Community Arts

A war to be proud of

By Alyson Brodsy and Brian Stewart · Wednesday, March 22,2006 12:04 a.m.

As I observed precision-guided bombs strike Baath party headquarters in downtown Baghdad on CNN International in the latter days of March, 2003, I felt a fierce ambition rise in my gut. It was to craft just one air-tight piece in defense of regime change that would run every year on March 19 -- my birthday, but more, the birth of a free Iraq. It seems appropriate -- three years later -- to initiate that process.

DEFENDING THE WAR

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, March 22,2006 12:01 a.m.

DEFENDING THE WAR -- President Bush speaks at a news conference at the White House on Tuesday in Washington. Bush said there will be "more tough fighting ahead" in Iraq, but denied claims that the nation is in the grips of a civil war three years after the U.S.-led invasion.

Abu Ghraib dog handler convicted of tormenting prisoners

By Alyson Brodsy and David Dishneau · Tuesday, March 21,2006 11:59 p.m.

FORT MEADE, Md. -- An Army dog handler at Abu Ghraib was convicted Tuesday of tormenting prisoners with his snarling animal and competing with a comrade to make the Iraqis soil themselves.

Deadly bird flu claims 5 lives in Azerbaijan

By Alyson Brodsy and Alexander G. Higgins · Tuesday, March 21,2006 11:58 p.m.

GENEVA -- The human death toll from the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu reached 103 after five people died from the disease in Azerbaijan, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.

Insurgents storm jail, kill 19 officers

By Alyson Brodsy and Vanessa Arrington · Tuesday, March 21,2006 11:57 p.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Insurgents stormed a jail around dawn Tuesday in the Sunni Muslim heartland north of Baghdad, killing 19 police and a courthouse guard in a prison break that freed dozens of prisoners and left 10 attackers dead, authorities said.

Police say drug argument led to murders, arson

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, March 21,2006 11:54 p.m.

ANDERSON, Ind. -- An argument over drugs might have led a man to allegedly kill two people and set fire to a house to cover up the crimes, police said.

Bloomington honors 'Outstanding Black Male Leader of Tomorrow'

By Laura Jane Hyde · Tuesday, March 21,2006 11:53 p.m.

Matthew Herndon recently received Bloomington's first "Outstanding Black Male Leader of Tomorrow" award. The City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Black Males honored the Bloomington High School North junior with the award.

IUPD: Man, still at-large, offered boy $4,500 to be escort, provide sex

By Audrie Garrison · Tuesday, March 21,2006 11:39 p.m.

IU police are looking for a man who they say offered a 16-year-old boy $4,500 to work for a gay escort service and asked him to engage in sexual activity with him, said IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger, reading from the police report.

We are not mistake-free

By Alyson Brodsy and Rick Newkirk · Tuesday, March 21,2006 11:38 p.m.

Many of you might have heard about one of our mistakes.

Woodburn Hall home to racial Benton Murals

By Nick Dugan · Tuesday, March 21,2006 11:37 p.m.

Over the years, Woodburn Hall has transformed from the home of business and economics to the home of political science and two of the controversial Benton murals.

Defying gravity

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, March 21,2006 11:32 p.m.

Defying gravity -- In this undated studio photo supplied by the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Sean Mahoney and Lisa Viola perform "Spring Rounds." The dance had its New York premiere during the company's three-week annual City Center stint, which wrapped up this weekend in New York.

Art museum to hold horse discussion

By Laura Jane Hyde · Tuesday, March 21,2006 11:30 p.m.

The IU Art Museum will hold "Horses and Horsemanship" as part of its free Noon Talk series today from 12:15 to 1 p.m. in the museum's Special Exhibition Gallery.

UPDATE: Police called to Bloomington Hospital

By Kevin Dwire · Tuesday, March 21,2006 1:58 p.m.

Half of Bloomington Hospital's emergency area was evacuated Tuesday after three injured men with a potential explosive component on their cots arrived by ambulance from Crane Naval Base, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Valynda Laird, associate director for critical care at the hospital, said the two men were injured when an object detonated at Crane Tuesday morning. The two employees then took the 30-45 minute ambulance ride to Bloomington Hospital and arrived around 11:55 a.m., she said.

