Region

Columnist's logic causes college grief

IU faculty not some 'crazed lynch mob'

Little 'rhyme or reason' to column

Big problema

It is common knowledge that if you curse in school, you're going to get in trouble. For example, saying the F-word will likely result in a talk with the principal or maybe detention. You wouldn't get suspended, though, unless you say something really, really offensive, something like "no problema," which translates to "no problem" in English. In early December of last year, 16-year-old Zachary Rubio was suspended for uttering that phrase in the halls of his high school. At Endeavor Alternative School in Kansas City, Kan., they don't stand for foul language, and apparently they don't stand for Spanish either.

Parking lot politics

The parking lot is not a meritocracy. Let that sink in for a minute. Now repeat: "The parking lot is not a meritocracy." (This rule, as all others, has its exceptions. However, as said, exceptions don't apply to Kirkwood Avenue, the stadium or the grocery store, they're better left untouched.) Otherwise, the parking lot is instead a generally egalitarian enterprise. As many of you might already know, the basic premise is as follows: If you arrive to your destination at a particularly lucky time, or your destination is a particularly unpopular space, you might happen to find a convenient parking spot. Otherwise you, along with a great many others, are relegated to a crappy space somewhere between Egypt and Mars.

America on speed

One night I was driving down the road, the road of life. I looked in my rear view mirror and was surprised to see lights flashing. In the words of R. Kelly: woo woo woo, damn. Here comes a policeman. Officer McTicket walked up to my window, shined his flashlight right in my face and asked, "Do you know why I stopped you?" I didn't know. Apparently I was speeding -- a whopping 14 miles per hour above the speed limit. I wasn't adorable enough to get away with just a warning. Oh no, a full-on citation was coming straight my way to the tune of about a billion dollars. And columnists sure don't make any money. They literally pay us in peanuts. Somewhere an elephant is starving just so I can get my next pay check, but it's worth it.

Unsung deeds

When your fellow students gave an audience to Maj. White of the Army Reserve in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union on Monday night, the polished officer answered those who claim that our efforts in Afghanistan have been futile. Having served countless months there, he was what one might call a credible witness in describing the successes of America's intervention in this exemplary campaign of the War on Terror. In case you missed the event, the urbane major surprised many in attendance by refuting the popular caricature that military morale has waned. Neither the uniformed military nor the Afghan people clamor for such a retreat, Mr. White clarified.

Tick... tick... tick...

As you read this, one of the decade's worst international crises is brewing. Half a world away, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world's top state-sponsor of terrorism, has removed the U.N.-placed seals on its uranium enrichment equipment, is blocking the investigations of the International Atomic Energy Agency and -- according to evidence from a laptop that U.S. intelligence claims to have stolen from Iranian officials -- is developing nuclear warheads. Around the globe, diplomats and decision-makers are trying to figure out how to stop Iran short of risking a war, or whether a war might be preferable to letting Iran succeed in its ambitions.

Exit polls show Fatah win, Hamas finishes in close 2nd

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Amid tight security and a sea of green and yellow flags, Palestinians turned out in record numbers Wednesday for their first parliamentary election in a decade. Exit polls projected that the ruling Fatah Party would win the most seats, but showed that Islamic militants made a strong showing. Voter turnout in the historic balloting was 77.7 percent of 1.3 million eligible voters, according to the Central Election Commission. In the 1996 parliamentary election, turnout was about 75 percent.

Bush gives speech to ultra-secret NSA

FORT MEADE, Md. -- President Bush paid an in-person visit to the ultra-secret National Security Agency on Wednesday to underscore the importance of his controversial order authorizing domestic surveillance without warrants in the terrorism era. "We must learn the intentions of the enemies before they strike," Bush said. "That's what they do here. They work to protect us." Bush's stop at the heavily secured site of the super-secret spy agency in suburban Maryland had two purposes. He was aiming to boost the morale of the people carrying out the work of a 4-year-old domestic spying program in which the government monitors the international communications of people inside the United States whom it believes to have connections to the terrorist network al-Qaida. The president is also leading a wide-ranging campaign by his administration to defend the program, under fire from Democrats and Republicans alike who argue that it might be illegal.

City kindles spirits with 'Gift of Warmth'

At the end of a day out in the cold, many in Bloomington may take for granted that they have a home where they can thaw. But some city residents deal with a much harsher reality. In late December, Mayor Mark Kruzan announced that the Bloomington Housing and Neighborhood Development Department would provide $20,000 through an initiative called the "Gift of Warmth." The program will offer furnace cleaning and tune-ups to residents in need of heating assistance. "Energy expenses are an economic drain on low-income families, so we want to provide citizens with a very direct way to reduce costs," Kruzan said in a recent press release. "The more efficient the heating system, the lower the energy bill."

