Community Arts

Don't punish campuses for supporting equal rights

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Dec. 6,2005 12:10 a.m.

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court begins hearing oral arguments in Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights. The issue at hand is the constitutionality of the Solomon Amendment -- a regulation that requires all universities (public or private) that receive federal funding or research grants to allow military recruiters on campus. The debate has quickly transformed into a question of free speech with a group of law schools arguing that the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is discriminatory. These universities say they wouldn't invite discriminatory companies on campus to recruit students, so why should they invite the military?

Victory in Iraq is an oxymoron

By Alyson Brodsy and David A. Nosko · Tuesday, Dec. 6,2005 12 a.m.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld once said: "Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war." It seems he was right. As the U.S. soldier death count continues to climb -- more than 2,100 thus far in Iraq -- some Americans and congressional leaders have continued their plea for President Bush to offer a timetable to withdraw the U.S. military from Iraq.

Rice defends U.S. terrorism policies

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:59 p.m.

BERLIN -- Fighting terrorism is "a two-way street" and Europeans are safer for tough but legal U.S. tactics, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday in response to an outcry among allies about reports of secret CIA prisons and detainee mistreatment. The top U.S. diplomat went further than others in the Bush administration to insist that Americans do not practice torture or lesser forms of cruel treatment.

Judge upholds charges against DeLay

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:59 p.m.

AUSTIN, Texas -- A judge dismissed a conspiracy charge Monday against Rep. Tom DeLay but refused to throw out the far more serious allegations of money laundering, dashing the congressman's hopes, for now, of reclaiming his post as House majority leader. Texas Judge Pat Priest, who is presiding over the case against the Republican, issued the ruling after a hearing late last month in which DeLay's attorney argued that the indictment was fatally flawed.

Earthquake jolts east Africa, at least 2 confirmed dead

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:58 p.m.

KINSHASA, Congo -- A powerful earthquake Monday toppled dozens of homes and buried children in rubble in eastern Congo, killing at least two people in a region already beset by chronic violence and grinding poverty. The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8, struck at 2:20 p.m. (7:20 a.m. EST) and was centered beneath Lake Tanganyika on the Congo-Tanzania border, about 600 miles southwest of Nairobi, Kenya, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site.

First witness in Saddam trial testifies before court

By Alyson Brodsy and Hamza Hendawi · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:57 p.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The first witnesses in the Saddam Hussein trial offered chilling accounts Monday of killings and torture using electric shocks and a grinder during a 1982 crackdown against Shiites, as the defiant ex-president threatened the judge and tried to intimidate a survivor One witness said he saw a machine that "looked like a grinder" with hair and blood on it in a secret police center in Baghdad where he and others were tortured for 70 days. He said detainees were kept in "Hall 63." But defense lawyers questioned the reliability of witnesses who were only 15 and 10 at the time and walked out of the tumultuous session when the judge refused to allow former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark to address the court on Saddam's behalf. They returned after the judge relented.

Irish Lion hosts classic Christmas play

By Meghan Lucas · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:43 p.m.

This Christmas season, amid the hustle and bustle of finals and early bird specials, one play in town will have audiences singing and believing in the power of Christmas. Brought to life at the Irish Lion is a classic tale of hope, repentance and maybe a "bah, humbug!" or two. Running at 8 p.m. Dec. 6, 12 and 13, the Monroe County Civic Theater presents, in the spirit of the yuletide season, "A Christmas Carol."

Despite small crowd, play 'Wit' impresses with story of life, death

By Sarah Neely and Sarah A. Neely · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:42 p.m.

It was hard to miss all of the commotion Saturday night on South Jordan Avenue. "The Nutcracker" in the Musical Arts Center and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in the IU Auditorium brought people, cars and something usually reserved for basketball games: policemen to control the crowds. In the midst of all the excitement, it might have been easy to miss the Wells-Metz Theatre nestled between the two larger venues, where a much smaller group sat rapt by the Theatre and Drama department's production of "Wit." "I was amazed," said IU alumnus Scott Britton. "The writing, performing and directing choices; top to bottom, everything was great."

Awesome Aussie

By Alyson Brodsy and Brian Janosch · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 12:15 p.m.

In IU's first four games, freshman forward Ben Allen never played more than 15 minutes, never scored more than eight points and never grabbed more than four rebounds. But Allen eclipsed all those marks Saturday night, warranting a steady stream of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oy, Oy, Oy!" chants from the crowd. Crikey!

