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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

IU Theatre and Drama announces 2006-07 season

The IU Department of Theatre and Drama recently announced in a press release the shows for the upcoming 2006-2007 season. Included in this lineup are a variety of plays and musicals. As the season opener, IU will stage Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter's "The Dinner Party." Set in the 1950s, this drama challenges the socially conformist society of the times. Also slated to run next year is "Urinetown: The Musical," Greg Kotis and Mark Hollman's tale of one city's struggle against a large corporation that controls its water supply, including each citizen's "privilege to pee," according to the release. IU will bring to the stage Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," a politically-charged allegorical drama set in Puritan Salem during the notorious witch hunts of the late 1600s.

Why 'Brokeback' lost

NEW YORK -- We chatted about it, joked about it, argued about it, spoofed it. "Brokeback Mountain" was everywhere in our popular culture -- yet it lost the big Oscar it was supposed to win. Was there a "Brokeback Backlash," or was "Crash" just the worthy contender that came on strong in the final Best Picture stretch? There were as many theories offered Monday as there are "Brokeback" parodies on the Internet. One theory was that despite the hoopla, the endless late-night monologues and the clever imitations, people (Academy voters, that is) didn't really love the soulful saga of two gay cowboys -- and perhaps even felt uncomfortable with its themes.

Vintage cars inspire fashion collection

Hoosiers win in Ann Arbor

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- With tournament hopes on the line, IU played the role of Senior Day spoiler for the second game in row. The Hoosiers upended Michigan 69-67 on the Wolverines' Senior Day just three days after IU traveled to West Lafayette to taint Purdue's senior festivities.

Academy honors safest, least controversial movie of year

8:02 p.m. Priceless montage bringing together hosts of Oscar past. Crystal and Rock in a tent! Steve Martin's spooky kids! LETTERMAN!!! 8:05 p.m. Jon Stewart's opening monologue. Love the "Walk the Line is Ray with white people" joke. 8:13 p.m. Hilarious montage of scenes in classic westerns that could be misconstrued as gay. John Wayne's gonna tie you to the wagon wheel!

Crash makes Oscars a big disappointment

8:20 p.m.: Ok it has been like 20 minutes and everything has been great. Opening rocked and they're already getting things off to a big start with the hardest category: Best Supporting Actor! Could it be my boy Giamatti? Envelope is being opened….. GEORGE CLOONEY! The man had to win SOMETHING tonight and he scored big! "Guess I won't be winning Best Director!" Priceless. If he was going to get a statue, this was the category to do it in.

Oscars a pleasant surprise

It was a great year for movies, and it was a great year for Oscars. On the whole, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this year's Oscars. Usually I'm falling asleep or wanting to do something more productive, but this year's show was entertaining. Let me say that while I might be -- well, am in fact -- biased in favor of Jon Stewart and his Midas touch, I thought he was a spectacular host who mixed the right amount of genial humor with back-handed insults at the Hollywood establishment.

Upset with 'Crash' upset win

Gee, first joke of the night- a "Brokeback Mountain" joke, what a surprise. The gag about the old hosts was clever, just in time for Jon Stewart's hosting debut, one aspect I'm definitely looking forward to this year. The opening monologue is decent, but they should be making a lot more fun of the celebrities in the audience. We get several chuckles out of jokes about Bjork, "Crash," and "Walk the Line". Another "Brokeback Mountain" gag. If they haven't done AT LEAST 15 by the end of the night, like Werner Herzog, I will eat my own leather shoe.

Oscar notes

8 p.m.:With a wonderfully amusing video featuring past Oscar hosts passing on the role of Emcee to Jon Stewart, the Oscars kicked off in full force with some smart and quirky laughs. 8:03 p.m.:Wearing a fantastically bizarre beard, director/actor/producer/preacher Mel Gibson does some shameless self promotion for his upcoming film "Apocalypto" by making an opening remarks in the ancient Mayan language, proving he may, in fact, be losing his marbles.

Campus quiz

Where on campus is this? See tomorrow's IDS to find out.

Trustees react to diversity worries

Members of IU's Black Student Union assembled Friday to let IU administrators know they're concerned about a lack of diversity in University leadership.

Grad insurance might rise

A substantial increase in health insurance costs could mean changes for many graduate student health plans, even as the University offers to cover a majority of the rate hike.

Did Vote for Pedro make your wildest dreams come true?

After nearly a year of achievements and setbacks, Vote for Pedro will wrap up its term of working for the IU Student Association when the newly elected ticket, Hoosier, takes office April 15.

Tissue recall might affect local patients

Bloomington Hospital announced Friday that eight of its patients who underwent anterior cervical fusion surgery -- an operation that relieves pressure on nerves and the spinal cord -- might have received infected tissue.

Tournament hopes brighten with road wins

For the past several weeks, IU coach Mike Davis has been quick to respond to questions about the NCAA Tournament. No sooner than the question is asked, Davis usually insists that the team is simply focusing on the next game.

Hoosiers take weekend set, improve to 11-7 overall

Before this weekend, the IU water polo team was a combined 38-0 all-time against the six schools it would face over the weekend. By Sunday's end, it was 44-0.

Hoosiers swept for 2nd straight week

The IU baseball team was swept in a three-game series for the second consecutive weekend, this time at the hands of the No. 24 Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes and a pitching staff that held down the Hoosiers' bats nearly all weekend.