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This is the end

Parting is such sweet sorrow, even if it is a relief to my troublesome GPA. But after 14 issues of doing everything in my power to make your Thursdays a little better, my well-worn staff and I will now be handing over the reigns of power.

'Third Watch' is no 'Hill Street'

Sex, profanity, nudity and violence. These are the foundations of good television. And yet network shows have re-embraced the philosophy of Least Objectionable Programming, whereby they show a nice, clean and sanitized version of life. That's why the kids on "Dawson's Creek" don't engage in orgies of carnal delight.

Blame, Shame and Fame

Outkast

OutKast has been able to reinvent itself with each album, but this time the Atlanta dynamic duo is here to change the game. Stankonia, the pair's fourth album, is not only its best, it is also one of the wittiest, the bravest and the most ingenious albums you'll hear this year.

Worth the wait

Although it's been eight years since Sade's last album, the wait has been worth it. Lovers Rock showcases Sade's smooth melodic voice with lyrics that do have substance. Sade's songs mainly explain the feelings of love and passion. You can feel the passion in her voice. And even though many associate Sade with slow love songs, these songs can be appreciated by any music aficionado.

Outkast

OutKast has been able to reinvent itself with each album, but this time the Atlanta dynamic duo is here to change the game. Stankonia, the pair's fourth album, is not only its best, it is also one of the wittiest, the bravest and the most ingenious albums you'll hear this year.

Hollywood bores as art films shine

That's (almost) a wrap. The year is not over yet, and a number of noteworthy films are still to be released. But as the fall semester is coming to an end, it's a good time to reflect on the movie scene this year.

English Exposure

Writing a book is an act of faith. Faith that your work has value. Trust that the work can touch someone's lives and hope the book will find its audience. You write for love and never for money.

Appreciating Hollywood's delicious fluff

I'd first like to establish I'm not as completely clueless about movies as this column might suggest. I am fully aware that many of the movies on the following top 10 list will be quickly knocked out of contention by high-quality holiday fare released in order for high Oscar recognition. My guess is "Traffic" or "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" will take at least two of these spots by the end of this month. Also because of the unfortunate commercial movie environment in Bloomington, I am unable to include many high quality and very deserving art house or independent films because I never got the chance to see them. I'd like to add "Requiem for a Dream" or "Girlfight" to this list. But because the Kerasotes runs of these movies were nonexistent or extremely limited, I am unable to do so.

This is the end

Parting is such sweet sorrow, even if it is a relief to my troublesome GPA. But after 14 issues of doing everything in my power to make your Thursdays a little better, my well-worn staff and I will now be handing over the reigns of power.

'Mailman' gets short end of the stick

Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz passed Wilt Chamberlain Tuesday to become the second leading scorer of all time in the National Basketball Association. Malone, 37, now has 31,443 points in his career, placing him second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Having scored more points than every player, except for Jabbar, Malone hasn't seemed to earn the amount of respect one would expect to come from that statistic.

A Concrete Symphony

"The white building with its different colors and designs, is kind of a pop art concept -- a wild juxtaposition of colors and purposeful imbalancing." Ron Reinoehl, PR Director for the Musical Arts Center Indianapolis Star Magazine, 1972

Team trusts steady players to supply offense

For the first time in three years, the men's soccer team doesn't boast a star international player that has carried the team with prolific scoring.

Wildcat coach learns from mistakes

Northwestern women's head basketball coach June Olkowski understands the position that IU's women's basketball coach Kathi Bennett holds. Olkowski was a first-year coach last year.

'Third Watch' is no 'Hill Street'

Sex, profanity, nudity and violence. These are the foundations of good television. And yet network shows have re-embraced the philosophy of Least Objectionable Programming, whereby they show a nice, clean and sanitized version of life. That's why the kids on "Dawson's Creek" don't engage in orgies of carnal delight.

UNext.com adds jobs, decreases 'brain drain'

UNext.com, a Chicago-based online education company, set up shop in Bloomington last winter. In collaboration with municipal government, it's been fighting hard against the so-called "brain drain," which has taken IU graduates away from Indiana because of a lacking information technology sector.

Awaiting another season of 'Survivor,' reality TV

How can we sum up 2000 without mentioning the national obsession that is "Survivor?" How can we not recall Richard's strategizing, Rudy's homophobia, Colleen's loveliness and Susan's "rat vs. snake" rant? Aren't we glad the year is almost over, so we can soon revisit that madness when "Survivor: The Australian Outback" airs Jan. 28?

International films soar while Hollywood snores

The year 2000 has been one of the worst quality-wise in the history of the multiplex. One highly anticipated Hollywood work after another has proven to disappoint, from the snooze-inducing mediocrity of Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" to the cliched likes of Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous."

Giving women options

Sgt. Leslie Slone had never heard of the Rape Aggression Defense Systems program, which teaches women rape awareness, prevention and basic self-defense. Then, in the early 1990's, another officer told Slone about the program. After extensive training at Butler University, Slone was certified and started RAD at IU in 1997 with three other officers.

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