Community Arts

Local reaction mixed to road toll funded I-69 project

Local reaction has been mixed to the proposed tolling of I-69 -- a part of Gov. Mitch Daniels' controversial plan to pay for the interstate that will supplant the current State Road 37 from Bloomington to Indianapolis.

Lugar up for Nobel Prize

OSLO, Norway -- Late speculation ahead of the Nobel Peace Prize to be announced Friday swung heavily toward an award recognizing anti-nuclear efforts on the 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs. Favorites among a record 199 nominees included anti-nuclear campaigners such as Sen. Richard Lugar and former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, and Japan's Nihon Hidankyo, the international confederation of Atomic and Hydrogen Bomb Sufferers. Finnish peace mediator Martti Ahtisaari also ranked high, while the buzz surrounding Bono of Irish rock band U2 and Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof faded.

All hail Mrs. President

Every Tuesday night, Americans get to witness the first female president taking over the Oval Office. With lines like, "If Moses had been a woman leading Jews in the desert, she would have stopped and asked for directions and been in Israel in a week," ABC's new series "Commander in Chief" makes the concept of a female president seem a little less far-fetched.

Solidarity is forever

People along the political spectrum have argued that the sadistic attacks in Bali Saturday can be traced to American involvement in Iraq. How is it that these deadly and depraved bombings induced many on the left to increase their criticisms of waging the war on terrorism and, no less dishonorably, provoked many on the right to go wobbly in the vigorous prosecution of the war?

Who sponsored the first collegiate homecoming?

We at the Indiana Daily Student would like the University of Illinois to stop practicing revisionist history. A report compiled this year by the University of Illinois Archives department is clearly biased and grossly exaggerates the facts surrounding the first collegiate homecoming. True, the first homecoming, in name, took place in 1910 at the University of Illinois. But the report refuses to give any credence to IU's Gala Days, which took place in 1908 and 1909 in Bloomington. They clearly predate the 1910 Illinois "homecoming" as the first collegiate homecoming event. The Illinois document calls IU's 1909 Gala Day a "relatively informal affair" that was not geared for alumni. But an Aug. 16 report by Bradley Cook of the IU Archives says differently.

Artist captures the spirit of fallen soldiers

EDMONDS, Wash. -- The images capture tender moments shattered by the brutality of war. Each one is a comfort to those left behind. In Tennessee, a grandmother says good morning to the portrait of her smiling grandson.

Fall ballet shows dance's many styles

The fall ballet promises to be a night of excitement and entertainment with four varied performances including two world premieres, both created by IU faculty members.

'Lord of the Rings' museum exhibit opens

INDIANAPOLIS -- A mishmash of hairy feet, pointy ears and gnarled noses is artfully arranged in a display case in a darkened gallery, looking more suited to a mad scientist's lab than a museum. The odd lot of latex body parts is part of "The Lord of the Rings" exhibition, opening Thursday for a three-month run at the Indiana State Museum.

Tudela nets 2 goals in Hoosiers' 2-0 win against Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Junior Josh Tudela netted both goals for the Hoosiers en route to a 2-0 win over the University of Louisville Cardinals in front of a record crowd of 3,583 fans at Cardinal Park.

It'll be held in Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union but students needn't use their "indoor voices" at Yell Like Hell -- one of the IU Student Alumni Association's five annual University-wide spirit competitions in celebration of Homecoming. Yell like Hell -- at 7:30 tonight -- will feature skits and musical performances by 10 student groups and organizations including IUSAA, Student Athletic Board, IU Student Foundation and the Black Student Union, said SAA Director of Special Events sophomore Phillip Blomeke.

Students move to diversify Homecoming

Black Student Union President Courtney Williams said she thinks some students in the past had the mentality that "black people just didn't do" Homecoming events like Yell Like Hell and IU Sing. Williams and other BSU members want to change that.

Freshman still in critical condition

IU officials are breathing a sigh of relief this week as the likelihood of another case of meningitis surfacing dwindles as the days pass, said Dr. Hugh Jessop, director of the IU Health Center. "If you're going to have a second case, that incubation period is usually 10 days," Jessop said. "We are really going to keep our fingers crossed that we get through the week without another case."

