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(01/24/07 6:54am)
It's midwinter in Bloomington, but fifth-year student Ryan Worden is wearing jean shorts and aviators today. He wore them yesterday, and he'll wear them tomorrow, too. \nHe's been doing it every day for seven years, whether it's 100 degrees outside or there's a blizzard. He'll abstain from wearing jean shorts at church or working at a job that requires pants, but those are his only two exceptions. \nIt all started as a bet when Worden was 16 from a football teammate when he moved to North Carolina. He said he had a better tolerance for the cold weather after living in Indiana, and as fall turned into winter, a friend bet him $20 he couldn't make it through winter just wearing shorts. He made it through the year and decided to just keep going. \nSeven years later he's still rocking the sunglasses and shorts as he completes his second undergraduate degree. He said it's a great conversation starter and that he has his share of fans and imitators.\nWorden said his mom thinks he's insane and he said he gets weird looks in certain social situations, such as nice restaurants, but he does what makes him most comfortable.\n"I'm the one paying for the food. Why should I dress nice?" Worden said. "I feel like I can't breathe when I'm wearing long pants."\nWhile many people question his decision to wear shorts even in freezing weather, he justifies it by saying he's outside for 10 minutes and in class for five hours, where the heat is blasting. He said he has had his doubts about the plan but has stuck with it.\n"One day junior year there was like 2 feet of snow," he said. "That was rough." \nThere is an end in sight for the shorts days, though. Worden plans to go to law school and become a lawyer, and he knows he won't be allowed to wear shorts in court. \n"Oh, they'd throw me out if I wore shorts into court," he said. "After I get out of work, I'll change back into the shorts"
(01/19/07 2:48am)
Dancers better get some sleep Friday night because there's a full day of dancing with a top-notch Bloomington company Saturday. InMotion Dance Company is putting on a clinic Saturday unlike any they've done before by offering a full spectrum of dance styles from hip-hop to lyrical, to tap and jazz taught by elite members for dancers of all abilities.\nAlong with providing a place for dancers to have a good time, the clinic, which takes place from noon to 5 p.m., will give advanced dancers a change to get a leg up against others at Monday's auditions. \nThird-year InMotion dancer and treasurer Brooke Rabin will be taking over the company next year. She is teaching an advanced routine at the clinic that will be part of Monday's 9 p.m. audition. \nTeam members recommend that participants try whatever dance piques their interests. There are many different dances going on at the same time in varying genres and levels \nof dance.\n"It's for all different levels and backgrounds," Rabin said. "Dance experience really is not necessary because there are two different levels."\nJessica Herron, a junior who has been dancing for 11 years, said the dancers can expect a positive atmosphere at the clinic.\n"It will be fun and laid-back," she said. "It's something you can do for yourself with no one judging."\nAssistant Director Natalie Labejof said the clinic offers dancers a great deal because most studios anywhere in the country charge at least $15 a class and its offering four classes for that price.\nThe company plans to use the money to fund its annual spring show to ensure that it's free to the public.\nInMotion held a clinic last year, but members say it will pale in comparison to what it has planned for this year. Sophomore Katie Johnston has been dancing for 15 years and will be co-directing next year's event. She discussed the improvements from last year's clinic.\n"It will definitely be different from last year," she said. "More classes are offered, there are different levels, the teachers are different and we have CDs and T-shirts on sale. It's just a chance to have fun, do your best and learn dances. At the end of the day there's going to be a showcase to show off what dancers have learned from the day and we're giving away awards and prizes."\nFor more informations visit InMotion's Web site, www.in-motiondanceiu.com
(01/12/07 9:00pm)
Remember that shitty '80s song by Loverboy? It sucked, didn't it? Well, if you could give me 400 words about why it sucked, I'd pay you $8. I'll up the ante. If you give me reviews like that every week, then you can get free discs, movie passes, concert tickets and get your picture in the paper. \nI'm running reviews this semester, and I need your help. Everyone has an opinion, and I want yours. Consider this my Coach Hep "I want you campaign." \nSo send me your scathing reviews of tired, Hollywood schlock. Help me get your poor indie bands struggling to breathe free into the scene. Compiling "The Scene" every week highlighting what's going on every weekend is a daunting task. Get in on the game. Let me know when your band is playing, when your artsy show starts and why people should go to it.\nA big complaint about WEEKEND is that we have grade inflation. And it's a valid one. The problem is that people only request to review things they think will be good. We need people who are willing to review every week and take risks on things they've never heard of. Reviewing a pathetic movie can be just as rewarding as reviewing one you loved. Giving "Clerks II" a D was almost as fun as raving about "Borat." \nEven if you don't want to write for us, you're reading this, and you probably have an idea about what we can do better. Let me know. We have tons of ideas on ways to expand the reviews. I'm looking to have a panel of reviewers giving their input so we can create our own kind of rotten tomatoes. We want people following TV shows week to week so we can keep you up-to-date on the intricacies of "Lost," the twists and turns of "24" and discuss the relationships of our favorite TV romances. \nThere's a lot of work to be done and we need more writers to do everything possible. \nSo send me a 450-word review of something you loved and something you hated, and we'll get you on the team. \nThis summer I got to go to Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and got a ton of free discs to review just because I worked at the WEEKEND. Come on. Everybody's doing it.\nE-mail Zack at: Teibs84@gmail.com
(01/12/07 5:00am)
