Region

An unlikely pair of Texas presidents

Cuban not a monster

Mark Cuban, the fiery owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has acted up again. Incensed about a possible goaltending in the final minute of a Mav's 107-104 loss to Detroit last week, Cuban showed the replay frozen on the JumboTron for photographers in a post-game press conference.

Gary murder rate continues to decline

GARY -- Seventy-one homicides were reported in Gary, the "murder capital of the world," last year. The figure marks a new low.

AOPi to move into house next month

Few sorority hopefuls picture themselves living in a residence hall. But Eigenmann Hall was home to more than 100 Alpha Omicron Pi members last semester, and will be for another month. AOPi was recolonized last year after a four-year absence from IU. The sorority was taken off campus in 1996 by its national organization.

Cassoulet a comfort food for coldest winter nights

"Remind me where it is you attend school?" my California acquaintances inquire during my bi-annual sojourns home to the West coast. After five years of replying "Indiana," the abbreviated responses have remained static: in summer, "Hot!" and in winter, "Cold!" The utterances are typically delivered with the force of profound revelation accompanied by the smirking condescension of an older sibling informing a younger sibling there is no Santa Claus."

Hoosiers nominated for Grammys

Two of the 500 nominees seated in the crowd at the Grammys Feb. 21 can call themselves Hoosiers. Joshua Bell and Ronald Cohen, alumnus and professor, respectively, have been recognized as the movers of today's music scene, worthy of a chance of receiving one of modern music's highest honors. Bell is nominated for one award, Cohen for two.

Wanted: Alert, vocal readers

Seldom in life do we get a second chance to make a first impression, or so the shampoo commercial goes. Well, I'm going to give it my best shot. The ombudsman column -- for those unfamiliar with it -- is a space for discussion and dialogue about the IDS, media ethics and journalism in general. Some of the topics this column dealt with last semester include the IDS sponsorship of coach Bob Knight's farewell speech; an IDS reporter receiving -- courtesy of an advertiser -- an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City; the difficulties involved in reporting a student's suicide; and the news media's highly suspect coverage of Election 2000.

Cloning: The wave of our future

The future is here, and quite frankly, I'm a little disappointed. It's 2001 and things haven't turned out for mankind as I'd hoped. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't care less about flying cars and meals in pills, but I do want to know what went wrong. I was supposed to be driving around in a hot rod, wearing dirty leather pants, eating dog food out of a can and shooting motorcycle gangs over gasoline. Where's the bleak future I was promised?

Recruiting for a new millennium

Cheers rang out around campus Sunday as women stepped off buses and into their new homes following the culmination of this year's sorority recruitment. Beginning in mid-November, about 1600 women participate in recruitment each year. Women visit all 19 houses in November, and use Scantron sheets to choose houses of their preference.

Health Center sets up walk-in flu shot clinics

Flu shots are available to students starting today. The Health Center is offering the shots through walk-in clinics set up around campus, as well as by appointment at the Health Center. The cost is $8, charged to bursar bills, and vaccines are available to all students.

Comeback try ends up short

Coming into Sunday's home game against sixth-ranked Purdue, the women's basketball team was white hot. After two consecutive losing seasons, it stood atop the Big Ten. The Hoosiers' only losses came at the hands of undefeated Ole Miss and perennial powerhouse Louisiana Tech, which was ranked eighth at the time.

Wrestlers poised for intense conference play

At 5-0, IU wrestlers have their best team start since 1995-96, but the competition will intensify as conference play approaches. Following a victory against Missouri, the Hoosiers have dominated their opponents to maintain an undefeated dual meet record. The last time the Hoosiers posted a 5-0 record, the team finished as Big Ten runner-up. Saturday in Charleston, Ill., Indiana defeated Eastern Illinois 37-9 and Franklin and Marshall 47-9. In the tri-match, three Hoosiers pinned both of their opponents, including senior Gabe Cook (149 pounds) who improved to 12-2 on the year. Junior Viktor Sveda (184) earned his seventh and eighth pins to move to 14-4. Redshirt freshman Coyte Cooper's two pins make him 8-4 overall with four pins.

Hoosiers cruise past competition in home meets

Members of the men's swimming and diving teams came back to Bloomington early to compete in the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center. The men's swim team finished with a 151-90 victory against Cincinnati, while the diving team fell short to Ohio State.

Clark Co. judge to hear lawsuit

Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard appointed Clark County Judge Cecile Blau Dec. 13 to hear the lawsuit accusing IU of violating Indiana's open meetings law.

Downtown jewel heist ends safely

What had been a quiet Friday afternoon at Victor Settle's downtown jewelry store became a nightmare for the store's owners, when two young men stormed through the front door at 3:50 p.m. brandishing 9 mm semiautomatic handguns.

Women fail to upset rival

IU had its hand on the gun, ready to pick off a top-10 team. But unlike the men's basketball team, which upset No. 1 Michigan State just hours earlier, the women's squad couldn't pull the trigger.

Hoosiers topple No. 1 Spartans

Thousands of fans -- many of them IU students -- stood in the bleachers screaming and waiting for the final 8.3 seconds of Sunday's game. Going into the final time out, IU was down by two, 58-56. Security guards and ushers held yellow ropes across the baseline to prevent fans from storming the court.

Coach reinvents team

When coach Kathi Bennett took over the women's basketball program last spring, athletics director Clarence Doninger expected a turnaround. Just not so fast. In only 14 games in her first season, Bennett has transformed a bottom-dweller in the Big Ten to one of the conference's best. While campus was empty last month, IU has continued to enact tough defense on its opponents, sprinting to a 12-2 start.

Bush cabinet an unwelcome Christmas gift

Welcome back! I bet you thought Christmas was over, that Hanukkah was kaput and Kwanzaa finally finished. Oh no, my friends. I said I wanted a president for Christmas, and George W. Bush is the gift that keeps on giving. And giving.

Kiss 'politically correct' goodbye

The new year, century and millennium are here -- time to bring out the resolutions. My own resolution, which I always keep, is not to make any resolutions. But I have one to suggest to everyone else: it's long past time to put the meaningless phrase "political correctness" out to pasture.