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I told you so

So I was right about the Iraq war. I usually love being right. Maybe it's because I'm a man or because I'm insecure, but I get more pleasure out of saying "I told you so" than anything else, most of the time. As a senior columnist for Indiana State University's newspaper in the months leading up to the war, I watched closely as events unfolded like a slow-motion train wreck.

Give us dental or give us death

It appears that after an extended struggle, IU graduate students will not receive dental insurance as part of their benefits. The Indiana Daily Student Editorial Board has long supported the graduate students in their attempt to get dental insurance, and the University's refusal to grant their request represents a terribly short-sighted solution with unfortunate repercussions.

South Dakota governor signs legislation banning most abortions nearly all abortions

PIERRE, S.D. -- South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds signed legislation Monday banning nearly all abortions in the state, setting up a court fight aimed at challenging the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. The bill would make it a crime for doctors to perform an abortion unless the procedure was necessary to save the woman's life. It would make no exception for cases of rape or incest. Planned Parenthood, which operates the state's only abortion clinic in Sioux Falls, has pledged to challenge the measure.

Supreme Court rules colleges must allow recruiters

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that colleges that accept federal money must allow military recruiters on campus, despite university objections to the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays. Justices rejected a free-speech challenge from law schools and their professors who claimed they should not be forced to associate with military recruiters or promote their campus appearances.

Patriot Act includes crackdown on methampetamines use, production

WASHINGTON -- Suffer from springtime allergies? You could be among the first affected by the USA Patriot Act poised for final congressional passage this week. Besides terrorism, the bill takes aim at the production of methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug that cannot be manufactured without a key ingredient of everyday cold and allergy medicines. The bill would impose new limits next month for how much relief a person can buy over the counter. Beginning Sept. 30, it'll take a flash of identifiaction to buy that medication.

Nutritious diet not impossible at IU's food courts

Reversing the freshman 15 before spring break can seem impossible when pizza and Taco Johns seem like the only meal options. For freshmen and their mooching friends, the food courts offer a lot of healthy options as long as they know where to look. "I think we do a good job of providing lots of options," said registered dietitian Heidi Boruff, who helps plan and implement the menu at Residential Programs and Services. For breakfast, lunch and dinner, Boruff has compiled a sample week-long menu of varied healthy options that stress utilizing the salad bar and the Iron Kettle.

New model to predict spread of disease through air travel

After months of research, four scientists at the School of Informatics have unveiled a mathematical framework that could serve as a way to predict the spread of disease through air travel. The study was published in a recent edition of the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Science." The computational model was stochastic, meaning it took into account random variations across a broad range of factors. The study used census data and a database provided by the International Air Transport Association. Never before has such a detailed amount of airline information been employed in this type of research. The database of the International Air Transport Association includes all commercial airports in the world and the flight connections among them, as well as the number of passengers traveling on a given route.

Car vandalized after letter printed

At about 10:30 a.m. Friday, junior Abram Hess walked outside to his car and found the word "homophobe" written in white-out across the windshield. Hess believes the vandalism was in reaction to a letter he had submitted to the Indiana Daily Student. The letter, in which Hess questioned the idea of "islamophobia," appeared in the newspaper the day before the incident. The letter, titled "'Cogniphobia' seeping into students' minds," ran in the March 2 edition of the Jordan River Forum.

Wisconsin wrestlers accused of vandalism

Bloomington police arrested two men early Saturday morning at a local White Castle who identified themselves as members of the Wisconsin wrestling team, said Drake, reading from the report. Drake said employees of the W. Jacob Drive White Castle called the BPD and said four males were outside the restaurant and had vandalized a sign and broken a water pipe.

Hot tub stolen while residents were home

A male resident of a house on the 600 block of South Washington Street reported Saturday that his four-person hot tub, full of water, had been stolen from his backyard, said Bloomington Police Department Detective Sgt. David Drake, reading from the police report.

