in the presentation.\nEach year the meeting also introduces student members of the Riders Council, a board of veteran riders who work with rookies during "Rookie Week". The week is dedicated to new riders and introducing them to riding on the track at Bill Armstrong Stadium and riding safety.\nThe Riders Council helps the new riders with everything from exchanges to proper clothing to studying for their riders exam. Each rookie must pass two exams to be able to compete. The women's Riders Council chair for the 16th running of the race is senior Meg Haney. The men's council chair for the 53rd men's race is Kloppenburg.\nOne of the most exciting announcements at the meeting was a new one-credit hour course offered to riders. IUSF assistant director and Little 500 Coordinator Alex Ihnen said the course has been in existence for nearly five years, but in the past has been offered to IUSF Steering Committee members and other IUSF members. This Little 500 season they are opening it up to all riders. Graduate student Lucas Calhon, who will be teaching the course, explained to riders they will receive credit for riding in the race and for completing simple assignments if they sign up for the course. The riders are also expected to take a mid-term and final exam that are open-book.\nThe course focuses on time management and leadership skills that all riders exhibit during their time training for the race. Ihnen said the course is a way to reward riders for the many house they put into training.\n"It's a way to give (riders and IUSF student members) credit for all the time they put in," Ihnen said. "At some point we thought they should get credit for it."\nAmong the riders in attendance at the meeting were 2002 third place finishers, Kappa Alpha Theta, women's first place finishers, independent team Roadrunners, and men's first place independent team, The Corleones.\nRoadrunners were without their veteran rider Jenn Wangerin, who helped them win the 2001 and 2002 Little 500 title. Wangerin left IU to train in Colorado at the Olympic Training Center. \nWangerin's Roadrunners teammates, who were all rookie last season, were confident and upbeat about the season without Wangerin.\n"I think we are definitely going to be competition," junior Mary Craig said.
(11/07/02 5:14am)
Fame and fortune have their advantages. For many Hollywood residents, having endless amounts of money and fans is the epitome of a wonderful life. For singer-songwriter Jewel, fame and fortune have taken on a whole new meaning.\nSuccess hasn't always been at the singer's fingertips. Growing up in Homer, Alaska, Jewel lived in a Volkswagen van with her mother before being discovered while singing in coffee houses. Now, Jewel takes her fame, fortune and knowledge of talent and turns it into a chance for other artists like her.\n"It feels great," Jewel says. "I was living in a car and was trying to get something and a person saw something in me that maybe I didn't see in myself. It makes sense for me to be able to do that for someone else."\nThis past summer, Jewel launched the Soul City Café project, designed to encourage and develop new talent in a variety of artistic media. The artists are hand picked by Jewel and have been performing on her current tour. \nThe next endeavor for the Soul City is lining up talent to accompany Jewel on her summer tour in 2003. Artists will compete for open slots in hopes of landing a spot on Jewel's tour and maybe catching the eye of record companies. \nBefore Jewel's kicks off her summer 2003 tour, she'll continue with her Wild West Tour, which stops in Bloomington Nov. 21. "I love playing on college campuses," Jewel says. "There are things you can do in those shows that you just can't do in other venues."\nStudents alike are awaiting Jewel's arrival in Bloomington. Fans of her folkloric sound are anxious for the Alaska native to take over IU Auditorium for an evening.\n"I'm really excited about Jewel's performance," says Ginger Riecken, a junior. "She's got a great sound and it'll be something different for IU students to see. I think it's going to be a great show."\nStraying from the crowd, other students who aren't as familiar with Jewel are also looking at the show to expand their musical repertoire. Todd Petelle, a senior, says he is going to the show with friends and never had an interest in Jewel until she was slated to make an appearance at IU.\n"I didn't really think of going until some friends asked me to go," Petelle says, "but I've listened to her stuff and it should be pretty good."\nEntering the spotlight after a break last year, This Way is the follow-up album to 1998's Spirit. But the album almost didn't happen. Jewel says she took a long break and didn't know if she would have the energy to come back to performing. \n"I lost my fire for it," Jewel says. "I can't go through the motions when I'm not feeling it. I think you grow in confidence over the years, and I think this record shows that confidence."\nJewel says because of her time off and her age, making This Way gave her a new perspective and taught her a lot about the business. Jewel says she learned more about the studio and how she wanted to make the record sound, but she says she didn't have that kind of freedom in previous records.\n"Hopefully with every record I make, my only criteria is that it's honest, that's it's a genuine," she says.\nComing back from the rest caused Jewel another break last April, but not the break she was looking for. Jewel broke her collarbone and a rib when she was thrown from a horse at her boyfriend's ranch. Her doctors restricted her from playing guitar and performing, but she returned to the stage in May and only canceled two dates on her European tour.