Region

Orpheium takes Bloomington

Bittersweet

ATLANTA -- It wasn't supposed to end this way. Not after surviving the first two rounds for the first time in eight years. Not after shocking top-ranked Duke. Not after slipping past No. 3 Oklahoma to complete an improbable run to the NCAA championship game.

Afghani reflects on home

Amwar Naderpoor fled Afghanistan in fear of being arrested and possibly killed for his beliefs. Because of threats and fear of persecution, Naderpoor left the country at the age of 21. At the time, he was attending Kabul University in the country's capital and was demonstrating against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1981. He was warned to flee his country because of threats toward the protesters. He then studied in France before finally visiting family in the United States. Naderpoor owns the restaurant Samira, 100 W. Sixth St. #1, known for its Afghanistan and Mediterranean cuisine.

Flip-flops and Jim Jeffords

Be odd. That was going to be my advice for the first week of school. An alternative to all of the wholesome "go to class, go to office hours, go to the Health Center, and while you're at it stop by Career Development Center" sermons that are delivered from classroom pulpits, resident assistants and your parents.

Problems plague division

The Division of Residential Programs and Services has been losing money and cutting services for years. The obstacles RPS has encountered to meet its budget every year are varied and complex, but by many accounts, poor budgeting and sloppy accounting lie at the root of the problem. "RPS is structured horribly; it's so unorganized," junior Johnathan Goo said. Goo is the Residence Halls Association vice president of student affairs.

Junior looks to lead team

Junior Chad Andrews knows there's always room for improvement. Andrews and the men's cross country team are competing for the Big Ten Championships title this year.

Red and white to cream and crimson

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. The red and white that fans see waved at IU sporting events could be missing as early as February.

Markets close on slight rise

Many companies will report their first-quarter earnings this week. Investors will be looking at those earnings and companies' guidance toward future quarters. Investors should get a good indication of where companies stand by the end of the week. Nearly 30 percent of the companies that comprise the S&P 500 are expected to report their earnings. Last week, the Nasdaq gained 14 percent. Now, many investors will be watching technology companies to attempt to determine where the sector stands. Large technology companies releasing earnings this week include AOL Time Warner, Microsoft, Intel, Sun Microsystems, Texas Instruments, Advanced Micro Devices, Apple Computer and Gateway.

Reparations revisited

A lawsuit filed in federal district court last Tuesday has reopened one of the most troubling chapters in America's history. The plaintiff's chief complainant, Deadria Farmer-Paellmann, is suing Aetna Inc., CSX Railroad and Fleet-Boston Financial Corp. for once profiting from unpaid slave labor. The class-action lawsuit is seeking reparations for the 35 million descendants of African slaves, giving new meaning to the term "frivolous lawsuit."

Johnson Center places business students

The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation along with the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership has placed 15 Kelley School of Business Masters of Business Administration students in internship positions. The internships are with 11 companies within the state of Indiana and three outside the state.

Anthrax scare hits campus

A hazardous materials crew removed a powdery white substance from two IU dormitory bathrooms Tuesday morning. The Bloomington Township Fire Department hazardous materials team took every precaution in case the substance is anthrax. In the coming days, tests will reveal the nature of the substance, officials said. "With all the stuff going on now, you have to take every one serious," said Bloomington Township Fire Chief Faron Livingston. "The minute you drop your guard, that's when you get burned."

Credit card fraud hits campus

Students must be wary of anyone asking for their personal information, local police officers said Wednesday.

Lawyers rest cases in Kirby murder trial

MARTINSVILLE -- Two weeks of arguments in the multiple murder trial of Indianapolis resident Judy Kirby concluded Wednesday in Morgan County Superior Court. Kirby was on trial for an incident occurring March 25 last year when she drove her white Firebird north on the southbound lane of Ind. 67 in Morgan County. She ran head-on into a van driven by Martinsville resident Tom Reel, who was travelling with two of his children and family friend Richard Miller.

Injuries don't slow Hoosiers in win

INDIANAPOLIS - The ankle survived, and the back held up. Jared Jeffries and Tom Coverdale, who both spent practice time on the sidelines this week with injuries, each played at least 32 minutes and paced No. 21 and fourth-seeded IU in its 67-56 win over fifth-seeded Michigan State in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse. Jeffries, who has endured an ankle sprain over the last six games, scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds. Coverdale, who began suffering from back spasms late last month, scored 11 points, had seven assists and four steals. "My back got kind of sore, but it's nothing that's going to keep me out of any games," Coverdale said. Coverdale wore a back brace during practice this week, but didn't use it Friday. Jeffries played on a heavily taped ankle, then wrapped it in ice immediately after the game. "It feels a lot better than it did the first time we played," Jeffries said. "They key is for me to keep ice on it and keep going for this three-day stretch." Both Coverdale and Jeffries are expected to play tomorrow, but Coverdale indicated he might have injured his left hand during the first half. The junior guard said he planned to get X-rays, but those came back negative.

Hoosiers head back to Sweet 16

SACRAMENTO -- Sophomore A.J. Moye was shouting. Senior Dane Fife was joking about how close his college career came to ending. And junior Kyle Hornsby was talking about how good it feels to be going where no IU team has been since 1994. The Hoosiers are going to play in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, and an excited locker room after a 76-67 win Saturday night against North Carolina-Wilmington couldn't contain its excitement.

French folk singer returns

Stories of loves, deaths and betrayals from the distant past come together with original songs written from personal experience in the music of French folk singer Gabriel Yacoub. At a concert Saturday at the John Waldron Arts Center Auditorium, Yacoub will play guitar and sing both traditional French folk songs and his own modern music. The concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m., is presented by the Lotus Concert Series, also organizers of Bloomington's annual world music festival.

Around the game

Senior diver Tom Davidson earned 20 points for the Hoosiers at this weekend's NCAA Championships, placing IU 26th in the nation. Davidson finished 3rd in the one-meter dive and 13th in the 3-meter competition to score all IU's points in the national competition. Davidson earned All-American honors for his performance.

Not your grandfather's klezmer

The Jewish Studies Program and the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation have combined forces to bring a special entertainment and education event to Bloomington this weekend. Internationally-acclaimed klezmer band Brave Old World will perform Sunday and hold a workshop Monday to raise money to promote Yiddish graduate studies at IU.

Michigan State games could put softball team back on track

A 1-3 start in conference play has left the softball squad in 10th place in the Big Ten standings and trailing in its quest to reach the Big Ten tournament.

Around The Campus

IU Crossfire debate to be held March 6 aThe College Republicans and College Democrats will be facing off in a debate Wednesday, March 6. The debate sponsored by IUSA will be held at 8 p.m. in State Room East of the Indiana Memorial Union.