Dr. Seuss' birthday honored nationwide

The Monroe County Public Library followed the doctor's orders Saturday by prescribing children of all ages a dose of the whimsical, simple wisdom of Seuss literature. Because March 2 was the anniversary of Dr. Seuss' 102nd birthday, the local library, as well as other libraries around the country, celebrated the legacy of the author by promoting literacy last week. Bloomington's Parks and Recreation Department co-sponsored the event to educate young people about reading. "I think Dr. Seuss has left a great legacy for kids, and celebrating with a Seuss festival on his birthday was a great idea," said event organizer Sarah Nix.

Women in Science Program supports females at IU

"Woman scientist" is a term the Women in Science Program at IU works to make a reality rather than a contradiction. The program works to encourage women to pursue careers in science, technology and engineering. It has been operating and expanding for more than 12 years. Carol McCord, assistant dean of the Office for Women's Affairs, said WISP offers networking opportunities, social events and grants to women attending IU who plan to pursue a career in science. WISP supports women faculty at IU who work in the science department. "Our goal is to give people an opportunity to do what they want to do," she said.

Fight breaks out at IMU dance

IU Police Department and Bloomington Police Department officers responded to a fight that broke out at a dance in the Indiana Memorial Union early Sunday morning, said IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger, reading from the police report. According to the report, officers arrested freshman DeAndre Williams on preliminary charges of disorderly conduct after a fight broke out during an Alpha Phi Alpha event in Alumni Hall. Security officers said in the report they attempted to remove Williams, who started throwing punches and was resisting their attempts, from the event.

Informatics conference tackles globalization

More than 70 faculty, students and educators in the field of informatics attended the opening seminar Friday in Psychology 100, which kicked off the "Informatics Goes Global: Methods at a Crossing" conference. The conference took place both Friday and Saturday. David Hakken, one of the organizers of the event, planned the conference to address the issue of thinking about technical activity in a worldwide context.

HANGING BY A STRING

Mandatory rape prevention class proposed for future freshmen

The issue of rape on college campuses is nothing new. One rape occurs every 21 hours on American college campuses, according to www.crisisconnectioninc.org. A new proposal would implement a rape prevention workshop at IU, mandatory for all freshmen and aimed at educating students. A proposal has been put forth to Dean of Students Dick McKaig in hopes of starting a workshop to inform students about the issues dealing with rape, said Julie Thomas, Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance faculty adviser and visiting lecturer for gender studies. Thomas said this new rape prevention program would attempt to approach men and women separately with a combined discussion at the end. Trained students, one female and one male, would facilitate the sessions.

New consulting workshop to be offered to Kelley undergrads

Stemming from the success of the Consulting Academy at the MBA level, the Kelley School of Business is looking to offer consulting training at the undergraduate level. Dr. Paul Friga, a Clinical Associate Professor in the Management Department, will lead a new consulting workshop offered to Kelley undergraduates. The workshop is "an interactive and intensive training ground designed for students with a strong desire to pursue a career in consulting."

The Student Consumer

Can you hear me now? If not, you could just "raise the bar" or even choose to "go forward". There are many different options when choosing a cell phone plan. The number of minutes, the actual phone complete with hundreds of ring tones, text messaging options, camera and internet access are all at unique levels of importance that vary with the consumer. But for some, it comes down to the monthly payments. Here are three options of service providers to aid you in the plan-shopping process.

Green fashion green business

Vanessa Cantrell and her friends had only fourteen days to finish the wedding garments for an upcoming ceremony in Indianapolis. Burying themselves in Cantrell's home studio 50 hours a week with sewing machines, stitching and clicking, the group turned out seven gowns and four suits on schedule. The ensembles were not cheap. Each wedding dress, especially, cost around $1,000. But each was stylized and embroidered according to the tastes of the wearers and tailored with soft organic hemp and silk fabrics colored with natural dyes.

HIGH STRUNG