Region

Game for a grade

On Tuesday afternoon,graduate students Dan Wolfe and Cesar Kobashikawa hovered over a computer to work out details on their upcoming video game. Kobashikawa clutched his notebook that held the detailed profiles of the game's characters. These students can legitimately claim they are doing their homework. Wolfe and Kobashikawa are students in the Masters of Immersive Media Environments program. Wolfe is working on his thesis about online game development communities, a combination of online groups, forums, blogs, wikis, tutorials and Web sites where programmers, artists and designers can come together to talk about games.

FRONT TORCH

Poker tournament aims to raise funds for charity

An event modeled after the World Series of Poker is one its planners hope will benefit the world. All proceeds from the upcoming Indiana Poker Showdown will go toward the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, an organization that assists families in the Dominican Republic with housing, water and health and educational services. The tournament, which planners call "the biggest charity poker tournament in southern Indiana," starts 10 a.m. Saturday at the Indiana Memorial Union.

Conference to benefit graduate students

Finding a job out of college is a daunting task for graduate students. Compiling portfolios and preparing for interviews are tasks that can require time, effort and, in some cases, a little help. The Preparing Future Faculty Conference seeks to help students conquer these tasks so they stand out as they enter the job market. The PFF Conference, now in its 11th year, was established to aid graduate students in preparation for their entry into the professional world. Speakers, including noted members of the IU-Bloomington faculty, give thoughts and advice to graduate students on how to enhance employment opportunities coming out of school. The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday in the Georgia Room of the Indiana Memorial Union. Free lunch will be served, and the event is open to the public.

Lobbyist says apartheid continues

Bloomington residents concerned about the welfare of African people listened to a speech Wednesday from Salih Booker, the executive director of Africa Action, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group for justice in Africa, asking them to pledge solidarity with Africans in their fight against AIDS and poverty. During the speech titled "Ending Global Apartheid: Africa and the United States," Booker said the U.S. government's priorities are misplaced with the "War on Terrorism." "AIDS is a greater threat to human security than terrorism," he said.

Soup ladled for donors

Sunday, as the convention center opens its doors, 600 people will race forward to snatch up whatever hand-sculpted bowl catches their eye. But in this case, the glaze or colorant is not the most important feature: These people want to put a stop to hunger. The Soup Bowl Benefit has moved out of the church basement where it began 12 years ago and into the convention center. Press Relations Representative Beth Lodge-Rigal said they expect to raise almost $50,000 for Hoosier Hills Food Bank, a local organization that makes food donations available to more than 80 other nonprofit agencies.

Democrats, GOP senators criticize Rice

WASHINGTON -- Republican and Democratic senators criticized the Bush administration Wednesday over its policies in Iraq, Iran and the Palestinian territories, as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice delivered her first testimony on Capitol Hill in months. "I don't see, Madame Secretary, how things are getting better. I think they're getting worse in Iraq, they're getting worse in Iran," Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., told Rice as she appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Cheney speaks out for first time since shooting

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday accepted full blame for shooting a fellow hunter and defended his decision to not publicly disclose the accident until the following day. He called it "one of the worst days of my life." "I'm the guy who pulled the trigger that fired the round that hit Harry," Cheney told Fox News Channel in his first public statement since the shooting Saturday in south Texas. Cheney described seeing 78-year-old Harry Whittington fall to the ground after he pulled the trigger while aiming at a covey of quail.

Use American influence to end genocide

Public concern and conversation following President Bush's State of the Union Address Jan. 31 has focused on the methodology of how we might save ourselves from our fossil fuel lifeline, but the president also said America needs to "act confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom." He was, of course, referring to Islamic terrorists, Iraqi insurgents and the government of Iran. "The only way to protect our people, the only way to secure the peace, the only way to control our destiny is by our leadership," Bush said. "Abroad, our nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal: We seek the end of tyranny in our world."

Narking out China

Every American woke up this morning, yawned, stretched, ate some Froot Loops and said, "Golly gee whiz it feels good to live in the land of the free." But is freedom really so great? It's really more of a hassle than anything else. Imagine sitting in your car and waiting for more than an hour while 57 small ducklings slowly cross the street. That's pretty much what freedom is.

Gunboat globalization

"In a complex and challenging time, the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting -- yet it ends in danger and decline. ... The demands of justice, and the peace of this world (depend on) American leadership." So declared President Bush in his State of the Union address last month. As I sat that night in the company of conservatives -- fans of the president, to be sure -- I offered something to the effect of, "Take that, Patrick Buchanan!" I was nearly booed out of the room. For those unfamiliar with this right-wing gadfly, Mr. Buchanan has seldom seen an American military intervention or free trade agreement he didn't deplore. But how popular, really, is the isolationist temptation in American politics?

It's getting desperate

By now, everyone knows the military is having trouble recruiting and is not meeting its goals. It attributes this in part to the war and the fact that, because of the war, many families do not want their sons and daughters putting themselves in harm's way. As a result, it has been putting forth an aggressive ad campaign to sway public opinion, not just of potential recruits, but of their families as well. I suppose that campaign isn't working too well.

Shhhhh! It's a secret...or maybe not...

Next time you're in a 300 person psychology lecture, take a good, long look at your classmates.

Ford action film goes up in flames

Before "Firewall," the last film Harrison Ford starred in was a buddy vehicle with Josh Hartnett called "Hollywood Homicide."

Boy met girl, music met film

Cameron Crowe, the shaggy-haired, music-lovin' director, is the master of one-liners.

All about ME

He's the talk of the town and the voice of IU's first sports TV show.

The sunny side of Scottish rock

Prior to Belle & Sebastian's 2003 album Dear Catastrophe Waitress, the band's career appeared to be fizzling out.

Fun like a barrel of monkeys

Much like the classic children's books by H.A. and Margaret Rey, "Curious George" will tickle your senses.

So funny I forgot to laugh

I was walking through the public library the other day and I came across something of a treasure.

Inside the album

As the first song on the new album, the slow guitar riffs give the feeling of a Switchfoot meets Goo Goo Dolls melody.