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UPDATE 6:35 p.m.: Marijuana found in package addressed to Assembly Hall

By Paige Ingram · Monday, March 19,2007 12 a.m.

The package is being investigated after police determined the "leafy substance" in it contained THC -- the hallucinatory chemical and most active ingredient found in marijuana.

IU president awards Greenspan contract extension through 2013

By Aaron Beard · Monday, March 19,2007 12 a.m.

IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan will receive a contract extension through 2013. IU President Adam Herbert announced March 13 that he awarded Greenspan the three-year, nine-month extension through June 30, 2013, according to a news release from IU media relations.

Nadal wins Pacific Life, claims first title since French Open championship

By Aaron Beard and Ken Peters · Monday, March 19,2007 12 a.m.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – By Rafael Nadal’s standards, it was a long dry spell. Nadal captured his first title since the French Open, beating Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7-5 Sunday in the Pacific Life Open. “It was a very great week for me, a very, very important week,” he said. “I have (gone) eight months without any title, but I came back with a big one.”

Gators survive Boiler alert, move to Sweet 16

By Aaron Beard and Mark Long · Monday, March 19,2007 12 a.m.

NEW ORLEANS – Al Horford flexed his biceps and offered an imposing stare as he posed for television cameras. Florida’s most physical player had reason to show off a little bit.

Purdue takes $100 million that others rejected

By Ab D. Phillip and Rick Callahan · Monday, March 19,2007 12 a.m.

After more than a year of negotiations, Purdue University has accepted a $100 million gift from a billionaire’s foundation to commercialize basic biomedical research – a sum other schools have rejected amid questions about control of those innovations.

IU nabs record day at UNLV Spring Invitational

By Aaron Beard · Monday, March 19,2007 12 a.m.

“Rebounding” is usually a term associated with basketball. But as far as the IU women’s golf team is concerned, it can be used to describe the team’s performance at the UNLV Spring Invitational. After several disappointing tournaments, the Hoosiers bounced back in a big way to finish fourth and set a school record with a score of 864.

UPDATE 10:33 p.m.: Hoeppner skipping spring practice for health reasons

By Aaron Beard and Michael Marot · Sunday, March 18,2007 12 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS – IU coach Terry Hoeppner, who has had brain surgery twice in the last 15 months, will skip spring practice for health reasons. Athletic director Rick Greenspan said in a statement Sunday night Hoeppner had indicated a desire to regain his strength and energy after a rigorous recruiting campaign. Assistant head coach Bill Lynch will be in a charge of the team when it begins practice on Tuesday.

UPDATE: A gutsy goodbye

By Matt Mattucci · Sunday, March 18,2007 12 a.m.

The IU players didn’t have to say a word following their game Saturday night; their faces said it all. Senior Rod Wilmont sat slumped down in a chair, tears welling up in his eyes. Junior Lance Stemler paced along the back of the locker room, his eyes swollen and red from crying. And not a single word was spoken among the players. The message, though, was clear – the Hoosiers’ season was over.

UPDATE: Hoosiers make most of second chance

By Matt Mattucci · Friday, March 16,2007 1:14 p.m.

Last time around, IU and Gonzaga battled it out in a high-scoring game in which the Bulldogs dominated the paint. Six Gonzaga players scored in double-figures en route to a 90-80 victory against the Hoosiers in the second round of the 2006 NCAA tournament. Fortunately for IU, this time around was nothing like the last.

UPDATE: Quite the reward: Hoosiers to play No. 2 seed UCLA

By Eamonn Brennan · Friday, March 16,2007 12 a.m.

Just before the final buzzer ended IU’s 70-57 win over Gonzaga Thursday night, IU point guard Earl Calloway tapped Gonzaga guard and fellow senior Derek Raivio to offer condolences for the loss, the last game Raivio will play for the Bulldogs.

UPDATE: IU draws No. 7 seed, will face Gonzaga in NCAA tournament

By IDS staff and Aaron Beard · Friday, March 9,2007 12 a.m.