Teens 'made' first impressions for MTV

Students at Bloomington High School North exited their auditorium Wednesday wondering one thing: Of all the teens who showed up for auditions that day, who "made" it? For the MTV reality show "Made," teens want nothing more than to "make" it as participants on the show and "make" their dreams come true. From past episodes of the program, these dreams have ranged from getting onto the school wrestling team to soliciting a demo tape of a garage band for music producers. Principal Jeff Henderson decided to let MTV's interviewer visit BHSN after watching an episode of "Made" and reviewing a packet of information from MTV, hoping his students would have an opportunity to accomplish goals they have set for themselves.

Assault victim support group coming to IU

A new counseling and support program will be coming to IU's Sexual Assault Crisis Center in mid-February and will focus on women who have been sexually assaulted by dates or acquaintances. Known as "Survivors of Sexual Assault," the group is limited to eight members and will meet every Tuesday. It will be an open forum where women can discuss their experiences in a safe environment, said Suzanne Pauwels, a counselor with the group. "Many times people feel that something's wrong with them, that they're different and I think that this normalizes that for people," she said. Ninety-five percent of all campus assaults occur between people who already know each other, Pauwels said. Previous counseling programs have been in place during past semesters and have provided a broader degree of support to women who had been assaulted.

Works of congressman on display

The works of Congressman Lee Hamilton -- former representative from Indiana's 9th District -- will be on display at the Lilly Library until April 1. The exhibit lauds the more than 30-year tenure of Hamilton with personal photos and over 3,500 cartons full of documents detailing the contacts and affairs that occurred during his congressional career. Hamilton's wife Nancy Hamilton provided more than 600 photos to compliment the congressman's writings, said Kate Cruikshank, curator of the exhibit. "The exhibit is extremely informative in describing the inner workings of a congressman," she said. "I believe this is what Congressman Hamilton wanted to convey to viewers."

The Beautiful Discovery

Terrence Malick is somewhat of a hermit among the filmmaking community, what with only directing three films during the past 32 years. Good thing each one of them was a genuine artistic achievement worth fawning over, or else we might have forgotten about him by now. Malick's fourth film, "The New World," is another event in and of itself, combining a sense of visual wonder and subtle, moving drama that towers over all the Jesus lions and Queen Latifahs clogging today's cineplexes.

Not quite the 'Lord' of movies

This tale of moral bankruptcy gives us a window into the world of a private, international and illegal arms dealer, Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage). The Ukrainian born, American Yuri is good at his chosen profession, and it has allowed him to rise above the poverty of his youth. He sells indiscriminately to anyone with the ability to pay and Yuri's only concern is for himself and his family. He attempts to keep his trophy wife relatively in the dark as to the true source of the income that allows her and their young son to live more than comfortably.

Examining the role of family

Few films truly exemplify life in 'small town' America, and very seldom do films do the miraculous task of showing the thin line between city folk and small town folk. Cameron Crowe's "Elizabethtown" tried hard to master this feat, but ultimately was lost in a sea of incoherent plots and sappy, melodramatic songs. Enter "Junebug," an indie sleeper from 2005 that works not only as a wonderful character study, but also a fascinating and complex examination of small town life, clashing with big city social politics.

Delectable Delicacy

Stacey Matavuli, a Bloomington Hospital registered dietician, says because chocolate comes from a plant it contains plant compounds that help protect the body against chronic diseases like cancer or heart disease. But during the Week of Chocolate, from Jan. 28 through Feb. 4, chocolate isn't only good for the body and the taste buds, but also for the community. In fact, the Week of Chocolate began nine years ago as Chocolate Fest, a community-wide sampling of goodies, says Melissa Copas, development director of Options for Better Living and Citizens Advocacy.

A flashy, but poor action sequel

It's hard to say what exactly made "Underworld" a worthwhile film. Bits of action mixed into a Gothic-horror-thriller, a chilling cinematographic palette of blues and grays, an interesting storyline depicting the war between vampires and werewolves (called "lycans" in the film), or maybe all of this was an impressive mark for first-time writer/director Len Wiseman.

'Hell No' to Beck remixed

Maybe it is just my music ADD, but with Beck's Guero CD from last year I would usually stop listening or tune out by the sixth or seventh song ("Earthquake Weather" or "Hell Yes," depending on my mood). If approached randomly and asked if I listened to Beck, I'd answer with a resounding yes. I even listed him under music I like in my Facebook profile. So when the opportunity was offered to review Beck's new CD Guerolito, a remix of Guero, I volunteered immediately.