\nLiving with the injury didn't break Jewel's spirit, as she sucked up the pain and continued to work despite the trouble of singing with a broken rib. \n"I'm fully recovered now," Jewel says. "When it happened I didn't want to cancel on fans. Plus pain isn't fun, but it's pain. I didn't feel like I wanted to stop, I don't do well with being hurt and I wasn't going to dwell on it."\nJewel's latest business is furthering her movie career, both as a musician and actress. The musician in Jewel lent her voice to Reese Witherspoon's newest romantic comedy, "Sweet Home Alabama." For the movie, Jewel remade the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd song. \nAs for her movie career, Jewel made her big-screen debt in Ang Lee's 1999 acclaimed civil war drama, "Ride with the Devil." Her newest movie prospect is yet to be titled and in the very primitive stages.\n"I play a romantic interest in the movie," Jewel says. "This isn't a movie that I carry. Right now it's all developing. It's been a wave, of getting cast and getting a director." \nWhether it be riding a wave or riding horses, Jewel has bounced back from falls stronger, more mature in her latest album and ready to nurture future singers along the way.\n"Ultimately all I ever think about is talent (which) will ultimately speak for itself at the end of a career," she says. "That's all I think about. I don't actually pay attention to what's happening"
(11/07/02 5:00am)
Fame and fortune have their advantages. For many Hollywood residents, having endless amounts of money and fans is the epitome of a wonderful life. For singer-songwriter Jewel, fame and fortune have taken on a whole new meaning.\nSuccess hasn't always been at the singer's fingertips. Growing up in Homer, Alaska, Jewel lived in a Volkswagen van with her mother before being discovered while singing in coffee houses. Now, Jewel takes her fame, fortune and knowledge of talent and turns it into a chance for other artists like her.\n"It feels great," Jewel says. "I was living in a car and was trying to get something and a person saw something in me that maybe I didn't see in myself. It makes sense for me to be able to do that for someone else."\nThis past summer, Jewel launched the Soul City Café project, designed to encourage and develop new talent in a variety of artistic media. The artists are hand picked by Jewel and have been performing on her current tour. \nThe next endeavor for the Soul City is lining up talent to accompany Jewel on her summer tour in 2003. Artists will compete for open slots in hopes of landing a spot on Jewel's tour and maybe catching the eye of record companies. \nBefore Jewel's kicks off her summer 2003 tour, she'll continue with her Wild West Tour, which stops in Bloomington Nov. 21. "I love playing on college campuses," Jewel says. "There are things you can do in those shows that you just can't do in other venues."\nStudents alike are awaiting Jewel's arrival in Bloomington. Fans of her folkloric sound are anxious for the Alaska native to take over IU Auditorium for an evening.\n"I'm really excited about Jewel's performance," says Ginger Riecken, a junior. "She's got a great sound and it'll be something different for IU students to see. I think it's going to be a great show."\nStraying from the crowd, other students who aren't as familiar with Jewel are also looking at the show to expand their musical repertoire. Todd Petelle, a senior, says he is going to the show with friends and never had an interest in Jewel until she was slated to make an appearance at IU.\n"I didn't really think of going until some friends asked me to go," Petelle says, "but I've listened to her stuff and it should be pretty good."\nEntering the spotlight after a break last year, This Way is the follow-up album to 1998's Spirit. But the album almost didn't happen. Jewel says she took a long break and didn't know if she would have the energy to come back to performing. \n"I lost my fire for it," Jewel says. "I can't go through the motions when I'm not feeling it. I think you grow in confidence over the years, and I think this record shows that confidence."\nJewel says because of her time off and her age, making This Way gave her a new perspective and taught her a lot about the business. Jewel says she learned more about the studio and how she wanted to make the record sound, but she says she didn't have that kind of freedom in previous records.\n"Hopefully with every record I make, my only criteria is that it's honest, that's it's a genuine," she says.\nComing back from the rest caused Jewel another break last April, but not the break she was looking for. Jewel broke her collarbone and a rib when she was thrown from a horse at her boyfriend's ranch. Her doctors restricted her from playing guitar and performing, but she returned to the stage in May and only canceled two dates on her European tour.\nLiving with the injury didn't break Jewel's spirit, as she sucked up the pain and continued to work despite the trouble of singing with a broken rib. \n"I'm fully recovered now," Jewel says. "When it happened I didn't want to cancel on fans. Plus pain isn't fun, but it's pain. I didn't feel like I wanted to stop, I don't do well with being hurt and I wasn't going to dwell on it."\nJewel's latest business is furthering her movie career, both as a musician and actress. The musician in Jewel lent her voice to Reese Witherspoon's newest romantic comedy, "Sweet Home Alabama." For the movie, Jewel remade the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd song. \nAs for her movie career, Jewel made her big-screen debt in Ang Lee's 1999 acclaimed civil war drama, "Ride with the Devil." Her newest movie prospect is yet to be titled and in the very primitive stages.\n"I play a romantic interest in the movie," Jewel says. "This isn't a movie that I carry. Right now it's all developing. It's been a wave, of getting cast and getting a director." \nWhether it be riding a wave or riding horses, Jewel has bounced back from falls stronger, more mature in her latest album and ready to nurture future singers along the way.