Community Arts

Several students report delays in receiving IU aid

By Carrie Ritchie · Wednesday, July 5,2006 6:40 p.m.

Several students seeking scholarships, fellowships and grants for summer activities like research and internships abroad have had to wait for the money they were told would be given to them. The delay was caused mainly by the set-up of the Student Information System, which, along with the Financial Information System, keeps records of student enrollment and allows officials to deposit aid into students' accounts, said Rozzie Gerstman, campus budget consultant and BL chart manager. The problem was the SIS stipulation that students are only enrolled if they are taking a certain number of credit hours, which causes many students to not show up in that particular system during the summer because students typically don't take as many classes, Gerstman said.

THE BUZZ ABOUT PUZZ

By Alyson Brodsy and Tracy Liaw · Wednesday, July 5,2006 3:40 p.m.

Somewhere on a street lay an errant brown puzzle piece. Bicyclists might pedal over it. Sparrows might peck at it. But Puzz went on a quest to find its owner. "Puzz," the second short film by The Nineteenth State Filmmakers' Collective, is to be premiered along with five other local films on Friday, July 7th at 8 p.m. at the Hospital, located at 1021 South Walnut St. The twenty minute film tells the story of a puzzle fanatic who began a mission to return a lost puzzle piece. On the other hand, Annette, who struggled with a stifling relationship with her dopey boyfriend, was also trying to complete a puzzle with only one jigsaw missing.

Planet of the Punks

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Green · Wednesday, July 5,2006 3:38 p.m.

Is the summer heat bumming you out? Is the man bringing you down? Tired of yuppies and hippies cramping your style? Well, look no further. Plan-It-X Fest is here! Punk rock, solidarity, equality and knowing your rights. 6 days of music and events sprawled out throughout the town of Bloomington, July 6th to 11th. It's like summer camp, but without the canoes and cheesy campfire songs. Sticking to home, Plan-It-X Fest will provide happenings all over the town of Bloomington. Shows will be played at Rhino's and Boxcar Books. There will be swap-meets and film fests, potlucks and a soapbox derby and even a carnival.

Tattoo U

By Alyson Brodsy and Zack Teibloom · Wednesday, July 5,2006 3:34 p.m.

The Gooch stands outside the door to Skinquake Precision Tattooing And Body Piercing Inc., an imposing figure splattered with intricate, vibrant tattoos covering his arms, and chest. Two naked cartoon depictions of ex-girlfriends grace his arms, monstrous ear-plugs fill his ears, and a goatee and dark sunglasses hide his face. He has the markings of your typical tattoo artist, but his clientele and personal attachment to his ink is engraving a new mark on the tattoo scene.

Whatever Happened To Cult TV Shows?

By Alyson Brodsy and Larry Walters · Wednesday, July 5,2006 3:24 p.m.

June 28 marked the release of the movie version of one of Comedy Central's most genius shows -- "Strangers With Candy" -- and it's about damn time. Starring Amy Sedaris as the dumb-witted, sex-crazed junkie Jerri Blank, this show captivated the hearts and minds of several million viewers over a three-season period. After six years of hiatus, she's on the big screen along with director/actor Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's popular mock-news program "The Colbert Report." It's about time the trio reclaimed the roles that got them their initial burst of stardom.

Hop in this Stranger's van

By Alyson Brodsy and John Barnett · Wednesday, July 5,2006 3:20 p.m.

High school is hard -- especially so if you're a buck-toothed recovering alcoholic and drug addict pushing 50. Jerri Blank, played with an equal mixture of pity and pitifulness by comedienne Amy Sedaris, is the physical embodiment of what happens when you disregard those after school specials and D.A.R.E. visits as a teen. A self-described "boozer, loser, and user," Jerri moves back in with her family after a stint in prison, and ends up back at her old high school. Populated with such oddities as Chuck Noblet (writer and co-creator Stephen Colbert), Geoffrey Jellineck (co-creator Paul Dinello), and bass-voiced Principal Onyx Blackman (Greg Hollimon), Jerri's new life might even be stranger than her old one.

Hidden Masterpiece

By Alyson Brodsy and Will Hernandez · Wednesday, July 5,2006 3:15 p.m.

Michael Haneke's "Caché," which won him best director at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, is a disturbing psychological journey into the lives of a distraught and guilt-ridden talk show host named Georges (Daniel Auteuil), his deteriorating relationship with his wife, Anne (Juliette Binoche) and their distant son, Pierrot (Lester Makedonsky). The trouble begins when Georges finds what becomes the first in a series of anonymous calls, drawing, and videotapes (which show only a far away shot of the front of his house). These things really pose no harm, but the anticipation of things to escalate and that the family might be in real danger increases the married couple's paranoia and fear. Georges is particularly shaken because the anonymous drawings make references to an Algerian boy his parents took care of when he was a little boy, which he also wronged (in ways that aren't too clear to the viewer). This forces Georges to dig deep into his past to figure out who's terrorizing him and his family and who's exposing him.

Russian Rarity

By Alyson Brodsy and Rob O'Connor · Wednesday, July 5,2006 3:09 p.m.

Finally. Finally, Bloomington residents have an opportunity to see the movie that shattered every major box office record in Russia. Finally, we get to see the film that has become a sort of underground cult hit as it hopped around through film festivals and art houses until finally gaining enough support to receive a wide release (but not wide enough to make it to Bloomington). Two years after its initial release in Russia, finally "Night Watch" has come to DVD. "Night Watch," is the first installment in a Russian horror trilogy about the eternal battle between the supernatural forces of good and evil. Powerful supernatural beings called Others are all around us. Some have chosen to fight for the forces of light, and some have chosen to fight for the forces of darkness.