Remember that shitty '80s song by Loverboy? It sucked, didn't it? Well, if you could give me 400 words about why it sucked, I'd pay you $8. I'll up the ante. If you give me reviews like that every week, then you can get free discs, movie passes, concert tickets and get your picture in the paper. \nI'm running reviews this semester, and I need your help. Everyone has an opinion, and I want yours. Consider this my Coach Hep "I want you campaign." \nSo send me your scathing reviews of tired, Hollywood schlock. Help me get your poor indie bands struggling to breathe free into the scene. Compiling "The Scene" every week highlighting what's going on every weekend is a daunting task. Get in on the game. Let me know when your band is playing, when your artsy show starts and why people should go to it.\nA big complaint about WEEKEND is that we have grade inflation. And it's a valid one. The problem is that people only request to review things they think will be good. We need people who are willing to review every week and take risks on things they've never heard of. Reviewing a pathetic movie can be just as rewarding as reviewing one you loved. Giving "Clerks II" a D was almost as fun as raving about "Borat." \nEven if you don't want to write for us, you're reading this, and you probably have an idea about what we can do better. Let me know. We have tons of ideas on ways to expand the reviews. I'm looking to have a panel of reviewers giving their input so we can create our own kind of rotten tomatoes. We want people following TV shows week to week so we can keep you up-to-date on the intricacies of "Lost," the twists and turns of "24" and discuss the relationships of our favorite TV romances. \nThere's a lot of work to be done and we need more writers to do everything possible. \nSo send me a 450-word review of something you loved and something you hated, and we'll get you on the team. \nThis summer I got to go to Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and got a ton of free discs to review just because I worked at the WEEKEND. Come on. Everybody's doing it.\nE-mail Zack at: Teibs84@gmail.com
(12/08/06 7:54pm)
This movie should have never been made. Like Jay-Z announcing the Black album was his last, Kevin Smith assured fans he was done with his Jersey crew after "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." Both Smith and Jay-Z should have known when to fade to black.\nThere's no reason to make "U.S. Marshalls" 15 years after "The Fugitive," and even less reason to bring back Jay and Randall a dozen years later for one more trip to the Quik Stop.\nThe original "Clerks" is wonderful. Made for under $30,000 in black and white, the humor is biting, offensive and captures the 90's malaise and ambivalence of early 20s guys. \n"Clerks II," on the other hand, ends with the line, "Today is the first day of the rest of our lives," with no sense of irony. It's that bad.\nIt's the second worst Kevin Smith movie. "Jersey Girl" is absolute Hollywood schlock without an interesting scene or idea. "Clerks II" is right above "Jersey Girl" on the Smith totem poll hovering two feet off the ground. A hundred feet up the poll are "Mallrats," "Dogma," "Chasing Amy" and "Clerk" wondering how Smith could go so soft in his old age. \nIn an excruciatingly long behind-the-scenes on the second disc, Smith said he had the idea to start the movie with the Talking Heads song "Nothing but Flowers" and end with the boys owning the Quik Stop. All he had to do was write the middle hour and a half. And he did so by inserting a pathetic love triangle, lame Star Wars vs. Lord of the Rings geek arguments and sex with a donkey. \nWhat makes this movie so bad is, well, a lot of things. It's predictable, but above all, else Smith has lost his ability to be cutting edge. His donkey sex and "porch monkey" jokes teeter on the edge of being offensive or shocking, but they produce few laughs.\nThe 2-disc DVD is packed with extras like three commentaries, deleted scenes, but more of a bad thing is bad. Even the bloopers are boring. \nThere was a Clerks cartoon that was quite good, worked on a lot of levels, and captured the spirit and hilarity of the original. But for now, Smith has got to figure out what made his movies so enjoyable, how to write a good love story like "Chasing Amy," and stop Jay and Silent Bob from making me nod off throughout "Clerks II. "\nIf these are the movies he chooses to make, Kevin Smith's whole perspective is whack. Maybe I'll love him when he fades to black.
(12/08/06 5:00am)
This movie should have never been made. Like Jay-Z announcing the Black album was his last, Kevin Smith assured fans he was done with his Jersey crew after "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." Both Smith and Jay-Z should have known when to fade to black.\nThere's no reason to make "U.S. Marshalls" 15 years after "The Fugitive," and even less reason to bring back Jay and Randall a dozen years later for one more trip to the Quik Stop.\nThe original "Clerks" is wonderful. Made for under $30,000 in black and white, the humor is biting, offensive and captures the 90's malaise and ambivalence of early 20s guys. \n"Clerks II," on the other hand, ends with the line, "Today is the first day of the rest of our lives," with no sense of irony. It's that bad.\nIt's the second worst Kevin Smith movie. "Jersey Girl" is absolute Hollywood schlock without an interesting scene or idea. "Clerks II" is right above "Jersey Girl" on the Smith totem poll hovering two feet off the ground. A hundred feet up the poll are "Mallrats," "Dogma," "Chasing Amy" and "Clerk" wondering how Smith could go so soft in his old age. \nIn an excruciatingly long behind-the-scenes on the second disc, Smith said he had the idea to start the movie with the Talking Heads song "Nothing but Flowers" and end with the boys owning the Quik Stop. All he had to do was write the middle hour and a half. And he did so by inserting a pathetic love triangle, lame Star Wars vs. Lord of the Rings geek arguments and sex with a donkey. \nWhat makes this movie so bad is, well, a lot of things. It's predictable, but above all, else Smith has lost his ability to be cutting edge. His donkey sex and "porch monkey" jokes teeter on the edge of being offensive or shocking, but they produce few laughs.\nThe 2-disc DVD is packed with extras like three commentaries, deleted scenes, but more of a bad thing is bad. Even the bloopers are boring. \nThere was a Clerks cartoon that was quite good, worked on a lot of levels, and captured the spirit and hilarity of the original. But for now, Smith has got to figure out what made his movies so enjoyable, how to write a good love story like "Chasing Amy," and stop Jay and Silent Bob from making me nod off throughout "Clerks II. "\nIf these are the movies he chooses to make, Kevin Smith's whole perspective is whack. Maybe I'll love him when he fades to black.