\n"Ultimately all I ever think about is talent (which) will ultimately speak for itself at the end of a career," she says. "That's all I think about. I don't actually pay attention to what's happening"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The women's volleyball team played its season-opening game Friday against the University of Maryland and recorded the ninth season-opening win for coach Katie Weismiller. \nIU defeated the Terrapins with a standout performance by sophomore Katie Pollom. The game was Pollom's first since red-shirting last season. Pollom attacked Maryland with 11 kills.\n"We were a little nervous at first ... after we settled, we gained confidence and pulled ahead. It felt good to start off the season this way," Pollom said. \nIU ended the night content.\n"We went into this game not knowing about the other team, but knowing about ourselves," Weismiller said.\nThe next day caused a few problems for the Hoosiers, who lost the next two games of the tournament. IU faced Bowling Green State University, who finished first, and the University of Tennessee, who placed second. \nIU's second game of the tournament gave Bowling Green an early lead, but IU didn't give in. Indiana quickly fought back and brought the match score to a 2-2 game tie going into the fifth. Bowling Green beat the Hoosiers 15-11 in the final game. \nThe final match of the tournament put IU against Tennessee, which defeated the Hoosiers in three games. Tennessee senior Ariana Wilson recorded 12 kills and nine blocks against IU. \nThe Hoosiers stayed positive and looked to the future. \n"This affects our goals, but it was also a learning experience for everyone. I think there were a lot of expectations going into this tournament, but you've got to take what you are given," said junior Hillary Toivonen. \nIU finished third in the tournament, remaining confident.\n"There are a lot of positives to today, Monique (Pritz) earlier had a great offensive game, (Katie) Pollom last night, (Christina) Archibald had a great offensive game last night, tonight (Melissa) Brewer had a great game, and what we have to do is put it all together … If we can get everything together we're going to be OK. We've just got to move on, and I have confidence the team will do that," Weismiller said. \nSophomore Melissa Brewer was named a member of the All-Tournament Team. Caty Rommeck of Bowling Green was named MVP. Brewer had 41 kills and nine blocks in three matches. While Brewer enjoyed being named to the All Touranment Team, she would have been happier with more victories.\n"It's kind of bittersweet. It's a team thing. Maybe I did have a good weekend, but it doesn't matter because it's all about the team," she said. "It's the beginning of the season; everyone is new at this…. We need to get back in the gym and fix the little things"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Tonight's match for the women's volleyball team will present an unfamiliar challenge for the players, but a familiar opponent for head coach Katie Weismiller. \nIndiana meets St. Louis tonight at the Bauman-Eberhardt Center on the St. Louis campus. This is the first meeting in six years between the two teams, but Weismiller's ties to the Billikens makes this matchup interesting.\nWeismiller, a native of St. Louis, began her career at SLU as head coach from 1989-1991. SLU won more than 75 percent of their matches under Weismiller, posting a 50-24 record. Weismiller also made an appearance at the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Championship in 1989. \n"I think this match will be more competitive because Coach Katie is from St. Louis and Christina (Archibald) is from near there," sophomore Anna Makowski said. "So we will have fans and it's nice for them to play in their hometown." \nSt. Louis (2-5) began their season at the Butler University Tournament in Indianapolis. The Billikens left the tournament with a 1-2 record after losing to Austin Peay in four games and dropping the fifth game 15-11 to Butler in a tough five game match in the championship. \nSt. Louis opened home court play last Tuesday in a match against Murray State and defeated the Racers in three games for their first home win of the season. With two wins on their record, the Billikens traveled to Madison Wisconsin for the Badger Invitational, where the team met Northern Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ball State. SLU was unsuccessful as they dropped all three matches of the tournament. \nSt. Louis has a small height advantage over the Hoosiers, with the Billiken's roster containing nine players at the six-foot or higher mark. St. Louis standouts include, junior Colleen Hunter and sophomore Shannan Swiney. \nHunter was honored with First-team All-Conference USA and All-Region selections last season. She set the school's single season kill record with 654. Swiney played in 28 matches and led the squad with 705 assists. She earned a spot on the Conference USA's All-Freshman team. \nDespite a tough weekend at the Loyola Marymount Invitational last weekend and a 2-4 overall record, the Hoosiers appear upbeat.\n"We have had the jitters during the past matches, but we are planning on having a good showing," assistant coach Dave Boos said.\nThe Hoosier's have had strong players in their previous two tournaments. Sophomore Melissa Brewer has made an All-Tournament team two consecutive weekends and freshman Christine Archibald and Katie Pollom have stepped up as key players. \n"I wasn't as nervous during this tournament as the first matches," Archibald said. "I have gotten back into the flow of things and it's made me more confident"