Despite gifts, Herbert still criticized

By Peter Stevenson · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 12:06 p.m.

In the weeks following ongoing public criticism of IU President Adam Herbert from IU-Bloomington faculty, the University has announced more than $125 million in donations. Some faculty members have had mixed reactions to the recent successes in donations after criticizing what they had seen as Herbert's "poor job" of meeting with donors. IU received a $70 million anonymous donation Thursday -- the largest single donation from a private source in IU history. Herbert announced a $15 million endowment for the Cox Scholars program the same day. IUB also received $40.6 million for the Jacobs School of Music Nov. 17.

COAS dean might leave University

By Peter Stevenson · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 12:06 p.m.

IU College of Arts and Sciences Dean Kumble Subbaswamy was named one of two final candidates for provost at the University of Kentucky Thursday. UK President Lee Todd announced the two final candidates in a campus-wide e-mail. He said both candidates will visit with faculty members and students. Subbaswamy will visit Dec. 12.

Former 9-11 commissioners say United States at risk for more terror attacks

By Alyson Brodsy and Hope Yen · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:37 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The United States is at great risk for more terrorist attacks because Congress and the White House have failed to enact several strong security measures, members of the former Sept. 11, 2001, commission said Sunday. "It's not a priority for the government right now," said the former chairman, Thomas Kean, ahead of the group's release of a report Monday assessing how well its recommendations have been followed.

Al-Qaida agent assumed dead from U.S. missile

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:36 a.m.

MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan -- Shrapnel that appeared to be from an American-made missile was found Sunday at the house where Pakistan said a top al-Qaida operative was killed in an explosion, although President Bush's national security adviser declined to confirm the death.

Former Iraqi leader confronted by crowd

By Alyson Brodsy and Hamza Hendawi · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:36 a.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- An angry crowd confronted Iraq's former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi at a Shiite shrine south of Baghdad on Sunday, forcing him to flee in a hail of stones and shoes. Allawi called the attack an assassination attempt.

Troop reductions to come as early as next year

By Alyson Brodsy and Nedra Pickler · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:35 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The United States could be ready to reduce troops in Iraq next year if Iraqis continue making progress at the current rate, President Bush's national security adviser said Sunday.

Some FEMA trailers in state of disrepair

By Elisha Sauers · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:34 a.m.

GULFPORT, Miss. -- Melvin Barkum is, in one respect, a lucky man. After his Gulfport home was damaged by Hurricane Katrina, he got a trailer from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But all in his FEMA trailer is not as well as it could be. After he switched on his trailer's thermostat, he lifted the lid of a storage bench and illuminated a water pipe with a flashlight. Within a moment, the visibly leaking water was pattering onto the high-pitched smoke alarm.

The year to come

By Alyson Brodsy and Brian J. McFillen · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:34 a.m.

With 2005 winding down to a close, we need to start thinking about the year to come. What will 2006 hold for us? Will it be better than 2005? Worse? I don't like to brag, but I'm a fair hand with a crystal ball. If you don't like spoilers, stop reading now. But if you're like me, and aren't above a little peek at what's around the corner, here's a bit of what to expect:

Beyond the past

By Alyson Brodsy and Amy Obermeyer · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:33 a.m.

We, as a country, have become desensitized to war. True, politicians are still jabbering back and forth, but the discourse on both sides is comprised largely of sound bytes that lack real meaning. More than two years after the fact, we're suddenly fascinated with the asinine debate over the merits of having gone to war in the first place. I'm left a little incredulous, wondering why there wasn't more discussion beforehand.

Save ourselves

By Alyson Brodsy and Bryan Schmidt · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:33 a.m.

Tookie was a bad man. Stanley "Tookie" Williams co-founded the Crips, the infamous blue-wearing gang that began in south central Los Angeles. Critics accuse him of creating a legacy that extended violence throughout the country. Williams is convicted of killing four people during two armed robberies and currently sits on death row in California. In one robbery, he allegedly shot a man in his back while high on PCP. In the other robbery, the death scene of the three victims was so ghastly that the investigating officer said, "I've seen a lot in my 36 years on the force, but that's one of about a half-dozen scenes that have stuck with me just because of the carnage."

From Bloomington to Brussels

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Dec. 5,2005 11:33 a.m.

The Delegation of the European Commission in Washington, D.C., recently made a welcome contribution to IU -- a $351,000 grant. The money will establish a European Union Center of Excellence. We feel this move merits our applause as it expands the resources of an already well-developed international studies program at IU.