(12/04/06 5:57am)
A dozen fans moshed on stage at Rhino's Youth Center & All-Ages Music Club Friday night as the shirtless lead singer of metal band Sentinel performed a set that one audience member said made her feel "violated from the inside out." Another band played a medley that included the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" theme song, "Gettin' Jiggy Wit it" and "Hey Jude," and four other bands competed in a battle of the bands that was more than just a Friday night for 20 telecommunications majors. The "Rock Show Showdown" was their final class project.\nClass was in session Friday night for members of T451: Creative Industries. The class was advertised in the course description as a way to present "new media theory in action -- making things up as we go along. It will be a thrill ride." \nAssistant professor Mark Deuze, who teaches the class, said it has been a fun way to learn how marketing theory works in practice and help support local acts. He described the class as a kind of "schizo" setup with half the class period devoted to books about marketing and media and the rest dedicated to brainstorming. Class members picked the bands they wanted to represent, promoted them and put together the Friday night band showdown.\n"I was very pleased with the evening and was particularly impressed with the way my students collectively took responsibility for the evening," Deuze said. "Manning the door and organizing ticket sales, setting up merchandise stands for the bands, up to and including announcing every band. Most of them came in at 6 p.m. and stuck around until the venue closed. Amazing!"\nClass members petitioned for concert-goers to vote for the band they represented to prove they had promoted their band effectively. Whichever band got the most signatures by their name won free recording time at a local studio. Metal act Sentinel won the contest by just one vote.\nIt was Harmony Educational Center ninth-grader Sara Jancosec's first time at Rhino's, and despite not knowing any of the bands, she was dancing and getting into the music. With pink, black and blonde hair up in a "Japanese rock star" hairdo complemented by a rainbow shirt, rainbow bracelets and yellow shoes written on with marker, she stood out in the crowd. She had Sentinel singer Zach Norris sign her shoe after the show. \nWhile more than a dozen fans created a mosh pit on stage with Sentinel, freshman Nicole O'Neal's face looked like she was watching a horror movie alone in the dark.\n"I'm terrified of this band," O'Neal said. "I feel like I've been violated from the inside out. I'm not very big on metal." \nDeuze was smiling throughout the show and said he hopes the class becomes a staple in the telecommunications department.\n"I definitely want to do this class again one way or another," Deuze said. "It has inspired me to come up with more similar classes where telecommunications students use their media skills to engage with local community initiatives"
(12/01/06 3:57am)
Karl Denson is one of those musicians people have seen without even knowing who he is.\nHe got his break in an uncredited roll as the bandleader and saxophonist in the fictional band "Sexual Chocolate" in the 1988 Eddy Murphy movie "Coming to America." He played as Lenny Kravitz's saxophonist and bandleader throughout the '90s and has played in numerous projects since, garnering acclaim from jazz, rock and jam fans as he fused genres together with whatever his current lineup happened to be.\nNow, Denson is leading a trio, rounded out by a drummer and keyboardist. He will play with them at 9 p.m. Saturday at Bluebird. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.\nDenson has played with the Greyboy Allstars and jam/groove band Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. He has also released several solo albums.\nSenior Evan Alberhasky first came across Denson's music at a concert while seeing Bela Fleck and the Flecktones when he was in high school and was instantly impressed. \n"I caught the end of their show and thought they could really groove," he said. "They're very jazzy and rhythmic, and they'll jam out. It's a very varied type of music with a lot of jazz and funk influences."\nJunior Aaron Estabrook said Denson has a big college following and tickets are selling well for the Saturday show. Estabrook, who is doing promotions for the show, added that Denson sold out a show at a bar a couple nights ago. He described Denson's music as soulful, stripped-down jazz and rock fusion that makes for a unique performance.\n"He puts on a show. It's kind of different," Estabrook said.\nDenson constantly switches up his backing band. He will be touring with the Greyboy Allstars from February to April 2007. Denson told www.jambase.com he is excited about playing in a trio, which enables him to play tighter jazz and perform music not suited for his larger band, Tiny Universe. \nFans are excited about seeing what Denson can do in the three-man lineup.\n"I've seen them a bunch of times since (the Flecktones concert)," Alberhasky said. "I've never seen the trio before, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they play off each other"
(11/30/06 4:37am)
IU graduate Lisa Conmy found she was spending as much time tracking celebrities as her husband was tracking his fantasy sports teams and decided to do something about it.\nShe got fellow Kelley School of Business graduate Trina Henney on board and created a Web site for a celebrity fantasy league in which fantasy owners pick celebrities and compete in a league of their own. The site, girlsintheknowinc.com launched Sept. 1 and has already been successful, garnering 1,000 members.\nEach team owner becomes a talent agent with an 18-person agency comprised of three male and female movie stars, TV stars and singers. An entry fee of $20 gets players a 10-week session in a private agency with friends or a public one with randomly assigned groups. In the agency, players compete to put together a stable of the hottest celebrities to earn more points than all members of the network. Teams with the most points across the site are awarded "Top Divas" and will have the chance to win prizes like an iPod. \nCEO Conmy and CFO Henney both graduated from the business school just a year apart, but they didn't meet until an alumni event in San Francisco. They are lawyers, but they use the business skills they acquired at IU to run the site in their spare time. \n"I think we both work together because the business school taught us how to work together and solve problems," Conmy said. \nWhile football stars get points for touchdowns and yards, celebrities are graded on more than 40 categories and are given points based on celebrities' real-life sales, reviews and public appearances. Hosting an award show brings a celebrity 25 points, appearing on "Oprah" nets 20 and having a top song or album can earn a celebrity up to 10 points.\nJustin Timberlake and Beyonce are the Peyton Manning and LaDainian Tomlinson of girlsintheknowinc.com. They are reliable point-earners that often grace magazine covers, appear on talk shows and consistently produce hit songs. \nCelebrities lose 20 points for a divorce, 15 for going into rehab or getting arrested and two for being on US Weekly's "When Bad Clothes Happen to Good People." \nBoth Henney and Conmy agreed that while Kevin Federline is one of the worst people to have on a roster, someone who gets no press will get no points. K-Fed will still earn some points for being on the cover of magazines before his 15 minutes of fame run out.\nWhile the game is called "Girls in the Know," Conmy said she was surprised to find that 15 percent of users are men. Senior Cory Szybala was pretty interested in the idea.\n"You could watch E! instead of ESPN," he said. "I would do it. I think it would be pretty fun." \nJunior Bianca Tirado was excited when she heard about the Web site and was already thinking of who she would want on her team. She said she would probably add Usher, and the premise would be a good fit for her since she already follows celebrity gossip.\n"I would be interested in doing it because I love entertainment and music," Tirado said. "It's something we do on a regular basis anyway. It's cool that they made a Web site like that."\nWhen freshman Katherine Akey heard about the site, she had an opposite reaction. \n"That's really stupid," she said. "It's hero idolizing, downgrading society another step and adding to people just sitting around instead of doing something real with their lives."\nIt's not for everyone, but most students could think of friends who would be interested in playing.\n"There's definitely a market for it," senior Erika Rosenberg said. "I know girls that would love it. One of my friends buys six gossip magazines a week. People take that stuff so seriously."\nConmy and Henney said they expect the number of participants to increase as award season nears. Both said they constantly get e-mail from players who love the site and have award show parties and drafts for new players.\n"I think it's a fabulous idea, and I'm shocked how some people are going crazy over it," Henney said.