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Big Ten Conference play has proven to be a challenge to the women's volleyball team as they lost matches to Wisconsin and Northwestern Friday and Saturday. \nThe Hoosiers began their weekend against Wisconsin, ranked seventh in the NCAA. Junior Laurie Gardner also faced her sister.\nThe Badgers swept the Hoosiers in three games (30-15, 30-23, 30-26). Coach Katie Weismiller was optimistic about the team's play. \n"I would have to say that we certainly didn't play up to our full potential tonight, but we played a very strong team in Wisconsin," Weismiller said. "The hardest part is we know at times it's not Wisconsin beating us, it's us beating ourselves."\nThe Badgers have two All-Americans, including first team pick and senior Sherisa Livingston, who tallied 14 kills in three games. \n"It's not often that you are going to see an athlete who can play to the level she does," Weismiller said. \nThe Hoosiers changed up the roster for both of the weekend's matches, playing senior Disney Bronnenberg and Gardner -- both setters -- against Wisconsin. Freshman Victoria Zimmerman and junior Hillary Toivonen were added to the starting lineup for the Northwestern match. \n"Laurie is one of my favorite players to play with. I think she goes hard all the time and I know that both of us have made some adjustments lately to whether I'm in the back row or she's outside hitting. She's a player who I am always going to feel very confident whenever I'm out on the court with her," Bronnenberg said.\nSaturday evening's match against Northwestern began with a confident Hoosier lead despite the absence of Gardner.\n"Laurie has a shoulder injury that she sustained against Wisconsin," Weismiller said. "We don't know the extent of it yet. Her absence was certainly a factor." \nThe Hoosiers had no trouble containing Northwestern's wild passes that sent the team diving and scraping for each point. The Hoosiers won the first game 30-18. \nThe next game didn't give the Hoosiers time to celebrate as Northwestern beat IU. The third game put freshman Katie Pollom to the court. The Hoosiers fought the score to 27-26, but three short points later the Wildcats claimed the match.\nSaddened by the weekend's losses, the team stuck together despite 18 kills from freshman Christina Archibald and 13 by Toivonen. \n"It was a team effort," Toivonen said. "No matter how we do individually, there are other areas that we need to focus on as a team and that is always more important"
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Another tough weekend for the women's volleyball team leaves the Hoosiers with a 4-12 overall record and a 1-7 record in the conference after hard losses to Michigan State University and University of Michigan. \nThe weekend left the Hoosiers dissatisfied as they search for more victories. \n"We know that we can play with any of these teams and we just need to figure out that missing link as to how to win, because we have competed with everyone. Now we have to turn this corner and figure out how to get a win," head coach Katie Weismiller said. \nThe Hoosiers started the weekend with a close match against Michigan State (11-3, 4-3 conference) Friday. \nAfter falling to MSU in the first game, IU rallied to claim game two with fierce kills by sophomore Melissa Brewer. MSU had the lead for the majority of game three. The Hoosiers battled back and MSU trailed by three as they hit the 20-point mark. The score was tied up again at 28, but errors on the IU side added two points allowing MSU to claim their second win of the evening. \nGame four began with a confident IU lead, which left MSU scoreless in the first four points of the game. However, the Spartans quickly bounced back, taking the lead 14-21. The Hoosiers never regained their lead despite attempts to add senior Disney Bronnenberg and freshman Karla Crose to the court for the first time of the evening. They fell to MSU in the last game of the match 20-30. \nDespite the team's loss, three Hoosiers tallied kills in double digits. Leading the team in kills, freshman Christina Archibald recorded 16 kills. Other Hoosiers in double digits were Brewer, racking up 14, and freshman Katie Pollom with 11. \n"I felt we played very competitively and we did have fun…when we put things together on the court when everything meshes with our team it's really fun to play," Pollom said. \nIU had a second chance for a victory as they faced off against Michigan Saturday, who was without sophomore outside hitter Chantel Reedus, who suffered a knee injury against Illinois. UM started the evening with a quick lead over the Hoosiers defeating them in Game one 30-25. \n"We have to be ready for game one and not allow the other team to get into it…we are too often finding ourselves trying to fight from behind," Weismiller said.\nGame two began with another Wolverine lead, until the Hoosiers rebounded to tie the game at 23. The comeback continued as the Hoosiers took the lead over the Wolverines 28-26. An error by IU at 29-26 gave UM a chance to salvage the game, but a kill by Pollom pushed the Hoosiers over the top to claim the game 30-28. IU fell to Michigan in game three, as the Wolverines jumped ahead and never gave up the lead. IU returned the favor by never giving up the lead in game four. The match determining fifth game, which is only played to a final score of 15, caused problems for the Hoosiers. They tried to battle back from a strong UM start, but fell in the end 11-15. \nThe heartbreaking lose to Michigan only left the Hoosiers looking forward to next weeks' games against Illinois and longtime rival Purdue.\n"I don't think that anyone is ready to give in the towel at all," junior Hillary Toivonen said. "We are constantly saying we need to work on our side of the net and control the match and we need to do that before we go into Illinois because that's a big match up for us and a big rivalry with Purdue"
