Region

Raise gas prices!

By Alyson Brodsy and Peter Chen · Monday, April 24,2006 11:49 p.m.

The next time you go to fill up your car, you will probably gulp at the price. "Three bucks a gallon?! It wasn't that long ago that gas was less than a dollar! This is outrageous!" Some are already crying foul. Blame has been thrust variously upon a host of scapegoats, such as: President Bush's War on Terror, environmental additives and oil companies, our new favorite villain.

Becoming a lawyer

By Alyson Brodsy and Levi Harris · Monday, April 24,2006 11:48 p.m.

As graduation draweth nigh, I've been trying to remember what ever possessed me to want to be a lawyer. At first, I wanted to be a writer. As a child, I wrote several gripping, insightful short stories. During the Panama Crisis in the 1980s, there was "Noriega the Nut." Then in the Gulf War, I wrote "Four Fourth Graders in the Fertile Crescent," a smash hit among my classmates. But as I got older, I realized only a few gifted and tenacious writers can pay the bills that way. So I moved on. During my teens, I wanted to be a minister. I preached at crusades and church camps from northern Illinois to western Kentucky and saw many souls saved.

Patrolling the Web

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, April 24,2006 11:47 p.m.

The First Amendment is perhaps the greatest accomplishment in American politics to date, and we at the editorial board are willing to bet that it will remain that way for quite awhile. But even we proud journalists are willing to concede that free speech has its limits. While there are many gray areas to these limits, making violent threats clearly crosses this limits. Vikram Buddhi, a Purdue graduate student studying industrial engineering, has been arrested for threatening to kill President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Laura Bush, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and, if that's not enough, all Republicans. A "concerned citizen" contacted the Secret Service after reading his threats on (we're not kidding) a Yahoo Finance Sirius Satellite message board.

They vote; we decide

By Alyson Brodsy and Elisha Sauers · Monday, April 24,2006 11:45 p.m.

The White House goons would like to have us believe the first "democratic" election in Afghanistan proves the people rule; except, here, "the people" means "druglords and warlords," and "rule" means that drug and warlord-ish sort of control.

At least 18 dead, hundreds injured in triple bombing in Egypt

By Alyson Brodsy and Steven R. Hurst · Monday, April 24,2006 11:42 p.m.

CAIRO, Egypt -- Three explosions rocked the Egyptian resort city of Dahab at the height of the tourist season Monday, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 150 at just one hotel, according to the doctor in charge of the Sinai peninsula rescue squad. Police said the explosions hit the central part of the city where there are many shops, restaurants, bars and guesthouses. The blasts ripped through the town shortly after nightfall when the streets would have been jammed with tourists, mainly with Europeans, Israelis and expatriates living in Egypt.

Jury opens deliberation to rule on Moussaoui's fate

By Alyson Brodsy and Matthew Barakat · Monday, April 24,2006 11:41 p.m.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Monday afternoon Zacarias Moussaoui's fate was placed in the hands of a jury that will decide whether he is executed for his part in the deaths of Sept. 11, 2001. Jurors opened deliberations at 2:26 p.m. EDT, after final pleadings from the prosecution to "put an end to his hatred and venom" by opting for execution, and from the defense to spare him the martyr's death he seeks and send him to prison for life instead. The jury decided in 15 hours of deliberations during four days earlier this month that Moussaoui, 37, the only man charged in this country in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was responsible for deaths that day even though he was in jail at the time. That qualified him for the death penalty. The question now before jurors is whether he deserves it.

Another shooting reported

By Audrie Garrison · Monday, April 24,2006 11:37 p.m.

Bloomington Police have not yet made any arrests in connection with a shooting that occurred early Sunday morning. Two officers heard five or six gunshots when they were in the area of the Seminary Square Kroger on another call, said BPD Sgt. David Drake, reading from the police report. According to the report, the officers saw two vehicles traveling southbound, stopped at different locations. Both vehicles had signs of damage from gunshots, Drake said.

Juvenile offenders receive mentors after release

By Ariel Ivas · Monday, April 24,2006 11:36 p.m.

Once youths are released from juvenile correctional facilities, many of them can feel hopeless or overwhelmed about how to get their lives back on track. The mission of Aftercare for Indiana through Mentoring is to do just that -- make a smooth transition to get incarcerated youths' lives back on track. Offering Indiana's youth a second chance, the goal of AIM is "to reduce the rate of recidivism among Indiana youths," according to the Bloomington AIM Web site, www.bloomingtonaim.org. The program seeks to accomplish this goal through recruiting, training and managing volunteers around the state. AIM helps juveniles improve themselves during their incarceration so they can re-enter society as productive citizens.

Course examines video game culture

By Zack Teibloom · Monday, April 24,2006 11:32 p.m.

A new course looks to explore why women in video games are over-sexualized, men are hyper-masculinized and all Asian people seem to be ninjas. Professor Konrad Budziszewski looks to shine light on these issues, in addition to the ongoing debate of whether video games make us more violent in C337: "Games, Gamers, Gaming Culture." The course will be offered for the first time in the second summer session through the Department of Communication and Culture.

Little 500 arrests, citations this year typical, police say

By Audrie Garrison · Monday, April 24,2006 11:31 p.m.