(11/29/06 11:01pm)
I've always found "Octopus' Garden" to be a pretty average song. I mean, as far as Abbey Road goes. Then I heard the version on Love. Slowed down and mashed up with "Good Night," all of a sudden, Ringo sounds majestic. And perfect. It's moments like this and the seamless transition from Rubber Soul classics "Drive My Car" to "What You're Doing" to "The Word," all in one track that make this the most important Beatles release in over 30 years.\nLove is the perfect word for this compilation album. George Martin -- "the fifth Beatle" -- has done it again. It's not a best-of Beatles love songs collection or a re-hash of old songs like the Beatles 1 album. It's a mash-up, similar to what Danger Mouse tried to do when he created the Gray Album, which combined Jay-Z's Black Album with the Beatles' White Album, only ... this one is good. Really good. And who better to take on the imposing task of messing with the master tapes of all-time classic Beatles songs than Martin, with help from his son Giles? \nFor the first couple of listens through, anyone with a passing Beatles knowledge will have fun picking out the individual drum parts, guitar riffs and vocals. But Love is not a novelty album. It's the perfect cure for fans that haven't put on a Beatles album in years because they have listened to them too much (if that's possible). Not one track is the same as how it was when originally released. Created for a Cirque du Soleil performance, I can't wait to see how the show matches up with the album, but unlike the new Tenacious D soundtrack, this album stands alone quite well. And it will likely stand the test of time as it only gets better with each additional listen. \nStarting with a haunting bare vocal version of "Because," the album has 26 tracks, but has nearly double that thanks to the many flourishes of parts of songs mixed in here and there. While some songs go nearly untouched, others are beautifully strewn together mixes. On first listen, the one that stood out is a combination of the sitar in "Within You, Without You" with the vocals of "Tomorrow Never Knows" before segueing into the full "Within You, Without You." Martin makes the whole process feel effortless. \nWhen IU Beatles professor Glenn Gass told my class that he used to have past classes create their own White Album by turning the two-disc classic into one unstoppable force of an album, I thought I'd give it a try. Before I drown in your E-mails saying it's sacrilegious to mess with the album, I want to say that at Thanksgiving I gave thanks for every minute of the White Album. OK, maybe not Yoko's input on "Revolution 9" or her voice on "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill." I'm not even trying to create a definitive version. Everyone has their own favorites. As Paul once said, "Come on, It's the Beatles White Album." But let's see if I can't create something interesting here -- in the spirit of Martin's beautiful Love.
(11/29/06 5:00am)
I've always found "Octopus' Garden" to be a pretty average song. I mean, as far as Abbey Road goes. Then I heard the version on Love. Slowed down and mashed up with "Good Night," all of a sudden, Ringo sounds majestic. And perfect. It's moments like this and the seamless transition from Rubber Soul classics "Drive My Car" to "What You're Doing" to "The Word," all in one track that make this the most important Beatles release in over 30 years.\nLove is the perfect word for this compilation album. George Martin -- "the fifth Beatle" -- has done it again. It's not a best-of Beatles love songs collection or a re-hash of old songs like the Beatles 1 album. It's a mash-up, similar to what Danger Mouse tried to do when he created the Gray Album, which combined Jay-Z's Black Album with the Beatles' White Album, only ... this one is good. Really good. And who better to take on the imposing task of messing with the master tapes of all-time classic Beatles songs than Martin, with help from his son Giles? \nFor the first couple of listens through, anyone with a passing Beatles knowledge will have fun picking out the individual drum parts, guitar riffs and vocals. But Love is not a novelty album. It's the perfect cure for fans that haven't put on a Beatles album in years because they have listened to them too much (if that's possible). Not one track is the same as how it was when originally released. Created for a Cirque du Soleil performance, I can't wait to see how the show matches up with the album, but unlike the new Tenacious D soundtrack, this album stands alone quite well. And it will likely stand the test of time as it only gets better with each additional listen. \nStarting with a haunting bare vocal version of "Because," the album has 26 tracks, but has nearly double that thanks to the many flourishes of parts of songs mixed in here and there. While some songs go nearly untouched, others are beautifully strewn together mixes. On first listen, the one that stood out is a combination of the sitar in "Within You, Without You" with the vocals of "Tomorrow Never Knows" before segueing into the full "Within You, Without You." Martin makes the whole process feel effortless. \nWhen IU Beatles professor Glenn Gass told my class that he used to have past classes create their own White Album by turning the two-disc classic into one unstoppable force of an album, I thought I'd give it a try. Before I drown in your E-mails saying it's sacrilegious to mess with the album, I want to say that at Thanksgiving I gave thanks for every minute of the White Album. OK, maybe not Yoko's input on "Revolution 9" or her voice on "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill." I'm not even trying to create a definitive version. Everyone has their own favorites. As Paul once said, "Come on, It's the Beatles White Album." But let's see if I can't create something interesting here -- in the spirit of Martin's beautiful Love.