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In a move that could mark the beginning of the end for big-time college sports, the Committee on Institutional Cooperation -- the academic equivalent of the Big Ten -- will meet Friday and Saturday to determine whether its member schools should decide to overhaul collegiate athletics and put an end to the "exponential growth" of their athletic programs.\nThe vote, which could forever alter Big Ten athletics, got its start in the March issue of NCAA News in which IU President Myles Brand sparked ideas of reinforcing academics on college campuses and reducing the exposure college sports programs get. \nIn his article, "Presidents Have Cause, Means to Reduce Arms," Brand said university presidents should have more control over athletics and compared intercollegiate athletics to a sports franchise. Brand named his athletic reform movement "Academics First" and lobbied that the main focus of universities should return to academics.\nBrand's controversial proposal called for limiting the number of basketball games, reducing the athletics department role in academic support and stopping subsidization of the athletics department with money from tuition and tax dollars.\n"We must make certain that academic concerns are first and foremost," Brand wrote. "To do that, we don't have to turn off the game. We just have to turn down the volume."
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The mission of the IU Athletics media relations department is to act as a liaison for student-athletes and the media, said media relations director Jeff Fanter. But in an e-mail obtained by the IDS, Fanter told several sports information directors what student-athletes should be saying to members of the media.\nFanter defended the e-mail and said, "We do not prep our athletes on what is to be said in interviews. We go over concerns, questions and try to help them. These concerns have come from other student-athletes."\nPete Moore, president of the College Sports Information Directors of America, of which IU is listed as a member, echoed Fanter, saying SIDs "serve as a liaison between the student-athletes and the media." \nWhile the organization's code of ethics doesn't address preparing students for interviews, it does state, "Administrators and coaches should be encouraged to answer questions from the media honestly and accurately."\nEach Big Ten university athletics department has a media relations director and staff. The media relations staff has SIDs assigned to each sport to communicate between the media and athletes and to facilitate interviews.\nFanter sent an e-mail Friday to several IU SIDs in response to an IDS request for an interview with seven prominent IU athletes. His e-mail message to the SIDs was accidentally forwarded to the IDS by football SID Todd Starowitz; Fanter confirmed that he wrote it.\n"We want our athletes talking about how important athletics is to their overall development as a person and how helpful athletics has been in making them better people," he began in the e-mail. "They can talk about the fact that they do not feel that IU has commercialized athletics. They should mention how athletics builds pride in the alumni, both former athletes and non-athletes. Put a positive spin on things..." Fanter wrote. \nHe ended the e-mail by saying, "Be sure to speak with your athletes about this before setting up the interview. It would look good if all of them are saying the same thing." \nWhen asked to comment on Fanter's e-mail, Starowitz referred comment to Fanter but said the athletic department does not censor athletes.\nMoore said that while it is acceptable for SIDs to prepare athletes for interviews, it is unacceptable to tell them what to say.\nMoore, who is also sports information director at Syracuse, said his university produces a manual for athletes that explains to them what many reporters are looking for in interviews and what to expect with television and newspaper interviews.\n"We feel that it is very appropriate to review different scenarios and to make suggestions, especially for those student-athletes that are really uncomfortable in that setting, and I don't call that telling them what to say," Moore said. "In our case, I think that it is part of the educational process, and do you at times perhaps make suggestions, sure. \n"But the fact of the matter is our jobs, and I hope the people at Indiana would say the same thing, is to allow reporters to get a feel for the individual student-athlete, and we certainly don't want to do anything that puts the athlete in the position where they are not portraying themselves accurately." \nBesides acting as an intermediary with players, the media relations department also handles media requests to interview staff members, such as coaches, the athletics director and other department staff.\nThe response to recent IDS requests to interview athletics director Michael McNeely has been that he would need days or weeks to decide on interviews. An article in Tuesday's Bloomington Herald-Times reported that they had encountered a similar problem.\n"The Herald-Times requested a brief interview with McNeely," the article states, "but was told by his spokesman that time could not be made in his schedule for such an interview until mid-November."\nAt other Big Ten universities, reporters have direct access to athletics directors and staff members. Responding to a request for an interview for this story, Northwestern athletics director Rick Taylor was available after only a few seconds of waiting. \n"Anyone can call me at any time," Taylor said. \nMinnesota assistant media relations director Kyle Coughlin said men's athletics director Tom Moe can be reached through the media relations department within one or two days. \nFanter said his department has good intentions regarding student-athlete contact with the media. \n"All we are trying to do is show what is good about college athletics," Fanter said.