Kappa Sigma house set to be razed

By Peter Stevenson · Tuesday, March 21,2006 1:58 a.m.

IU opened the old Kappa Sigma house at 1503 E. Third St. Monday, but not for a fraternity. Moving one step closer to the abandoned house's demolition, local construction contractors were given tours of the building to evaluate the cost of demolition. Other contractors looked at the cost of asbestos removal. The house is scheduled for demolition sometime after the spring 2006 semester. University officials said they hope to complete demolition and debris removal by mid-summer.

VALENTIN'S DAY

By Tim O Brien and Tim O'Brien · Tuesday, March 21,2006 12:50 a.m.

TERRE HAUTE -- Senior guard Cyndi Valentin did not want to be denied. In Monday night's second round WNIT game against Indiana State, Valentin scored IU's last 10 points of the game to lead the Hoosiers to a 68-62 victory, extending their season at least one more game. Down 59-58 in the closing minutes, IU had the ball following two Indiana State free throws. Valentin dribbled up the court and, rolling off a pick from senior center Angie Hawkins, found herself wide open at the top of the key. "I think (IU) coach (Sharon) Versyp made a great call to call that play, but I was wide open," Valentin said. After the senior drilled the wide open 3-pointer, the Sycamores quickly replied with a basket of their own. Valentin responded again.

IU Athletics cuts pom squad

By Carrie Ritchie · Tuesday, March 21,2006 12:50 a.m.

Assistant Athletic Director Chuck Crabb announced that IU has decided to end the pom squad, which was part of the IU cheerleading program, in an e-mail sent to current and prospective IU pom squad members. According to the e-mail, IU's "senior Athletics Administration members" and IU cheerleading coach Julie Clements had several discussions about "what works, what can be refined and what can be better presented in a manner to rally fan support for the Indiana University Athletics teams and to complement the game day experience." Crabb said in his e-mail that the decision was difficult to reach, but they had to "weigh what was best" for IU sports.

Dorm executives to take office after close race

By Kim Cullman · Tuesday, March 21,2006 12:50 a.m.

When Residence Halls Association executives take office next month, they will do so after competing in a race closer than many past campaigns. But despite the close margins, current executives already have a slate of changes in front of them involving changes to the constitution. For the Griffin ticket, Matt Jarson, president-elect, won with 54 percent of the vote, Sarah Clark, vice president of student affairs-elect, won 55 percent, and Greg Fitch, vice president of internal affairs-elect, won 52 percent.

Audit reveals possible Labor Studies violations

By Zachary Osterman · Tuesday, March 21,2006 12:50 a.m.

The IU Division of Labor Studies has come under fire after the release of an audit which revealed that the division might have violated IU payroll procedures. The audit, conducted in August 2005, suggested that then-Labor Studies Director Charles Davis might have employed and paid two state legislators for work that wasn't done. IU Audit Service conducted the audit after it received a complaint from a faculty member regarding the paid service of two state legislators. The complaint stemmed from remarks Davis made regarding the reasons for their employment in a September 2004 DLS faculty and staff meeting.

Plane crashes, kills 4 in Missouri

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, March 21,2006 12:49 a.m.

BRANSON, Mo. -- Even at midday, the streets of this resort town were bustling two weeks before the start of the tourist season. So when a twin-engine plane went down shortly after takeoff, authorities were grateful it narrowly missed the main drag of nightclubs, theaters and music halls, crashing instead into a self-storage facility. All four people aboard the Piper Seneca were killed, but the plane caught fire and exploded a safe distance from the busy street, near a Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, a pair of motels and a string of musical theaters bearing the names of such entertainers as Andy Williams and Bobby Vinton.

Team reaches 14th at NCAAs

By Joel Sanders and Joel Sansers · Tuesday, March 21,2006 12:33 a.m.

Sophomore Christina Loukas, two-time Big Ten Diver of the Year and of the NCAA Championships, tied former IU standout Sara Reiling for the best all-around finish at an NCAA competition as the IU women's swimming and diving team culminated its season with a 14th-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships in Athens, Ga. Saturday. The Hoosiers scored 91 points overall at the championships while Auburn University took home the national championship, defeating the University of Georgia in the second-closest finish in NCAA history.