Region

I hate to admit this, but ...

By Anna Dittmer · Sunday, Dec. 7,2003 11:52 p.m.

This is my last semester and, assuming all goes according to plan, I'll be graduating soon. So I figured it was time to confess all my sins. I don't want to glorify my wrongdoings by publicizing them; on the contrary, I'm hoping that coming clean will ease some of my gnawing guilt, while also serving as a cautionary tale of what not to do in college for all the pure, innocent freshmen out there. I confess that, for some of my classes, I actually did not do all the reading. I've always felt rather guilty about that, especially in the classes where I ended up getting a good grade anyway.

Jordan River Forum

By Alyson Brodsy · Sunday, Dec. 7,2003 11:49 p.m.

Let's take a look at Rahsaan Bartet's column from this past Thursday ("Smooth Criminal," IDS, Dec. 4): About half of it discusses how the media focuses on larger-than-life celebrity trials, like those of "Kobe Bryant, Elizabeth Smart, Scott Peterson or O.J. Simpson," rather than important issues like "Medicare, tariffs on imported steel and school vouchers." I'll give credit where credit is due: this is a fair criticism. One may or may not completely agree with Bartet, but there's certainly an argument to be made here.

A tree for all seasons

Sunday, Dec. 7,2003 11:43 p.m.

This is the season for injustice. Deck the Halls with oppression. Santa Claus is coming to marginalize noncooperative communities. Jingle all the way. Before the Thanksgiving holiday, the School of Law at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis decorated their atrium with a Christmas tree. After complaints began to sound, Dean Anthony Tarr decided to take the decorations down so as to not make students feel "excluded" by the biased glorification of a seasonal holiday in a public building.

U.S. prosecutor found dead

By Alyson Brodsy and Brian Witte · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:44 a.m.

BALTIMORE -- A federal prosecutor was found stabbed to death in a Pennsylvania creek Thursday after failing to show up at the trial of a rapper and another man accused of dealing heroin.

Bonds prepares to testify

By Alyson Brodsy · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:29 a.m.

SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Bonds says the muscular development that fostered his evolution into one of baseball's greatest power hitters was due to intense weight training, a proper diet and a regimen of nutritional supplements.

FBI investigating hate mail sent to black NFL players

By Alyson Brodsy · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:28 a.m.

CLEVELAND -- The FBI is investigating hate mail sent to black NFL players and other black men during the past year. A memo sent Nov. 18 to all NFL teams by the league's security department said all the threatening letters came from the same person and were postmarked Cleveland; Youngstown, Ohio; and Erie, Pa.

Team takes 2-0 record to Iowa

By Colin Burns · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:27 a.m.

The IU wrestling team takes its 2-0 record to Cedar Falls, Iowa, Saturday to compete in the 53rd annual Northern Iowa Open. More than 300 wrestlers from around the Midwest are expected to battle in the day-long meet, held in the Northern Iowa Dome. IU will join other Big Ten schools as well as teams from the Big 12 and Divisions I and II.

Hoosiers prepare for talented team

By Scott Lipsky · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:26 a.m.

The Hoosiers continue their dual meet schedule this weekend as they take on No. 15 Texas A&M Saturday here at the Councilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center. Health will be an issue for the squad, as several members of the team, including freshman freestyler and breast stroker Colin Russell, are recovering from bouts of the flu.

Bring your 'A' game

By Alex Hickey · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:25 a.m.

Having a bad football team is expected. At IU, it is almost a rite of passage. But throwing in a bad basketball team to boot? For once in my life, I can legitimately say, "Egad!"

Hoosiers prepare for VCU weapons

By Dan Patrick · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:24 a.m.

The IU women's basketball team is looking to get back on the right track after dropping both games in the Paradise Jam Tournament, falling to 2-2 on the year. This weekend's road trip brings the Hoosiers to Richmond, Va., to battle the Virginia Commonwealth Rams Friday and concludes with a stop in the nation's capital to face the Georgetown Hoyas Sunday.

IU preps for Mizzou

By Natalie A. Trout · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:23 a.m.