(11/28/06 5:22am)
IU might not have beaten Purdue at football, but the Hoosiers beat the Boilermakers and nearly every university in the country in a recent Collegehumor.com poll. \nThe site's 2006-07 Power Rankings, or "America's Top Colleges, According to Us," criteria were "having the maximum amount of fun while putting forth the least amount of effort," and IU took second place overall. Only Michigan State outranked IU; Wisconsin came in third.\nSchools were ranked based on Princeton Review data and information students listed on Facebook.com. Points were given for what Collegehumor.com deemed positive categories, including percentage of greek population, percentage of single women, "boobie pics" posted on Collegehumor.com, free condom availability at health centers and how many students listed drugs as an interest on Facebook. \nAfter looking at the survey, IU students' reactions ranged from disappointment at being No. 2 to calling the survey sexist, inaccurate and not comprehensive enough. \n"Michigan State got it over us? That's bullshit," freshman Lauren Hipshear said. "I think that's a stupid way to rank universities."\nWhile IU took second in the survey with an adjusted score of 99.8 percent, some said they think looking at the data makes it hard to draw a connection between the numbers and the ranking. Bars staying open until 3 a.m., 17 percent greek population and free condoms were IU's strong suits, but the University was low in a number of categories.\n"Looking at this, you wouldn't think we're No. 2," senior Kate MacQueen said. \nIU ranked extremely low on the chart with 70 percent of women being in relationships compared with 20 percent at the other top three schools. IU women had posted only five "boobie" pictures while many more have been posted by women at other schools. When it came to live music, colleges were rated on the highest Billboard chart ranking of bands that played there. IU's highest was a 96 compared to all the other top-10 finishers, which had a top-three band rock their schools.\n"I disagree with the band thing," Hipshear said. "I just saw Ben Folds and got to meet Method Man a month ago."\nPart of the discrepancy is that IU's overall rankings have at least one factual error. The survey takes 25 points off a school's score if it has a male vocal group, and despite the active Straight No Chaser group, IU is listed as not having a male vocal group.\nHipshear said she would add categories such as amount of bars and things to do close to campus and get rid of "boobie" pictures and SAT scores. \nA number of students said they found the survey sexist and said it wasn't representative of all lifestyles. While the rankings list the percentage of women in relationships and percentage of female students, they ignore the desires of female students.\n"They should have the percentage of hot guys," MacQueen said. "What good does this do me?"\nSenior Julieta Beverido agreed the survey was sexist and said the techniques to find information weren't reliable.\n"It's not credible to use Facebook," she said. "A bunch of people lie on Facebook. I know I do."\nNot only do the rankings ignore women's interests, they do not look at alternative lifestyles. Senior Matt Brunner said he thought the rankings failed to have enough categories to represent everyone. He said more categories like major programs the school is known for, grade point average and more diverse sexual categories were needed.\n"It should have something gay on it," he said. "I don't care what percentage of girls are single." \nFreshmen Bethany Rojanasupya and Amy Hungerford, who were taking a quiz out of Cosmopolitan magazine in the Indiana Memorial Union, took a few minutes to analyze the rankings. Rojanasupya said she supposes the survey is accurate but didn't see how the amount of "boobie" pictures posted on Collegehumor.com was relevant. The fact that the health center offers free condoms was news to her.\nTracy Crowe, office manager of the IU Health Center, said the health center has baskets of condoms on the third and fourth floor with a limit of four per student.\nThe general consensus from students interviewed is that while it is nice to be ranked second in the country in anything, they question the research techniques, categories used and overall effectiveness of the rankings.\n"It's interesting overall," sophomore Scott Berenstein said. "Some of the categories make sense, but some are thrown in randomly. I like that we're No. 2, so I'm not going to complain too much"
(11/27/06 5:22am)
Phillip Wagner compares his life story to Forrest Gump.\nThe similarities are striking: Both had braces on their legs early in their childhood, both served a tour of duty in Vietnam and both were unlucky in love.\n"But he got rich. I'm still a poor shmuck," Wagner, a post-graduate student, said.\nUnlike Gump, who told his story to the first person he met at a bus stop, Wagner requires some prodding before he tells his life story. He would much rather describe his "constructive social facilitation" program in Brazil than how he almost died from a brain aneurysm.\nNow Wagner is continuing his post-graduate studies at IU after receiving his graduate degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies last spring. \nBut Wagner enjoys talking about the work he's doing through his organization, Rhythm of Hope in Brazil, and its Web site, www.rhythmofhope.org, which launched in 2004. The organization recruits potential volunteers from around the world to help pre-existing programs in Brazil. Rhythm of Hope is currently giving contacts to Gust, a group of IU students headed by junior Laura Fonseca, to help the students plan a volunteer trip for next year. Students, including Fonseca, have previously volunteered in Brazil with the help of Wagner's program.\n"The whole focus of my program is facilitation," he said. "What we do is look for established, successful programs having a real impact."\nWagner has been to Brazil about 15 times and has established good working relationships with a number of different programs that serve excluded youth.\nHe said these programs focus on "liberating the minds of the youth" and helping them realize there is hope for a future outside the poor, violent communities they come from.\n"It is possible, against almost all hope, for communities to turn things around," Wagner said. \nRhythm of Hope in Brazil has had great success bringing volunteers together with programs that help participants grow and function successfully in society. Circus programs, sand castle building, boxing and percussion are a few of the activities in which children can participate. The programs use arts to steer children into more constructive activities. \nWagner himself had a troubled childhood. His family went through some "rough, even extreme, economic circumstances." And like Gump, Wagner had polio, though it was a mild case. For a long time, he wore leg braces at night to keep his legs from growing inward.\nWagner later served in Vietnam during the 1972 Easter Offensive and lost a close friend.\n"On TV, everyone who serves in the military is portrayed as a hero," he said. "That's bullshit. I'm no hero. I didn't want to go."\nBack in the States, Wagner said he felt a heightened sense of vigilance and awareness after the war. He said he would take in his whole environment and could sense people walking near him. His family convinced him to be evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder.\nWagner said the test scored him as having extremely high post-traumatic stress. He also suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder and had a brain aneurysm in March of 1979 after a divorce, Wagner said.\nRecovery was slow and difficult, but Wagner has done a lot with his brain since the aneurysm. After receiving his bachelor's degree from IU-South Bend in 1979, Wagner became increasingly involved in social issues.