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IU's faculty unanimously approved a plan Tuesday which puts an emphasis on academics, not athletics. The vote, supported by Athletics Director Michael McNeely and basketball coach Mike Davis, is the first step in a process of overhauling collegiate athletics across the country.\nThe Bloomington Faculty Council passed the intercollegiate athletics resolution after much deliberation and separately added three addendums to the proposal with almost full support from the council. \nAlthough BFC president Robert Eno anticipated the resolution to pass, he said he was surprised the addendums were accepted with relative ease.\n"I really did not expect the entire addendum package to be passed by the BFC," Eno said.\nThe council's passage of the proposal will have no immediate effect on IU, Eno said. The major changes that will be visible will not occur unless there is more support from other conferences and university presidents.\n"This isn't policy and we didn't draft it as policy," Eno said. "This is an expression of the faculty's will. Our hope is that we can have multiple conferences' faculties expressing a similar desire to see this sort of reform that may lead towards policy changes coming from the presidents of the universities."\nThe approved policy outlines three points: the academic importance regarding student athletes and the integration of athlete's academic support services within the entire University; the reduction of commercialization and limitation of game schedules; and the scaling back of the intercollegiate "arms race," which includes the athletics department operating under the same standards of all other University departments.\nThe three addendums adopted by the council signal the importance of intercollegiate athletics within the academic community, while making the distinction that many of the athletic events within the University have been too time-consuming for student athletes, the competitiveness of athletics and the entertainment industry strains the University's financial resources and takes the public and student focus away from academics and places it on athletics, and the CIC and the PAC-10's urging to presidents and faculty of Big-10 conference schools and of other institutions in intercollegiate athletics to take control of these topics.\nThe council took on the large discussion of the reform, which McNeely participated in, to clarify any misunderstandings that the council had on current athletic policy and proposal issues. \n"I think in general these are all very good things. Overall, I am very supportive," McNeely said. "We are always looking on how we can improve on all these areas, particularly with academics where we have a system now that has been successful and is connected with the academic units across campus, so we plug into those resources as much as possible." \nThe main items of the debate were single-year scholarship renewal and scaling back athletics focus. Davis said he supported the overall proposal.\n"A lot of times, guys put all their eggs in one basket, it's like do or die," he said. "A lot of times guys aren't going to make it to the professional level. I'm not saying that they can all graduate, but more can graduate than play professional." \nThe ideas proposed in the meeting are only one small step in terms of reform, said Professor Murray Sperber, an expert on collegiate sports. Sperber said that he was surprised by the overwhelming approval by the BFC since many faculty members spoke against the proposal. Sperber also said many university presidents "walk the walk, but when it comes down to reform, they can't talk the talk." \nThe translation of this reform into a reality is not only dependent on the faculty councils of all NCAA universities, but various NCAA councils, Sperber said.\nThe overall resolution will be sent to the CIC faculty senates that will have to consider it along with the CIC presidents. Other NCAA conferences will also be looking at the proposal but how far it gets is hard to say, Eno said. University presidents and faculty support is very important, he said.\nJake Oakman, IUSA president, was present at the meeting and had a voice in the proposal discussion.\n"I think it's a good overall proposal and I think that it will have positive effect on student athletes, but as for the student's not involved in athletics, I don't think that they will see a change," Oakman said. "I think that this proposal shows that IU is at the forefront of athletic reform and hopefully this will get other schools on the bandwagon"
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After minor changes throughout the athletic department in his first six months as athletics director, Michael McNeely has begun to make significant changes at IU. The first came when McNeely supported the Bloomington Faculty Council's proposal to focus more intensely on academics and less on athletics. The second major change to his position was firing ex-football coach Cam Cameron and the hiring former Vanderbilt and Louisiana State coach Gerry DiNardo. The third and most recent change will be the most noticeable -- the use of the vintage cream and crimson IU school colors and the addition of a new logo and mascot.\nThe red and white that fans see waved at IU sporting events could be missing as early as February. Mary Ann Rohleder, assistant athletics director for marketing said the colors are not new to IU. The school fight song clearly states cream and crimson as the IU colors, so the plan is to redefine and identify them. \nRohleder said a company has been hired to conduct market research and to oversee the revamping of the department. The goal of the makeover is to have brand identification -- something that requires University-wide consensus, she said.\nChanges with color are not the only thing proposed for a newer look. Rohleder added that plans have been made for a new logo, icon and mascot that represent the characteristics of a Hoosier.\n"Our target date is to have this done by early February," Rohleder said. "We are hoping that this unites all the athletic teams."\nMcNeely agreed that the unity of university athletic teams is important to the growth of IU athletics as a whole.