IU was named as the No. 7 seed in the West bracket of the NCAA tournament Sunday. The Hoosiers will face Gonzaga on Thursday in Sacramento, Calif. Follow all the action and commentary of the matchup on the IDS BasketBlog.

IU falls to Illinois 58-54 in quarterfinals of Big Ten tournament

By Aaron Beard · Friday, March 9,2007 12 a.m.

CHICAGO – The IU men’s basketball team fell in overtime to the Illinois Fighting Illini 58-54 Friday night at the United Center in Chicago. The loss marked the third straight year the Hoosiers have lost in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.

Golfers spring break takes them to Nevada

By Aaron Beard · Friday, March 9,2007 12 a.m.

While some people are heading home for spring break, the IU women’s golf team has a different agenda.

House Democrats unveil plan calling for U.S. troop pullout from Iraq by fall

By Abdullah AlShihri and David Espo · Friday, March 9,2007 12 a.m.

WASHINGTON – In a direct challenge to President Bush, House Democrats unveiled legislation Thursday requiring the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the fall of next year. The White House said Bush would veto it.

Sweet, Southern Samantha eliminated after her attempt to depict a high school wild child

By Lindsey Landis · Friday, March 9,2007 12 a.m.

On the phone, Samantha Francis didn’t sound like much of a slut. Her soft, sweet voice with its thick southern accent reminded me of sweet tea and church sermons – certainly not the kind of girl whose name is scrawled all over the bathroom stalls. However, on the second episode of the eighth cycle of America’s Next Top Model, Samantha was told to don a cropped top and garter belt and strike a pose on the bleachers of a high school football stadium – those which so often hid those tete-a-tetes of the good ol’ days. I talked to Samantha recently about her experience on the show.

Margrave Apartments, located on East Third Street, have been a part of the IU campus since the late 1920s. IU officials announced last week they plan to destroy the building and build a site for an optometry clinic.

IU plans to demolish historic building

By Brian Hettmansperger · Friday, March 9,2007 12 a.m.

IU officials announced last week plans for the demolition of the historic Margrave Apartments on East Third Street. The structure, which is vacant, contains 22 apartment units and was built in the late 1920s, said Nancy Hiestand, programming manager for housing and neighborhood development.

Hoosiers go west for 2 matches against top-ranked foes

By Tom Kir · Friday, March 9,2007 12 a.m.

With spring break just around the corner, several IU students have plans of traveling to places far warmer than Bloomington, getting into their swimsuits and relaxing at the beach. The women’s water polo team is no different, as they head to California to take on two of the nation’s toughest teams in No. 9 San Jose State on Saturday and No. 7 California at Davis on Sunday.

Comic-book hero Captain America dies on the page

Friday, March 9,2007 12 a.m.

NEW YORK – Captain America has undertaken his last mission – at least for now. The venerable superhero is killed in the issue of his namesake comic that hit stands Wednesday, the New York Daily News reported. On the new edition’s pages, a sniper shoots down the shield-wielding hero as he leaves a courthouse. It ends a long run for the stars-and-stripes-wearing character, created in 1941. Over the years, some 210 million copies of Captain America comic books, published by New York-based Marvel Entertainment Inc., have been sold in 75 countries. But resurrections are not unknown in the world of comics, and Marvel Entertainment Editor in Chief Joe Quesada said a Captain America comeback wasn’t impossible.

The right crisis

By Rachel Fullmer · Friday, March 9,2007 12 a.m.

For those of you who were out last Friday night with plans that didn’t involve watching C-SPAN’s coverage of the Conservative Political Action Conference, let me fill you in.

IU heads south for spring break tourney

By Jordan Cohen · Friday, March 9,2007 12 a.m.

The IU men’s tennis team (8-4) was in for a treat Wednesday. As they stepped onto the Varsity Courts, the sun was shining with the temperatures in the mid-40s. Junior Mike McCarthy said it was the team’s second day outside, and while the weather was pleasant in Bloomington, they have four spring break matches to play in the warm weather of Clemson, S.C.