\nIn his work with Brazilian aid agencies, he strives to provide help to people who need it and are willing to work toward change. Living his life with a purpose, Wagner is not a feather in the breeze, but a man with unrelenting dedication and commitment -- something his colleagues notice. \nDanielle Valim, a Brazilian employee at the Justice of Work in Salvador, described in an e-mail the importance of Wagner's work.\n"For years, Phillip maintained his own Web site, and with the Internet, people learned about the situation here and many began to come here to help," she said. "Phillip exposed himself to many critics who could think he was just one more American 'do-gooder.' But his sincerity and compassion are strong and now (Rhythm of Hope) has a team of people who really believe they can make some positive change."\nThough Wagner has faced several challenges, he said he cannot afford to dwell on his hardships.\n"Ultimately, I think it's all about what we do," he said. "I've had a very challenging life, which has included some incredible moments in my life, but more than anything I'd just like to find some normalcy and peace of mind. If I can accomplish that for having returned to school to reinvent myself, then I'll be happy"
(11/16/06 4:48am)
Senior Casey Tofilon had the full Biscuits experience Tuesday night, spending nearly seven hours with Jon "The Barber" Gutwillig and the rest of the Disco Biscuits when all was said and done. She requested songs, danced ferociously in the front row throughout the entire show and partied with Gutwillig until 5 a.m. \nAnd she still made it to a test for her statistics class later that morning.\nThe Disco Biscuits had the crowd twirling glow sticks, flashing the band and turning the pit into a "real ravish" party, dancing wildly until 2 a.m. As their light show flooded the small, intimate venue of the Bluebird, the Disco Biscuits' trance rock show's energy caused doorman Michael Hodges to call the night "the most exciting Tuesday night" he has ever had at the venue.\nGracing the Bluebird with their presence for the first time since October 2000, according to set lists posted on the Web site Phantasytour.com, the Biscuits started their 9 p.m. show closer to 10 p.m. They kicked off the concert with a rocking "Pilin' It High," which had the band playing straight rock before adding techno later in the set.\nFan Kelli Martin from northwestern Indiana said she had love for the guitarist-singer Gutwillig before the band even started playing. From the front row, she yelled for his attention and showed him her homemade T-shirt, which read "Jon 'The Barber'" on the front and "You can cut my hair anytime" on the back. \nDuring the show, Gutwillig asked, "Is everyone having fun?" to which Martin responded by lifting up her homemade shirt to flash the band.\nMixing in electronic beats with their four-piece guitar-bass-keyboard-drums setup, the Biscuits stretched most songs for more than 10 minutes as they played requests and had fans yelling lyrics out, throwing their hands in the air and losing themselves in the music. \n"It was a superbly above-average first set," junior Alex Wolff said. "'Astronauts' was off the charts."\nTyler Gresh, a 2001 IU graduate, said he thinks the Disco Biscuits are the second-best touring band around, behind Umphrey's McGee, but found fault in their constant loops.\n"The Biscuits have a great way of getting into a pocket," he said. "They get a good groove going, but they have a hard time shifting gears after that."\nBluebird owner Dave Kubiak said there were just shy of 400 attendees at the Bluebird, with most of them jamming into the pit. The crowd appeared in a trance, not budging from the pit for hours at a time as the Biscuits' booming bass and ever-building guitar parts reached climaxes. As the parts grew more intense, audience members yelled high-pitched "Woos" to show their approval, even if the lyrics were often buried in the mix.\nSenior William Cornell said they were good to see live, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. He broke down his impression of a Biscuits song.\n"It's two minutes of piss-poor lyrics followed by four minutes of funk minimalism," he said. "They play one note at a time trying to make the most out of the least." \nKicking off the second set with the song "Sweating Bullets" was appropriate for a crowd dripping in sweat. Fans scooped ice from an empty beer bucket to cool off in the steamy, smoky bar. The band kept the pit rocking until 2 a.m. as they echoed fans' cries for "one more song" after nearly 3 1/2 hours of music.\nRecent IU graduate Jack Firestone said he had a blast at the "real ravish" atmosphere and said the show was easily the best he had ever seen at Bluebird.\nThe night didn't end for Tofilon at 2 a.m., even though she said she was exhausted from a night of dancing with her shirt rolled over her belly button.\nShe said she met up with Gutwillig and got drunk with the singer-guitarist until 5 a.m. at a party in an apartment above Uncle Festers. She said Gutwillig was trying to unwind by taking whiskey shots and telling her he wanted to read Friedrich Nietzsche to her. \n"He was insanely drunk. It was ridiculous," she said. "He goes, 'Are you Irish?' I laughed and said, 'No, I'm Japanese.'"\nTofilon said in an e-mail Wednesday afternoon that the show was unreal, and the band members go out of their way to stay humble and hang out with fans as if they were their friends.\n"Jon said it (the concert) was the best one so far," she said. "The Biscuits are seriously going to take over the world"
(11/16/06 3:49am)
Former Chief of the CIA European Division Tyler Drumheller will be speaking on campus today. He recently released his book that accuses the Bush administration of filtering intelligence and exaggerating Saddam Hussein's weapon stockpile to legitimize the attack on Iraq.\nDrumheller will speak at 4 p.m. today at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Building Atrium to discuss "The Politicalization of the CIA" and to provide an insider account of the secretive government agency.\nGene Coyle, an adjunct professor at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs who worked with Drumheller at the CIA, said in an IU media release that his former colleague was a highly respected operations officer in the agency. Coyle said today's speech will be a discussion of the mechanisms of U.S. intelligence operations and the use of intelligence in the current war in Iraq. \n"Whatever one's views on the Iraq war, Tyler's insights on the role of the CIA in providing intelligence support to the president will be quite enlightening ... (He has) an insider's view that is rarely available to the public," Coyle said. \nDrumheller retired from the CIA in 2004 after 25 years of service and has written a well-received account of pre-Iraq planning.\nHis new book, "On the Brink: An Insider's Account of How the White House Compromised American Intelligence," has received several positive reviews since it came out a few weeks ago. Ken Silverstein of Harper's Magazine wrote in a Nov. 2 article that the book "offers one of the clearest accounts available on how the Bush Administration manipulated intelligence in order to pave the way for the invasion of Iraq." \nSophomore Alex Effinger said she thinks it will be interesting to hear someone take a tangible stance on such a dynamic topic. After taking a high school class on diplomacy, she said she came to realize a number of things had been hidden from the American public and was glad someone on the inside was speaking out on the lies that she said sent U.S. troops to war. \n"I remember before we went to war all the headlines in the news were about weapons of mass destruction," Effinger said. "It's nice to know someone is speaking out on it." \nPutting down a copy of the New York Times to discuss the topic, senior Ben Eddy said he agrees the government disseminated false information, but he said he thinks the news is not up-to-date enough. \n"It isn't even up for speculation. We were misled," Eddy said. "By now it's almost cliche. The book is about four years too late."\nWhen asked if the book could be used as a cautionary tale about going to war unjustly, Eddy said he is anti-war and echoed post-Vietnam sentiments. He said the United States should have learned the lesson from Henry Kissinger, who spoke out against such wars. \nFor freshman Jayme O'Hara, the most important thing is that Drumheller presents an accurate report after all the alleged lying the U.S. public has endured. \n"I saw a CIA speaker this year and thought he was too opinionated," she said. "I just hope he (Drumheller) presents the facts"
