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Auditions this week for student performers

Student singers, dancers and instrumentalists can audition for performing groups on campus this week.

Judge postpones sentencing for hit-and-run defendant

After minutes of deafening silence, Monroe County Circuit Judge Marc Kellams announced to the attorneys, defendant and parents of former student Ashley Crouse in court that he needed more time to mull over the sentencing for Meliton Praxedis. Praxedis, 21, pleaded guilty to class C felony charges Dec. 14 for fleeing the scene of an accident resulting in the death of Crouse. He could face a maximum of eight years in prison. "It would be easy to assign the maximum sentence because of the loss of life," Kellams said. "But even that can do nothing to bring back this person's life to her family."

Non-graded art classes offered

For the student interested in exploring his or her artistic side, taking a beginning art class through IU for a grade can seem a little daunting. Fortunately, less than 10 minutes from the Sample Gates, the emerging or even the experienced artist may be able to find a friendly and casual venue for creative catharsis in Bloomington's John Waldron Arts Center. Classes in acting and dance begin in early January and are open to the public.

West Virginia 'miracle' a mirage

A West Virginian explosion that took the lives of 12 coal miners created confusion for Hoosier media audiences and editors. Initial reports from the Associated Press that surfaced late Tuesday night said 12 of 13 miners had been found alive and many newspapers, including The Bloomington Herald-Times and The Indianapolis Star, published reports in their Wednesday editions that said the miners had been found alive.

IU withstands state budget cuts

IU's fiscal year 2004-2005 showed steady growth, despite challenges created by a lack of state appropriations, according to a recently released financial report. For the fiscal year, IU increased its net assets by $119 million, compared to $114 million for the previous year, a 6.7 percent increase. Assets increased by $60 million for the year before that. The University ended the year with $1.9 billion in total net assets. President Adam Herbert and Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Judith Palmer both expressed optimism toward IU's financial position in the report.

Hoeppner has tumor removed

IU football coach Terry Hoeppner's physicians expect him to make a full recovery after a Dec. 27, 2005, surgery that removed a tumor from the right side of his brain. Hoeppner experienced headaches Dec. 24, 2005, while in Cleveland watching quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who Hoepnner coached at Miami of Ohio, lead the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Browns. Hoeppner returned to Bloomington Dec. 26, 2005, and underwent neurological tests that revealed the tumor.

COAS dean candidate for UW provost

College of Arts and Sciences Dean Kumble Subbaswamy was named as a final candidate for provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Dec. 21, 2005, just three weeks after being named a finalist for provost at the University of Kentucky. The new UW provost will replace Peter Spear, who retired in November. Subbaswamy is one of three final candidates announced after a seven-month search.

Poll finds Hoosiers want more K-12 funding

Hoosiers think Indiana schools are underfunded and they're willing to pay more taxes to foot the bill. A survey of 1,001 Indiana residents about K-12 education released Wednesday by IU's Center for Evaluation and Education Policy found that 62 percent think schools don't get enough money and nearly as many said they were willing to pay more taxes to better fund the schools.

130, with 5 U.S. soldiers, killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Suicide bombers targeted Shiite pilgrims in the south and police recruits in central Iraq, and a roadside bomb killed five U.S. soldiers, bringing Thursday's death toll to at least 130 people in a series of attacks as politicians tried to form a coalition government.

Alexander easily wins MVP honors, Manning 2nd

NEW YORK -- Shaun Alexander set an NFL record for touchdowns, led the league in rushing and ran away with The Associated Press Most Valuable Player award Thursday. And with free agency on the horizon, the Seattle running back could parlay his sensational year into unprecedented riches.

Hoosiers fall to Purdue in OT

Katie Gearlds scored 19 points to lead No. 14 Purdue to a 61-56 overtime win against Indiana Thursday night. Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton scored on a short turnaround jumper with 18 seconds left in overtime to give Purdue a 59-56 lead. Indiana's Nikki Smith traveled, and Wisdom-Hylton made two free throws to seal it for Purdue.

Winter 'Warrior'

There's still one more gift awaiting IU students upon their return to campus this week: a new and improved Robert Vaden. The sophomore forward sent his scoring and 3-point numbers skyward during the holiday break -- an additional threat to his already lengthy list of attributes. He rebounds, he passes, he scores and he defends. As assistant coach Donnie Marsh simply put it: he is a warrior.

Dungy's son hanged himself from ceiling fan, 911 tapes show

TAMPA, Fla. -- The son of Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy used a belt to hang himself from a ceiling fan, according to the 911 call the teen's girlfriend made when she found him last month.

Recruit earns player of year honors, will come to IU in fall

IU volleyball recruit Allison Regas just keeps piling on the prep accolades. Regas, a 6-foot-1-inch setter from Jacksonville, Fla., recently added the 2005 Times-Union First Coast Volleyball Player of the Year award to go along with class 3A first team all-state recognition for the 2005 season.

Nguyen, Plotkin earn awards

SoccerAmerica magazine recognized Hoosier freshman forward Lee Nguyen and senior midfielder Brian Plotkin in their college soccer issue. Plotkin was one of 11 players to be named to the 30th annual SoccerAmerica MVP list. Nguyen became the first Hoosier named SoccerAmerica freshman of the year since Nick Garcia in 1997.

Top Longhorns: Texas, Young dethrone No. 1 Trojans

PASADENA, Calif. -- All season long, the No. 1 ranking belonged to Southern California, before Texas swiped it away at the end.

First-year IU players struggle with early Big Ten games

The right of passage into Big Ten basketball isn't an easy one. Just ask senior forward Marco Killingsworth, who had to deal with checks, bumps, elbows, slaps, scrapes and shoves for 40 minutes against Michigan's big men Tuesday night. It marked the first Big Ten conference action for many of IU's key players including Killingsworth, fellow senior transfer Lewis Monroe, junior college transfer Earl Calloway and freshman Ben Allen.

Ensuring some insurance

This winter break, while images of sugarplum fairies should have been dancing in my head, I experienced instead a different sort of hallucinogenic experience: recovery from wisdom teeth removal.

Old folks and sex

Deceased coal miners left farewell notes to families

TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. -- Some of the 12 coal miners who died in the Sago Mine disaster left farewell notes assuring their loved ones that their final hours trapped underground were not spent in agony, a relative said Thursday. "The notes said they weren't suffering, they were just going to sleep," said Peggy Cohen, who had been called to a temporary morgue at a school to identify the body of her father, 59-year-old machine operator Fred Ware Jr. Cohen said that there was no note on Ware's body, but that she planned to retrieve his belongings to see if he put one in his lunch box.