For the second time in a week, the IU men's basketball team will take on a nationally ranked opponent, as they face the No. 4 Missouri Tigers at 4 p.m. Saturday at Assembly Hall. Tuesday, No. 18 Wake Forest gave IU more than it could handle when it defeated the Hoosiers 100-67. Now, the Hoosiers (2-2) are preparing for another big game against the Missouri Tigers (2-0), who are coming off a 70-61 victory over Coppin State Tuesday.

Hoosiers ready for 'tall order'

By Dan Cohen and Daniel Cohen · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:21 a.m.

Something must give Saturday night in Los Angeles when the No. 8 seed Hoosiers, unbeaten in their last 15 games, battle the No. 1-seed UCLA Bruins, winners of 19 in a row, at 10 p.m. in a quarterfinals match for a trip to the Final Four in Columbus, Ohio. IU's road to the quarters featured a 2-1 double overtime win over Kentucky and a 5-0 second round dismantling of No. 9 Virginia Commonwealth, while UCLA has beaten Tulsa (3-2) and Florida International (2-0).

Scientists try to improve weather predictions

By Arindam Mukherjee · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:16 a.m.

Two scientists at IU have been chosen to develop a mechanism that will better aid predictions of "mesoscale weather events" -- a term used by scientists to denote tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural catastrophes. "This mechanism will help save many lives," said computer scientist Dennis Gannon, one of the two scientists selected by the National Science Foundation to lead this project.

IUPUI installs Bantz as chancellor

Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:15 a.m.

Charles R. Bantz, a former provost at Wayne State University, was officially installed as chancellor of IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis at a ceremony Thursday. Bantz said IUPUI would focus its efforts in key areas to better serve Indianapolis and the state, including doubling the number of students completing bachelor's degrees.

Holidays offer chances to give

By Stephanie Susman · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 1:14 a.m.

As the year comes to a close, the season of giving begins for many students. Throughout the Bloomington area, there are several charity events arranged to celebrate the holidays. Many of these charities help the families of needy children and provide gifts for kids at Christmas and Hanukkah. Others help donate food to the poor.

on the SIDELINES

By Alyson Brodsy · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 12:59 a.m.

Yankees acquire Vazquez NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees made their first big move of the offseason, bolstering their rotation by agreeing Thursday to acquire Javier Vazquez from the Montreal Expos. In exchange for the 27-year-old right-hander, New York sent first baseman Nick Johnson, outfielder Juan Rivera and left-hander Randy Choate to Montreal. The deal is contingent on all the players passing physicals, the Expos said. New York did not immediately acknowledge the trade. "It's tough to trade a pitcher like Javier Vazquez, but I think we have a better opportunity with the situation going forward," Expos general manager Omar Minaya said at a news conference in Montreal.

Missionary to Palestine brings message home

By Cameron Thibos · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 12:53 a.m.

Reverend Sandra Olewine stands in the pulpit of the First United Methodist Church. As a guest preacher, this is Olewine's first time in Bloomington, but her bond with the church is relatively old. First United is one of about 40 churches across the nation that supports her when she lives under occupation in Bethlehem, Israel. Olewine, 45, has served as the United Methodist liaison to Jerusalem for the past seven years.The Church established the position in 1987 in response to a plea for missionaries by the heads of the Palestinian churches. "Lots of your people come here for tourism," Olewine said, summarizing the Palestinian concern. "And they run where Jesus walked and they never get off the tour bus ... They don't even know people are living here today."

Fire alarm forces out residents

By Chris Freiberg and Warren Christopher Freiberg · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 12:52 a.m.

Pajama-clad Read Center residents were roused from their rooms by a screeching siren to stand in the freezing cold Wednesday night.

Finding familiarity

By Sonja Kuhnau · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 12:52 a.m.

Have you ever seen a bunch of Korean people in the library?" asked Hyo Kim, a native of South Korea. "They study together all the time. They just go to eat with Koreans, only Koreans." Scenes like Kim's description are common on IU's campus. From the library's study tables to the dining halls, IU's more than 3,000 international students are most often found associating with one another.

IU tests gene therapy for first time

By Lindsay Kaplan · Friday, Dec. 5,2003 12:52 a.m.

Doctors at the Krannert Institute of Cardiology in Indianapolis performed their first gene therapy treatment last week with hopes to use it as a new procedure to alleviate heart disease. Gene therapy is a technique for correcting defective genes responsible for disease development.