(11/14/06 3:34am)
As Tuesday night dissolves into Wednesday morning, the Disco Biscuits' show will be winding down. But a few years ago, their performance would just be starting up. Once known as a band whose concerts lasted until the sun came up, the Disco Biscuits are maturing. \nThey are growing and evolving into a band that can lay down respected studio albums but still turn any venue into a party and surprise even their most dedicated fans on any given night.\nWhen the Disco Biscuits take the stage at 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Bluebird, attendees are advised to stretch and wear loose clothing because they're stepping into a dance party.\nLongtime fan Rodney "Danger" Smyth, a student at the University of Vermont, said the band draws comparisons to Phish, but he said they are unlike any band around. He described them as trance-fusion with elements of rock and electronica. \nSmyth considers the group one of the top touring acts around. He has traveled to Tennessee, West Virginia and Amsterdam over the years to see the Biscuits.\nSky Garner, who has followed the band on-and-off since 1999, barely had to leave his neighborhood to see the band.\n"The second time I saw them, it was 20 minutes from my house," Garner said. "There were only 20 people there; the sun was behind the water. It was really cool."\nGarner said the Biscuits have transformed themselves from a dark, trance band that would play from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. into a jam band with funk and techno aspects. But even with their new sound, Garner said, the Disco Biscuits can fill 7,000-seat venues. \nTheir most recent release is a two-disc live album. In fact, most of their releases are live recordings. The new one is The Wind at Four to Fly, which got its name from a classic Biscuits song, "Morph Dusseldorf." Fans of the Biscuits are quick to point out that a listener will never really understand the Disco Biscuits until he or she sees them live.\n"I was the biggest hater of them for two years," Smyth said. "You have to get the live experience to see what they're about. It will change your life."\nA mainstay in the jam music scene, the Biscuits are expanding from their serious East Coast following to the Midwest and out to California. They come to Bloomington in the middle of a packed touring schedule, playing a string of shows from Indiana to Colorado and California before making their way back to Philadelphia for a sold-out Dec. 30 show.\nSmyth said he keeps going to shows because he is always entranced by the band and loves the energy.\n"Every show is different," Smyth said. "You never know what to expect."\nWhile they win most of their fans over with the live show, the Biscuits have garnered acclaim from the studio recordings as well. Their www.jambase.com bio boasts that their 2002 album, Senior Boombox, was named the best studio record of 2002 by Relix Magazine. \nFor fan Julia Bastian, an East Coast touring veteran, the Biscuits are a way to get out of the mundaneness of day-to-day life.\n"There's something about the Biscuits that transcends the ordinary and makes you transcend the problems and triviality of your life," she said.
(11/13/06 3:45am)
Accordion rock got the crowd on its feet, and Ben Folds kept them there Thursday night at the IU Auditorium. Folds' energetic two-hour show had the packed auditorium standing, singing and clapping along for the entire concert.\nFolds rocked the auditorium, playing a mix of new and old songs. \nFolds led sing-a-longs for fan favorites "Army" and "The Luckiest," while also getting his fans to dance to new songs. While known as a pianist, Folds took solos on the bass and drums, ran around the stage shaking maracas and constantly played with his new favorite toy -- a mini electronic keyboard.\nThe keyboard added a strong, well-received addition to Folds' typical piano performance, which was backed by a drummer and a bass guitarist. Folds used the instrument incessantly -- in the middle of traditional piano songs, as interludes, and as a way to rattle audience members' insides.\nFolds said he could get as low a frequency as 10 hertz, which he warned would cause the audience members to literally lose control of their bowels. At 13, it made audience members feel like their cell phones were ringing on vibrate. At 12, it rattled their hearts in their chests, and at 11, the vibrations unsettled stomachs. At 10, the band members left the stage covering their ears. \nSophomore Lauren Hall was a few rows from the stage and said when Folds played the super low notes, she could feel it throughout her body.\n"It rumbled my tummy," she said. "It really hits your core."\nWhile he complained of being sick and apologized for his voice, Folds managed to still sound as good as ever and put on a show that had the crowd singing along the whole time.\n"Something magical happens when people sing together," Folds said after leading the crowd to sing along with "Bitches Ain't Shit." \nA large yellow sign with the song title made its way from the middle of the crowd to Folds' hands on stage as he led them through the Dr. Dre cover. Folds traded off vocals with his British drummer and Hispanic bassist in an eclectic version that had the crowd rapping along.\nSenior Matt Lebon was smiling after the concert, saying he enjoyed the "high-intensity show." He has seen Folds three times before and was happy to hear "The Luckiest," which Folds dedicated to a couple in the crowd.\n"'The Luckiest' is one of the best love songs of all time," Lebon said. \nWhile Folds was clearly the main draw, Corn Mo gained a lot of fans as the warm-up act. As he took the stage, his shoulder-length brown hair led senior Lindsey Geller to say, "Look, it's Jesus." The love-child of piano-playing comedian Zak Galifianakis and pop star Meatloaf with an accordion might have been more accurate. \nAt first the crowd appeared baffled, mumbling, "Who is this guy?" But Corn Mo quickly earned applause and left the stage to a standing ovation. The crowd laughed at his whimsical song topics, which ranged from Yoo-hoo to his eighth-grade girlfriend.\nCorn Mo threw hecklers for a loop when he accepted the "Free Bird" challenge. When a handful of guys in the audience yelled for the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd song, Corn Mo mocked his challengers and rocked it on his accordion. \nAfterward, he played a self-described "rocking version" of bar mitzvah favorite "Hava Nagila" and Queen's "We Are the Champions." Between songs -- when not playing the accordion or piano -- Corn Mo played a cymbal with a drum stick strapped to his foot. The one-man show had the crowd in hysterics as he told fictional stories of Ben Franklin getting laid while wearing nothing but a coonskin cap. \n"He's cool as hell," Bloomington resident Todd Elliott said. "He's really original and he does his own thing."\nFolds incorporated the same sort of playfulness as his opening act during his own performance, making up a song about haircuts on the spot that had audience members begging for more. After a brief encore, fans applauded wildly for several minutes, pleading for one more song before the house lights came up to signal the end of the show.