IDS Classic Albums:

By Alyson Brodsy and Derek Kagemann · Wednesday, July 5,2006 3:05 p.m.

Not long after its 1976 premier, the television show "Laverne & Shirley" became an instant hit. A merchandising franchise quickly followed suit. After a few musical performances on the show, Michael McKean and David Lander were given the chance to cut an album as their show personas, Lenny and Squiggy, in 1979. Popular television has spawned some awful musical crossovers through the years. Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams had already released Laverne & Shirley Sing in 1976, sharing shelf space beside mind-numbingly bad franchise tie-ins like Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space. However, Lenny & the Squigtones Present Lenny & the Squigtones is one of those notable exceptions.

Madonna Don't Preach

By Alyson Brodsy and K. A. MacDonald · Wednesday, July 5,2006 3:03 p.m.

Madonna's newest release, I'm Going to Tell You a Secret, can be separated in to three parts: the good (the remixes of her 80's songs she that brought her fame), the adult (her newest songs which sound like self help books set to a bass line) and the honest (the DVD which shows Madonna still has moments of being the Madonna we all knew and loved). She sings songs like "Vogue" and "Like a Prayer" with a passion that makes you want to sing and dance along. The techno beat takes a dance club favorite from 20 years ago and brings new life to it, turning it in to a dance club favorite of today.

Pairing for the ages

By Alyson Brodsy and Josh Millrod · Wednesday, July 5,2006 3 p.m.

Until recently, recordings of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane's legendary collaboration had been the stuff of dreams for jazz fans. For five months in 1957, the two played six nights a week at the Five Spot in downtown Manhattan. The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings are a miracle. They document one of the most important pairings in all of jazz history In 1957, Thelonious Monk's chopped-to-bits, harmonically complex and delightfully left-footed style was already legendary. He had been struggling to renew his cabaret card after the mass revocation of the cards of musicians with criminal pasts.

Brit-poppers stake their claim

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Green · Wednesday, July 5,2006 2:57 p.m.

Britpop/rock is hit or miss in my opinion. For example: Radiohead, Interpol, Muse…all hits. Coldplay, U2…misses (don't send hate mail to me for this statement). No matter what your stance on the matter is, you've surely heard of Keane. This group of blokes blew up on the scene in 2004 with Hopes And Fears, and a hit single entitled "Somewhere Only We Know," becoming one of the biggest groups in the UK, and US alike. Keane's second effort, Under The Iron Sea, is an excellent follow-up, and even more emotional and darker than their debut. All U2 and Coldplay references aside, Keane has their own unique and intelligent sound. Singer Tom Chaplin sounds more like Thom Yorke (The Bends era Radiohead), or Matt Bellamy of Muse, rather than Chris Martin of Coldplay.

Two Points For Experimentation

By C. Warner Sills and Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, July 5,2006 2:46 p.m.

Guster is the kind of band that is hard not to like. Its songs are catchy, the band members are down to earth--always welcoming and supportive of fans, despite their rising fame--and most importantly, Guster makes simple yet great music. The Boston trio started as a college garage band, mainly playing the frat gig circuit at Tufts University, but since then have recorded several extremely successful albums and garnered a nice little following ranging from wide eyed teenage girls to twenty something males who see the band as an alternative to more mainstream counterparts like Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Jason Mraz etc.

Delightfully Devilish

By Alyson Brodsky and Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, July 5,2006 2:44 p.m.

One of the summers most buzzed about movies has finally hit theatres and it won't leave you disappointed. As an adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's best-selling novel, the movie brings to life the powerful fashion world and what its like to work in the industry. Directed by David Frankel (Sex and the City), "The Devil Wears Prada" was tastefully put together without overdoing it.

It's a bird, it's a plane...

By Alyson Brodsy and Doug Evans · Wednesday, July 5,2006 2:44 p.m.

Whereas "Batman Begins" spawned a new Batman series, "Superman Returns" is more of a continuation of its preceding series as initially suggested by its title but also by its many references to the earlier film series. In fact, Marlon Brando returns from the dead to reprise his role of Jor-El, Superman's father (in actuality, archived footage of Brando from the 1978 version is used).

Pieces of the past

By Carrie Ritchie · Sunday, July 2,2006 10:45 p.m.

Sunday is usually thought of as a day of rest. It's a tradition that stems from earlier times, when almost everyone woke up, attended church, sat down for a family meal and relaxed for the remainder of the day.

Incumbent trustee loses election

By Zack Teibloom · Sunday, July 2,2006 10:39 p.m.

In a surprising upset of incumbent trustee Cora Breckenridge, Phil Eskew Jr. won the open IU board of trustees seat, receiving 9,209 of the 31,650 votes cast by IU alumni.

Faculty 'raiding' at all-time high

By Julie Mahomed · Sunday, July 2,2006 10:39 p.m.

IU continues to lose valued tenure-line professors to other universities and private institutions because of the "raiding" of its faculty members, meaning top faculty leave the University for more attractive, higher paying jobs at other institutions, said IU officials.

'Big Red' takes on new meaning

By Michelle Manchir · Sunday, July 2,2006 10:39 p.m.

IU is now home to the fastest supercomputer owned by a university and the 23rd fastest in the world, according to a recently released TOP500 list, which is complied twice a year by computer experts, computational scientists and manufacturers.

'Real-life Forrest Gump' remembers war

By David A. Nosko · Sunday, July 2,2006 10:37 p.m.

U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and Hoosier Sgt. Sammy L. Davis swung through Bloomington during the 10th Annual "Picnic with the POPS" Orchestra and Chorus Saturday evening, a Fourth of July celebration to honor America's independence and to memorialize the continued American struggle for freedom, liberty and justice for all.