This year's Little 500 weekend brought fewer arrests, citations and incident reports to the IU Police Department than past years, but Bloomington Police Department Detective Sgt. David Drake said overall it was a pretty typical year for the county. Drake said there was a total of about 170 arrests or citations for area police departments, but he did not know exactly how many were from BPD. "It's about average for (the Little 500 weekends) over the last couple of years," Drake said. "The last couple of years have been kind of steady. Most of those are for alcohol violations."

Looking back on a semester in Ireland

By Alyson Brodsy and Nick O'Neill · Monday, April 24,2006 11:26 p.m.

I have been in Ireland. I have sat on stone seats once occupied by first-century Celtic kings on the Aran Islands. I have touched fifth-century Celtic crosses at Clonmacnoise. I have stood on the Cliffs of Moher. I walked out into the sea on the Giant's Causeway, a natural wonder of the world. I felt the energy of Europe's fastest-growing city in Galway. I was speechless looking out at the incredible rolling mountains and crystal clear lakes in the green Ring of Kerry. I have watched lines of people kiss the Blarney Stone in Cork.

Carducci had music in his bloodlines

By Alyson Brodsy and Audrie Garrison · Monday, April 24,2006 4:08 p.m.

When he was in the first grade, Chris Carducci learned the fundamentals of singing and piano. Twenty years later, the experienced musician had earned his master's degree in voice performance and had performed in dozens of operas. At 28 years old, he was selected to study as an apprentice artist for the Central City Opera in Colorado this summer, covering the role of Mozart's Don Giovanni. He was hoping to perform the same role in the 2006-2007 IU Opera Theater season.

IU MOURNS

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, April 24,2006 3:20 a.m.

Five IU music students are dead after the small airplane carrying them crashed just south of Monroe County Airport late Thursday night. Robert Samels, Zachary Novak, Garth Eppley, Georgina Joshi and Chris Carducci were killed after their six-seat Cessna crashed while attempting to land late Thursday night. All five victims were students in the Jacobs School of Music and were returning home from a community choir rehearsal in Lafayette. Joshi, who was a licensed pilot, was flying the plane

Classmates, friends remember students

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, April 24,2006 3:13 a.m.

Students gathered with friends and family -- some who had come from all around the country -- for the weekend of the 54th Little 500. But some gathered near the music school, not in celebration, but in mourning. The recent loss of five friends to a plane crash had hit them hard. "When I found out, I was pretty shaken up," said Yeji Cha, a sophomore and violin performance major, who was a student of one of the victims of the crash, Robert Samels. "I just kept imagining him joking in class. I just couldn't believe he was gone."

Beethoven concert allows time to reflect

Monday, April 24,2006 3:12 a.m.

Those who were not already standing leapt to their feet in an immediate ovation following a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony Sunday night. The Oratorio Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra dedicated their concert to the five IU Jacobs School of Music graduate students who died Thursday night in a plane crash in Monroe County. Young and old gathered in the aisles, filling the Musical Arts Center beyond its seating capacity.

Memorial for crash victims draws hundreds

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, April 24,2006 3:12 a.m.

Even with tables filled with hundreds of tiny flickering tealights, there weren't enough candles for the number of people who wanted to light them, said Reverend Jimmy Moore, associate pastor of First United Methodist Church. With only a few hours notice, attendants at First United Methodist Church, 219 E. Fourth St., managed to fill every pew -- including the balcony seats -- for a service to remember the lives of five IU music students killed in a plane crash late Thursday night.

Samels had many talents, good heart

By Alyson Brodsy and Gavin Lesnick · Monday, April 24,2006 3:11 a.m.

Robert Samels had made an important decision this semester. Samels, his friends and mentors say, had so many talents -- singing, acting, writing, composing and conducting, among others -- that it had come time for the Jacobs School of Music doctoral student to decide which would be his career focus. In February, Samels chose voice, heading for a career as a singer and a performer. He had already lined up a residency with the famed Wolf Trap Opera Company in Vienna, Va., and was to have three roles in performances this summer.

Remembering Novak's angelic voice

By Alyson Brodsy and Elisha Sauers · Monday, April 24,2006 3:10 a.m.

At most 8:30 a.m. services, Mary Beth Morgan, the congregation's director of adult and family ministries, would take time to have a "children's moment," in which she would lead the young members in a life lesson. As a tradition, this would entail Morgan inviting to the front all of the children -- and Zack Novak.

'Georgie' known for selflessness

By Alyson Brodsy and Michelle Manchir · Monday, April 24,2006 3:08 a.m.

Graduate student Sarah Jensvold Slover knew few people when she first came to Bloomington to study voice in 2003. When her birthday rolled around that year, she was astounded to find a gift bag stuck to her door. It was a votive candle holder from graduate student Georgina H. Joshi.

Eppley embraced life, music

By Alyson Brodsy and Kacie Foster · Monday, April 24,2006 3:07 a.m.

Garth Eppley never apologized for being himself. "He was really a passionate artist," his roommate and senior Jeff Gwaltney said. "Whenever he sang, he held nothing back." Friends described Eppley as a multifaceted, caring individual who was passionate about his faith and music. Another of Eppley's roommates, Seth Hobson, said Eppley's passion for music could be heard in his voice.