\n"The best way for you to be successful, in Indiana University or Indiana University athletics, is as one team," McNeely told the Associated Press. "I've said it before, our competition is not ourselves. It's all our neighboring schools in the Big Ten Conference." \nMcNeely did not respond to interview request for this story. Sports Information Direction Kim Dunning said McNeely was not in charge of the decision to change the colors.\nWhile the athletics department is viewing the change as a positive one, some fans don't agree with the switch.\nA fan poll on ESPN.com showed that of the 8,439 online voters, 62.7 percent voted against the changing IU's colors.\nThe unification of colors and logos is not the only thing that McNeely spoke of changing in the future. McNeely also told The Associated Press there is a plan in the works for a student-athlete support center that will include academic support, training, sports medicine and equipment for all IU sports. The plan also outlines space for ticket and apparel sales and a second gym. \nEnglish professor Murray Sperber pointed out the support that McNeely lent to the BFC and IU President Myles Brand for the "academics first" proposal passed in December. Under the proposal, there was a call to lessen the "arms race" and commercialization of collegiate athletics. Sperber said McNeely's new plan contradicts his earlier support of the academics first reform.\nSperber also questioned how the athletics department will have money and resources to build such a facility. \n"There have been state-wide budget cuts, and they are looking to spend money that they do not have," Sperber said.
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Timing is everything during qualifications for Little 500, and it has nothing to do with a stop watch. \nThe time that each rider is vying for is more than a race time. The time of day that each team competes is important because it could have an influence upon their speed and track times. \n"I think the track was fast, and we got a good time of day to go into quals," senior Teter rider Patrick Gilbert said after his team qualified fifth. "The wind wasn't blowing, the weather was good and the track was pretty fast, and I think that helped us out a lot."\nConditions, like in any sport, are very important to a team's performance. When the track is tight and wet it makes it easier for each team to make exchanges and take corners fast. When the track becomes dry it results in a bigger margin of error. \nQualifications began at 8 a.m. Saturday and ended near 6 p.m. Almost nine hours of racing didn't leave the track in good condition for many riders that qualified toward the end of the day or began their third attempt to qualify after the last team finished.\n"I don't think that the track condition changes the results too much," IU Student Foundation assistant director and Little 500 coordinator Alex Ihnen said. "The best teams are always going to qualify near the top, it's not going to affect people (in the) 20 or 30 spots. The track gets more torn up and the more exchanges that are done it gets worse. Every team has their own theory on what the best time to race is."\nOther teams try not to pay attention to the condition of the track, racing is the only thing that they have on their minds. Senior Riders Council Chair, Michael Nierengarten, whose Phi Gamma Delta team qualified second in one attempt said the exchanges were the most important aspect of their race and after winning the pole position last year they knew what they needed to do to get a top position.\n"The track is the track," Nierengarten said. "Some people could argue that the wind picked up later in the day. I don't think the conditions affect everything.You shouldn't blame timing and conditions on race times. The wind was consistent all day long and everyone had to put up with it. Quals are quals, it just gets you in the race. We had clean exchanges and we knew from last year what was expected of us"
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The taste of victory is sweet for the men's volleyball team.\nAfter losing their last two games to Utah and Texas A&M in the Great Eight Tournament March 9, the men seemed to be back on track March 23 and 24 at the Big Ten Conferance Championship, taking first place. \nEntering the weekend with a 27-3 record, the Hoosiers began the tournament looking to accomplish one of the three goals they had set for themselves at the beginning of the season: Win the Big Ten Championship, Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Championship, and National Intramural Recreational Sports Asso-ciation National Champ-ionship. The team's dreams have begun to play out as the team accomplished the first goal on Sunday.\n"We feel really confident going into the next tournament," junior club president Jeremy Levy said."We go in as the No. 1 seed. We had three goals for ourselves this season…we are hoping to capture the next in two weeks."\nThe men began the tournament with two rounds of pool play, in which they successfully knocked down Iowa and Minnesota in two games. The quarterfinal match was played against Ohio State, another two-game win for the Hoosiers. The team advanced to the semifinal round against Michigan, winning by 16 points in the first game and pulling out a 25-23 defeat in the second. \nThe championship game matched IU against defending Big Ten champion Illinois.\nAfter three games the Hoosiers defeated the Illini to claim the Big Ten championship title. \n"We always like beating Illinois, and the last three times that we have beaten them, they came in with a new line-up and were anxious to try it against us, but once again we beat them," junior Chris Reilly said. "(IU) gets excited to play Illinois, and we always beat them."\nFive Hoosiers also took home individual awards from the tournament and the season. Reilly and club vice president, sophomore J.T. Gripe, were awarded with first-team all-tournament and first-team All-Big Ten. Sophomore Jeff Foott and freshman Dave Reid were awarded with honorable mention for the Big Ten season. Levy was honored with the Libero award for the Big Ten regular season and the tournament.\nGripe was also named MVP for the tournament.\n"It was an honor to be first team, but I think that it's ridiculous because this sport is such a team effort.\n"I mean don't get me wrong, I was very excited about the awards and I told my mom and everything, but everyone on the team had a moment that they carried our team at one time or another. I'm more proud of the Big Ten Champs than anything else," Gripe said.