The Missing Years

The history of the IU Homecoming Court can be traced back as far as 1940 with the crowning of the first Homecoming Queen, but in 1968 the tradition was discontinued for a period of ten years when a discriminatory racial scandal unfolded in the laps of University officials.

Lobbyist speaks on Africa issues

With a five-year, $15 billion Africa AIDS program pledged by President Geroge W. Bush, issues within the continent have been front and center. Melvin Foote, CEO and founder of Constituency for Africa, has been asking, "How do we bring about transformation in Africa?" Foote spoke Wednesday as part of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center and School of Public and Environmental Affairs Public Policy Lecture series about "Why Africa Should Matter to the U.S.?" CFA unites U.S. organizations to lobby for fostering change in Africa.

IU rowing clinic session expands to 3 weeks

IU's rowing clinic expanded its session to three weeks this year to better prepare walk-ons and novices for the realities of life in America's oldest intercollegiate sport. "Last year we taught them how to row, but we didn't teach them what rowing was about," head coach Steve Peterson said. "There's a big difference, and we needed more time."

While local fare can range from typical to exotic, all some food aficionados want is their desserts

From greasy take-out diners to elegant fine dining, Bloomington offers a wide scope of restaurant choices for students with varying budgets. But for those with a well-developed sweet tooth, whose eyes might wander to the back of the menu before even glancing at the appetizers or main courses, dinner is just a precursor to the most important part of the meal: dessert.

Noah Bambach returns with 'Squid and Whale'

NEW YORK -- It's taken Noah Baumbach 10 years to get back to where he started. The director of "The Squid and the Whale" was considered a wunderkind at 25 when his 1995 debut, "Kicking and Screaming," played at the New York Film Festival. A decade later, the native New Yorker finally returned.

New nickel gets a facelift

WASHINGTON -- After nearly 100 years of depicting presidents in somber profiles on the nation's coins, the U.S. Mint is trying something different: The new nickel features Thomas Jefferson, facing forward, with the hint of a smile.

Jordan River Forum

Art should not be overlooked In response to Colin Dugdale's column ("Wolfgang snoozefest," Monday), I don't expect everyone to like opera. However it is rude and childish to state that what others like and you do not is "not currently palatable" and has "expired." I might achieve the same conclusions should I attend a concert or performance by a group that appeals to Master Dugdale yet doesn't appeal to my taste. If he was so appalled by people in tuxedos, let him not wander near the penguin exhibit at the zoo for everyone's safety. IU has a marvelous arts community. Students have the opportunity to attend a wide variety of performance and visual arts at a fraction of the costs that professional companies require. That young Master Dugdale noticed that the student performers at the School of Music had "phenomenal pipes" states that he can appreciate the work that an artist does. If it wasn't visually stirring for him, might I suggest that he close his eyes and listen? The beauty just might overwhelm him. College is a time to expand your horizons. The opportunities to do that artistically on this campus are remarkable, even for a large research institution. Let us not discourage people from opening their minds to new art, whatever form they choose. The staff of the School of Music, Department of Theater and Drama and the IU Art Museum work tirelessly to bring the students of this campus to offer them something to which they may never have as ready access in the future. To allow the work of these departments to be so recklessly dismissed is disheartening, and the support of the editorial staff that published such denigration is distressing. I urge the campus community to look beyond the observations of a youth with a bully pulpit and explore for themselves the cultural opportunities that abound on this campus. Most of them have an intermission. David Grindle Production manager, Department of Theater and Drama

From chokers to champs

On Aug. 1, the Chicago White Sox assumed the role of the rabbit in the fable of the tortoise and the hare. Fifteen games ahead of the Cleveland Indians (the tortoise), most thought they would be the first team to clinch its division. But just as the story goes, the Sox took a nap on a park bench, and let the tortoise make up its 13 1/2 game deficit. People called them chokers, said their luck had run out and they were about to become the first team in MLB history to squander a 15-game division lead this late in the season.