Region

Let kids learn the hard way

My mother lives 456.38 miles from my doorstep. Not bad when you are going Delta, even though there are no direct flights, but it's hell after six hours through the entire, flat, morbid Bluegrass State.

Hoosiers win opening game

The women's volleyball team played its season-opening game Friday against the University of Maryland and recorded the ninth season-opening win for coach Katie Weismiller.

Online voting available

On Feb. 26 and 27 the IU Student Association will be electing new officials.

'Buffy' to host MTV Movie Awards

Sarcastic comic Jack Black and comely "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar have been tapped to host the MTV Movie Awards show.

Ten summer flicks worth your eight bucks

Return of the prodigal sons

City in the wrong for buying theatre

Last Wednesday, the Bloomington City Council approved a measure to give a $600,000 subsidy to the financially unstable Buskirk-Chumley Theatre. Those funds are part of a $1.2 million city acquisition of the theater, a Bloomington landmark.

The undermining of America's will

A few months ago, Senators Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) ensured passage of a long-awaited campaign finance reform bill. The bill, now a law, seeks to eliminate corruptive soft money from the federal election process. At the time, it seemed as if the will of the people had won after years of struggle and federal elections were finally to be rid of hundreds of millions of dirty soft money dollars. Now, it appears those hopes were premature.

Welcome reception highly attended

Many say IU is well known for its multicultural atmosphere, and the Asian Culture Center is one of many programs that exemplifies this. Wednesday, more than 100 people gathered on the front lawn and inside the center for a welcoming reception that featured student information tables and an introduction of the staff members. Chinese food catered by China Buffet also created a festive atmosphere.

Jazz saxophonist brings Buskirk audience to its feet

Final bunches of people struggled to fill the last few empty chairs Saturday as the lights started to dim in the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre. A drum set sat anxiously waiting for Brian Blade's sticks. Not far away, a Hammond B3 organ, Fender Rhode piano and keyboard stood empty for Sam Yahel to take a seat at each of them throughout the night. Off to the side sat soprano and baritone saxophones on their sturdy stands. Between the drums and pianos was nothing but an empty patch of stage. Soon after, Yahel and Blade took their seats at their respective instruments. Finally, with a welcoming applause, Joshua Redman took the stage. As he picked up his baritone sax, the three jazz artists began playing.

Letters to the editor

Ben Piper wrote a column Jan. 7 suggesting that deregulation failed in California because of excessive environmental restraints and that Texas is a model example and a success story for deregulation of electric utilities. While his argument may seem compelling, further examination of his points suggests that his conclusions may need re-evaluation, especially with respect to the State of Indiana.

Baffert does it at Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- War Emblem showed up at Bob Baffert's barn a mere three weeks ago. Even the trainer joked that he would need his best and shortest training job to win the Kentucky Derby. Baffert came through.

FBI backing more terror prosecutions

The FBI has been seeking prosecution of international terrorism cases at six times the rate it did before Sept. 11, but more than half of those cases considered by federal prosecutors never made it to court, Justice Department records show.

Brehm to be installed

Sharon Brehm joins elite company today. In a ceremony at 4 p.m. in the IU Auditorium, Brehm will be installed as Bloomington's third chancellor. She is the first woman to hold the position. While the formal induction comes in mid-October, Brehm has been on campus three months and said she already feels at home.

Dark comedy somewhat dead on arrival

Coming out with a new channel

Nickelodeon for kid audiences. MTV for teen and young adult audiences. Black Entertainment Television for black audiences. Lifetime for women. Is there an audience missing? Why not a channel for gay audiences? MTV and Showtime are looking to create the first channel aimed at gay audiences. "We see this as the next step in what a television network is supposed to be," Betsy Frank, the executive vice president of research for MTV Networks, told The New York Times Jan. 10. Television networks were working toward the idea of a channel directed at gay viewers after the presence of gay characters increased in appearance on television shows, including Showtime's "Queer as Folk" and NBC's "Will and Grace." But the channel itself will be more than just sitcoms with gay characters.

The dangers of walking to class

When I first came to this hallowed institution of learning, I knew that things would be more difficult than they were in the namby-pamby days of high school. I assumed that the hardest activities I would have to deal with would either involve something to do with a parabola, waking up on a Sunday morning (or early afternoon) after a hard night of studying, or holding a conversation with an attractive female for more than 30 seconds. Alas, it has turned out that this is not the scenario. I passed the final math class of my lifetime with a "B." There is nothing that a few aspirin can't take care of after pounding headaches from hours at the library.

Guns not for cockpits

On Wednesday, a bill that would potentially allow more than 70,000 airline pilots to carry guns in the cockpit was passed overwhelmingly by the U.S. House of Representatives. Lawmakers who favored the bill even amended it to exclude restrictions created by the House Transportation Committee that would arm only a fraction of pilots.

Sincerely wrong

You must understand that I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that the men's bathroom was on the left. It was a few days before Christmas.

Oregon police refuse to follow federal procedure

Police in an Oregon college town became the second force to rebuff federal law enforcers' plans to interview foreigners as part of an antiterrorism sweep. In Michigan, meanwhile, a newspaper report of a federal memo has increased doubts about a program encouraging people from countries where Osama bin Laden's terror network has been active to come forward for questioning.