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Practicing for hours each day and working to become a champion is not the only thing that the 33 teams competing for the men's Little 500 title have in common. Because the men's times in Individual Time Trials (ITT) almost mirror one another, this race is expected to be close. \nITT had 45 out of 123 riders finish within 10 seconds of each other, as opposed to the 25 in close contention last year. With so many members of the teams representing one of the top 45 spots, anything can happen on race day.\n"The field is full of a lot of great riders this year," senior Phi Gamma Delta rider Michael Nierengarten said. "The teams are taking things more competitively because most are getting better and more competitive than in past years. It's a great thing and tough race, but everyone wants to see that, and the fans want to see it.\n"It should be a great time."\nThe excitement of the race doesn't end with the close competition the field has to offer. Each team's goals are the same: win. But having a leg up on the competition is one way to ensure you'll be a top contender, and Phi Delta Theta has the best chance at that. \nSaturday, the defending champions will sport yellow jerseys, signifying their victory over Teter last year. Defend their title appears to be an attainable prospect for the Phi Delts. The men, who have three returning riders, claimed first place in qualifications and third in the overall Little 5 series. Senior Matt Marketti placed second in ITT and first in Miss-N-Out. The other Phi Delt riders placed in the top 30 of ITT, senior Ryan Hamilton placed fifth in Miss-N-Out and junior Matt Ewing made it to the semifinals. \nThe tradition and honor of wearing the yellow jersey hasn't fazed the team. Their success has grown, but the riders remain humble and modest when reminded of their high status.\n"One of the things with us is that we have a lot of friends on the track," Marketti said. "They know who we are, but it's more of a social thing, not them knowing us because of our place. It doesn't matter what color jersey you have.\nThe rest of the top contenders for first place fall in close after Phi Delts. Alex Ihnen, IU Student Foundation assistant director and Little 500 coordinator, said this year's competition is wide open and anything can happen.\n"It just goes on and on. There are a lot of teams that can do well."\nAnother team that has a golden opportunity to do well is Phi Gamma Delta. Returning two riders from last year, the team is happy with its second-place finish in qualifications after a hard race last year, when wrecks hurt the team after it held the pole position after qualifications. The team finished 13th in the 2001 race.\n"Coming in in the second-place spot, it's a great place for us to be in," Nierengarten said. "We are excited and glad to be in that position."\nThe third piece of the leading row is added when Team Major Taylor enters the equation. The all-rookie team, made up of four freshmen, enters the race without experience on the Little 500 track but bundles of experience from outside Bloomington. Team captain, Josh Weir, has ridden in numerous national races and competed in Olympics trials at one time.\nDespite their lack of Little 500 experience, the riders plan on doing well Saturday. \n"In terms of lack of experience at Little 500, I don't think it'll affect us that much, and it won't hold us back from giving 110 percent," Kurtis Bishop said. \nThe fourth team in the mix for the top spot is first-year independent team, the Corleones. The team has two veteran riders and two rookies and showed its strength throughout the series events. The team won the Little 500 series by 21 points. \nThe Corleones placed fourth in qualifications, and senior Luke Isenbarger, one of the team's rookies, won ITT with a time of 2.25.00. The remainder of the team finished in sixth, seventh and eighth. Continuing their reign of the series, Isenbarger finished second in Miss-N-Out, with the rest of the riders making it to the semifinals. \nThe obvious pressure the Corleones have on their shoulders hasn't made a mark on their preparation.\n"I don't think we feel it, but there is pressure," senior Dan Burns said. "Winning the series events helps with the rookies, Luke and Clint (Seal), because it gives them confidence. Overall though it's going to be close competition and the deepest field it has been for awhile, which is good for the race and makes things very entertaining.\n"It's all about having fun"