(11/12/06 7:24am)
Corn Mo's comedy-infused accordion rock got the crowd on their feet. Ben Folds kept them there with an energetic two-hour show. With a well received bassist and drummer behind him, Folds had the packed auditorium standing, singing and clapping along for the entire concert Thursday night.\nFolds rocked the IU Auditorium, playing what senior Kyle Petty called a great mix of new and old songs. \nFolds lead sing-a-longs for fan favorites "Army" and "The Luckiest," while also getting his fans to dance to the new stuff. While known as a pianist, Folds took solos on the bass, drums, ran around the stage shaking maracas, and constantly played with his new favorite toy- a mini electronic keyboard.\nThe keyboard added a strong, well received addition to Folds' typical piano performance. The keyboard generated electronic sounds with a booming bass. Folds used the instrument incessantly: in the middle of traditional piano songs, as interludes, and as a way to rattle audience members' insides.\nFolds said he could get as low a frequency as 10 hertz, which he warned would cause the audience to literally lose their bowels. At 13, it made audience members feel like their cell phones were ringing on vibrate. At 12, it rattled their hearts in their chests, and at 11 it moved down into the stomach. At 10, the band left the stage covering their ears.\nSophomore Lauren Hall was just a few rows from the stage and said when Folds played the super low notes she could feel it rattle throughout her body.\n"It rumbled my tummy," she said. "It really hits your core."\nWhile he complained of being sick and apologized for his voice, Folds managed to still sound as good as ever and put on a show that had the crowd singing along the whole time.\n"Something magical happens when people sing together," Folds said after leading the crowd to sing along to "Bitches Ain't Shit." \nA large yellow sign with the song title made its way from the middle of the crowd, to Folds' hands onstage as he led the crowd through a cover of Dr. Dre's classic rap. He traded off vocals with his British accented drummer and Hispanic bassist in an eclectic version that had the crowd rapping along.\nSenior Matt Lebon was smiling after the concert, saying he enjoyed the "high intensity show." He has seen Folds three times before, and was happy to hear "The Luckiest," which Folds dedicated to a couple in the crowd.\n"'The Luckiest' is one of the best love songs of all time," Lebon said. \nWhile Ben Folds was clearly the main draw, Corn Mo made a lot of fans as the warm up act. As he took the stage, his shoulder length brown hair led senior Lindsey Geller to say, "Look, it's Jesus." The love-child of piano playing comedian Zak Galifianakis and pop star "Meatloaf" with an accordion might have been more accurate. \nAt first the crowd appeared baffled, mumbling 'Who is this guy?,' but he quickly earned their applause and left the stage to a full standing ovation. The crowd laughed at his whimsical lyrics like "It's lollypop time with you. A box of JuJu and a bottle of Yoohoo."\nCorn Mo threw hecklers for a loop when he accepted the "Free Bird" challenge. When a handful of guys yelled for the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd song, Corn Mo mocked his challengers and rocked it on his accordion. \nAfterwards, he played a self-described "rocking version" of Bar Mitzvah favorite Hava Nagila and Queen's "We are the Champions." \n"He's cool as hell," Bloomington resident Todd Elliott said. "He's really original and he does his own thing."\nFolds also drew upon his originality. He made up a song about haircuts on the spot. Audience members called him back for a brief encore after the long performance, but realized that the show was finally over when the lights came up on a memorable evening.
(11/09/06 8:58pm)
WEEKEND writer Zack Teibloom takes a drink for the team on his quest to uncover what makes the Kilroys Sports' atmosphere so intoxicating.
(11/09/06 8:34pm)
I never thought I would rave about a movie where the main character repeatedly bashed Judaism and is involved in a full-frontal male nudity scene that prompts him to say, "My moustache still tastes of your testes," but "Borat" is niiiice. \nI'd waited two anxious years for the Borat movie after becoming obsessed with talking like Sacha Baron Cohen's character on "Da Ali G Show," and somehow the film exceeded my wildest expectations. I tell you more. Dzienkuje. \nFor every word in the incessantly long title, there are dozens of unforgettable scenes in Borat's first movie. Our main man is Cohen as a television reporter from Kazakhstan, sent to America to learn about the greatest country in the world, US and A. High five! \nWhile here, Borat has trouble adjusting to the American way of life as he tries to learn lessons to make benefit, well, you read the title. He realizes NYC subway riders aren't down to kiss on the cheek, and that asking girls, "How much?" on the street, and calling a hotel clerk "vanilla face," are not kosher. \nSpeaking of kosher, if taken literally, the film is quite anti-Semitic, as Borat blames the Jews for 9/11 and runs away from friendly Jews at a bed and breakfast who just want to give him a little nosh. The jokes are a little excessive but are hard to take seriously coming from Cohen, a British Jew. \nBorat's motivation for the second act of the film is to find and marry Pamela Anderson after falling in love with her character on "Baywatch." Many of the subjects are unaware Borat is faking it, but Anderson had to be in on the bit. Otherwise, Cohen would be in jail for what he did to her at a signing, instead of appearing on Conan asking for his valuable red pubic hair while promoting the film. \nMuch like in the show, Cohen really excels at making interview subjects expose their inner bigots to him when they are unaware Borat is faking it. One man reveals he wishes we could hang homosexuals, a couple of college guys say they wish we still had slaves and a gun salesman shows him which gun is best to shoot a Jew. \nThe film is basically a one-man traveling circus, but credit also must go to director Larry Charles, who adds this film onto a stacked resume filled with "Seinfeld," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Entourage." He keeps the film quick, to the point and weaves the story well with the Pamela Anderson thread. \nThis movie is offensive and will make you squirm, but will make you laugh harder than anything I've seen in years. At 80 minutes, the film is short, but edited together well to provide a comedy "tighter than a man's anus." Great success!